If It's Sunday...

If it's Sunday and you are looking for Clarice's Pieces, well, it came out last Friday.  The future was then!

She mentions Tetlock's work on the predictive power of pundits; I predict few will follow this supplemental link.

Comments

[centralcal]

Cross posting from the "Winning" thread since it fits better here:

Bummer. Sunday morning and no Clarice's Pieces since it published on Friday instead. Pretty savvy of Clarice to leave DC during the epic heatwave and power outages. Glad to hear Janet is surviving! Any other JOMers from that area checking in?

[peter]

Does anyone know if Clarice is ok with all the storms and power shortages?

[AliceH]

Peter: Clarice is in France now, but she posted yesterday that her house sitter reported no damage or power problems.

[Captain Hate]

The Bammybot, Jack Lew, on FNS was contorting himself badly to avoid calling Bammycaretax what it is.

[Danube of Thought]

Minus 15 at Raz today.

Tied with Romney at 45.

[MarkO]

"Minus 15 at Raz today.
Tied with Romney at 45."

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

[Rick Ballard]

I followed the Tetlock link. If he expands his thesis to incorporate economic forecasting, he should really consider Unexpectedly as the title. The Bloomberg panel of 59 economists have made enough wrong forecasts over the past three years to provide proof for the 'chimps throwing darts' theory.

[Extraneus]

Obama can simply say that John Roberts doesn't get to redefine the meanings of words in order to justify his votes. He voted to uphold the mandate, which includes a penalty, not a tax.

[rse]

Alice-I registered 2 domain names in connection with the blog before I ever set it up.

Invisible Serfs Collar is to highlight the problem.

The 2nd Reform for Growth is ultimately where I will makes suggestions on solutions.

Right now describing the problems is most time consuming but necessary.

Ultimately it is nice to own a domain name if you are going to try to turn it into a brand that becomes a shorthand way of describing problems or solutions.

I remember being saddened by what it said about the current state of political economy in the US that Reform for Growth was available.

But the extent to which higher ed has actively cultivated economic fallacies is acute. And that's with the educated. The average person seems to have no idea what creates wealth. They get a salary and they want one until retirement and that is the extent of what they understand.

By the way is anyone else reading Peter Boettke's new book Living Economics?

[Chubby]

I have been wondering if "commerce clause" was all along a "look squirrel". They figured that probably "commerce clause" wouldn't fly, but saw it could be used as an effective diversion. If they had seriously thought "commerce clause" could fly, they would have not needed to include the tax argument as backup. In reality the lower profile tax argument was their real and substantive argument all along, and they knew it, but also knew it could never be sold to the people on that basis, thus the need for a major diversion.

If there is any truth in my speculation, they must have been laughing their butts off at all the anti commerce clause handwringing that went on.

[Jane - we are not above it, we are it.]

I loved Charles Lane on Roberts this morning. Essentially he said he has followed Roberts for years and in all cases he plays chess when everyone else plays checkers. He said this is a tee up for things like challenges to affirmative action coming down the pike, and the fact that 2 liberals agreed on limited government will protect a lot of future decisions.

And Lou (Lew?) is on the Sunday shows refusing to say it is a tax. Vicki Kennedy made an appearance on Stephanopolus and I almost threw up.

[Jane - we are not above it, we are it.]

Obama can simply say that John Roberts doesn't get to redefine the meanings of words

Oh yes he does.

[Jane - we are not above it, we are it.]

BTW One last thing - when the administration is begging people to concentrate on the economy, you know he is in trouble.

[MarkO]

Oh, Jane I hope you are right, but I have serious reservations. We should not have to infuse a worrisome decision with a genius we can't comprehend to make it palatable.

Nevertheless, we need to use the decision to rid ourselves of Mr. President.

[pagar]

"The average person seems to have no idea what creates wealth."

IMO, The Obama regime regime is determined to stamp out every bit of personal wealth in the US.
--------------------------------------------No Clarice's Pieces really starts Sunday off badly. But her Friday Pieces was good.
However, it worries me that Clarice goes to France and we learn that Obama is going to France. Strange!
-------------------------------------------
JMH. It has be a pleasure to see you back posting. Some great comments lately.

