Idaho
updated
10:26 p.m.
Never met the man, so such personal qualities as Steve Appleton had could only be extrapolated, from this vantage, from what public actions he made. Without getting into the kind of hagiography normal for the recently deceased, especially for the successful recently deceased, there are a few things that might be said, even from a [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - 9:06 p.m.
The group trying to get bike access to the Greenbelt in Garden City got tossed out of court for “lack of standing.” It is a common move in Idaho courts, but it is the LAW. This from the Committee for an Open Greenbelt. (Pardon the formatting, GUARDIAN is on small computer in Asia.) Today Judge [...] Related Posts May 31, 2011: Garden City Bike Ban Remains, Court Date Set &md...
Boise Guardian - 7:21 p.m. - 6 clicks 
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission staff Friday came out against an agreement between Idaho Power and the Dynamis “trash to power” project at the Ada County landfill. There was strong written opposition to the plan before the IPUC, including a document filed by attorney Jon Steele. Much of the opposition was based upon the contemplated [...] Related Posts Jan 13, 2012: Boise...
Boise Guardian - 5:06 a.m. - 10 clicks
This off season has been a particularly happening one in baseball. Not to mix metaphors, but once the ball got rolling, it seems every week since the World Series ended on October 28 th there has been hot stove news. This week is no different as the Nationals announced today the signing of starting pitcher Edwin Jackson. The signing of Jackson has been just another reminder to those of us w...
Political Game - Thu 11:45 p.m.
One wag wondered if Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow meant that we would have some winter, which we really haven't. Ok, it's been dark, and cold, and even snowed a little once or twice, but compared to what we're used to it just hasn't amounted to much. Which bodes badly for the hot season to come, promising something dry, burning, and smoky. But I do not come to praise, nor bury the wea...
Fort Boise - Thu 12:22 p.m.
What better holiday than Groundhog Day for Donald Trump to pop up again, and endorse Mitt Romney ? In Las Vegas. It seems that Mitt has reached either a sufficient state of craziness, certainty of capturing the nomination, or both, for Trump to reach a state of pronouncement. If it's sunny in southern Nevada, expect 6 more weeks of campaigning. And, as Gail Collins points out 9 months o...
Fort Boise - Thu 11:09 a.m.
Written by the Idaho Democratic Legislative Caucus Idaho Democratic Legislators presented common sense, proactive policies they believe will help develop the prosperous communities we all desire and deserve. IJOBs 2.0 consists of seven proposals that will grow existing companies and attract new companies, enhance our infrastructure, keep money in Idaho, and ensure that our economic devel...
DailyKos (Idaho) - Wed 9:06 a.m. - 5 clicks
Crossposted on Daily Kos Also republished by DKOMA. ___ A bunch of cute gals chase a guy to the left, screaming. The same bunch of fiesty women then chase a guy to the right, screaming and waving their arms. The guys dance, skillfully moving like Elvis in his prime. The gals dance, twisting and turning artfully, as if in a scene from Grease . The scene is tasteful, anachronistic, and ...
43rd State Blues - Wed 7:07 a.m. - 20 clicks
"Even by Washington's lax standards," as Sahil Kapur puts it on TPM . McConnell is taking a new tack toward his prime directive of making Obama a one-term president, gushing about how Obama "got everything he wanted from a completely compliant Congress" for his first two years of office. You don't say. The Senate Minority Leader is counting on the populace having a seriously defective me...
Fort Boise - Tue 2:45 p.m.
Editor's Note : The Idaho Democrats have announced several measures to help create jobs for Idahoans. It's a good first step. Here's hoping the Idaho GOP gives it some consideration. Press Release from the Idaho Democratic Legislative Caucus Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Contact: Representative John Rusche (208) 750-6048 or Senator Edgar Malepeai (208) 251-9517 ...
Political Game - Tue 12:28 p.m. - 14 clicks
Here’s a LA Times article on the California Legislatures move to shut down all 400 of the “redevelopment agencies” (Urban Renewal in Idaho) as of February 1, 2012. The legislation was upheld by a 6-1 vote in the California Supreme Court. A caretaker will be appointed to pay off all remaining debt of each agency and [...] Related Posts Mar 20, 2011: Urban Renewal Remains W...
