55 comments

  2. Craig Moore

    With the upcoming Dem convention, and the fact that today is Labor Day, there is this: http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/labor-brings-its-frustrations-to-charlotte

    Saunders isn’t the only frustrated labor leader at the Democratic National Convention this year. American unions, in the throes of a long slide, have had perhaps their worst run ever facing not only the usual declining membership rolls, but also a public repudiation in a Wisconsin recall vote that centered on the place of public sector workers. Adding to that, the Democratic Party’s choice of Charlotte as the convention was a slap in the face: North Carolina has right-to-work laws and virtually no union presence. The fact that unions couldn’t influence the Democrats’ decision on location a testament to their less-than-omnipotent position.

    And while labor leaders and rank-and-file profess to support Obama as much as ever, but the cracks are showing. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told Politico that federation isn’t bringing a full staff or even getting a skybox at the convention center. Battles in Ohio and Wisconsin have badly sapped union resources, a labor operative said. Other unions are focused down-ballot, labor operatives said, focused on saving the seats of true labor allies than of fighting for the national Democratic Party.

    • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

      Craig, it AIN’T rocket science, dude! The American people are GONNA figure it out some day, and probably some day soon! THEY’RE GETTIN’ SCREWED BY THE NAZIS LIKE THE BIG KOCKS AND MITTENS!

      Hell, I’m looking forward to the speeches! It should be a great show, for you see, it’s all about diversity! The Pubbies represent ONLY the racist angry white male, and the inbred, peckerwood, god-fearing, low IQ, NO information Southern Batshits! And they’re hopin’ that that will be enuff. But you and I BOTH know that that is a very small portion of the voting public.

      But the Dems, the DEMS! Now THAT’S a different story! You watch and learn. You’ll see, blacks, browns, reds, old, young, hippie, yippie, yuppies, and real honest to god WORKING people!, ALL cheering loudly and wildly! You see, Craig, the Dems won’t have to IMPORT a couple’a black dudes to show up to speak like the Pubbies do. And the Pubbies don’t even seem to be embarrassed by that! Hell, they throw PEANUTS to the “animals” on the news crews that happen to be black! Bad form, Craig, very bad form!

      For you see, Craig, I know that you’re not a stupid man. You know that this horseshit lyin’ fascism can’t go on forever. SOME day the American people are gonna say enuff is enuff. When the one percenters do ninety-nine percent of the work, THEN they’ll be entitled to ninety-nine percent of the wealth!

      Propanda HAS a shelf life, and then it turns to unedible SHIT! The nazis are there! The truly remarkable and unbelievably ironic part of the whole Pubbie fiasco was that poor Clint Eastwood was a perfect metaphor for their entire convention! A pathetic old white man talking to an empty chair! Unbelievable!

      You’ll see. This convention will be pure fun!

      • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

        p.s. I went to the Labor Day picnic here in GF today, and I gotta tell ya what an amazing slate of local candidates running! These people were very, very impressive! TO A MAN/WOMAN, they were all very intelligent and articulate.

        They were basically told to just introduce themselves, but they did far more than that. They all gave a brief impromptu speech, and you could TELL that these folks needed no notes! They KNOW what needs to be done! They were fun to listen to! Not a boring one in the bunch!

        I can’t remember all their names, but I can remember some.

        Rich Liebert
        Tom Jacobson (running against idiot cleve looney)
        Tom Glover
        Bob Melhoff
        Lindsey Love
        A guy names Szabo
        A retired lady teacher
        And a couple of others.

        A very, very impressive bunch.

        p.s.s. And the ONLY drawback to the entire affair was that the ran outta beer at about three! Hell, there was an hour of the picnic left too! I explained to the beer guys that it was unAmerican to run out of beer at a Labor Day picnic. I’m gonna have a word with the union bout that!

      • Craig Moore

        Gee Larry. are you sure that the screwing isn’t coming from the Dems: http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/labor-brings-its-frustrations-to-charlotte

        Saunders isn’t the only frustrated labor leader at the Democratic National Convention this year. American unions, in the throes of a long slide, have had perhaps their worst run ever facing not only the usual declining membership rolls, but also a public repudiation in a Wisconsin recall vote that centered on the place of public sector workers. Adding to that, the Democratic Party’s choice of Charlotte as the convention was a slap in the face: North Carolina has right-to-work laws and virtually no union presence. The fact that unions couldn’t influence the Democrats’ decision on location a testament to their less-than-omnipotent position.