[peter]

Clarice is in France. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

[JM Hanes]

Chubby:

"If they had seriously thought "commerce clause" could fly, they would have not needed to include the tax argument as backup."

I may be wrong, but I think they got stuck making the tax argument in order to invoke the Anti-Injunction Act, which would have stopped everything in its tracks. By the time Obamacare actually came under review, the government was so loathe to make that admission that Court had to call in someone to make the case for them.

That's why I think it's a little unfair when some folks assert that Roberts just pulled the tax question out of thin air for his own purposes. HIs reasoning may not fly, but the government effectively, if inadvertently, put the tax/not tax issue on the table for adjudication.

[JM Hanes]

Thanks, pagar. I'm afraid I've been making up for lost time, by posting every two seconds though. There are just some moments in history which I can't imagine spending anywhere but JOM.

[Chubby]

((it worries me that Clarice goes to France and we learn that Obama is going to France. Strange))

yeah, and what about D.C. going dark for days, per Drudge, right after the Obamatax decision? Weeeeeeeeerd.

[Porchlight]

There are just some moments in history which I can't imagine spending anywhere but JOM.

Amen to that.

[Porchlight]

I predict few will follow this supplemental link.

I followed it but I got annoyed by the image of the New Yorker cover.

[narciso]

As usual my fishwrap didn't dissapoint, commending that the serf's collars be fitted 'with all deliberate speed', dismissing the very prescient and footnote critique of the death panels, and even bringing one of Fidel's former Minitrue drones, to challenge
Latell's ground breaking tome on the DGI.

[narciso]

This is just one sample, of what I'm talking about,

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/01/2875042/the-law-of-the-land.html

[narciso]

This is another example;

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/30/2876574/when-lies-triumph-over-facts-were.html

[Carol Herman]

My favorite picture of Harry Truman was taken the day after the 1948 presidential campaign. He held up that day's big newspaper headline: DEWEY WON !

Did you know the "insiders" within the democratic party (including Eleanor Roosevelt) HATED TRUMAN? They called him an "illegitimate" president. And, then they decided NOT to fund his election campaign.

At one point the train Truman was using to barnstorm the country, was stopped. Because the conductor and engineer hadn't been paid. So Truman, inside one of the cars, passed his hat around, to collect enough money to pay the train men. And, the train could get to its next stop.

Obama is in a similar situation, now.

Polling's a bit better than it was back then.

But if you expect pollsters to tell you the truth without first massaging their numbers then you're believing in voodoo.

What's missing so far? Mittens really hasn't created any excitement. (McCain didn't, either.)

Plus, when Stevenson couldn't win out over Eisenhower, you should have learned that the best and most intelligent man did not win.

As a matter of fact, back in 1956, a woman approached Stevenson. She was just gushing praise. "Why, Mr. Stevenson, every intelligent person in America is going to vote for you!." And, Stevenson answered, "Alas, then, I'll lose."

(Mittens is no Eisenhower!)

And, Obama, these days, may be more liked than Truman was? The majority of people are not pundits.

[narciso]

Alas Carol, Stevenson was more like the John Kerry of his day, he salvaged his reputation some during the Cuban Missile Crisis, although
it was more out of personal pique with Zorin, than anything else.

[narciso]

A ray shielded link to the last point,

http://cubaconfidential.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/the-jfk-assassination-what-did-castro-know-an-opposing-view/

[narciso]

Shameless but not unexpected;

http://weaselzippers.us/2012/07/01/friday-obama-takes-off-from-torched-colorado-springs-and-immediately-burns-af1s-dedicated-phone-line-with-fundraising-plea-theyre-gonna-run-congress-and-the-white-house/

[geezer]

Liz Marlantes @CSM looks to me to be the third Middleton daughter.

Does anyone have her photo in the standard white sheath to confirm?

[Rick Ballard]

Boehner on Repeal

I like "ripped out by its roots".