Boise Guardian - Tue 12:28 p.m. - 13 clicks
A bunch of cute gals chase a guy to the left, screaming. The same bunch of fiesty women then chase a guy to the right, screaming and waving their arms. The guys dance, skillfully moving like Elvis in his prime. The gals dance, twisting and turning artfully, as if in a scene from Grease . The scene is tasteful, anachronistic, and warmly inviting. So began an evening of exciting, innovative chore...
DailyKos (Idaho) - Tue 7:29 a.m. - 12 clicks
At the beginning of the 2011 legislative session, Idaho Education Superintendent Tom Luna surprised the state by unveiling legislation designed to accomplish a draconian overhaul of public education, by diverting a significant portion of students' school time to online course from private entities, in essence swapping live teachers for one on a laptop. While vociferous opposition to the so cal...
43rd State Blues - Mon 3:27 p.m. - 25 clicks
It's really only a matter of time before Gingrich is fully hoist on his petard, given how much historical material he has provided. He's definitely come up with some big ideas over his storied career. "Big" is not a synonym for "good" as has been amply illustrated, such as by Johanna Neuman's 2009 op-ed in the LA Times , and a new piece in The Nation , How Newt Gingrich Crippled Congr...
Fort Boise - Mon 1:44 p.m.
We send our soldiers to fight for freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan and when refugees fleeing oppression arrive in the City of Trees to enjoy that freedom, they sometimes face even bigger battles. Such is the case of the guys who found themselves “victims” of a newly enacted city ordinance outlawing smoking in public places–like [...] Related Posts Jun 17, 2011: Dirt On Cle...
Boise Guardian - Mon 12:47 p.m.
Idaho legislators propose allowing quad trailer semi trucks hauling toxic waste to use decommissioned Soviet submarine reactors as "supplemental engines on low density highways" to travel at sub-sonic speeds. Idaho legislators propose tattooing "Jesus Saves" or "Jesus Saved Me" on the foreheads of all Idaho DOC prisoners convicted of malicious mischief or theft charges involving churches or te...
43rd State Blues - Sun 7:46 p.m. - 23 clicks
Every decade, it’s the same: As population crowds into urban areas, legislative (and congressional) districts that cover rural areas have to stretch into larger and larger areas. It’ll happen again after 2020. Even so, I’ve been looking at the Idaho Redistricting Commission’s L93 map (yes, that means there have been that many formally submitted) adopted [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Sun 2:08 p.m. - 12 clicks
Add the Words. It all sounds simple enough. The Idaho Commission on Human Rights declares its purpose to be: To secure for all individuals within the state freedom from discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age (40 and over) and disability. To investigate complaints by any persons claiming to be aggrieved by a discriminatory practice in the areas of em...
DailyKos (Idaho) - Sun 9:41 a.m. - 6 clicks
On this day in 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded a mere seventy-three seconds after lift off. It remains a moment that few Americans have forgotten who were alive to witness the event, either in person or as it was being broadcast on television. In the days that followed the tragedy, Idaho was one of the first states to order the lowering of flags in honor of the six astronauts a...
Political Game - Sat 5:21 p.m. - 15 clicks
A Fox News contributor lists six reasons Keystone XL was a bad deal all along and "deserved to be rejected," so... does that mean it was actually a good idea? Now I'm confused. But the favorite talking point of the decriers was that see, Obama's not serious about creating jobs! because he got sucked into the sped-up decision timeline and said no, without time to evaluate this properly we're...
Fort Boise - Sat 12:06 p.m.
If I'd hung in for more of Mitch Daniels' Debbie Downer routine after the State of the Union speech on Tuesday, I see from Paul Krugman's latest column that I would have heard him extol the accomplishments of Steve Jobs as a job creator. He was that, but as Krugman points out , most of those jobs (by a factor closer to 20 than 10) are in other countries. It's not just about cheap labor: "[T...
Fort Boise - Sat 11:03 a.m.
