Sweetness & Light

Selected News Items For Mar 20 – Mar 26

Steve — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

This thread is for the busy bees of S&L to post news we might have missed, especially articles that demonstrate the distortions and biases of our media watchdogs. Posting Guidelines To make the articles as readable as possible, please use the format described here. And: Only post ‘hard news’ from establishment media outlets. Avoid editorials and [...]

Shocker: Pelosi Got The Wrong Saint Day

Steve — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:27:42 +0000

From CNN, via YouTube: Pelosi: Today We Pray To St. Joseph The Worker For This "Life-Affirming Legislation" From Wikipedia: Saint Joseph’s Day Saint Joseph’s Day, March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph or Solemnity of Saint Joseph is in Western Christianity the principal feast day of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is a [...]

Tribunals Deal Near For Top Detainees

Steve — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:24:53 +0000

From the Wall Street Journal: Deal Near on Gitmo, Trials for Detainees By JONATHAN WEISMAN And EVAN PEREZ March 19, 2010 The White House is nearing a deal with a bipartisan group of senators to close the Guantanamo Bay prison and pave the way for more detainees to be tried before military commissions, a move that would [...]

‘Tie Our Hands, Or We’ll Keep Stealing’

Steve — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:09:52 +0000

From The Hill: Perriello: ‘If you don’t tie our hands, we’ll keep stealing’ By Eric Zimmermann – 03/18/10 Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.), one of the more vulnerable Democrats heading into the 2010 election, unleashed some pretty strong rhetoric on spending in a recent chat with constituents. Asked about keeping Social Security and Medicare in the black, [...]

Clyburn: We Are Laying The Foundation

Steve — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:06:36 +0000

During his appearance on PBS program, ‘Charlie Rose,’ the House Majority Whip James Clyburn expressed his confidence that the Democrats would have the 216 votes necessary to ram through ‘healthcare reform’ on Sunday. Mr. Clyburn also told us how the Democrat leadership view this bill as but the first step towards universal, nationalized healthcare. From a [...]

Loan Carve-Out Is For ‘Socialist Bank’

Steve — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:02:28 +0000

From a context-free Washington Post: In this photo taken Feb. 5, 2010, Eric Hardmeyer, president of the Bank of North Dakota, poses outside the bank’s steamboat-shaped headquarters near the Missouri River. Conrad requests special provision for North Dakota bank be removed from health bill By Nick Anderson March 18, 2010 Buried in the bill Democrats unveiled Thursday afternoon was [...]

Hispanic Caucus Now Backs Obama-care

Steve — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:01:09 +0000

A press release Congressional Hispanic Caucus: From left, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif, Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif., Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-NY and Rep. Pedro Pierluisi, D-PR, are seen before announcing their support, along with other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, for the health care reform bill on Thursday, March 18, 2010 [...]

Obama To Give State Dinner For Mexico

Steve — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:00:22 +0000

From a context-free Associated Press: White House announces May state dinner for Mexico WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will hold a state dinner for Mexican President Felipe Calderon on May 19. It will be the second such affair for the Obama administration. The Obamas’ first state dinner, held in November for India’s prime minister, was marred [...]

Census Workers Sickened By Pot Fumes

Steve — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

In the rush of events we almost missed this bit of news from Grand Junction, Colorado’s Daily Sentinel: Grand Junction census office loses leader Setback comes as workers are sickened by pot odors By Gary Harmon Tuesday, March 16, 2010 Two weeks before the national head count for the U.S. Census, [...]

Text Of The Reconciliation Act of 2010

Steve — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:14:13 +0000

From Louis Slaughter’s House Committee On Rules: Members of the House Budget Committee meet on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, March 15, 2010, during the committee’s markup on the Reconciliation Act of 2010. H.R. 4872 – Reconciliation Act of 2010 Text of the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute Section-by-Section of the Amendment in the Nature of [...]

CBO’s Preliminary Estimate For HC Draft

Steve — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:23:44 +0000

The (ahem) ‘cover letter’ to the Congressional Budget Report (a pdf file): The House Budget Committee’s ranking Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., listens to comments on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 15, 2010, during the committee’s markup on the Reconciliation Act of 2010. H.R. 4872, Reconciliation Act of 2010 March 18, 2010 Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC [...]

Jobless Claims Still More Than Expected

Steve — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:22:20 +0000

Though you won’t hear that from the Associated Press: First-time jobless claims drop slightly By Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer March 18, 2010 WASHINGTON – The number of newly laid-off workers requesting jobless benefits fell slightly last week for the third straight time. But initial claims remain above levels that would signal net job gains. New [...]

Next Shoe To Drop – Amnesty For Illegals

Steve — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:37:56 +0000

From the SEIU: (Click to enlarge) Save the Date for Immigration Reform In Washington, DC Join thousands from across the country at the March For America in Washington, DC on March 21, 2010. It is up to us. This is your call. We need you in DC to show our collective power and energy. Mark your calendars [...]

N Korean Shot Over ‘Currency Reform’

Steve — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:57:12 +0000

From a mixed emotioned Associated Press: Report: North Korean executed over currency reform March 18, 2010 SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea executed a former senior official last week as punishment for the country’s botched currency reform, a news report said Thursday. In November, North Korea redenominated its currency as part of efforts to lower inflation and [...]

Clinton Russia Trip – Improved Relations

Steve — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:32:26 +0000

Through the rose-colored glasses of the Washington Post: Clinton’s agenda for Russia trip reflects improving but fragile relationship By Mary Beth Sheridan and Philip P. Pan Thursday, March 18, 2010 MOSCOW — A year after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton presented a mock "reset" button to Russia’s foreign minister, the [...]

Bank Auditors Also Got Large Bonuses

Steve — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:27:48 +0000

From a not quite outraged Associated Press: Gov’t bank auditors got big bonuses By Matt Apuzzo, Associated Press Writer March 18, 200 WASHINGTON – Banks weren’t the only ones giving big bonuses in the boom years before the worst financial crisis in generations. The government also was handing out millions of dollars to bank [...]

The CBO Needs Four (4) More Staffers!

Steve — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:06:11 +0000

From the Politico: CBO crumbles under health workload By: Erika Lovley March 17, 2010 The Democrats’ push to get health care reform passed through Congress is putting incredible strain on staff in the Congressional Budget Office — a stressor that may have contributed to the recent incorrect scoring of a draft House [...]

Jobs Bill Waives SS Tax For Non-Profits

Steve — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:04:18 +0000

A press release from the National Council of La Raza: U.S. President Barack Obama signs the HIRE Act, a job growth initiative, among members of Congress in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, March 18, 2010. NCLR APPLAUDS CONGRESS FOR COMMITTING TO JOB CREATION IN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [...]

1 Job Saved Or Created: Tanning Butler

Steve — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:03:10 +0000

From CNN’s Money.Com: Help wanted: Tanning butler By Annalyn Censky, staff reporter, March 17, 2010 NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – Calling the unemployed! Do you like pool parties, sun tan lotion and hotties? If so, the South Beach Ritz-Carlton has a position for you: tanning butler. One caveat: Ladies need not apply; this job usually goes to hunky [...]