At least 50 tornadoes hit the Midwest yesterday, destroying much of Joplin, Missouri. Death toll is at 89 and expected to rise. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has activated the National Guard. Rescue workers will face more severe weather today, and may see large hail, wind gusts in excess of 60 mph, torrential downpours, and additional tornadoes. Help can be channeled, as always, through the Red Cross.
In Europe, Iceland’s most active volcano Grimsvotn is spewing ash but meteorologists do not expect major air travel impact. No one who happens to be making a royal progress across Europe will get stranded there. Bummer.
In non-nature (unnatural?) news, T Tim Pawlenty* officially got into the 2012 race. This will probably cut into Mitt’s chunk of voters, imo. Also, Three Wickets points out this article that shows that Jeff Immelt hard at work as Jobs Czar – Overseas Jobs Czar, that is.om
Open thread.
*aka another guy with nice coif and well-creased pants
The Crawdad Hole 
Gotta run do errands before the severe weather gets here.
Great post by Scott Brown!
Why I don’t back Ryan Medicare plan http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55477.html
Although he makes many good points, I think this one is best and shows he cares much more about The People than The Wealthy. Also, he wants to get re-elected 😉
There is an issue here though. Unless I am mistaken, written into the current law, are automatic cuts when Medicare can no longer pay the bills. That kind of means we’re screwed no matter what but the Ryan plan does at least try to do something about it.
While I don’t like the Ryan plan for the same reasons I don’t like Obamacare, something has to be done and he is the only one with a suggestion on the table now.
The basic problem is the cost of health care in the US is so much higher than everywhere else. It’s gonna have to be brought down in some way, either though lower cost per services or less services. Magic dust is in short supply.
“While I don’t like the Ryan plan for the same reasons I don’t like Obamacare, something has to be done and he is the only one with a suggestion on the table now.”
Yes, I find it VERY interesting that it’s the only “suggestion on the table” right now. Sounds like an Overton Window maneuver to me. Brown implies in his article that other types of plans are being considered. I’m going to guess that there are at least 3 or 4 major options to Ryan’s plan that the congress critters and bandying about amongst each other but not sharing with the MSM or public for all sorts of reasons, mostly strategic as they have to share out all the earmarks and behind-the-scene agreements. Also,they don’t want a plan attacked or praised prematurely in the public so that it get’s challenged by public opinion (that’s why they don’t tell the public very much and what they do is filtered via their MSM puppets). They want to negotiate and compromise quietly amongst themselves and then present the solution, which will naturally be kinder and gentler than Ryan’s severity. That’s how the Overton Window works in our oligarchy.
” They want to negotiate and compromise quietly amongst themselves and then present the solution, which will naturally be kinder and gentler than Ryan’s severity. ”
Ya, good cop vs bad cop.
Valissa, on May 23, 2011 at 10:17 am said:
VAlissa, this is such a great post, I’d like to copy it over at Hillaryis44.org. May I?
It’s called “debate”, and between the Ocare and the Ryan plan, I’m sure there’s a reasonable consensus ? They (uhm, our reps?) have to put partisanship aside, kick Big Pharma and Insurance to the curb, and decide what’s best for We The People. ya know, the peons 😉
I’m just so peeved AARP got waivers when they were the first to throw “granny” off the clift to knock off their supplement competition.
Yes. It says a lot about Obamacare that 7 entire states and 1345 or so of the Administration’s closest friends and contributors all got waivers from it, so far.
I get the feeling it stinks worse than I thought, if that’s even possible!
Here’s why Bill Clinton doesn’t back it.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/05/bill-clinton-to-paul-ryan-on-medicare-election-give-me-a-call-.html
Clinton told Ryan that if he ever wanted to talk about it, he should “give me a call.” Ryan said he would. Watch it here.
Democrats make no bones about why they believe they won in a solidly Republican district – voter anger at Paul Ryan’s controversial plan to restructure Medicare.
“It was about Medicare,” Clinton said during a speech to the debt forum minutes before he met Ryan back stage. Clinton was referring to Ryan’s controversial budget plan, passed by the House this year, which would transform Medicare for those under the age of 55.
“You shouldn’t draw the conclusion that the New York race means that nobody can do anything solve the rising Medicare costs,” said during his speech. “I just don’t agree with that. I think you should draw the conclusion that the people made a judgment that this proposal in the Republican is not the right one. I agree with that, but I’m afraid that the Democrats will draw the conclusion that because Congressman Ryan’s proposal, I think, is not the best one, that we shouldn’t do anything and I completely disagree with that.”
I’m beginning to wonder if the GOPers are stupid or suicidal.
They really like the private insurance industry.
Maybe it’s individual rats bailing out to insurance jobs.
So sad, 3/4ths of Joplin, MO is gone 😦 I grieve for the victims and families. I’m not religious, but if prayers help…….they’ve got mine.
Mine too.
the pictures are just shocking.
😦
The death toll in Joplin is rising, meanwhile….
http://www.daylife.com/photo/0fWEcYC8abfiP?__site=daylife
/s
Sad but true… however “let them drink beer” doesn’t really make the point as well as the photo 🙂
The Weather Channel has pretty much become the disaster channel recently. Very tough tornado season this year.
Compare this view of BO’s WORMing before AIPAC to our MSM’s coverage which all says “warm reception”, “applause”, blah blah.
I have always foun the “I-P” problem to be sad, tragic, pathetic, stupid and a great example of how hard it is for very different values sytems and beliefs to co-exist when there is also an ancient unresolved territorial struggle. There are no real signs of a growing desire for peace at this time, they are all very angry. Until then, the situation will not change.
Not just a desire for peace, but a real stake in keeping the peace.
Honk! Last year a read a 700 page book on the history of “War in Human Civilization” by one of Israel’s top military historians by Azar Gat. A truly brilliant and surprisingly easy to read book that encompasses much more than just the evolution of war strategy (also history of economics, cultural change, and archeology-anthropology). He had a real gift for getting to the crux of what starts wars and what ends them. He said that typically either a territory is conquered and assimilated (there is a “winner”) or the groups involved in fighting/competing finally get tired of war (economic and social costs) enough to start investing in peace instead. Naturally those who have the most pwoer get the largest stake, but there must be some sort of power sharing agreement. And as you pointed out votermom, that requires having a stake in keeping the peace.
Sounds like an interesting book! I will keep an eye out for it.
Apparently when Azar Gat was a young boy growing up in Israel under the constant threat of war he became very intent on learning all he could about it. He wanted to learn why humans go to war so that maybe he could figure out how to have less of it. He workd on the book on and off for over 10 years because he had to research so many subject areas. He comes off in a very conversational and readable tone and except for a few sections of relatively dryer details of military history it moves along well. It took me about 3 months to work my way through it.
As I was reading I started to see how economics and politics are so much like war. It becomes easy to see CEOs as tribal warlords seeking to increase territory and resources and to see that political campaigns are much like military campaigns.
Hope I’m not being too wonky today.
sad and tragic, perhaps.
but Israel’s fight for it’s very survival and right to exist is hardly pathetic or stupid.
no further comment.
PS vids don’t count as comments
Great speech. And no teleprompter.
I completely agree with this:
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=52539
He just got done with his speech to Congress. Powerful, clear and earnest.
And still no teleprompter. Now he’s just trying to make BeerO look bad.
Kidding aside, despite Bibi getting a lot of applause from Congress, if BeerO gets re-elected and Hillary isn’t SoS, I think Israel will be SOL.
Also, apparently I am not the only one who gets this vibe:
She seems correct to me. We are so shallow here that being cool seems to trump far too many things.
I don;t know why the US Jewish leaders are keeping quiet. But for some of us non-Jews, the issues are just too obscure and complicated to judge.
bemused_leftist, I have to confess that for me it is not that obscure. I have friends & family who belong to a minority religion that is mostly banned and discriminated against throughout the middle-east, and their religion is accepted, and indeed has its center, in Israel, even before there was an Israel. They were there and Israel accepted them. That religion was founded in the ME and has a lot of ethnically Persian and Arab members who face persecution in their own countries.
And then there is the status of women.
So I see it as a choice between encouraging and favoring a tolerant and democratic state vs favoring and encouraging states which are intolerant and oppressive. I want the intolerant and oppressive states to reform first, rather than granting them demands now that could very well result in the further persecution of non-Muslims and the oppression of more women in the ME.
Here, Here VM!
Interesting analysis. I found this perceptive:
“In this environment, the prospect of serious peace negotiations is as dim as ever, but Mr Obama appeared to feel that his own personality, political skills and success against the al-Qaeda leader would be enough to resolve what President Harry Truman once described as “the 100-year headache”.”