McConnell on Repeal

“Reconciliation is available because the Supreme Court has now declared it a tax,” he said on "Fox News Sunday."

I questioned Jim Rhoads assertion that President Romney would sign the repeal by February 1st, due to concerns regarding cloture. McConnell's assertion obviates my concern and makes the February 1st date very plausible.

RINO Hunters Note:

Boehner, McConnell and Romney are not wearing bullseyes on this issue. There is no "mend, don't end" latitude in any of their current statements.

[GMax]

Today would be the first full day of polling post Robert's Rule of Disorder, and sure enough right on cue Zero drops in approval.

We had heard very little about Obamacare repeal in the campaign previously, but now its such a straight line, if you want to be rid of this loathsome pest called Obamacare you have to fire Democrats, all of them.

It has a nice ring to it if you asked me. Expect a rash of Adult polls as folks try to create the impression the Democrats are not in serious trouble. They are. They know it, and now so do you.

[GMax]

Future Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sings an awesome tune:

“single worst piece of legislation passed in modern times.”

Can we get him 60 votes? It is not beyond the pale.

[narciso]

Well Dread Pirate Roberts did do the Cortez, and burn the ships at Veracruz, so there's no where to go but into the interior,

Would this be considered a lateral promotion,

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/headline/sierra-club-hires-al-crucify-em-armandariz/

[boris]

"the government effectively, if inadvertently, put the tax/not tax issue on the table for adjudication"

I wouldn't say Roberts pulled the tax argument out of thin air, I recall seeing some analysis on JOM that the mandate might not be unconstitutional because the government probably could do pretty much the same thing as a tax.

I also would not say Roberts was obliged to take up the tax argument in a way that undercuts ruling the mandate unconstituional. Perhaps he thought he could write the mandate holding to avoid winding up as "dicta". Again, pretty sure he was wrong on that.

[Porchlight]

Boehner, McConnell and Romney are not wearing bullseyes on this issue. There is no "mend, don't end" latitude in any of their current statements.

I am profoundly relieved to hear it.

[Janet]

The Sierra Club...ugh. All these enviro. groups have become radical & enemies of our country IMO.
With our power outage problems here I went & looked over the Dominion webpage. Nobody answers the phone anymore, but they employ people for environmental crap & diversity councils & community.
Businesses are lost in PC/marketing La-la land & can't even take care of their core business anymore.

[Tom Maguire]

I followed it but I got annoyed by the image of the New Yorker cover.

Well, that was my second prediction...

[Porchlight]

Ras daily tracking:

However, intensity is up among conservatives. On Thursday morning, 43% of conservative voters were following the presidential race on a daily basis. That’s up to 51% today. It remains to be seen whether this is a lasting change, statistical noise, or a temporary response to the health care ruling.

Just 28% of moderates and 31% of liberals are following the race that closely. Those numbers are little changed since the Supreme Court ruling. Interest in a campaign is typically a good early indicator of voter turnout.

Ratings for the Supreme Court have slipped since the health care ruling. A week ago, 36% said the high court was doing a good or an excellent job. That’s down to 33% today. However, the big change is a rise in negative perceptions. Today, 28% say the court is doing a poor job. That’s up 11 points over the past week.

By a 2-to-1 margin, Americans are more worried about a government that is too powerful rather than one that is too weak.

[narciso]

Does this mean they will start hiring chimps at the Times, or conversely, as everything goes Python, will Krugman and Friedman be forced to disguise themselves as apes.

[jimmyk]

“Reconciliation is available because the Supreme Court has now declared it a tax,” he said on "Fox News Sunday."

Rich Lowry was on some show yesterday saying that he thought only the parts related to the "tax" could be repealed via reconciliation, not the whole bill. I have no idea, as I have no patience for trying to figure out Congressional rules.

He also said, and I'm inclined to agree, that Roberts wasn't playing chess, he just couldn't bring himself to face the abuse from the media, law school deans, etc. that would have come from a 5-4 vote to overturn.

