Florida "Justice:" Zimmerman Acquitted

We'll let Charles P. Pierce sum things up:

And, of course, this was Not About Race because nothing is ever About Race. The prosecutors even told us that it wasn't About Race. The defense won its case because this was Not About Race. The sharp guys and pundits will spend all weekend explaining how Race was an element of the events that night, but that the case, ultimately, was not About Race. And because this case was Not About Race, nothing out of our history counts, because our history, here in the land of the free, is Not About Race, either. Because our history is Not About Race, a few weeks ago, when the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, what happened on the Edmund Pettus Bridge was not relevant. Because our history is Not About Race, last night, Emmett Till was not relevant, even though a few people inconveniently brought him up. But that was years ago, and the country has changed, and it is John Roberts' Day Of Jubilee, and this trial was Not About Race because nothing is About Race any more.

Calm is prevailing. For now. At least, that's something. There will be much for George Zimmerman to do. Things may be a little rough back home, but there will be the victory tour on Fox. And the inevitable book deal. There will be the long career as a hero to the people in the communities that feel themselves besieged by assholes and fucking punks [*] in their hoodies. There will be a long, lovely ride surfing the strange and wonderful celebrity that will befall him now because he stood up to the people who defend the rights of asshoes and fucking punks to walk in their hoodies through neighborhoods where they don't belong, according to him, George Zimmerman, American hero.

Of course, the genesis of this atrocity is in the ALEC - promoted "stand your ground" legislation that found its way into Florida law, as well as the laws or case laws of other states controlled by the NRA Republicans.  As played out by this tragedy, such laws merely give license to self-appointed vigilantes like Zimmerman to hunt anyone who seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, fully confident that they can use deadly force if challenged.

Needless to say, the goiters on the neck of American politics are thrilled.

UPDATE:  More "justice" is served in Florida.

* For those who didn't follow the testimony in the trial, this was the language employed by Zimmerman in describing potential perp and Skittles-packer Trayvon Martin.

WalMart's Contribution to Income Inequality

The latest in WalMart's war on the American worker:

Walmart is threatening to leave DC if the mayor does not veto the [living wage] bill, saying it cannot possibly afford to pay employees at least $12.50 per hour, given that it can only afford to pay its CEO a paltry $20.7 million per year and is the number 2 company in the Fortune 500 list.

WalMart: "Save Money on wages, so CEO can Live Better."

Today's Cartoon - Mo' Texas Edition

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(Nick Anderson, Houston Chronicle, via gocomics.com)

"The Fight For The Future Of Texas Is Just Beginning"

(Photo:  http://EgbertoWillies.com)

Yesterday, the American Taliban Republican Texas legislature passed the onerous bill that will restrict a woman's reproductive health choices dramatically.  Gov. Rick "Oops" Perry (R-Uterus) is expected to sign the bill, which will then be challenged immediately in court.  The human face of the opposition to this march backwards is Democratic State Sen. Wendy Davis:

In closing her own speech late Friday night, [Tex Sen. Wendy] Davis told the groggy lawmakers, those in the gallery and beyond, “The fight for the future of Texas is just beginning.”

And then, minutes after the vote, she spoke again, through a bullhorn, to an immense crowd of supporters in front of the Capitol building. Ms. Davis called out to the orange-clad throng to turn their anger into political change. “Let’s make sure tonight is not an ending point,” she said. “It’s a beginning point as we work to take this state back.”

As one over-reaching Republican-controlled state after another passes medieval legislation designed to restrict a woman's right to privacy and choice, the fight needs to be carried to the courts and, regardless of whether court challenges succeed, the ballot box.  That's why the second front of this fight involves voting rights and countering Republican efforts to suppress voting by Democratic constituencies following the Roberts Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder.  We can't afford to lose that fight either.

D'Oh

Only a Fux affiliate (in San Francisco no less) would screw up information about the recent Asiana crash so badly as to broadcast made-up "names" of the pilots, e.g. "Sum Ting Wong."  Who's writes the news copy there, Bart Simpson?

Fux, Yoo Bee Dum.

Sen. Warren Introduces Updated Glass-Steagall Legislation

One of the best damn people Massachusetts or any other state ever sent to Washington is working to keep the big banks from tanking the economy again:

A bipartisan group of four senators that includes Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) introduced an updated version of the landmark Glass-Steagall Act on Thursday, aimed at reining in risk at America's largest Wall Street banks.  [snip]

The new bill, which is also cosponsored by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Angus King (I-Maine), would require banks that accept federally insured deposits to focus on traditional lending and would bar them from engaging in risky securities trading. The separation between lending and trading was originally imposed in 1933 by the Glass-Steagall Act.

