Senate approves bill banning use of tax dollars to advocate for gun control

Predictable piece of legislation, from the predictable useless legislators, no surprises here.

May 17, 2013 at 2:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Opinion: Benghazi, IRS: Son of Watergate?

Good point! Yes, someday "my word" might very well come up.

Yes, I agree that certain groups were horribly mistreated by the IRS.

"Because of words in their names that implied a political philosophy at odds with those of the president?" Quite possibly... though there were other groups that were scrutinized just as heavily.

What do all those groups have in common? **They probably had no business filing for 501(c)(4) status to begin with, because they were just trying to hide their donor lists.** And I say that for *all* the groups.

Will I sing a different tune when it's my turn? I hope so.

I hope the "tune" I "sing" is a little more measured. I hope I don't just take the first word that's handed to me by some off-stage lyricist (read: propagandist) and just parrot it over and over and over in the same shrill key.

I hope I wait a while before I sing. Consider the acoustics of the room, consider my audience. Look at the lyrics that are handed to me--or better yet, have the good sense to use my brain and <b><i><u>write my own damn song</b></i></u>. **Think for myself**... think of something *new*... rather than just, you know, sample an old melody from, say, 40 years ago, and hastily scribble some new words to go with the 40-year-old melody that probably doesn't even really fit the audience or venue of *today*...???

'Cause, you know, *"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"*...

but plagiarism is just downright lazy. Unoriginal. And shows a complete lack of brainpower.

That's why Watergate, the original Watergate, lives on. Just like some of the music of that time (Led Zeppelin, anyone?).

The scandal hucksters of this week, the ones that, try as they might, still haven't been able to find the gate that leads to their Water? They have their own musical style, too. They have a sound... *almost* all their own.

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vzPbjwPDtyQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

May 17, 2013 at 1:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Opinion: Benghazi, IRS: Son of Watergate?

<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112384/quotes">"All right, there's a thousand things that have to happen in order. We are on number eight. You're talking about number six hundred and ninety-two."</a>

Wow... my comment about Kalif Rushad Al Limbaugh sure stirred up the bees under a few bonnets.

*"You have lost the argument..."*

Right... because running to your closet to throw on your "I Survived Watergate!" t-shirt and **"Official Watergate Investigator"** commemorative ball cap at the faintest whiff of trouble in the air is somehow... "winning," rather than "losing?"

You wanna explain that one, Hot Shot?

Two years between the Watergate burglaries and Nixon's resignation--you and the rest of the usual extremists think this is Pizza Hut. *"Explain it in 30 minutes or it's 'Watergate!' "*

*"Why do you think a comedian's use of drugs is relevant in a discussion about the IRS abusing it's power and violating the constitution?"*

Because "Watergate"--a 40-year-old incident, about which at least 90% of the facts are known (presumably)--is just as relevant in a discussion about an abuse of power in the IRS that we are just now beginning to learn about.

Cal Thomas likes to throw out blatantly misleading, incendiary headlines just to draw people in. The same trick seemed to work for me, too, judging by the number of comments my little stink bomb collected.

*"Wondering what Oxy Rush has to do with the IRS violating the constitution."*

Asked an answered. I'm interested, though--just for the potential humor--about exactly which part(s) of The Constitution you believe have been violated. Really, I'd love to hear. :)

May 17, 2013 at 10:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Opinion: Benghazi, IRS: Son of Watergate?

Limbaugh, EIB: Son of Oxycontin!

May 15, 2013 at 4:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Opinion: What, exactly, was the IRS thinking?

Here's a fairly well-referenced <a href="http://billmoyers.com/content/what-you-really-need-to-know-about-501c4s/">article</a> from Bill Moyers on 501(c)(4) organizations.

Key points: These organizations have been around a lot longer than most people think. They've been engaging in political activity, even small amounts, for at least 50 years. And they've largely enjoyed "lax oversight" from both the IRS and the Federal Election Commission.

The "Washington Post" <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/">Wonkblog</a> has had a few good entries and revelations. Of particular note: It seems there are no definitive guidelines, criteria etc. that IRS investigators have to guide them in their evaluations. If that's true, how are they supposed to know when one group is playing by the rules, and another group is not?

May 15, 2013 at 3:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Opinion: What, exactly, was the IRS thinking?

Oh? Apart from the three layers of "icing" that you specified, what else is there that is so "corrupt?"

May 15, 2013 at 2:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Opinion: What, exactly, was the IRS thinking?

... and "appears" is about as factual as you will probably get on this one. Which, ironically, makes your comment just as irrelevant. [shrug]

May 15, 2013 at 2:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

School board moves forward on sex ed curriculum

Bingo! Instead of thinking of the home/parents as oppositional to the school... they need to be thought of as team players, joint educators for the benefit of the child. There's *no* reason they can't work together, find common ground.

May 14, 2013 at 2:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Tea Party at The Internal Revenue Service: The Basics

<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/14/183901656/irs-chief-says-mistakes-were-made-but-werent-partisan">"Organizations are eligible for tax-exempt status if they are 'social welfare groups,'... But they are not eligible for that status if they engage in a substantial amount of political activity."</a>

What this is turning out to be is blowback from "Citizens United." For every action, there is a reaction; for every positive, a negative.

May 14, 2013 at 10:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

School board moves forward on sex ed curriculum

Absolutely! Mandatory gun education, grades K-12. Make a target shoot part of standardized testing!

Yes, make gun education part of the standard school curriculum... the moment children start popping out of the womb with rifles or revolvers attached to their little bodies.

May 14, 2013 at 10:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )