Infamy

Unbelieveable. Or perhaps I just wish it was unbelieveable. The Republican leadership has tied a hike in the minimum wage ($5.15 per hour - unchanged in 10 years) to cutting the Estate Tax. Infamous.

To put it in context:

"It was a decade ago, during the hotly contested campaign year of 1996, that Congress voted to increase the minimum wage. A person working 40 hours per week at minimum wage makes $10,700, which is below the poverty line for workers with families."

Even some Republicans recognize the infamy:

"The move comes after almost 50 rank-and-file Republican lawmakers pressed House leaders — who strongly oppose the wage hike and have thus far prevented a vote — to schedule the measure for debate. Democrats have been hammering away on the wage hike issue and have public opinion behind them

'We weren't going to be denied,' said Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Ohio, a leader in the effort. 'How can you defend $5.15 an hour in today's economy?'"

Now the common worker only gets a meagre hike in his wages if multimillionaires get a tax break. As one Republican aide heartlessly put it:

"'It's the one chance for Democrats who want to get a minimum wage increase,' the aide said."

Infamous.

Intriguing...

Here is one hardcore Republican's view of the current Administration. An interesting David Broder column quoting a "weekend guest" of the GOP persuasion. FYI - the likely occupation of Broder's "weekend guest" is federal judge. They are not allowed to publicly comment on political matters.

More laws on my body...

Who owns your body? Who owns your child?

A Chincoteague teenager's fight to use alternative medicine to treat his cancer will get another chance after a judge suspended an earlier ruling forcing him to undergo traditional treatment.

"This could happen to anyone. This is something the government can do, and you've got to let people know this can't happen." --Starchild Abraham Cherrix

Signs, signs

July's sampling of 1st Amendment misuses:

"Un frente helado se aproxima. Nuevo cafe helado."
"9-11 was an inside job"
"CAUTION RETARD'S IN AREA"

ed note: the Mayor is the misuser in item 1

I heart Hugo Chavez!

I am endlessly amused by our little friend to the south. He reminds me of a South American dictator version of Stewie from Family Guy. Loudly and openly plotting the overthrow and death of his nemesis and, soon thereafter, world domination from a position that makes him almost completely unable to effectuate any of his plans. I just want to pet him and say "Awwww, you're so cute with your homicidal rantings and attempts to create a new Cold War."

If only his crib wasn't right over one of the world's largest supplies of oil...

Daily WTF?!

Slavery only gets you 10 years in the bing? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!

Does anyone else suspect that if this madam wasn't pimping illegal, non-white immigrants, she might have gotten a real jail sentence?

Is the sky falling?

From CNN.com: "Stocks sank Friday after oil hit a record above $78 a barrel and investors worried about escalating violence in the Mideast, sluggish retail sales and a lousy start to the earnings season. .... The world's most widely watched stock market gauge has lost nearly 400 points since the close of trade Tuesday and is now within shouting distance of falling into the red for the year."

Is this the beginning of a serious economic downturn? Is it time to pull out of the market?

Thoughts? Prognostications? Dire predictions?

Not THAT Big a Tent

I just don't understand why minorities don't believe the Republican Party is really trying to create a Big Tent like W, Karl Rove, and Tom DeLay claim every 4 years at the Republican Convention.

Oh, wait.