Of course. And ponies for all.
djmm
bo and bibi cartoon (even funnier because of the limo that couldn’t)
Baraccudas Maximus fires another vexing note at BeerO on 1967 borders.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150189806913435
Oh my, does the WH think Bibi is a secret Palinista?
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/137940
Well dunno. Peter Beinart is a major J Streeter of course, so context is needed. I sometimes comment nicely on Peter’s FB threads and occasionally get punched out. 🙂
It’s an old article (almost a year ago) but it cracks me up.
J Street is like “clear skies” and “progressive” isn’t it? – misleadingly labelled.
Beinart thinks Bibi needs to “join the age of Obama” so I would say he is at minimum a delusional douchebag.
This is just priceless. Obama’s limo gets stuck on a speed bump and they can’t get it off. 🙂
LMAO!
Hilarious!
btw, does Obama win the presidential competition for the largest travelling posse?
If not the largest posse, how about the heaviest? (That’s one heavy limo.)
It’s built like a tank, a tank that can’t make it out of the driveway.
Omen or metaphor? 🙂
geez, he won’t drink London tap water or even the mineral water in Buckingham Palace. He brings his own bottled water, so he doesn’t get a tummy ache.
No wonder people think he’s a wimp.
Uh, Oh….
http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2011/05/bye-bye-brown.html
Wah, wah, wah… cue the violins!
Scott Brown has to get re-elected in Mass, which like all the New England states has an above average number of senior voters. Brown has always played the percentages in his votes. This may be a very blue state but we also have the highest number of independent/”unaffiliated” voters in the US. He said when he ran for office that he was going to be an independent voice, and would not kow-tow to the Republican leadership all the time, but would focus on MA issues foremost, and that’s why the independents supported him. The number of actual Republicans in MA is pretty small.
On Medicare issues, this is not necessarily true. With automatic cuts built into the system that will be much harsher than Ryan’s plan. The question is not does it run out of money on it’s current trajectory. The question is does it do it in 2024 or in 2015 or sooner?
I think you may underestimate the craven cowardice of our current government.
“I think you may underestimate the craven cowardice of our current government.”
Honestly Ralph, I can’t believe you said that. I’ve been very clear how I feel about our corrupt system. it’s a historic fact that we live in a kleptocracy- plutocracy-oligarchy. What passes for leadership today is pathetic, and spines seem overly flexible… but that’s reality. That is why I no longer evaluate political strategies based on ideology. I left the ideology bus a long time ago. Now I evaluate politicians by their power and money strategies, and how they handle their propaganda machines. Also I appreciate the absurdity of the whole political game, and the whole pro-wrestling style punditocracy. Political principles??? ROTFLMAO… no, I don’t expect those any more so I am rarely disappointed. Cynicism and humor are the key to mental health 😉
We are in agreement then 🙂
How long before Obama starts spelling his name with an apostrophe?
Jeebus that’s bad. Let’s have some funky music to lift spirits:
Gotta love organized religion and Republicans….
http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2011/05/pete_degraaf_rape_flat_tire.php
Here’s your chance to send Kansas Rep. Pete DeGraaf a spare tire for comparing rape pregnancies to car trouble http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2011/05/pete_degraaf_spare_tire_rape_now.php
Despite the extra expense (of mailing a an old tire), I think folks should send him real ones, not just a small scale model. Imagine his office having to deal with the deliveries, LOL!
I wish that kind of stunt really worked. Actually they get the Post Office to head it off so they never see the junk.
Now if you sent the tires to some journolister, he might break ranks long enough to mention the fact.
votermom,
I’m guessing Pawlenty isn’t going to set the world on fire, given that you called him Tom instead of Tim.
😀
Tim, Tom…whatever 🙂
Oh my…
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/white-house-dedicates-new-position-to-deal-with-unfavorable-online-media_b36292
Director of Progressive Media & Online Response.
I can’t make out what being Progressive means these days. The politics of Ralph Nader or the politics of Barack Obama. There’s kind of a big difference, especially on economic policy.
So, the department of keeping your frenemies closest?
Is that who ABG works for?
That’s a good guess. I’d hate to think he shovels that crap without getting paid for it. 🙂
I’d hate to think he actually gets paid to shovel that crap.
Ka-ching!
Rand Paul to hold up the Patriot Act renewal …
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55547.html
Hmmm. He may be worth something after all?