The potential for some Ada County political fireworks and intrigue were opened up with the latest state redistricting plans. Ada was cleanly divided into nine legislative districts based on population and will likely remain unchanged. That makes a perfect fit for the Ada Commishes to each take three legislative districts to form the three county [...] Related Posts Jan 23, 2012: Repubs ...
Boise Guardian - Jan 27 - 10 clicks
Tipped to the jolly game of seeing if Google can guess your age and gender (and finding that they recognize me as wise beyond my years), and reading up on their latest advertising and privacy policy , I had a flashback to my hoary Ad Attack! column, now well more than a decade old, and predating Google's buyout of DoubleClick. "Anyone may opt out of the DoubleClick cookie (for AdSense...
Fort Boise - Jan 27
Not sure why the WSJ let it out from behind their paywall (free ticket from Facebook, maybe?), but Bret Stephens' opinion that the Republicans deserve to lose is an entertaining, sly, vituperative lament. If his opening paragraph is really the litany of what the right wing finds so objectionable about the current president, one has to pity their pathetic (and slightly unhinged) rage. Obama "t...
Fort Boise - Jan 27
After spending a little time with the Idaho redistricting commission, things look a little more upbeat than earlier this week for the prospects of it completing its task sometime soon – possibly Saturday (they’re prepared for a Saturday session), maybe sooner, but likely not a whole lot later. This was the commission called back to [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Jan 26 - 4 clicks
I'm loving watching the odd fight pitting House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Idaho Republican Party Chairman Norm Semanko against AG Lawrence Wasden and redistricting commissioners Delores Crow and Randy Hansen. The wingers in the R party in Idaho will stop at nothing, it seems, to accomplish their political goals and vision. On one hand you've got to marvel at the single-mindedne...
IdaBlue - Jan 26 - 7 clicks
So there’s been this tussle going back & forth regarding the redistricting commission. I’m not even going to pretend to be an expert on Idaho politics. However I am going to wade into this just a bit. Betsy Russell (Eye on Boise) has a story in the Spokesman Review that gives enough background to understand [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Jan 25 - 2 clicks
In a terse four sentence decision, the Idaho Supreme Court Wednesday dismissed a law suit filed by Idaho House Speaker Lawrence Denney and Republican party chair Norm Semanko over their attempt to fire members of the redistricting commission. Chief Justice Roger Burdick signed the order which said, in a nutshell, the parties seeking relief failed [...] Related Posts Jan 24, 2012: Idaho Spe...
Boise Guardian - Jan 25 - 3 clicks
Bill Maher - Irritable Bowl Syndrome from Fraser Davidson on Vimeo . Bill Maher makes an excellent point regarding wealth disparity that should actually connect with people who spend most of their time pouring over the latest fantasy football stats. ...
43rd State Blues - Jan 25
Chris CarlsonCarlson Chronicles A former newspaper editor and sometime reader of this column recently asked who I thought, other than Cecil Andrus, were great Idaho governors. A bias I have is this: The best governors almost always first served in their State’s Legislature. Why this contributes to success is obvious. Having served in the legislative [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Jan 25 - 5 clicks
In an Idaho Statesman piece, Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter, who’s co-chair of the Mitt Romney campaign in Idaho, remarks that “I would have bet you a month ago that this would have been over with by the first of February. But things have changed.” He’s certainly not alone in that, or in moving to the [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Jan 24 - 2 clicks
There seems to be an ethic in our politics these days that lengthy pieces of legislature are only lengthy to provide loopholes and work for lawyers: if it’s worth doing, surely it can be expressed in a sentence or two. Legislators who’ve been around the circle a few times come to understand that things rarely [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Jan 24
The following is a lay opinion from the GUARDIAN. Idaho House Speaker Lawrence Denney’s decision to file legal action in the Idaho Supreme Court against Secretary of State Ben Ysursa will probably lead to political and personal humiliation. The speaker has overstepped his bounds in an effort to rid the redistricting commission of a member [...] Related Posts Jul 13, 2011: River To O...
