After last week's bloggo-journalistic dustups, I couldn't help but think of this Python sketch ~ OPEN THREAD ~

Happy Monday, everyone! Here's to a relatively quarrel-free week.

Comments

[low-tech cyclist]

Happy Monday, everyone!

No, it isn't.

(Couldn't resist.)

[litbrit]

Ha! Touché.

[Prup (aka Jim Benton)]

Since nobody's using this thread...

Two articles touching on some recent Republican heartlessness:

Steve Benen (today 12:45) has a piece on Republicans blocking Patty Murray's bill to aid homeless veterans. (Apparently Tom Coburn was worrying about funding.)

Money quote from Harry reid's office:

In a statement, Jim Manley, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said, "Republicans have their priorities backwards -- according to them, it's OK to give tax breaks to CEOs who send American jobs overseas, but not to help out-of-work Americans and homeless veterans. As we've seen time and again, Republicans just want to protect special interests instead of working with Democrats to stand up for the middle class and get our economy back on track."

And on a similar topic, one effect of the recent blocking of unemployment extention and jobs was that the estate tax temporarily expired -- apparently next year it will go back on. Here's an excellent look at the whole topic. Two important money quotes on this:

First from the Tax Policy Center

We estimate that under the Obama proposal, 100 family farms and businesses would owe tax. (We define such estates as those where farm or business assets are valued at under $5 million and comprise the majority of estate assets.) The Lincoln-Kyl proposal would cut the number to 40. Even under current law, fewer than 2,700 family farms and businesses would owe tax.

Second from someone who is rapidly becoming one of my favorite Senators, Sheldon Whitehouse -- wish I had even a couple of minutes for the Hearings today:

"What's particularly galling about this is that the Republicans cut this lifeline for middle class families, unemployed through no fault of their own, in the same month the first multi-billion estate passed tax free through to the heirs of a tycoon because of the Bush tax cuts, which weren't paid for. So, if you are concerned about the deficit, it's very selective concern about the deficit when you are letting billionaires' estates go through to their heirs untaxed, and cutting off the lifeline for unemployed families."

In fact, apparently one major billionaire has died since the expiration, a Dan Duncan, and his family is receiving a 'multi-billion dollar pay day at the expense of everyone else.'

[Prup (aka Jim Benton)]

Two more arrows to my quiver in arguing that the Republicans are committing suicide and that this will be a Democratic year:

First, Sharron Angle strikes again:

Angle was recently asked by Bill Manders, a conservative talk radio personality in Reno, if her anti-choice position also meant that she opposed abortion in cases of rape and incest. Angle replied that she was against abortion in all circumstances, adding that whatever happened to a woman that would compel her to seek an abortion, "God has a plan and a purpose for each one of our lives."

and we can always count on Boehnheadedness, but he went overboard eveb for hin. Hope this one goes viral:

The minority leader also answered questions about Social Security, which he said could not remain solvent as it is currently structured.

Ensuring there's enough money to pay for the war will require reforming the country's entitlement system, Boehner said. He said he'd favor increasing the Social Security retirement age to 70 for people who have at least 20 years until retirement, tying cost-of-living increases to the consumer price index rather than wage inflation and limiting payments to those who need them.