Two Ships

Two ships—One of the Bolivar Ferry boats and the other a big Carnival Cruise ship—passing each other yesterday in the Galveston Ship Channel. Ships can pass in the day as well as in the night.

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http://texasliberal.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/two-ships/

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At Rest

The dead were at rest yesterday in Galveston, Texas.

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http://texasliberal.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/at-rest/

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You Like Me! You Really Like Me! Or Maybe You
Don't.

In an excellent column over at The Daily Beast, former Prospect czar Michael Tomasky points out Mitt Romney's enormous likeability deficit, which seems to grow worse with each passing week. It's not only true impressionistically, polls back it up: Gallup recently found 60 percent of Americans saying Barack Obama is likeable, compared to only 31 percent for Romney. Tomasky does a good job of breaking down all the reasons why, and points out that the last time the candidate considered less likeable won the presidency was 44 years ago, when grumpy Dick Nixon edged smiling Hubert Humphrey. This could well be one of those interesting-but-probably-meaningless correlations, like the taller candidate always winning (which held true for many years until 2004). But given the preponderance of "gut" voting among the American people, it's likely to make a significant difference in November.

But what is it that makes a person?not a politician, but someone you meet face to face?likeable? There are some specific things you could point to: they seem genuinely interested in you, they display values similar to yours, they're modest, they're considerate, they appear happy, they have a sense of humor. Of course, there's also something ineffable, a quality that you can't define but you sense. But if we put that last part aside for the moment, we see that the definable parts of likeability are qualities that every politician has, or at least wants us to believe they have. When they meet us, politicians listen attentively and assure us that they care about the things we care about. They are usually optimistic, unless they're talking about the consequence of the other party taking power. They smile a lot. Everything about them is designed to make us like them.

Sometimes that's just genuinely who they are, and sometimes it's more of an act they put on. But while there are a few notable exceptions, for the most part you wouldn't decide to run for office in the first place if you weren't a people person. It's a job requirement. There aren't many surly, misanthropic introverts in Congress.

So I suppose it's a tribute to our finely-tuned ability to judge character, even in ways we can't define, that most Americans don't find Mitt Romney particularly likeable. It's hard for a liberal not to look at this situation and say, "Ha! Eat it, Republicans!" But let's not forget that not long ago, we were the ones complaining that "Which candidate would you rather have a beer with?" was just about the dumbest criterion you could use to select a president (and, since the one who won that contest turned out to be pretty awful, we were right). You could come up with any number of reasons Mitt Romney wouldn't make a good president, but being a bit of a jerk isn't one of them.

Read The Full Article:
http://prospect.org/article/you-me-you-really-me-or-maybe-you-dont

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Yes, There Was Some Very Good News Out Of North
Carolina Tuesday-- Patsy Keever

We had some sad news out of North Carolina on Tuesday, the approval of the homophobic Amendment One. We did, however, have one powerful victory that night too. In the Democratic primary, one district, NC-10, voted overwhelmingly for a progressive state Representative, Patsy Keever, to go up against Republican incumbent Patrick McHenry. Blue America endorsed Patsy early because of her progressive record in the state legislature, because of her effectiveness as a leader, and because Steve Israel of the DCCC had recruited and helped finance a conservative opponent, someone who opposes a woman's right to Choice and someone who claims God opposes the LGBT community. Had she won, she and Patrick McHenry could have had a real love-fest. But she lost and Patsy won. In fact, Patsy won by a landslide. Steve Israel's recruit wound up with 25% of the vote-- and lost every single county to Patsy.

But now the real work begins. Patsy won't have as easy a time in the general as she did in the primary. Democrats admire her work in the state legislature and admire her for sticking up for working families and for equality. Although the new 10th Congressional District is far bluer than the old district that used to elect and reelect McHenry, Patsy is still going to have to get her message out to independents and mainstream Republicans. (Note: Buncombe County, the heart of the district, was one of the counties that voted against Amendment One.) If you'd like to help Patsy move on and win the general election, please consider making a contribution here at our ActBlue page.

In Patsy's own words:

? I will be a voice for all children looking for a world-class education.

? I will be a voice for every man or woman looking for quality work at a fair wage.

? I will be voice for our grandchildren who deserve clean air and clean water.

? I will be a voice for our seniors who have earned a fully funded Medicare and Social Security program.

? Finally, I will be a voice for equality for all people.

Patsy is dedicated to helping her constituents no matter their political persuasion. As she said before, "As a schoolteacher you are there to teach and mentor every student, no matter what." She has always put people before politics and has a history of bringing people together to find solutions to real life problems.

On the other hand, we have Congressman Patrick McHenry, who has consistently put his political career ahead of his constituents. More than simply putting his career first, he doesn?t understand the difficulties facing North Carolina?s or America's working families. The difference is clear: Patsy Keever has been fighting for her community and state for a long time and always puts its people first. McHenry's career is an egregious example of always putting powerful interests ahead of his own constituents. He's the most unethical and dishonest member of North Carolina's congressional delegation and Patsy has an opportunity to work with voters from across the district who are sick of him and his own personal war against women.

I'm not going to talk about McHenry being a hypocritical closet case today or even about his involvement in a gay triple homicide in Orlando. Today let's just take a look at McHenry's "greatest hits" (against the American people)-- themes we'll be coming back to a lot between now and November. And this rollcalls are all just from the current session of the House!

WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Voted to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood

Description: An amendment offered by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) would have prohibited any funds in the bill from being made available to the Planned Parenthood or its affiliates.

Date: February 18, 2011
Link to vote: Vote #93
Bill: H.Amdt. 95 to H.R. 1

Voted against life-saving health care for women

Description: The measure, which did not pass, would have ensured that no hospital or health care provider can be exempted from any Federal or State law that requires them to provide any medical examination, treatment, referral, or transfer to prevent the death of a pregnant woman with an emergency medical condition.

Date: October 13, 2011
Link to vote: Vote #788
Bill: H.R. 358
Note: This vote was not on the underlying bill, but rather on the Democratic Motion to Recommit.

Voted against protecting the medical records of victims of rape and incest from government invasion

Description: The measure, which did not pass, would have clarified that the federal government is expressly not permitted to gain access to the private medical records of victims of rape and incest.

Date: May 4, 2011
Link to vote: Vote #291
Bill: H.R. 3
Related story: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act Passes House
Note: This vote was not on the underlying bill, but rather on the Democratic Motion to Recommit.

EDUCATION

Voted against Pell Grant assistance

Description: The measure, which did not pass, would have increased funding for Pell Grants.
Date: February 19, 2011
Link to vote: Vote #146
Bill: H.R. 1
Note: This vote was not on the underlying bill, but rather on the Democratic Motion to Recommit.

Voted against protecting students from violent and sexual predators through background checks of prospective employees (by voting ?no?)

Description: The measure, which did not pass, would have required charter schools receiving federal funding to conduct background checks to determine whether prospective employees have been convicted of sexual or violent crimes.

Date: September 13, 2011
Link to vote: Vote #704
Bill: H.R. 2218
Note: This vote was not on the underlying bill, but rather on the Democratic Motion to Recommit.

ENVIRONMENT

Voted to block oversight of mountaintop removal coal mining

Description: House Republicans overwhelmingly against an amendment that would have prevented the EPA from vetoing permit applications for mountaintop removal.
Date: February 19, 2011
Link to vote: Vote #135
Bill: H.Amdt. 157 to H.R. 1

Voted against protecting seniors and children from asthma and lung disease

Description: The measure, which did not pass, would have prohibited the underlying bill from limiting EPA?s Clean Air Act authority to protect the health of children, seniors, and those with asthma and lung diseases from the effects of air pollution emitted by large sources (those that emit 75,000 tons or more of carbon pollution annually).

Date: April 7, 2011
Link to vote: Vote #248
Bill: H.R. 910
Note: This vote was not on the underlying bill, but rather on the Democratic Motion to Recommit.

Voted to repeal safeguards that protect our drinking water from arsenic and perchlorate (by voting ?no?)

Description: The measure, which did not pass, would have retained the EPA?s authority to set water pollution standards and review permits when certain pollutants, including arsenic and perchlorate, are being discharged into waters that are a source of public drinking water.

Date: July 13, 2011
Link to vote: Vote #572
Bill: H.R. 572
Note: This vote was not on the underlying bill, but rather on the Democratic Motion to Recommit

Voted to protect polluters over children and pregnant women

Description: The measure, which did not pass, would have required safer air standards for giant cement plants near schools, day care centers, and hospitals with maternity wards or neo-natal units. The measure also would have kept communities informed when nearby cement plants are exempt from cleaner air standards.

Date: October 6, 2011
Link to vote: Vote #763
Bill: H.R. 2681
Note: This vote was not on the underlying bill, but rather on the Democratic Motion to Recommit.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Voted to undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Description: The bill would replace the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?s director with a five-member commission. It also would lower the vote threshold required for the Financial Stability Oversight Council to override Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules from two-thirds to a simple majority and allow the council to override regulations that threaten the stability of individual institutions.

Date: July 21, 2011
Link to vote: Vote #621
Bill: H.R. 1315

Voted with congressional crooks to exempt themselves from insider trading laws

Description: The measure, which did not pass, would have provided a 3.1% payroll tax cut, an expansion beyond the Republican bill?s 2% cut, paid for by a surtax on millionaires. This would not have affect the Social Security Trust Fund, which would have been held harmless for the lost revenue. The MTR would also have prevented insider trading by Members of Congress by enacting the STOCK Act into law and freezes Member pay.

Date: December 13, 2011
Link to vote: Vote #922
Bill: H.R. 3630
Note: This vote was not on the underlying bill, but rather on the Democratic Motion to Recommit.

Last thought: please consider helping Patsy's campaign here.

Read The Full Article:
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2012/05/yes-there-was-some-very-good-news-out
.html

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Romney announces support for corporations to
marry

From PlanetPOV: In the high stakes game of Presidential one-upmanship, Mitt Romney has responded to President Obama?s support of gay marriage by declaring that he supports the right of corporations to marry.?Corporations are people, my friend. White people with nice hair and attractive shoes. They can propagate and multiply just as people do and as any businessperson can attest, they can...

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/LqXzldwVYFs/romney-announces-suppor
t-for.html

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47 Times

That’s how much election spending from groups that do not disclose their donors has risen since the 2006 midterm elections. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, “[t]he percentage of spending coming from groups that do not disclose their donors has risen from 1 percent to 47 percent since the 2006 midterm elections.” Not coincidentally, the Supreme Court’s election-buying decision in Citizens United also came down during this period.

Read The Full Article:
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/05/14/483392/47-times/

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