Boise Guardian - Jan 24 - 3 clicks
Our sister blog, the CALDWELL GUARDIAN, has posted an interesting initiative from the neighboring state of Montana. Folks there are tired of the behavior of their legislators and seek to change the constitution to prevent legislators from changing or repealing laws passed by voters. We Idahoans have passed both term limits and a 1% property [...] Related Posts Sep 29, 2011: Idaho Legislati...
Boise Guardian - Jan 24 - 2 clicks
The following list has been circulating on the internet with several copies being directed to the GUARDIAN since it is prime fodder for our GROWTHOPHOBE philosophy and followers. We talked to a Williams County, ND Deputy who not only confirmed the accuracy of the data, but told us, “We have a fair number of people [...] Related Posts Jan 20, 2012: Idaho Power Adopts Growthophobe Phil...
Boise Guardian - Jan 23 - 3 clicks
A small town “hick sheriff” from Burley should get national acclaim for his use of sophisticated GPS tracking gear to fight crime the RIGHT way with a tactic that would have made Andy Griffith of Mayberry fame “right proud.” Cassia County Sheriff Randy Kidd had a problem with folks stealing copper wire from farms and [...] Related Posts Jul 3, 2011: E-15 Fuel No Goo...
Boise Guardian - Jan 23 - 3 clicks
The Idaho Legislature, which has before it a bill that would move the state’s long-running May primary election to August, might as well go ahead and pass it. Candidates and election officials will need the time, because the odds now are that no new legislative redistricting plan will be adopted in the short term – [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Jan 23
Originally posted to Daily Kos Readers and Book Lovers. Also republished by Black Kos community and Progressive Friends of the Library Newsletter. _____ Studies like The All White World of Children's Books and African American Children's Literature chronicle how it was not until fairly recent history that a positive Black presence was seen in children's literature. In the past, whe...
43rd State Blues - Jan 22
There was probably a time, back in the day of William Borah, say, when there was almost a certain amount of above-it-all classiness to say that you didn’t drive a car – as it’s said he did not – and maintained a bit of elevated distance from such things as traffic signals, speed limits and [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Jan 20
Microsoft Corporation, the most successful big business in the Northwest, spoke out yesterday on a piece of Washington state legislation (which is within a single legislative vote of having enough for passage) which it said would help its business, and it got five other businesses to go along in the announcement. The legislation happens to [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Jan 20 - 3 clicks
Crossposted (with several very interesting reader comments) on Daily Kos. _____ In response to my article: White African Americans, about a white South African trying to sue for racial discrimination, Ericn wrote: I was born in Oakland, blond/blue but practically raised black by my friends mothers and families until my father got transferred to Japan in the 60's and I learned what ...
43rd State Blues - Jan 20
It’s a little unfortunate that election schedules have to be uprooted because of legal battles over things like redistricting. But that’s what seems to be happening in Idaho. House Bill 302 (introduced by Representative Tom Loertscher, R-Iona) may be an inevitability, and is certainly something legislators were wise to get into the pipeline sooner rather [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Jan 19
When a group governs according to their ideology, that is to be expected. Voters elect representatives who reflect their values and concerns (okay, maybe not the last part so much). Once elected, those representative can promote the values and address the concerns, or they can just flail away at the ideology. Guess which path our legislators routinely choose. Here's a clue. Some clown has introd...
IdaBlue - Jan 19
Idaho grocers are asking the legislature to change the system of handing out food stamp money . The problem being that folks are so desperate that they all hit the stores almost immediately after the money is distributed (electronically to their cards). So, bottlenecks ensue, and shoppers get sick of standing in line and abandon carts full of food, which is an especial problem for fro...
IdaBlue - Jan 18 - 7 clicks
Join today's online protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) & the Protect IP Act (PIPA) by signing this petition to join the strike or contact your legislators. For more information on these pieces of legislation, both Google and Wikipedia , who are participating in the strike, have placed SOPA/PIPA on their front pages. You can read the text of SOPA and PIPA , available from O...
Political Game - Jan 18
Over the last 3 years, Idaho's revenues have declined, and the budget has shrunk with them, on account of the constitutional requirement for a balanced budget. Rather than seek new revenue sources, the legislature and Governor have chosen to simply cut the budget. Now that revenues are growing again, what will be the choice? Restore the budget cuts? Or keep the reduced budgets a...