 OK.  We admit to a huge politi-crush on Sen. Warren, so we're happy to see she's translating her words into actions.  Even though the bill is unlikely to get past the knuckle-draggers in the Rethuglican House (even if it makes it out of the Senate), it may be the start of the reform that was needed but bypassed after the 2008 collapse.  Having her on the Senate Banking Committee is a gift that keeps on giving. (h/t to P.E.C. - again!)

Weekend Song

The stature of the Flying Burrito Brothers as an influential force in rock music has grown over time.  Most credit the band as one of the pioneers of country rock music, and it certainly was temporary home to many noted musicians both in the rock and country genres.  This is a cover of a classic song recorded by Dave Dudley, "Six Days on the Road."  At this point, founding member Gram Parsons was no longer with the group, which consisted of former Byrds Chris Hillman (bass guitar and vocal) and Michael Clarke (drums), as well as Byron Berline (fiddle),  Rick Roberts and Kenny Wertz (guitars), and Al Perkins playing a smoking steel guitar.  Enjoy -- and hope you make it home tonight! (h/t Ed Kilgore/ Washington Monthly for the inspiration)

Blowdry Bob McDonnell: Blowin' in the Wind?

Ruth Marcus summarizes the earlier case against Virginia Rethuglican Gov. "Blowdry Bob" McDonnell and his family's sticky fingers, but then, she notes, things got worse:

Now comes reporting that raises the story to a new level of outrage: Williams last year gave $70,000 — supposedly a loan — to a corporation owned by McDonnell and his sister; plus $50,000 to Maureen McDonnell in 2011, and $10,000 as a wedding present this year to another McDonnell daughter.

As astonishing is the governor’s technocratic defense: that he is complying with the letter of Virginia disclosure rules, which do not require reporting of gifts to family members. “To, after the fact, impose some new requirements on an official,” McDonnell told a Norfolk radio show, “obviously wouldn’t be fair.”

But gifts and entanglements like these are simply wrong, a violation of the governor’s duty to citizens, whatever the rules. That McDonnell doesn’t get this basic point makes him unfit for office. Obviously.

Rethuglican officials in the Commonwealth are doing an up-tempo version of the Virginia reel to distance themselves from the guy some in the party wanted to run as One Percent Mitt's VP.  That includes uber right-wing Rethuglican Atty. Gen. Ken "Cooch" Cuccinelli, who's running for the Governorship this year, and fears even the slightest connection to the scandal.  Given Cooch's extremist record, that should almost be the least of his concerns.

(Photo:  "Blowdry Bob" McDonnell -  just leave the cash in plain brown envelopes, please.)

More on "Sabotage Governing"

From the New York Times:

On two crucial issues this week, the extremists who dominate the Republican majority in the House of Representatives made it clear how little interest they have in the future prosperity of their country, or its reputation for fairness and decency.

The House will refuse to consider a comprehensive immigration bill that could lead to citizenship for millions of immigrants, Republican leaders said on Wednesday, and will slowly and casually consider a few border-security measures that have no chance of passing on their own.

And, on Thursday, the House passed a farm bill that stripped out the food stamp program, breaking a pact that for decades has protected the nutrition needs of low-income Americans. It was the first time since 1973 that food stamps haven’t been part of a farm bill, and it reflected the contempt of the far right for anyone desperate enough to rely on the government for help to buy groceries.

These actions show how far the House has retreated from the national mainstream into a cave of indifference and ignorance. House members don’t want to know that millions of Americans remain hungry (in an economy held back by their own austerity ideology), and they don’t want to deal with the desperation of immigrant families who want nothing more than a chance to work and feed themselves without fear of deportation.  [our emphasis]

The public may be noticing:

There is gridlock because Republicans are determined to block any Obama initiative, 51 percent of voters say, while 35 percent say President Barack Obama lacks the skills to convince leaders of Congress to work together.

Asked another way, 53 percent say Obama is doing "too little" to compromise with congressional Republicans, but 68 percent of voters say congressional Republicans are doing "too little." Ten percent of voters blame Democrats for gridlock, while 23 percent blame Republicans and 64 percent blame both parties equally.

"Voters think the Democrats and Obama aren't playing nice, but they think the Republicans are worse," said Brown.

And Now, For Some Inspiration

In the rough and tumble of U.S. politics, we sometimes overlook the heroes that live abroad:  those that are willing to sacrifice themselves for human dignity and rights.  Our heroine, 16 year old (today) Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban for advocating for education for women, spoke at the U.N. this morning on "Malala Day."  There were few dry eyes as she said:

"Dear friends, on the 9th of October, 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends too. They thought that the bullets would silence us, but they failed."

Here's the report on her address.

