Missouri HB 1141: the ultimate in teabagger
automotive accessories

post from They gave us a republic... - Front Page on 06 January 2012 08:27:52 PM. © They gave us a republic... - Front Page

By @MBersin

"....February 9, 1776

Col. Gadsden presented to the Congress an elegant standard, such as is to be used by the commander in chief of the American navy, being a yellow field, with a lively representation of a rattlesnake in the middle in the attitude of going to strike and these words underneath, 'Don't tread on me.'

Ordered, that the said standard be carefully preserved and suspended in the Congress room...."

The flag of the United States, Frederick Cocks Hicks, Government Printing Office, 1918, 40 pages.

A bill, introduced yesterday by Missouri State Representative Chuck Gatschenberger (r):

HOUSE BILL NO. 1141
96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES GATSCHENBERGER (Sponsor), BAHR AND KORMAN (Co-sponsors).
4675L.03I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal section 301.3163, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to the Don't Tread on Me license plate.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 301.3163, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 301.3163, to read as follows:
301.3163. Any person may apply for [special] specialty personalized "Don't Tread on Me" motor vehicle license plates for any vehicle such person owns, either solely or jointly, other than an apportioned motor vehicle or a commercial motor vehicle licensed in excess of eighteen thousand pounds gross weight. Such person shall make application for the [special] specialty personalized license plates on a form provided by the director of revenue. The director shall then issue specialty personalized license plates bearing letters or numbers or a combination thereof as determined by the [advisory committee established in section 301.129] director, with the words "DON'T TREAD ON ME" [in place of the words "SHOW-ME STATE"] centered on the bottom one-fourth of the plate, in bold, all capital letters, and with lettering identical to the lettering used for the word "MISSOURI" on the regular state license plate. Such words shall be no smaller than forty-eight point type. Such plates shall be tiger yellow beginning at the top and bottom, with the color fading into white in the center. All numbers and letters shall be black. The left side shall contain a reproduction of the "Gadsen Snake" in black and white, with the snake to be three inches in height and two inches wide, and sitting on green grass that is two and one-quarter inches wide. Upon payment of a fifteen dollar fee in addition to the regular registration fees, and presentation of any documents which may be required by law, the director of revenue shall issue to the vehicle owner a specialty personalized plate. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 301.144, no additional fee shall be charged for the personalization of license plates issued under this section. Such license plates shall be made with fully reflective material with a common color scheme and design, shall be clearly visible at night, and shall be aesthetically attractive, as prescribed by section 301.130.

[emphasis in original]

"...The left side shall contain a reproduction of the 'Gadsen [sic] Snake' in black and white..."

Is that a typo? Just asking.

We made the same mistake once, just not in symbolic legislation.

They could have the same snappy accessory for their car:

At the healthcare town hall in Hillsboro, Missouri, August 11, 2009.

And pay the state for the privilege, maybe without any sense of the irony (from a year ago):

....You've got to wonder, if they have to pay an extra fee for the privilege, about the irony of paying more money to the state to ostensibly protest the state having more of your money....
....Dudes, do you really think this is a good idea? When the black helicopters land they're gonna know who to pick up first....

Heh.

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uri-hb-1141-the-ultimate-in-teabagger-automotive-accessories

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Indiana Democrats Face Fines as They Continue
Walkout to Block Right to Work Bill

post from Firedoglake on 06 January 2012 08:25:39 PM. © Firedoglake

Most Indiana Democratic House members stayed out of session for a second day yesterday to protest a right-to-work bill Republicans want to pass. Today becomes a point of reckoning, because after the third day of missed sessions, the majority[...]

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The Day in 100 Seconds

post from Talking Points Memo on 06 January 2012 08:00:49 PM. © Talking Points Memo

It was quite a day on the campaign trail. And you can relive it all in a convenient 100 Seconds. [...]

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Protest Wall Street, Go to Jail for the Rest of
Your Life

post from Crooks and Liars on 06 January 2012 08:00:17 PM. © Crooks and Liars

[Photo of the teepee that led to Wednesday's Occupy Oakland raid - via @geekeasy]

Khali Johnson was arrested for "basically littering," which could somehow turn into his third strike and a lifetime in prison.

You may recall that I told you all about the situation with Khali last month, after his arrest during a December 16th Oakland Police raid. There was great concern because Khali had been held in detention unusually long, appeared at each court hearing severely bruised and didn't have access to his prescribed psychiatric medication.

More Via:

The threat of life imprisonment looms for Occupy Oakland activist Marcel Johnson - better known by his alias, Khali - after a third-strike arrest during the demonstration. Having spent about 15 years incarcerated already, 38 year-old Khali said he was trying to turn his life around by distributing food to the needy at the Occupy Oakland encampment, where he was a frequent, vocal, sometimes endearing presence. On December 16 he was arrested outside City Hall for violating anti-encroachment laws ? namely, for a dispute about a blanket ? which normally wouldn't have warranted more than a few hours jail time. Since Khali was in fact violating his probation terms for a different case in Sacramento, he was taken to Santa Rita and made to serve some jail time in lieu of going to trial, his attorney Dan Siegel explained. There, Khali was held in solitary confinement and not given his psychiatric medications, which might explain why he got into an altercation with a peace officer ? the exact circumstances of which are still widely disputed. Now, Khali faces a felony assault charge in place of his original misdemeanor. As of Friday, December 23, Khali's bail was set at $580,000, according his attorney, Dan Siegel.