IdaBlue - Jan 18 - 8 clicks
Wow! And to think I almost missed this. Thanks to Sisyphus at 43rd State Blues (Facebook), I didn’t. “The only good thing that comes from this is that we have got a man that is a manipulator and a brainwasher and a user of people that is being exposed,” said Reiman. Reiman said his daughter [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Jan 16
Editor's Note : Have said it before, but I'm still not happy with the color scheme of the links, followed links and whatnot. I'm also not sure if I want to return to the old way of doing smorgasbords or not. Any thoughts on the new link list for smorgasbords? Would you prefer commentary on each of the links? I'm trying something different today--breaking the links into defined sections. Let me k...
Political Game - Jan 14
One of the first singles out in 2012 and it could very well end up being one of the best of the year. Here is the ever impressive Jason Mraz with "I Won't Give Up." It is set to be released on the long-awaited new album, hopefully in May. ...
Political Game - Jan 13
Editor's Note : The following press release landed in my inbox yesterday from the Idaho Democratic Party. May the governor stick to his guns on the topic of ethics and put some pressure on the legislative majority to support this worthy idea. Update (1.13.12): Speaker Denney has lashed out at Democrats for using the phrase "culture of corruption" in their portrayal of ethical lapses i...
Political Game - Jan 12
Jesus! Doesn’t this say it all….got your jet in the background; someone’s brought you a comfy chair to sit in on the fucking tarmac; and, some poor soul is spiffing up your shoes. You fucking dick! In no way do you deserve to serve as president of this country. . . h/t: Under the Mountain [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Jan 12
Saw this tweeted on Twitter early, early this morning from Think Progress. (Gotta learn to turn that thing off at night or I’ll never get any sleep.) Then again on Sisyphus’s Facebook page later on. The financially backed (Koch Brothers) PAC, Americans for Prosperity has a listing of the most corrupt perfect recipients of their [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Jan 12
One of the best descriptors I’ve run across in relation to Mitt Romney is ‘empty.’ The context in which I found it was at Dibgy’s place in this remarkable posting that epitomizes Mitt’s very emptiness – his very lack of substance. In describing a protest during the ’60s where the Stanford administration office of [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Jan 11
Gov. Otter has called for, I think, $45 million in tax relief, targeted for business and corporations. And wealthy people. But, he's left the details up to the legislature. It's this last point that leaves me scratching my head. If there is a need for tax relief for a particular reason, fine, let's target that. But just an across the board cut, from 7.8% to 7.6% doesn't seem like it changes ince...
IdaBlue - Jan 11
This morning the Idaho Press Tribune has an opinion on Ron Crane’s, Treasurer of the State of Idaho, imbecilic defense of why he uses the State gas card for his personal vehicle. Apparently the first question is: “How is Mr. Crane paying for his daily commute between Nampa & Boise” because the IPT writes, “Another [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Jan 8
Qualifier: It's pay to play But still, a strong showing for Paul, with a decisive win over Romney: The former Libertarian got 43 percent (173 votes) to the former Massachusetts governor’s 34 percent (135). Trailing them were Newt Gingrich with 12 percent (47 votes), Rick Santorum at 10 percent (40) and Jon Huntsman with 1 percent (4). A total of 399 people from across Idaho participated....
DailyKos (Idaho) - Jan 7
The unemployment rate just dropped to 8.5%, the lowest in five years. And all across the country, Republicans said "Damn!" ...
IdaBlue - Jan 6
I see interesting similarities between Mitt Romney's campaign logo: specifically, this part: and a certain movie advertisement: ...
IdaBlue - Jan 4
It may have been a bad movie year, but the music industry did not disappoint. I actually had a hard time narrowing down this list to fifteen. There are certainly others that were in the running, others that didn't make the list because of one track or another--it was that hard. Here it is: Tom Waits: Bad As Me Bon Iver: Bon Iver Wilco: The Whole Love Black Keys: El Camino The Civil Wars: ...