[GMax]

an 8% increase in intensity by Republicans is worth about 2.6% of the total vote in November. Obama only got 52% the first time around, so the intensity number alone could beat him, not to mention the erosion of Democrats and the antipathy of the Indys...

[narciso]

I noticed that one of the new channels on my box, includes 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/opinion/sunday/how-liberals-win.html

[Chubby]

((Can we get him 60 votes? It is not beyond the pale. ))

he said now that because it is now classfied as a tax, he only needs 51

60 would still be nice

[GMax]

60 would be nice for a lot of things. Plus unless I am forgetting, reconciliation was used by Reid to pass Obamacare once Brown was the 41st vote against. So if it passed with reconciliation if can fall with reconciliation, all of it.

[RichatUF]

Good morning folks and checking in. That was a hell of a wind storm. My internet connection just came back on but otherwise not much damage and I've had power throughout.

Been watching some of the morning shows and have libs have been going out of their way to still say that the mandate is not a tax. I still need my morning coffee.

[narciso]

Aim for 60, last time it took Craig's toe tapping, 'Stuart Smalley's cons and those busy beavers at DOJ, to pull off that trifecta.

[narciso]

So they've gone Evelyn Mulroy, it is but it isn't, and shut up if you ask any questions.

[Rick Ballard]

"he just couldn't bring himself to face the abuse from the media, law school deans, etc. oligarchy"

Just be thankful the ABO T1000 Goldilocks Optimum module has been reprogrammed to exclude the "mend, don't end" option. Narciso is correct about burning the ships. The damage wrought by the CJ could be likened to the teredo worm which reduced the valor of the decision by Cortez to necessity.

[rse]

Having to repeat it is not a tax over and over still creates the impression that is what it is.

How toxic this is for an electorate.

Janet-there is a T-SPLOST vote coming up for metro ATL with ties to ICLEI. That is not getting as much traction as just anger over a tax hike and the list of projects and the penalties put in to harm regions that cote it down even if approved overall.

Now the large local employers have been having meetings with their employees on how important it is to vote yes and offering time off to go vote early etc.

Now opponents are publishing which businesses have been so vocal in their advocacy and strong arming their employees so others can boycott.

Millions have gone to a formal campaign to do billboards and commercials.

At the moment it is looking at defeat despite all that. The current hope is to get a high urban turnout to offset the nos elsewhere and bind all.

Maybe the Chamber has been to Brussels recently for ideas on non-democracy.

Just imagine the anger if the Agenda 21 angle were known.

[Chubby]

((So they've gone Evelyn Mulroy, it is but it isn't, and shut up if you ask any questions.))

well if the Repubs let them get away with that, I give up

they should not let the silver lining be woven into straw

and why did Boehner say there were some good parts of it? even if there are, he shouldn't say so and give them points

[narciso]

With an acronym like T-SPLOST, I think the only proper response is 'Hulk Smash'

[Danube of Thought]

" I recall seeing some analysis on JOM that the mandate might not be unconstitutional because the government probably could do pretty much the same thing as a tax."

A lot of people were saying that, and I don't recall anyone disputing it. I have no doubt it is true. But it seems to that the fact that the congress could have done it that way, but elected not to do so, ought not to be an occasion for the Court to step in and pretend that the congress did what it said it was not doing. Roberts could have laid out the proper roadmap, and let the congress do it over if it could get the votes. It smells of third-world corruption.

[narciso]

Well I'm making more a point about Pelosi, Axelrod and co.

[narciso]

So am I reading this right;

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/21/article/69221/

[Barbara]

I am very concerned about what was left in tact in the ACA. This is not just a tax, it is a whole slew of taxes beyond the penalty/tax that are woven throughout the Act. We won't even know what some of them are until next year at the earliest.

Frankly, I do not know what Roberts was trying to do with his decision. On its face, it would seem that he wanted to throw the whole thing back to the Congress to do the job properly and not require the Courts to sort the issues out for them. Calling the enforcement scheme in the ACA a tax ostensibly does this. Sessions seems to think so. Maybe, maybe not.

