tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132468282009-07-15T22:16:11.723-05:00A cure for <i>communis rix &amp; rixatrix</i>, the common scoldSpothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.comBlogger2232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-5804378216536945912009-07-14T18:33:00.001-05:002009-07-14T18:34:12.247-05:00

Watch some coverage of the Judiciary Committee hearings on the Sotomayor confirmation: specifically watch Senator Lindsey Graham. Turn the sound down; watch Graham’s mannerisms and facial expressions. Now, tell Spot whose voice is playing in Spot’s head. Some of you are disqualified from entering; you know who you are. Technorati Tags: Sen. Lindsey Graham,Judiciary Committee Supreme Court

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-53791321786482033412009-07-14T12:55:00.001-05:002009-07-14T16:13:29.346-05:00

Here’s Jeff today: It’s easy to forget, a year later, just how difficult 2008 was on Democrats. From mid-March to mid-June, the party was fractured almost exactly down the middle between boosters of Hillary Clinton and devotees of Barack Obama. The snarling and back-biting was intense, viscious, mean-spirited, and brutal. Along the way, all sorts of dirt was dug up and flung with real intent

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-68038333032877553642009-07-13T17:56:00.001-05:002009-07-13T19:16:58.367-05:00

On Thursday night this week, the 16th, Jim McGuire will be our guest at Drinking Liberally. Jim is one of the organizers of One Day in July – A Street Festival for the Working Class. The actual event will take place on Saturday, July 25th, in Minneapolis: Youthful supporters of the struggles of union labor will gather again at a street festival and concert they are calling a "

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-14892608022259529062009-07-13T09:59:00.001-05:002009-07-13T09:59:01.101-05:00

Well one out of two ain’t bad. Both Jeff Fecke and Robin Marty have written recent posts about how, in the context of the Entenza campaign for governor, conventional wisdom is always conventional, but much less often wise. Jeff provides a litany of many of the nuggets of conventional wisdom gone wrong in state and national politics since 1990: In 1990, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party put

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-20063332135392694762009-07-12T20:40:00.001-05:002009-07-12T21:18:14.637-05:00

If you’ve been out mowing the lawn, or picking weeks, or even going to the Al Franken party all weekend, it might have escaped your attention that the Entenza Stampede has run into a bit of a gully. And if you look around the blogosphere and on Twitter, you can find a lot of dead buffalo. As far as Spot can tell, it started last Thursday with the reporting of a fine by the Campaign Finance and

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-91507832760769497522009-07-12T14:39:00.001-05:002009-07-12T14:39:47.231-05:00

Yesterday, Spot linked to an interview with Howard Dean. Here’s more from that interview; Spot recommends it. It’s a good read: ESQ: One thing I've never seen before is when you say [in his book], "Much is made of the 47 million without insurance, but nothing of the 25 million who have insurance but don't go and see the doctor." I've got one of those high-deductible catastrophic plans myself,

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-57244834341531585832009-07-11T09:58:00.001-05:002009-07-11T20:50:02.723-05:00

Star Tribune photo “Because if you don’t, the woman to my left is probably not going to help you out.” For the time being, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., appears to be undecided on some of the key particulars of health care reform. When asked specifically about the public plans, a single-payer system and financing options, Klobuchar's spokesman said that the senator was not available for

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-77864758742607510372009-07-10T17:31:00.001-05:002009-07-10T17:31:11.485-05:00

Returning now to the thrilling days of, well, the day before yesterday: Spot, you mean that Entenza was fined 28K+ while running to be the most senior law enforcement officer in the state? Guess so, grasshopper; we’ll have to look into it. And look into it Spot did. Here’s the decision of the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board in 2006. Matt Entenza was self-financed for the

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-54747532538299693862009-07-09T09:20:00.001-05:002009-07-09T09:20:06.121-05:00

Don’t forget, boys and girls, we have our regular meeting of Drinking Liberally tonight at the 331 Club in Northeast Minneapolis. Six to nine or so. We have a big box of stuff from the mother ship at Living Liberally to start giving away: some books, a DL t-shirt, a Blue State Coffee baseball-style cap, some bumper stickers, etc. I’ll think of some games or riddles to determine the winners. The

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-12128414426357073552009-07-08T22:06:00.001-05:002009-07-08T22:06:44.425-05:00

Apparently he knows lobbyists. Campaign finance law? Not so much. Minnesota’s Campaign Finance and Public Disclosures Board fined Entenza $500 for taking a campaign donation from  General Mills lobbyist Lee Anderson during the last session of the Legislature. That’s a no-no. And a pretty simple one for gubernatorial candidates to avoid: Is the Legislature in session? Yes ___  No ___. If the

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-17010457827922726342009-07-06T10:30:00.001-05:002009-07-06T16:51:32.285-05:00

Spot told Ken on Friday that he had won the Spotty (tm) in the Norm Coleman political epitaph contest. The contest was well fought, with several excellent entries. Before we get to the winner, here are a few of them: Second runner up – submitted by Jeff Fecke Paul Wellstone is a Democrat And I am a Democrat We must work together To Re-elect Bill Clinton

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-19826310908880725842009-07-05T10:27:00.003-05:002009-07-06T13:56:56.743-05:00

Note to self: Don't ever take on a client who makes you interrupt the holiday with your family to trudge into the office to write threatening letters about the people she thinks are saying nasty things about her.Update: This is especially to be followed when said client hasn't paid her bills.

MNObserverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11773088061559685973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-41104972902933693292009-07-04T16:48:00.001-05:002009-07-04T16:48:37.981-05:00

A winner has been chosen in the Norm Coleman Political Epitaph Contest. The winner has been notified, and the award will be made public on Monday. Thank you all for your participation. Technorati Tags: Norm Coleman,epitaphs,Spotty award.

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-46934982864696657432009-07-03T14:32:00.001-05:002009-07-03T14:32:17.901-05:00

Do you remember, boys and girls, in the early days of the Bush Administration the secret energy task force headed by the Vice President? And how we all thought it was just trying to figure out a way around all those bothersome environmental types? But we were thinking way too small:     It was believed then that Cheney's secretive task force was focusing on ways to reduce environmental

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-78631337248248286192009-07-02T14:31:00.001-05:002009-07-02T14:31:26.655-05:00

Several weeks ago, Stewart, an emissary from the Lafayette, Indiana, Drinking Liberally chapter, came to Minneapolis and to our meeting and presented our chapter with a National Review paperweight, given to Dan Quayle and signed by William F. Buckley himself. Stewart was inspired to bring the paperweight to us symbolize a kind of passing of the loser-Republican torch from Dan Quayle to Norm

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-54431071119571107792009-07-02T11:30:00.001-05:002009-07-02T12:19:39.096-05:00

Here’s the headline on a recent KSTP web article: Some Retailers Unaware of New Minn. Flag Law Here’s a little about the law from the article: American flags made in China? Some say it's unpatriotic, but it's also illegal in Minnesota. It's a new law that even some national retailers are not aware of. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS alerted the manager of the St. Paul Pier 1 store that the tiny,

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-26031237019808013412009-07-01T21:56:00.001-05:002009-07-01T21:56:10.908-05:00

When it gets later in the evening and Spot wants a post to show some effort for the day, Scott Horton’s No Comment is usually a good place to turn for something to pass along. There have been several posts over the last few years here at the Cucking Stool about the Nuremberg Defense: I am not guilty of war crimes because I was following the orders of my superiors. Although the Nuremberg Tribunal

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-74905856557534245372009-06-30T21:41:00.001-05:002009-06-30T21:41:30.660-05:00

Thursday night will be a chance to offer congratulations, and maybe some advice, to our new Senator. Al won’t be there, but the video camera will be. Six to nine at the 331 Club in Northeast Minneapolis. New York Times picture Technorati Tags: Al Franken,Drinking Liberally,331 Club

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-36993448823691488262009-06-30T15:44:00.001-05:002009-07-01T13:20:27.304-05:00

Submit your entries in the comments in the Cucking Stool’s contest to write the definitive political epitaph for Norm Coleman. The winner will receive a Spotty (tm) medallion, a digital one anyway. Deadline is Friday, close of business. And remember: epitaph, not obituary. Update: Here’s one, but it is only entered in the exhibition category: Paid no rent Saw no evil Now he’

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-64626594749539486702009-06-30T13:41:00.001-05:002009-06-30T15:30:42.260-05:00

It’s been news for nearly a half an hour now that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Al Franken. But before the rejoicing begins in earnest, and too much beer and champagne are drunk, and too much confetti is thrown into the air, consider this: For all of the foregoing reasons, we affirm the decision of the trial court that Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-28321210071113181792009-06-30T13:03:00.002-05:002009-06-30T15:33:46.017-05:00

"Sadly, there is a cost to this kind of freedom." Lee McGrath, just this morning at the Federalist Society Continuing Legal Education seminar, when asked about the need for regulation - or not - of the financial markets in the wake of the Bernie Madoff scandal. Mr. McGrath also explained how he'd have no trouble whatsoever having a surgeon from a non-accredited medical school operate

MNObserverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11773088061559685973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-8445188491416903992009-06-29T12:32:00.001-05:002009-06-29T13:37:44.122-05:00

"Any time you have leading figures who are engaged in behavior that is sad and troubling and hypocritical, other people are going to look at that and say, 'Hmm, they don't walk the walk.' And so the words and the actions don't ring true," said Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn. "It certainly hurts the brand." Pawlenty added: "I think I can make a contribution, in a positive way, for trying to

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-9418325838069737352009-06-28T14:10:00.001-05:002009-06-28T14:10:52.754-05:00

Last February, Kip Sullivan came to Drinking Liberally in Minneapolis and spoke about single-payer healthcare and the bill that was pending in the Minnesota Legislature at the time. The discussion about single payer is still relevant and timely, so here it is again. Technorati Tags: single-payer health care,Kip Sullivan,Drinking Liberally

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-22451248262817022422009-06-26T10:25:00.001-05:002009-06-26T10:25:38.167-05:00

Yesterday, MNO posted about Hal Turner getting all worked about the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals failing, in his view, to enforce the District of Colombia v. Heller decision holding a chicken in every pot and heat in every home in DC. As MNO points out, Turner has been charged on a criminal complaint and accused of threatening assault and murder of members of the federal judiciary in retaliation

Spothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04320639130804814361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13246828.post-10497613405831245182009-06-25T11:25:00.002-05:002009-06-25T11:33:17.942-05:00

The threats from Hal Turner we mentioned in the update to this post seems to have not gone unnoticed by the FBI:Blogger and occasional Internet talk show host Harold Charles "Hal" Turner was arrested by federal agents today at his New Jersey home on charges that he threatened on his website to murder three judges on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of AppealsProsecutors say the material--which

MNObserverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11773088061559685973noreply@blogger.com0