Political Game - Jan 1
This week the Idaho Department of Correction released the amount the state's execution of Paul Ezra Rhoades cost the state of Idaho. Not surprisingly for those who are familiar with the cost of carrying out the death penalty , the cost was great. The exact cost IDOC released to the press was $53,411, not including the construction of the new execution chamber (F Block, as it is named). I...
Political Game - Dec 31
It's official, The Finder has it's own page on the FOX website! And they've been running ads for the hour-long show that will premiere on January 12, 2012 at 9/8c. Check out this video for a preview of the show: If you're not a regular watcher of Bones , you may have missed FOX introducing The Finder (aka Walter Sherman). They're calling it a spin-off of Bones , but the only co...
Political Game - Dec 31
" New Rules for the New Year "/Bill Maher, New York Times " Alcohol and the Idaho legislator "/Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh Press " 12/30/1905 - Today In History "/John T. Richards, Idaho Meanderings " A brainpower revolution "/Eugene Robinson, Washington Post " Perry's Abortion Stance Gets Even More Extreme "/Kate Sheppard, Mother Jones " 25 Literary resolutions for 2012. What's yours?...
Political Game - Dec 31
Crossposted on 43rd State Blues Dan Popkey shared a report from The Washington Post, which is: ... running a photo gallery of the 25 members of Congress with the lowest net worth in 2010 and Idaho GOP Rep. Raul Labrador is No. 25 on the low list. Labrador's net worth is between a negative $130,993 and a maximum of $66,997, averaging out at minus $31,998 according to the Center For Resp...
DailyKos (Idaho) - Dec 29
Idaho conducts its redistricting by a commission and produced a map not too different from the current one where Dems held a single district for only one term. My map however draws Idaho's two district to give Democrats a better chance at winning the 1st district again by making it over 10 points more Democratic. I also included an alternate map which is more compact. ...
DailyKos (Idaho) - Dec 26
I was looking at the Wells Fargo site the other day, and noticed the above picture. Two dudes sitting on a step, one looking kind of dreamily at the other, in an add for home mortgages. Gee, I wonder what demographic this is supposed to appeal to? ...
IdaBlue - Dec 23
Hear the original 1989 live on-the air exchange between Jody May-Chang and Fox mouthpiece Sean Hannity that got Hannity kicked off the air at KCSB-FM Radio for his homophobic rants. As part of KCSB’s 50th Anniversary of broadcasting, the Hannity vs. May-Chang exchange will be rebroadcast for the first time in 22 years! This will be part of tomorrow’s LIVE CALL-IN broadcast of: ‘Revisiting Sean ...
As I See It...Reporting from the front lines of the culture wars - Dec 21
Wanted to get into the NDAA fray a tad because at first I wasn’t understanding the conflicting signals about the exact language vs the intent of the language. It’s been neigh impossible because I’ve been sick. Whatever it is – the insistent cough thrusting into the chest, the sore throat where gravel apparently is stuck, [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Dec 18
" My Occupy LA Arrest "/Patrick Meighan, Family Guy " Thousands Sterilized, North Carolina Weighs Restitution "/Kim Severson, New York Times " Idaho Supreme Court will decide Bujak documents case "/Kristin Rodine, Idaho Statesman " NPR Music's 100 Favorite Songs of 2011 "/Music Staff, NPR " Accounts of a Massacre, Saved From Junkyard Flames "/Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times " An ...
Political Game - Dec 17
Especially the CALM Act . I hate it when I'm peacefully trying to watch some program or other, and suddenly a commercial blares onto the screen with the volume loud enough to scare my dog and blow the paper off the coffee table. The CALM Act authorizes the FCC to do something about that. I know, I know, nanny state. Well, if so, I say bring it on. The flipping free m...
IdaBlue - Dec 16
I heard Erick Erickson of Red State say that Newt Gingrich is "The Great American Sisyphus." Obviously, he doesn't know Idaho's own Sisyphus , who's pretty great, IMHO. ...