So, why aren't Republicans leaping through hoops this weekend to do that very thing? Why isn't Mr. Suntan calling for hearings to review and revise the ACA - even though we know that Obama wouldn't sign any resulting bill? Where is Mr. McConnell or is he still sleep walking in the Senate?

The members of Congress wanted the SCOTUS to take care of this mess for them. Roberts refused and issued a decision that muddles the issues more than before. It would seem that the Republicans are looking for quick fixes. They're not going on offense; they're hoping that Romney gets elected so that the burden falls on him. Meanwhile, the Obama-strain keeps multiplying and dividing and spreading its lethal way into our lives.

[Chubby]

((Well I'm making more a point about Pelosi, Axelrod and co))

and my point is, will the Repubs let them get away with it? they have a real hammer now, not just a difference of opinion, and I hope to God they use it

[narciso]

It seems like a reprise of the argument clinic;

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/07/busted-audio-of-obama-lawyer-arguing-obamacare-is-a-tax-stuns-wh-chief-of-staff-jack-lew-video/

[Captain Hate]

and why did Boehner say there were some good parts of it? even if there are, he shouldn't say so and give them points

It might be part of the MFM's campaign to ensure that something is salvaged out of it since public attitudes have remained steadfastly against it, by asking leading questions. I'm still trying to figure out if Slick was being crafty or honest for once in his duplicitous life but entirely wrong when he told the JEF that once Bammycaretax was passed people would warm up to it.

[David, infamous sockpuppet]

I always thought that a great idea for a cable channel would be the "Pundit Abuse Channel." On this channel, we would bring well-known pundits on the show. Then we would show their predictions from days of yore. Then we would grade them. "You, sir, said in 2007 that the housing bubble was nothing to worry about and that we would soon see the economy back on track." If their prediction was correct, they would get a valuable prize. If their prediction was incorrect, they would get hit upside the head with a shovel.

I am convinced that people would pay good money to see talking heads get hit upside the head with a shovel (because I don't expect to be giving out many valuable prizes).

David

[GMax]

Michael Barone says the same thing the NYT said yesterday, and he is a whole lot smarter than them:

The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision upholding the Obama administration's health care legislation was a victory for the president, his administration and his party. Their most ambitious legislative achievement has not been nullified, and they are not left in obvious disarray.

But it is only a partial victory and in some ways not a victory at all, both in the short run electorally and in the long run in terms of the constitutional order.

Politically, Obamacare, as its critics call it, remains highly unpopular. It's possible that the court decision will boost its support, but unlikely.

Most voters want this law repealed. Mitt Romney and the Republicans want to repeal it. Barack Obama and the Democrats want to preserve it. It's not a winning issue for the incumbent.

Weren't we going to see a wave of Occupoopers by now? Exactly what IS a winning issue for this miserable incompetent?

[narciso]

The Pinhead Troika's puzzlebox was designed in rather a particular vicious way, probably
one of those demonic algorithm's that Stross's
Bob Howard must untangle,

[mockmook]

The Senate rules for defeating this can be voted on in the new Senate (assuming it is GOP led).

They can make a rule that says the ACA can be defeated by reconciliation (simple majority, no filibuster).

[narciso]

That could end up like the 'Hunger Games' David, and there's no guarantee of a victor,
just the less wounded.

[mockmook]

But, will they have the guts to write such a rule? Or, will they have the guts to torpedo the whole law via reconciliation (over the objection of Dems) without a "rule"?

[Jane - we are not above it, we are it.]

You clearly had a bad education bunny, so who do you blame? Bush?

[narciso]

John Brennan was on Fox News, I guess he's forgotten the lesson, of 'not being seen;

[narciso]

THey really took that SNL sketch as their guide;

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2012/07/01/cnns-candy-crowley-doesnt-think-it-matters-if-individual-mandate-tax-

[rse]

narciso-The Gov and Lt are both so determined that this pass they have apparently offered to campaign for Dems who support. And avoid Reps that do not.

At least that was their 1st inclination but there were protests.

I think they just want to voters to provide the logs as they already determined who would benefit from all that log-rolling assuming a done deal.

