It’s a Good Day
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When you watch your college advisor vote to elect Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House
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We’ve seen the stages before because we’re from here, but it’s fun to watch the national press go through it all over again.
1. Holy shit, you’ve got to hear this guy speak.
2. Holy shit, this guy was the first African American editor of the Harvard Law Review. Everyone we talk to says he’s really smart.
3. Holy shit, in his book he talks about doing blow, this could hurt him big time.
4. Holy shit, the right is going bonkers (He’s not really black because he wasn’t decendant from slaves – Keyes, His middle name is Hussein – tv right, Holy shit he’s in our church – religious political right, He’s a false messiah and the anti-Christ – nutjob right)
5. Holy shit, everywhere you look people are wild about Barack Obama. Don’t they know he did blow and HIS MIDDLE NAME IS HUSSEIN?
6. Holy shit, he won huge.
7. Holy shit, I can’t believe I lost like that. But at the end of the day I can’t really be too upset about it because I like the guy. (Dan Hynes 2004, Hillary Clinton 2008)Not McCain though, we all know how he gets when Barack steals his thunder. (see Ethics, WATB)
I’m a Conservative!
The Illinois Civil Justice League Blog has labeled me a conservative. I imagine it has to do with me defending Barack on the one piece of class action reform and my general dislike of all things St. Clair County (though I haven’t been talking about it as much lately). The hilarity is that I’m right above the Illinois Review.
It’s true that I have actually been critical of trial lawyers from time-to-time, but I’d suggest my views are actually pretty close to Representative Fritchey’s on the subject and he’s a liberal according to them.
I do appreciate the link and when I update, I just realized their link went away in the remodel–it’ll be back up and I’ll be adding some of the Chicago Reader blogs.
Their point on St. Clair’s Circus is pretty good though so take a look.
Bambenek Claims Creationism Isn’t a Part of His Platform
And really that fits with every campaign for school board by creationists. The point is to run below the radar and then institute changes once in power. See Kansas ad nauseum.
But the larger point isn’t what his platform is, it’s that he views creationism as reasonable science. It’s simply not even if you call it intelligent design and that sort of judgment on curriculum matters is a significant reason voters should be aware of people pushing junk science. School boards review curriculum and someone reviewing curriculum without a basic understanding of science–science degree or not–is a problem.
That is, unless John thinks intelligent design should be in the University of Illinois’ curriculum, but not Unit 4’s. It’s the kind of candidates like Bambenek who create the problem. All of a sudden there is a proposal before the board to include creationism in the curriculum and people get treated to idiotic choices that cost the District a bunch in court costs.
Beyond that other warning signs are John’s comparison of premarital sex to slavery. I have some sense he’ll be an advocate, whether it’s in his ‘platform’ or not, for abstinence only education instead of a comprehensive program based on medically accurate information. Abstinence only has shown virtually no promise in reducing teen pregnancy and STD prevalence, but yet many still insist on it instead of abstinence plus medically accurate information about contraception and safe sex.
When GM Asks for A Government Bail Out
In a story published by Reuters last week, Lutz argued that raising fuel economy standards would unfairly burden Detroit, and alleges (rather cluelessly) that Americans don’t care — they just want their big, powerful trucks and SUVs. Really Bob? Then why do the latest polls indicate that Americans are prioritizing fuel economy and safety more and more – something GM’s giant SUVs don’t provide? Why has Toyota just surpassed GM as the number one auto seller in the world? Why are sales of the largest SUVs continuing to plummet as consumers discover their wallets emptying when volatile gas prices peak?
We’ll still bail them out because GM going belly up would send horrible shockwaves through the economy, but we don’t have to be happy about it when it happens. Ford hasn’t always made good decisions, but they at least have some sense beyond the next quarter.
Getting Your Organizing On
Because net neutrality is about to hit Illinois bigtime. Don’t believe me?
Leo has the goods on the first bit of the fight with AT & T laying the astroturf down.
The original article:
In the course of our earlier reporting on AT&T’s attempt to deploy IPTV to the Chicago suburbs, we discussed the Advanced Technology Alliance. It’s an interest group that pushes the AT&T agenda hard through letters to the editor and a giant chicken, but local critics have charged it with being an “astroturf” (that is, a fake “grassroots” effort) group funded by AT&T. Ars has now learned more details about the relationship between the two companies.
The ATA’s domain name, www.iltechalliance.org, is currently registered to Domains by Proxy, an Arizona business that helps obscure the true owner of a web site. A source tells us that the organization’s registration had not initially been through Domains by Proxy, though, but through a prominent Chicago public relations firm. Ars Technica has now been able to verify that information independently.
Earlier this year, the WHOIS record for iltechalliance.org pointed to Jasculca/Terman and Associates of Chicago, a PR firm that specializes in “bringing the tactics and discipline of political campaign work to the management of issues and events for private, public and institutional clients.”
Jasculca/Terman’s services include “grassroots outreach and coalition building” for their clients. Significantly, AT&T is listed among those clients.
For an example of how the firm works, consider the campaign it ran on behalf of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association, a group that wanted to raise “additional tax revenues” (read: expand gambling in Illinois). Jasculca/Terman helped them to stage a massive letter-writing campaign by organizing meetings with casino employees, mailings to casino customers, a website, and “action stations” at casinos. They managed to sign on more than 6,000 people.