IdaBlue - Dec 15 - 11 clicks
Both Mike Crapo and Jim Risch voted for the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) termed by some as the National Detention of Americans Act. The two sections of concern are 1031 & 1032, posted below: Subtitle D: Detainee Matters - (Sec. 1031) Affirms that the authority of the President to use all necessary and appropriate [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Dec 13 - 11 clicks
Moveon.org has video of a speech Hillary Clinton gave to the UN Women’s Conference in Beijing, 1995. It was brought out due to phrasing last week of “gay rights are human rights” said somewhere and the similarity to Hillary’s claim that ‘women’s rights are human rights” in 1995. . Coincidentally after viewing the video, I [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Dec 12
I have a friend whose job brings him in contact with claim of embezzlement by various businesses and institutions. He was telling me about a recent case of a woman embezzling from her employer. I asked him what is the ratio of men to women in the embezzlers he's run across. He thought for a bit and got a funny look on his face and said, every one has been female. Since then I've asked others an...
IdaBlue - Dec 12
The Statesman ran an article in today's (Sunday) issue about the Boise restaurant, Focaccia's. It has been struggling with reduced business, and now the owner's wife has become gravely ill. They could use some help. If you have never eaten there, you'd be happy if you did. They have very high quality food, nicely conceived and prepared. The wait staff is friendly and well traine...
IdaBlue - Dec 11 - 12 clicks
Two posts ago I discussed how government spending can make some people rich, and cited Halliburton. Well, I have an example that's closer to home. You'll see that government spending did get this guy going. With that help, he took his hard work ethic and parlayed that into even more riches, and along the way he created wealth and jobs. But he got his start with governm...
IdaBlue - Dec 9
As today marks the 70 th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and America's entering World War II, I thought the best place to find material to share would be the records from Hawaii. First word of the attack came through official channels and began the sending of this naval dispatch from the ranking United States naval officer in Pearl Harbor. This image is available through the...
Political Game - Dec 7
Pretty much every leading Republican politician in Idaho lined up, early, behind Romney. Easy at the time, given that he appeared to be the anointed one, and given his base of support among the LDS community in Idaho. But, I think that the tea party leaners in Idaho weren't so much behind him. Adam Graham, for example, is a Cain supporter, even now. If Romney's campaign destruct...
IdaBlue - Dec 7
States have been busy finalizing their redistricting plans, and SSP Labs (a division of Daily Kos Elections) has been busy just trying to keep up. Today, we bring you four more states - Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, and Michigan. If you need a visual reference for any of the maps, just check the proper link in the new-and-improved condensed table (we've added Nevada, and as always, don't forget Tex...
DailyKos (Idaho) - Dec 7
Man, I hate this trite phrase, especially since almost nary a day goes by that I’m not subject to some Republican repeating it into a microphone. Republicans are good at repeating these banal talking points, so good in fact that this is their chief advantage in elections. They certainly don’t have the advantage in smart policy. Anyway, yes, this bit of blather is true. If those are the only two ...
IdaBlue - Dec 6
Someone mentioned in the comments the other day that it's high time the House increased in size; it's become increasingly unrepresentative and unaccountable. I've done a series of Canada-style diaries (and plan to continue it), where the size of a district is shrunk to a mere 110,000, bringing the house to 2,806 members. While that would be great, it may be too much too fast. So I thought I'd tr...
DailyKos (Idaho) - Dec 6
In Idaho, an 1867 editorial in a Boise, Idaho newspaper stated: “This would be our plan of establishing friendship on an eternal basis with our Indians: Let all the hostile bands of Idaho Territory be called in (they will not be caught in any other manner) to attend a grand treaty; plenty of blankets and nice little trinkets distributed among them; plenty of grub on hand; have a jolly time wit...
DailyKos (Idaho) - Dec 6
Lost most of the week to a trip at the beginning of it for a doctor's appointment. I'll get back into the swing of things next week. In the meantime, here's an interesting video I ran across that merges a few really interesting elements. Javier Colon, for those of you who didn't watch The Voice , is someone special. Add in a Ken Block of Sister Hazel and Mark Bryan of Hootie and the Blowfish ...
Political Game - Dec 2
You know how people like to depict their families in the back of their SUV windows? Here's one I saw in Boise while driving during the afternoon rush hour. Heather has two mommies. So does Heath. ...