Gee I hope no one bought a boat thinking this was guaranteed income.

I do get the part about the Port of Savannah but that could be accomplished alone I think with a bond offering.

I just checked out the sociology page of one of the US profs involved with the well-being frameworks in Oz. How's this for a header quote that defines you:

"The individual is always ready to submit to necessity, as long as freedom's vocabulary is preserved, so that he can equate his servile obedience with the glorious exercise of free, personal choice."

See why I call these profs the schemers?

[JM Hanes]

I really have tried to resist repetitious preening, but since it's just us folks and my predictive batting average is usually nothing to brag about:

Back in "Let's Tax the Servers" @6:37PM, I quoted myself from Nov 2011, saying I thought the Medicaid Challenge was the best bet, and in March, saying that I thought the mandate challenge was an iffy proposition.

I will now return to the unparalleled humility which has characterized my comments in the past.

[narciso]

Well Deal showed himself to be an urukhai during the primary two years ago, so I'm not surprised, on that point

[narciso]

So, technically, that challenge did work,

[narciso]

Of course the collapse of state Medicare expansions, raises yet another problem with
this decision,

[Neo]

Laugh of the Day:
WH Chief of Staff Says Obama Admin "Most Transparent Ever "

LUN

[AliceH]

Sara - thanks so much for the BlueHost info. I'm browsing around it and the very short tutorials are excellent - revealing the structure/architecture of domain-host-CMS-tools through focused sequential steps.

[JM Hanes]

Barbara:

"So, why aren't Republicans leaping through hoops this weekend to do that very thing?"

Perhaps because they already have? "Mr. Suntan" and his Majority Leader announced that they will vote on repeal when they reconvene after the July 4th recess. A delay is possible, of course, if they're reworking the measure to take advantage of the reconciliation process with their counterparts in the Senate -- and thus make it more than just a symbolic vote in the House. I certainly wouldn't expect them to conduct such strategy sessions in public, even if they are working over the weekend.

[pagar]

"We won't even know what some of them are until next year at the earliest."
Barbara, I don't have the link at hand but I posted a tax review a couple of days ago that shows the last tax in the current Obamatax law kicking in 2018. There is no way if Obamatax is allowed to survive,IMO,that the leftists don't come back and raise taxes over and over.

[Carol Herman]

Justice Harlan Stone met Frances Perkins at a dinner party in DC. In 1934. (Perkins was the lone cabinet member in FDR's cabinet.)

Justice Harlan told her that the plan ... which became known and called SOCIAL SECURITY ... could be done as a tax. As a matter of fact, when the supreme's saw the case coming up to them for review ... they turned the review down. Because of the legislative Federal powers to tax.

By then you also had the 16th Amendment. Which grants the Federal Government the right to collect INCOME TAXES.

Do you see citizens collecting on street corners screaming they don't want to see this plan take hold?

Not only has the plan passed supreme court muster ... It also shows ya that John Roberts is betting on the liberals staying in control of the agenda.

You see a "conservative court?"

I see that whenever the "4" retire,they'll be replaced by a liberal. Probably not likely to be Mormons.

While passage gives Obama control over a "new" 1.5 TRILLION dollars! Busy printing presses.

Why were the 4 conservatives so stubborn they turned of John Roberts?

Were you just blowing on the dice singing "Luck Be Lady?"

Yes. Roberts is looking to do better than the court's just producing 5-4 decisions. But he's not looking to Sandra Day O'Connor's tests. And, plastic reindeer. Instead, he's probably counting on Obama making new appointments in the five years, ahead.

As to the senate, you can't count on senators from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont or Massachusetts as sitting in your "corral."

[Carol Herman]

Francis Perkins was female. The lone FEMALE cabinet member in FDR's cabinet.

Since social security stands as the law of our land. AND, it's a tax! You'll notice that "tax" doesn't appear. It was sold as a safety net.

You pay for the safety nets through taxation.

[JM Hanes]

Sara:

"So, technically, that challenge did work,"

Maybe I shouldn't have resisted re-posting the whole comment. :)

I suggested that the "not-a-tax" argument was a weaker reed than folks on the right seemed to think it was.