Asylum for Snowden in Russia?

Reports out of Moscow indicate that fugitive leaker and Ron Paul devotee Edward "Shoot My Balls" Snowden is seeking temporary asylum in Russia.  Snowden has spent the past 3 weeks in the transit area at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport seeking asylum from numerous countries, and receiving offers from at least three anti-American governments in South America.  Earlier, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said he would honor an asylum request from Snowden on the condition that Snowden cease his public leaking of U.S. secrets (no doubt Russia would like further secrets to remain in Russian hands only).  Accepting a muzzled asylum in a human rights paradise like Russia might not be to "libertarian" Snowden's liking, but he may not have any immediate options...until Galt's Gulch establishes diplomatic relations with Russia.

Cartoons of the Day -- Dr. Rethuglican Edition

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Rethuglicans from Texas to Wisconsin to North Carolina and all points in between are launching a coordinated assault on women's reproductive rights.  Silly us, we thought the election was all about jobs.

(top, Matt Wuerker, center, Clay Bennett, bottom, Rob Rogers. all via Gocomics.com)

House Rethugs Ready to Kill Immigration Reform

After the euphoria experienced following the Senate's passage of a comprehensive immigration reform bill, things have settled in to the harsh reality that reactionary, obstructionist House Rethuglicans are determined to kill any reform that includes a path to citizenship.   It's clear that they're unhinged by the prospect of having new Democratic Latino voters in the future, and would rather seal the border and risk political oblivion on the national (i.e. Presidential) level for generations.  Here's one of their leading lunatics, Rep. Steve "Lyin'" King explaining the reason for obstruction:

"It would hurt Republicans, and I don’t think you can make an argument otherwise."

Lyin' King and many other tea baggers are in safe Rethuglican districts, and only fear a primary challenge from the even more extreme right, not Latino voters.  The situation on the national level is much different, with Latinos being the fastest growing segment of the population.  They've seen Rethuglicans like King and Thomas "White" Cotton speak in derogatory, hostile ways about them without any pushback within the Rethug establishment, and think "why should I ever consider voting for bigots like these?"

Today's Dispatches From The Stupid Party - "Mr. Sensitive" Edition

Today, we may be at the point on the stupid continuum where vicious intersects with clueless.  But, let's start off today's chronicle with a bit of humor, shall we?

A Republican New Hampshire state senator, Andy Sanborn, laughingly compared Obamacare to the San Francisco plane crash while guest-hosting a radio show on Tuesday. [snip]

“Now that this thing is barreling down on us like a jet landing into San Francisco, it’s (Sanborn laughs) it should make people really concerned," Sanborn said about the Affordable Care Act.

Two teenagers killed, dozens injured.  Haha.  We notice "Shecky" Sanborn didn't go with the usual Rethuglican description of Obamacare:  "train wreck."  Lucky.

Moving right along, we have news concerning one-percenter William A. "Hoe" Brown (real name), Tampa Port Authority chairman, and Galtian philanthropist and entrepreneur:

In his unpaid position as chair, he oversees a board that runs the city’s port, which generates billions of dollars of growth and thousands of jobs. He’s a top fundraiser for Republican candidates like Mitt Romney and U.S. Rep. Connie Mack. And until Tuesday, he also ran a thriving slum behind his business office, a group of five filthy single-wide mobile homes that he’d illegally parked on a commercial property and divided into apartments that Tampa’s code enforcer called “deplorable” and “not fit for human habitation.”

Plus, he only charges $550/month rent for part of a mobile home!  Does it come with a water view (excluding water coming from the leaky toilets and faucets)?

That extra "e" in his nickname?  It's for empathy.

"Sabotage Governing"

Greg Sargent on Republican nihilism:

... [I]t goes well beyond Obamacare implementation and the relentless blockading of Obama nominees for the explicit purpose of preventing democratically-created agencies from functioning. We’ve slowly crossed over into something a bit different. It’s now become accepted as normal that Republicans will threaten explicitly to allow harm to the country to get what they want, and will allow untold numbers of Americans to be hurt rather than even enter into negotiations over the sort of compromises that lie at the heart of basic governing. [snip]

... The current GOP campaign isn’t just about opposing the Affordable Care Act or arguing for its repeal. It’s about making it harder for uninsured Americans to gain access to coverage under a law passed and signed by a democratically elected Congress and President, and upheld by the Supreme Court, in service of the political goal of making it a greater liability for Democrats in the 2014 elections (the law, after all, isn’t going to get repealed).  (our emphasis)

Never have so many done so much to do so little for so many down and suffering.  What a bunch of immoral, sociopathic mountebanks.

BONUS:  Looks like even McPaper is noticing. Welcome to the party!