IdaBlue - Dec 2 - 2 clicks
Holy cow, whoever the German author of the article quoted here pulls no punches. Africa is a country. The Taliban rule in Libya. Muslims are terrorists. Immigrants are mostly criminals, Occupy Wall Street protesters are always dirty. And women who claim to have been sexually molested should kindly keep quiet.” Welcome to the wonderful world of the Republican Party. Or rather: to th...
IdaBlue - Nov 30
My son turned 21 this summer, and a scant two months later he got a ticket for open container. Walking along just a street off the BSU parking lot during a home game, on which lot you can find literally thousands of folks drinking alcoholic beverages. Anyway, he's walking along with some beer in a plastic cup, which is what the masses are doing just across the street on the BSU lot, and a p...
IdaBlue - Nov 30
Debate continues to rage as Boise smoking ban passes Crossposted on 43rdState Blues After several months of rancourous and rigorous debate, Boise’s city council approved two smoke-free ordinances last night, the Idaho Press Tribune reports. The first, which passed unanimously, will ban smoking in bars, private clubs, near transit areas, on commercial outdoor patios accessible to chil...
DailyKos (Idaho) - Nov 30
Gov. Otter has written to extol the virtues of Idaho state government , especially as it has been run under his watch. It's clear that he has a vision of government as being basically just a vehicle for helping business. Here's, to me, a startling quote: State government can no longer even be the "primary social safety net." This just boggles my mind. I mean, if the gover...
IdaBlue - Nov 28
Winging her way to ... what? Is it even a real state if its government does not meet the needs of its citizens? I don't know. I do know that we get the government we vote for. Just seems odd to me that Idaho citizens tolerate getting so little from its social compact. 24/7 Wall Street ranks Idaho as the 26th best run state . That is, about half are run better, half ...
IdaBlue - Nov 28
The New York Times announced the sad news that Tom Wicker has passed away of a heart attack at 85. From their piece: "The searing images of that day [November 22, 1963, the day President Kennedy was assassinated]— the rifleman’s shots cracking across Dealey Plaza, the wounded president lurching forward in the open limousine, the blur of speed to Parkland Memorial Hospital and the ...
Political Game - Nov 25
From the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian comes this tweet and link on the 48 th anniversary of Jack Ruby killing Lee Harvey Oswald. I highly recommend following the link--it takes you to a page of items housed at the museum in an exhibit called "Life and Death in the White House." The items on the page are all related to the Kennedy assassination, but if you take a l...
Political Game - Nov 25
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy One of the few topics I find Chris Matthews to be credible when discussing is President Kennedy. This morning on MSNBC's "The Daily Rundown," he discussed today's 48th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. ...
Political Game - Nov 22
I did a quick Google News search to see if I could find an article about Rep. Steve Thayn's new education initiative, 8 in 6 . Say what you will about Thayn, like, for instance, he's a reactionary wing nut, but at least he is consistently banging away on his pet issue, education, and he does spark some discussion. And, at least he's coming up with new ideas, even if some are pretty ou...
IdaBlue - Nov 22
With two witnesses representing each of Paul Ezra Rhoades ' victims, four members of the Idaho press, and various government as well as law enforcement officials, the state of Idaho executed a man convicted of three murders. Rhoades became the twenty-eighth prisoner to be executed in Idaho since 1864. Twenty-eight have been executed, none since 1994, and yet the pro-death penalty, conservativ...
Political Game - Nov 21
Republicans in Congress are happily pushing the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act , which means essentially that a concealed carry card issued in one state will be valid is all other states. On one hand, that seems like kind of a good idea. Lots of folks travel from state to state, and might want to have a fire arm, for whatever reason. It would suck to do all the rig...
IdaBlue - Nov 19
Well, Paul Ezra Rhodes has been shuffled off this plane of existence. Can't say I'm sorry to see the guy go. I was living in Blackfoot when he killed poor Stacy Baldwin and his other victims, so have been sort of following this asshole's odyssey since. It felt pretty close to home at the time. I'm generally not a fan of the death penalty, mostly for logistical reasons ...
IdaBlue - Nov 18