        And while labor leaders and rank-and-file profess to support Obama as much as ever, but the cracks are showing. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told Politico that federation isn’t bringing a full staff or even getting a skybox at the convention center. Battles in Ohio and Wisconsin have badly sapped union resources, a labor operative said. Other unions are focused down-ballot, labor operatives said, focused on saving the seats of true labor allies than of fighting for the national Democratic Party.

  3. Havre Voter

    When you call Mitt Romney a “Nazi” you denigrate the people who suffered an died at the hands is the actual Nazi’s in Germany. That comment was not worthy of you Larry.

      • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

        Ingy, you wound me too deeply, amigo. I read your opinions no matter HOW goofy they are. For you see, I like to know how the wacko mind works.

    • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

      Of course I always respect your opinion, HV, but I suspect that I might be a little more well-read regarding the actualy nazi influence on our politics than you.

      You see, after WWII, Allen Dulles and the CIA IMPORTED to the US and various Latin American countries actual GERMAN NAZIS, the worst kind guilty of war crimes, who carried ON their nazi beliefs and have been very influential since that time in various government policies. OUR policies! It was all done supposedly to combat communism in the Soviet Union. Hell, George Bush the first was right IN there on the ground floor!

      And lest we forget, MOST of the robber baron types in this country SUPPORTED Hitler from the gitgo. One of his most ardent supporters and benefactors was nazi lover Prescott Bush!, who HAND PICKED tricky dicky to run for the presidency after Dulles and the CIA murdered JFK. To them nazism was far preferable to communism.

      So, HV, the nazis never went away! There still out there, making policy! For you see, THEY believe that they really CAN make the trains run on time! Hell, just look at our recent guv candidate Baldy and the Barking Seal! (neil livingscam) THEY believed that death squads are NECESSARY for democracy to thrive! Sure, lots of innocent folks are slaughtered, but it’s for a good cause! I’m NOT making this shit up! You see, it sucks to be very, very well-read and understand exactly what’s going on!

      I would suggest for starters that you read a book called the Beast Reawakens by Martin Lee. It’s a eye opener.

      Here is my suggested reading list for anyone who wants to begin to understand just where we’re currently at in this country and how we got here:

      JFK and the Unspeakable by James Douglas
      The Beast Reawakens by Martin A. Lee
      The Family by Jeff Sharlett

      These three books alone will help folks understand.

      And while you’re waiting to read these, watch this little video from Kurtzy. HE understands.

      http://www.democracynow.org/2012/8/10/romneys_death_squad_ties_bain_launched

      You see, HV, the reality of our situation is really quite unpleasant, but it is what it is. I still trust Americans to react correctly to correct the situation, but first they MUST understand. And by the way, I feel my comparison is an apt on. Eighty thousand dead in El Salvador is kinda like a genocide, don’t you think?

      There truly IS evil afoot in our country, but it AIN’T the so-called socialists that are doing it. It might be helpful to understand that we should NOT even be here today, for you see, the joint chiefs wanted nothing more than to launch a pre-emptive nuclear war against the Russians. The ONLY thing that prevented it was JFK, and the wacked him! It would have been game over. You must understand that these are some sick, evil folks running the show. Check it out for yourself and report back to me.

      • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

        HV, here is the common Republican take on nazi tactics. This is evil.

        http://intelligentdiscontent.com/2012/03/27/neil-livingstone-on-death-squads-pro-democracy-and-stalin-approved/

        And as much as I condemn much of what the catholic church does, the church has had among its members many people who suffered and died as a result of their efforts to stop the nazis. Think Oscar Romero, the four Nuns and the lay worker, Fr. Rutilio Grande, and many other catholic priests and laity.

        You see, one thing that irritates the shit outta me is that the church conveniently elevates Romero’s memory withOUT ever saying exactly why he died and who was responsible! The nazis murdered him because was trying to stop their evil! But he church itself was in league with them. THAT is condoning evil, just like the church did during WWII. The church DREW UP list of NAMES during the Spanish Civil War of people they wanted the fascists to execute. And they did so willingly. And guess what. The EXACT SAME THING happened in Latin America during the eighties when St. Ronnie and ollie north were runnin’ the show!

        The nazis never went away. They just became Republicans!……and “christians”!

      • D

        Wow … I don’t think I have actually heard this level conspiracy crazy nut-show before. Hopefully everyone can see this the way that I do, where Larry feels like he’s supporting his claims he’s just cutting the crazy stamp deeper into his skin.