[pagar]

One of the things that we need to keep in mind about the Obamatax law is that it was written by a Democrat that had plenty of time to do so. The reason that he had plenty of time was he was sitting in prison.
We need to get these leftists that are setting in jail writing this stuff, out breaking up rocks, not writing up ways to bankrupt this nation.

[JM Hanes]

narciso:

That Obama appeal was worth reading just for the popcorn passing entertainment of it:

“We just can’t be outspent 10 to 1. That’s what happened in Wisconsin recently. The Koch brothers and their allies,” he said, referring to billionaire conservative super-PAC funders David and Charles Koch, “spent more than the other side’s entire campaign—our side’s entire campaign.”

"Our side" was making multiple flights right over Wisconsin to get fundraisers. “In 2008 everything was new and exciting about our campaign,” Obama said, and outspending your opponent by hundreds of millions was awesome!

[daddy]

Good Morning!

Outside with the 2 mutts and the wake-up coffee cup, I bump into my good Tax Lawyer friend doing the same with his pup.

Talking about the Robert's ruling I tell him the joke I heard on Dennis Miller last week.

Caller called in and said the Ruling reminded him of the old joke where the guy dies and his wife delivers him to the Mortuary in the only suit he had---a Brown suit. Widow tells the Mortician he didn't care at all about how he was buried, but his only wish was he wanted to be buried in a Blue suit. Mortician says he'll take care of it.

Next week a bill from the Mortician arrives at the widow's house and it's only for $25.

She calls up the Mortician. "Only $25? That's wonderful. But it's so inexpensive. What did you do?"

"Well", says the Mortician, "another dead guy showed up wearing a Blue suit, and his wife said the only thing he wanted was to be buried in a Brown suit. So I simply cut off their heads and switched 'em!"

(That got a nice chuckle out of Dennis Miller BTW, the caller told it great.)

So my Tax Attorney buddy replies by saying that last night he was at the home of some fun client/friends and they had just gotten back from that wife's 10th High School Reunion. She is relating the story of what her husband, after a few drinks, did at the Reunion. They bump into one of her old classmates who is now an out of the closet Lesbian who is there with her partner. After some chitchat and figuring it out, her husband puts his arm around the cute Lesbian, and asks her:

"Do you know what you call a Lesbian Dinosaur?"

Stunned silence.

"A Lickalottapus."

Apparently hilarity and mortification ensued:)

PLus each dog had a nice bowel movement so overall I'd call it a successful morning chat.

Time for catch-up.

[Captain Hate]

No sympathy for the banal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303561504577492704004770314.html#articleTabs%3Darticle

[Frau Stachelschwein]

I confess I'm part of the *Tetlock in action* on the Taubes thread.
The cover of the New Yorker was disgusting but I printed out a copy anyway.
Are you a fox or a hedgehog?

[boris]

"... the fact that the congress could have done it that way [as a tax], but elected not to do so, ought not to be an occasion for the Court to step in and pretend that the congress did what it said it was not doing. Roberts could have laid out the proper roadmap, and let the congress do it over if it could get the votes"

It seemed to me that Roberts had plenty of leeway to do it that way ... IOW he was not in the position of having only one path and thus no choice in the matter.

I really doubt that using reconciliation while dimorats rule the senate and Obummer is prez is going to fly. They will just say "tax ?? what tax ??? we deedn't pass no steenkeen tax".

[Frau Stachelschwein]

My favorite from the Obama Appeal:

"The president warned: “I can’t do this by myself, and the progress we’ve made could unravel pretty quickly.”

MO has kept us informed on the long hours the Preezy spends working for the country.

[narciso]

Don't enjoy it too much, it's apparently a petri dish for viruses, use the ray shielded
WZ link

[pagar]

From the U can't make this up section.

The President of Cyprus did such an outstanding job of running that country out of money that today he was put in charge of the entire EU.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/calendar-key-events-europe-whose-president-starting-today-broke-cyprus

[narciso]

I don't know why the verklempt over Curry, compared to all the other denizens of Mos Eiseley, it's a Meh.