Siegel won't be representing Khali in the assault case, but luckily was able to convince a judge to order a medical evaluation that hopefully will explain the altercation between Khali, and the officer in Santa Rita. The next scheduled court date for Khali is January 9th in Pleasanton where he will face that potential "third strike," and bail that would be completely out of reach as Khali is homeless, with no money or possessions to his name.

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US Navy rescues 13 Iranians from pirates

post from US Politics | AMERICAblog News on 06 January 2012 08:00:14 PM. © US Politics | AMERICAblog News

This is likely to cause some red faces in Tehran [BBC]:

The US Navy has rescued 13 Iranian hostages being held by pirates in the Arabian Sea, the Pentagon says.

The 13 were rescued after a distress call was received from an Iranian fishing vessel which had been boarded by pirates over a month ago.

Fifteen suspected pirates were detained and are being held by the US Navy.

Seems the Iranian navy can't protect its shipping against pirates in their own backyard but the US navy can.

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CVS Refuses To Sell Texas Man Emergency
Contraception For His Wife, Suggests He’s A Rapist

post from ThinkProgress on 06 January 2012 08:00:04 PM. © ThinkProgress

A Texas man has enlisted the ACLU to help him sue CVS for gender discrimination after a pharmacist refused to sell him emergency contraception.

Jason Melbourne had already visited four pharmacies in search of Plan B for his wife when he was referred to a CVS in Mesquite, Texas, some 15 miles away from his home. They had one box left:

But when he finally got there, the overnight pharmacist, Minni Matthew, told Melbourne she wasn’t going to sell it to him.
In order for him to buy the meds, the pharmacist said, she’d need to talk to and see the ID of his wife, who was at home with their two young children. He asked why, and she pointed to the fine print on the medication’s box, which says it can only be sold to someone age 17 or older. Melbourne pointed out that he was well over 17.
“I’ve bought this plenty of times in my life, and it’s never been a problem,” he said. “Are you telling me every other place I’ve bought it from has been wrong?”
Didn’t matter, Matthew said, since the medicine obviously wasn’t for him.
“Why don’t you show me the law that says you can’t sell this to a man?” Melbourne replied.

The situation got worse from there. Melbourne put his wife on the phone and even Googled the medication to show the pharmacist there was no law against selling it to a man. But “she didn’t want to see it,” he said.

That’s when a male pharmacy technician informed Melbourne that they didn’t want to sell emergency contraception to men because they might be giving it to “rape victims.”

Jezebel notes that Melbourne’s ordeal happened around the same time that a Houston CVS store refused to sell another man Plan B. CVS apologized for that last month, calling it an “isolated incident.” It wasn’t.

In fact, in 2010 ACLU received reports that Walgreens stores in Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma were refusing to sell emergency contraception to men. Walgreens relented when the ACLU confronted them publicly.

In an email about the Houston incident, CVS spokesman Mike DeAngelis insisted they’d briefed all their stores on official company policy, which is “to follow FDA regulations for the sale of emergency contraception, which allows this product to be sold without a prescription to customers who are at least 17 years old, regardless of gender.”

But they obviously need to do a better job educating their stores, because the manager of the Mesquite CVS insisted they’re not supposed to sell Plan B to men because they can’t verify that the woman who takes it will be over 17.

Lisa Graybill, the legal director of the Texas ACLU, says refusing to sell Plan B to men based on this baseless “sensational story” is “misguided.” “I’m not aware of a single case of a man reportedly buying it to push on his underage pedophile victim,” she says.

“I’m outraged,” Melbourne says of the situation. “I chased this thing all over town, then I get accused of using this for rape, even after they’ve talked to my wife on the phone. It makes me feel like a piece of crap.”

Read The Full Article:
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Guantánamo: Ten Years Too Many

post from Firedoglake on 06 January 2012 07:52:03 PM. © Firedoglake

Estimates of detainees who were never terrorists range from 70 to 90 percent. Not one of the more than 700 who enjoyed the hospitality of Gitmo has been able to collect compensation for being held, often in solitary confinement and some for as long as[...]

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NFL Players Association blasts Indiana lawmakers
for 'right-to-work' plans

post from Daily Kos on 06 January 2012 07:44:07 PM. © Daily Kos

football3 Union-busting lawmakers and their patrons in Indiana got some new opponents Friday, the National Football League Players Association. As Laura Clawson has written here and Chris Bowers has written here, Republican legislators, who are in the majority, are trying to ram the anti-union legislation through and Democrats are holding them at bay.