For the Illinois bloggers I’m starting an e-mail list for those interested in the coming net neutrality fight. E-mail me and I’ll put you on it. We haven’t done a ton of lobbying or organizing, this seems to be the issue to break out of that pattern.
A Tribute Only a Methodologist Could Do
Charles Franklin plots and lists those soldiers who have died in Iraq.
Not to be confused with a Methodist in any way, shape, or form.
Part of the Problem with American Democracy
I’m usually cynical enough to not worry about these things, but a search of John Edwards (without quote marks) turns up the psychic before the Presidential Candidate. Please google bomb this and restore my faith in democracy. So John Edwards
Hell, I wouldn’t mind if it was the 18th Century Preacher even
Here’s the full announcement by Edwards:
As I’ve said, I like John Edwards a lot, but the cheap shot about hope was particularly annoying given his history versus Obama’s.
“Identifying the problem and talking about hope is waiting for tomorrow.”
I don’t begrudge Edwards being a trial lawyer–I think it’s great and think it’s a great service. However, Obama spent five years as a community organizer in the 1980s and directed Illinois Project Vote in 1992. He’s been doing it for a long time and he devoted several years of his life to it when he could have been doing work as a lawyer and making a lot more money.
Dierker Embarrassment
I wish to welcome the rest of the world to the wacky world of Robert Dierker
Dierker is incredibly well educated, but still a complete moron. In his recent book he decried femifascists. Benen wrote:
In a disclaimer at the end of the book, Dierker writes that the views in the book are “personal, and should not be construed as any indication of how I would rule on any case coming before me.” No, of course not. Just because he spent nearly 300 pages explaining his beliefs that liberals and “femifascists” are wrong about everything is certainly no reason to question his judicial independence, temperament, and impartiality, right?
Certainly women in St. Louis bringing a case about, say, sexual harassment, can take comfort in knowing that Dierker will be fair and evenhanded, right?
Please.
Circuit Judge Robert H. Dierker Jr.will now hear the case of The People vs. The Bitch Had It Coming.
What they didn’t know, is they were closer to the truth than they knew:
The case landed in the courtroom of then-Presiding Judge Robert H. Dierker Jr., of the 22nd Circuit Court in St. Louis, who issued his controversial 16-page order on Oct 5. Before tackling the woman’s specific allegations, Dierker engaged in a lecture about the sexual politics of the late 20th century:
“From Anita Hill to Monica Lewinsky, the cry of ‘sexual harassment’ has been selectively raised to advance certain groups’ political agendas under the guise of promoting equal opportunity in the workplace, or under the banner of ‘equality’ in academe,” the opening paragraph of Dierker’s order reads, citing chapter and verse from Slouching Towards Gomorrah, a book written by failed Supreme Court nominee and ultraconservative Robert Bork.
“Spawned in the protean atmosphere of federal employment discrimination litigation … the theories of the ‘sexual harassment’ police have stretched their tentacles from college facilities to Supreme Court confirmation hearings to legal and judicial ethics … and now seek to ensnare the common law of torts,” Dierker continues. “The Court concludes that the common law does not enact Cardinal Newman’s definition of a gentleman, nor Catherine (sic) MacKinnon’s vapid maunderings, and that Plaintiff’s petition at present fails to state a claim.”
Dierker moves on to the two counts filed by the woman: Count I, alleging “intentional infliction of emotional distress;” and Count II, which “alleges the same facts, but attempts to state a claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress.”
According to law, Dierker states, intentional infliction of emotional distress must contain the following elements: “defendant acted intentionally or recklessly; defendant’s conduct was extreme and outrageous; the conduct caused severe emotional distress; and the conduct was intended only to cause extreme emotional distress to the victim.”
Dierker states: “Indeed, as pleaded, the facts alleged at most show that Defendant was seeking to gratify his own sexual urges despite rejection by Plaintiff.
” ….it seems clear that, except for the denizens of the cloud-cuckoo-land of radical feminism, no court has held that sexual advances are ipso facto actionable. More is required to establish a tort than a rejected advance.”
“The pleaded facts must show outrageous conduct, i.e., conduct which is regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized society,” Dierker continues. “Mere solicitation to begin, or renew, a sexual relationship is not such conduct. There must be more.” In essence, says the judge, the doctor was not intentionally trying to inflict emotional harm but simply seeking sex.
“Plaintiff would seek to have the Court impose a duty of care on persons inviting others to engage in sexual relationships,” the judge continues. “Plaintiff’s attempts to inveigle the Court into a realm which is best left to church and family is supported by neither reason nor authority. Absent outrageous intentional conduct, resulting in substantial, objective injury — or legislation imposing a standard representing the will of the people — the courts cannot and should not attempt to regulate behavior in this peculiarly private area.”
Dierker concludes by suggesting that “the sexual harassment police seem oblivious to the First Amendment as they eagerly enlist the courts as censors of words and literature in the workplace.”
Dierker granted the doctor’s motion to dismiss the case on both counts but allowed the woman to file an amended petition “restating Count I consistent with this opinion.”
The woman in question had been the patient of a psychiatrist who was transferred to be his secretary and a sexual relationship occurred. So this assclown was a psychiatrist and boss of woman he was sleeping with and then he harassed her to continue the affair.
Why would anyone think his outside writing would affect his positions?
The Second 100 Hours
Should start with the Prevention First Act.
Please, veto it, Mr. President. Pretty please.