[Manuel Transmission]

Followup on the Rob McKenny second session:

My phone would not sync on the data side last evening, so I couldn't snag the fine comments about more ammo. (I do have a nice .300 Savage at the ready, though.) Anyway, it all went pretty well. Rob seems to be the real deal, maybe because the AG spot didn't turn him, yet. Afterwards, several buds crosschecked a few things and he passed the sniff test all around. He even mentioned that his AG office was transformed dramatically into a gung ho op that has it at the top of the happy camper list for state employees after doing a thorough house cleaning, firings, etc. He is big on cleaning out the stables across the board. Talked a lot about all the fraud on the payout side and wants to get photo ID on food stamps, non-transferability, etc.

Not having any specifics on rse's stuff, I just told him about her efforts and that a book was pending (when!? rse?). He seemed genuinely interested, but I was mainly trying to set him up so he would see it coming after the election.

re: the earlier meeting that was more focused on our property rights issues, my helo bud showed up with a check to add to the pot and later we discussed the fact the the lawsuits will bring most of the heavy hitters out. We have enough billionaires around that will lose many meyuons in property value that they will not let it drift by. Unfortunately, they are mostly part-timers so it is hard to get the word out to them. (Just in the mile between me and helo, we have Ruckelshaus - not necessarily on the right side if this fight, Steve Miller, the Howards of Scripps-Howard. And this is more like the wrong side of the tracks.

[GMax]

Spain takes lead with a truly amazing goal.

OMG the second goal just went in and it too was a thing of beauty!

Rout on?

[pagar]

"MO has kept us informed on the long hours the Preezy spends working for the country."

change working to campaigning and golfing

[peter]

Glad to hear the dogs are regular Daddy. How soon before the EPA or Bloomberg start taxing dog poop?
And we all know if it's called a tax the government can make you do anything.

[henry]

Daddy, saw your link on the recount last night. Not much to add (politics free weekend, with non- ER wasp stings). A couple schedule notes for the recount: it must be completed by end of day tomorrow; then the GAB has to certify; then a 10 day counter is started for Wanggaard to sue about all the "irregularities".

As irregularities go: failure to verify new voter address in two precincts of Racine; use of utility bills addressed to "occupant" to register new voters in all Racine precincts; pre-signed registration forms in dumpster behind Chavez Center voting location in Racine, Electioneering materials found in same dumpster; unsealed / reseller ballot bags in 9 Racine precincts; half of poll workers signed recall petitions; Racine Mayor hired temps instead of 72 experienced Republican poll workers.

Something tells me a lawsuit is in our future.

[narciso]

Facts not in evidence, Oliver,

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/06/29/Oliver-Stone-Pot-Saved-Me-In-Vietnam

[MarkO]

Spain's skill in controlling the ball is simply a wonderful thing.

[henry]

Oops, make that resealed ballot bags.

The Racine County Sheriff is investigating several of these things.

[GMax]

Any reason to believe the Sheriff is not playing for the other team?

[henry]

GMax, the sheriff was elected in 2010 with major R endorsements.

[daddy]

Henry,

Keep keeping us posted please on Racine. The problem with these fraud investigation things seems to me to be:

1) Interest in the followup investigation never comes close to the interest of the actual Election. (Unless its a Dem claiming fraud and the MSM is interested in looking into it.)

2) Unless you have actual video of guys falsely filling out the fake ballots and stuffing the actual bags, it It can easily be played as he said-she said, inadvertent errors, we'll do a better job next time etc.

3) It comes across as "Sore Losership", and is played as such by the MSM unless the loser is a Dem.

I hope you guys keep fighting it out, regardless of the coming Media Black Eye that Waangaard and the Repub's are going to take for this. If they don't fight back and correctly identify stuff that must be fixed, then it'll happen again and again, and just like next election, thousands of Active Duty Military are once again going to be deprived of having their votes counted due to the same blah, blah, blah, that has happened during every election for the last 50 years.