The NFLPA stated:

As NFL players, we know our success on the field comes from working together as a team. We?re not just a team of football players?we?re also the fans at games and at home, the employees who work the concession stands and the kids who wear the jerseys of our favorite football heroes. NFL players know what it means to fight for workers? rights, better pensions and health and safety in the workplace.
To win, we have to work together and look out for one another. Today, even as the city of Indianapolis is exemplifying that teamwork in preparing to host the Super Bowl, politicians are looking to destroy it trying to ram through so-called ?right-to-work? legislation.
?Right-to-work? is a political ploy designed to destroy basic workers? rights. It?s not about jobs or rights, and it?s the wrong priority for Indiana.
The facts are clear?according to a January 2012 Economic Policy Institute briefing report (?Working Hard to Make Indiana Look Bad?), ?right-to-work? will lower wages for a worker in Indiana by $1,500 a year because it weakens the ability of working families to work together, and it will make it less likely that working people will get health care and pensions.
So-called ?right-to-work? bills divide working families at a time when communities need to stand united. We need unity?not division. We urge legislators in Indiana to oppose ?right-to-work? efforts, and focus instead on job creation.
As Indianapolis proudly prepares to host the Super Bowl it should be a time to shine in the national spotlight and highlight the hard-working families that make Indiana run instead of launching political attacks on their basic rights. It is important to keep in mind the plight of the average Indiana worker and not let them get lost in the ceremony and spectacle of such a special event. This Super Bowl should be about celebrating the best of what Indianapolis has to offer, not about legislation that hurts the people of Indiana.

A bit of solidarity from an unexpected quarter. Nice to see them butting heads with some of the guys who keep thinking "19th Century" when it comes to unions.

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Cheers and Jeers: Rum and Coke FRIDAY!

C&J Banner

From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE?

Late night snark? Sure, why not.

"How about that Rick Santorum? He came in second because he is the anti-Romney. Wait a minute---I thought Mitt Romney was the anti-Romney."
---David Letterman
-
"Everything about Romney tells the tale of a man who just fired your dad."
---John Oliver, on The Daily Show
-
"Rick Santorum?s campaign is celebrating the Iowa caucuses with a pizza party. Here's the embarrassing part: It was delivered by Herman Cain."
---Jay Leno
-
[Clip of Michele Bachmann bowing-out speech in Iowa]: Yesterday when we were out on Main Street in Des Moines, [my husband] was out buying doggie sunglasses for our dog Boomer while we were out visiting the many businesses.
Jon Stewart: To be fair, nothing salves the wound of a sixth-place finish like a dog wearing sunglasses.
-
Clip of Jon Huntsman interview: They pick corn in Iowa. They actually pick presidents here in New Hampshire.
Stephen Colbert: Yes! New Hampshire picks presidents! Just ask Presidents Buchanan, Tsongas and Kefauver.
-
"It is being reported that school children in North Korea were taught that Kim Jong Il did not ever use the bathroom. So today, most school children in North Korea assumed that their fearless leader exploded."
---Conan O'Brien

And one year ago?

"Republicans took control of the House for the first time in four years. They say they?re going to stick to a strict interpretation of the Constitution. I hope you didn?t like voting, women and non-whites."
---Jimmy Kimmel

Don?t forget that Netroots Nation is now soliciting ideas for the panels and programs to be featured at the 2012 convention (Providence, June 7-10). Click here for details and submit yours. Otherwise it'll just be me and my booby tassles a' twirlin' in a four-day stripper marathon. You've been warned.

C'mon down 'n splash. I'm giving away pickle buckets full of leftover holiday myrrh. Your west coast-friendly edition of Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]

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-and-Coke-FRIDAY!

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Ken Salazar to announce 20-year extension of
Grand Canyon uranium-mining ban

Grand Canyon from the South Rim (photo by navajo)Although the direction of the administration was made clear in October, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will on Monday finalize a 20-year ban on new uranium-mining on some one million acres of land near the Grand Canyon. The announcement will be made at the National Geographic Society HQ in Washington, D.C.

The ban, which is actually an extension of an existing ban, has been under consideration since 2009. Under the Bush administration, thousands of new mining claims had been encouraged under the 1872 Mining Act.

After Salazar's position became clear when he chose "Alternative B" from the Bureau of Land Management's final environmental impact statement on withdrawing lands, Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Orrin Hatch and Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah, as well as Sen. John McCain and Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona, announced their intention to introduced legislation that would allow new uranium mining.

Alternative B bars 1,006,545 acres of federal lands from new mining. It allows previously approved operations to continue and some new operations on mining claims with valid existing rights. The federal lands are located on two parcels north of the Grand Canyon National Park and one parcel south of the Grand Canyon in the Kaibab National Forest.

The move no doubt would be approved by a Republican President unlike any we have seen since, Teddy Roosevelt, who said in a speech at the Grand Canyon more than a century ago:

Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American if he can travel at all should see.
We have gotten past the stage, my fellow-citizens, when we are to be pardoned if we treat any part of our country as something to be skinned for two or three years for the use of the present generation, whether it is the forest, the water, the scenery. Whatever it is, handle it so that your children's children will get the benefit of it."

Some people just can't stand to see any land unmolested by development or mining. Thankfully, these million acres are getting another 20-year reprieve. But count on the "improvers" to be back licking their chops about 18 years from now.