Any congresscritter who stands up against the creeping bi-partisan authoritarian powers of the state instead of sucking up to it is to be commended! We may not be able to stop this ongoing process, but roadblocks, setbacks and obstructions to it are very welcome. Not so sure why so many liberals think government is their friend as much as they do (all large institutions tend toward oppression)… the words liberal and libertarian both have their roots in the word LIBERTY and anti-authoritarianism.
Netanyahu was apparently the first world leaders to express solidarity with the victimes of the tornadoes in Missouri. Yet again, Obama had to play catch up and get a shout out loaded into his teleprompter some time later.
I can imagine the MSNBC headlines now. Israel PM dares to preempt the Lightbringer’s sympathy.
This is quite funny, and revealing.
Haha
Love this comment
Time for an MRI!
Edit to add: Or maybe he already has had an mri & cat scan … has he ever released his medical records?
He released a one page summary–actually a one paragraph summary. I am asked to do more work to get a kid an ultrasound, so I was not impressed.
It’s likely he could have had those tests right on AFI–they have a full operating suite and probably a full complement of imaging machines, too.
We only saw the date flub because it happened outside the USA. And the msm will be careful to gloss over it.
Imagine if W or Hillary or Palin had made such a stupid mistake – can you imagine Tweety & Maddow not talking about it 24/7?
This comment from a Hot Air made me LOL.
Obama doesn’t know what year it is.
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/05/president_obama_has_no_idea_wh.html
From Hot Air, O hoses up his toast to the Queen.
And yet, he’s up on all the supplicant bows he gives to all the Arab dictators of the world.
Am I in moderation because there are too many links in the comment? I thought spammy cared about Hillary more than that 😉
I think spammy was just bored. 🙂
votermom, you may have been right about a July 4th announcement… 🙂
Palin’s Secret Weapon: New Film to Premiere in June
Oh my! And they kept this under wraps for more than a year? Wow … no wonder BeerO seems even more discombobulated than usual! LOLOLOL.
I think I should buy stock in a popcorn company.
Yum, popcorn!
IWhy was I NOT surprised this morning to read that Hillary was also at the state dinner and an important part of this trip? If you want to see her at the dinner check out this link…
The Queen’s State Dinner
http://secretaryclinton.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/the-queens-state-dinner/
Hillary is sitting next to Prince Charles, and you can catch a few glimpses of her outfit. When Obama speaks after the Queen start things off, he appears to be reading from notes (as the Queen was) and yet he still swings his head side-to-side in that annoying fashion as if he was reading off a teleprompter.
Other important stuff that Hillary is doing over there:
Hillary Clinton and William Hague stress on US-UK bond http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/150858/20110524/us-uk-hillary-clinton-willam-hague-foreign-relationship-obama-visit-cameron-libya-middle-east-protes.htm
And here’s an interesting tidbit on Hillary that I didn;t see anywhere else:
A week in review http://www.lavozcolorado.com/detail.php?id=5838
Her outfit looks great! You can see a bit of it here too at the start, she is walking behind MO.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/8534610/Queen-toasts-President-Barack-Obama.html
I wonder if Hillary is headesking or LOLing at gaffeOrama.
If she headdesked every time he made a gaffe, her head would be covered in bruises.
And she does look remarkably cheerful!
So we will go with LOLing.
😀
I’ll bet Hillary often finds Obama amusing in his amateurness… how else could she deal with him? I’m guessing Sarkozy and at least a few others feel the same way about him. Why waste prescious energy being annoyed or peeved at “the precious” 🙂
Thanks for the heads up on a more complete view of her gown – very fine! Did you (or anyone) happen to catch a photo of her luncheon outfit? I read some stupid fashonista column about how awesome Michelle’s outfit’s were on the trip (major brown nosing, LOL), how (even better) Kate’s luncheon outfit was (yet more brown nosing 😉 ), and that Hillary did not wear a skirt or dress (per protocol, sigh…) but some kind of pantsuit with 3/4 length pants that the fashonista disapproved of (no photo, though).
If Princess Beatrice can wear a figure eight on her head, Hillary can wear whatever the hell she wants on her hips.
There’s A Whole Bunch Of New Evidence That The Economy Is Slowing Down
And there’s a slide show with the reasons. This should give incumbents increased heartburn.
Japanese engineers are coming out of retirement to work at the nuclear facility…..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/8534808/Japan-elderly-engineers-want-final-mission-to-Fukushima.html