        My favorite part was the start where he’s suggesting that he’s more educated on the subject of “our politics” than Havre … like Havre shouldn’t feel bad though, because Larry’s a scholar … for reading a bunch of stuff from other conspiracy nuts.

        and BTW, the first sign that Larry doesn’t have any real arguement, is when he throws the Nazi card. It’s classic baseless ad hominem attack … the horrible feeling that the Nazis provoc, overwhelms any test of the premises, they hope … the Nazi card is only succeeded by the race card, which Larry also gleefully throws at the first moment of a discussion …

        • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

          I’m sorry, d, but can you state for the record just WHICH nazi war criminals that you know of were spirited out of Germany by the CIA to conduct operations elsewhere? You go first, then I will. For you see, d, it AIN’T theory, dude!

          Start here.

          Col. Otto Skorzeny
          Major General Otto Ernst Remer
          Gen. Reinhard Gehlen
          Hans Ulrich Udel

          Would you like more, d? You see, dude, it AIN’T theory!

          Do you NOT understand that Prescott Bush had to be FORCED by congress to STOP financing Hilter?

          I think you are one confuse individual.

          And I think that it dishonors ALL who fought and died in WWII to forget the rest of the story, don’t you?

          And I wasn’t trying to insult HV. You see, I’m an introvert. I LOVE to read. It’s what I do. Am I a scholar? Oh hell no. One of the best and brightest historians that I now dropped out of jr. high. But he is a voracious reader! True story. It’s all there for folks who like to read history. I happen to think that it’s vitally important to do so.

          • D

            Let’s say that there were Nazis smuggled out of South America (which I might accept) … does that mean that they’re “making policy” or “influencing” anything … you say, the Nazis “believed that death squads are NECESSARY for democracy to thrive!”, sooo what, we have death squads in the US now?!? You’re a complete lunatic!

            You can put all of this speculative ‘history’ onto the post, but making insinuations and making spurious connections to Republicans or Romney or Bush irresponsible and libelous.

            You and a guy you know are respectable historians because not only did you drop out of high school but because you read a lot of conspiracy books … I think it makes you closer to Charles Manson than David McCullough.

            A little friendly advice, when you go to the Nazi card, it puts you in the nut category … no matter what your demands that we accept your patchwork “evidence” or conspiracy references say.

  4. Paul S.

    Here is the deal folks. Viewership of Ryan’s speech was down 40% from what Palins was 4 years ago. Might as wel have placed him in the afternoon away from TV viewers. The GOP s convention portrayed a huge enthusiasm gap. It wa a sterilized, carefully contained bore. If the GOPers are allowed to show their enthusiasm, their fanatical bigotry and sexism comes out too.

    • Dallas Reese

      Ingy, was Todd Akin at the Republican Convention? Was Rehberg? Neither of them were there. Coincidence? Hmmmm….

    • Rick Dow

      Great link, Ingemar. If Senator Tester would say what Governor Manchin (D-WV) said, he would be re-elected in a landslide.

      Manchin said that he had not decided whether to vote for Obama. “These first three and a half years haven’t been that good to West Virginia.”

          • Kenneth Kailey

            First, Rick, the coal industry is hardly dead. Here in Montana, we are painfully aware at times that the coal industry is certainly not dead. Moreover, the video you linked had NOTHING to do with coal per se. It was a masterpeice of context, though.

            What President Obama was saying is that any Cap and Trade act that would impact greenhouse gases would cause an increase in the cost of electricity. This is about as basic as it gets. What you missed (or ignored) was that he was saying it wasn’t going to happen if a solid majority of US voters weren’t solidly behind it because of that inevitable increase in the cost of electricity. The question he was asking (a question that really needs to be asked, btw) is whether it is worth the increased cost of energy to reduce the effect of producing that energy on the environment.

            Now I know many here on this site would answer with a resounding yes. In truth, while I am sure that – at to some extent – global warming is, in fact, human caused (or at least worsened by human activity), I am not sure cap and trade is the answer, so my answer would be “I don’t know”. Increasing energy costs across the board will have a direct impact on industry and the citizenry but it is likely that industry will be able to exact concessions through their bought and paid for legislators. The citizenry will not be able to get concessions for it and therefore, cap and trade will end up effecting the very people who can afford it the least. If there was some way to determine that cap and trade would make a significant difference (a topic not even the experts can agree on), I might support it (even given that it would effect the people that can afford it the least more than those that can afford it more). Sadly, that is still something to be established.

              • Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers

                Mittens has the angry white old fart male vote, AND the angry white FAT BROAD vote too! HOW does a woman of THIS “intelligence” gain enuff credibility to make it ONTO a national press show? THANK YOU media for elevating COMPLETE morons to newsworthy status!

                Jimm strauss balls (like mouse balls only smaller) did the EXACT SAME THING with his inclusion of Snuffy Smith, a Teatarded REEtard! AND, gubmint suckin’ military retiree! Jimmy gave Snuffy a weekly column with NO rebuttal from the other side!

                Sad, so sad. But do look at the stunned faces of the other panelists. You can just SEE on their faces that they’re wondering just what the fuck is this woman DOING here?! And WHY is she qualified to even HAVE an opinion?

                Enjoy. (and if I enjoy, it’s that I may not weep!)

                http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/scarce/tea-partys-amy-kremer-we-need-president-luv

              • Rob Kailey

                Simple enough. Your “all-out-assault” is a fabrication based on evidence that doesn’t relate.

                The Keystone decision was one of study, not of “assault”. The Keystone pipeline was meant to ship tar-sands oil from Canada to China, at the expense of American environment. That seems worth a further look. Occam’s Razor certainly favors my view over yours.

                Using Kavulla’s patented misdirection is hardly worth response. But since you brought it up … The haze rules are meant to do exactly what you claim they do. They are meant to increase costs to industry which pollutes. That’s a good thing. That forest fires also cause haze has nothing to do with the topic at hand. Kavulla knows that. He’s just arguing unrelated coincidence so that the simple minded will agree that these rules don’t mean anything. You’ve bought in hook, line and chemical sinker. Yes, they do mean something. Coal plants produce remarkably different chemical effluence than forest fires. Coal plants release sulfur compounds and contribute to the wide spread of acid in the atmosphere. Forest fires produce char smoke, with little chemical change to the atmosphere save a slight increase in carbonic acids. Fires pollute the air during a burn season. Coal plants pollute the air 365 of the year. These are not the same thing. You are relying on an authority who has been called out for his lies many times to establish a relationship between apples and oranges. They are both called fruits, and that’s about it. Surely you are smarter than that. right?

              • Kenneth Kailey

                I would add to what Rob said…

                Under President Obama, more traditional energy projects have been approved than under any other president in the last 20 years – including the first Nuclear Project in the last 30 years. Natural gas production has increased almost exponecially. These simple facts are being downplayed as much as possible by those that want to see President Obama defeated in November, but they are facts none the less. I have to give a hat tip to President Obama in that he has at least made some attempt to address the increasing disregard for the commitment to a cleaner environment started by Nixon more than 30 years ago, but his hands are somewhat tied by the “do nothing” Congress.

                • Kenneth Kailey

                  Thank you Lynn, and your link also points out another factor in this equation that I think few have really thought about when discussing energy production and fossil fuels usage in the US.

                  Due to the increased production of Natural Gas (both domestic and foreign), many other forms of fossil fuel usage are being cut back on for entirely financial reasons. Natural Gas is rapidly becoming far more financially feasable for many applications simply due to it’s reduced cost.

                  This will also increase demand for natural gas production here in Montana. While that production is less effecient than in some other areas, the potential for production still exists. It is up to our political leaders (specifically, the ones being elected right now) to ensure that A) Montanan’s benefit from that production and B) that production does not ruin the natural environment ALL of us value – conservative and liberal alike. Make no mistake, though… the demand will drive the production and it will happen. The only question is whether we are in control of it, or whether we stick our fingers in our ears and scream “not on my watch” – thereby allowing the companies that do the production set the rules.

    • Dallas Reese

      What, do you just make stuff up? Following the Ryan playbook? Inflation is actually lower during Obama’s first term than during the Bush years. I know it’ll cause a terrible brain cramp but check a fact once in a while, willya.

      • Kenneth Kailey

        To both of you.. One of the big debates right now is the question of how long the Fed is going to maintain the interest rate this low and how bad the inflation will be after the fed finally agrees to allow it to edge back up. I am not really sure where I stand on the issue because everything is a crap shoot at this point.

        The major problem with predicting what to do with the prime interest rate (thereby effecting inflation) is that – at it’s very core – our economy is based on faith. If the public regains faith in the economy, it is likely to improve. If the fear index remains high, money isn’t circulating and the economy staggers. The current political battles and the looming financial cliff at the end of the year impacts the fear index (consumer faith) and this makes predicting what the economy will do difficult.

        It should be interesting to see what happens with inflation next year. I will say that I completely disagree with Mizoola when he characterizes inflation as a tax, though. In many ways, inflation is a balancing factor in the economy and it certainly isn’t revenue for the operation of the government.

  9. larry kurtz

    DOJ: BP complicit in gross negligence.

    A gross negligence finding could nearly quadruple the civil damages owed by BP under the Clean Water Act to $21 billion. Reuters