Saturday Open Thread [12.20.14]
The Colbert Report final scene featured scores of cameos, including President Bill Clinton, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Gloria Steinem, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Willie Nelson, Tom Brokaw, Barry Manilow, George Lucas, Jeff Daniels, Keith Olbermann, Henry Kissinger, Bryan Cranston, Randy Newman, Cyndi Lauper, Big Bird, James Franco, Sam Waterson, Katie Couric, Sir Patrick Stewart, and oh so many more.
Delaware’s unemployment plunged almost a half of percentage point in November, according to the state Department of Labor. It is now 6 percent statewide, down from 6.4% last month.
Delaware’s job growth over a 12-month period from last November was 2.9 percent. That rate is unchanged from October when a study released by the political website Governing.com found that the First State’s year over year job growth rate ranked fourth in the nation. Only North Dakota, Utah and Texas ranked higher.
All three of Delaware’s counties saw big dips in their unemployment rates. Kent and New Castle counties both saw their rates drop from 6.1 to 4.9 percent. Sussex’s jobless rate fell half a percentage point to 5.3 percent.
Credit is due to Rand Paul, whom the Hill reports “is hitting back against Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) on Cuba in a preview of a possible debate between two presidential hopefuls,”
“In a series of tweets at Rubio on Friday afternoon, Paul called the Florida senator an ‘isolationist’ for opposing the opening to Cuba announced by President Obama on Wednesday, turning a label often used against himself around.”
Politico: “Obama’s turnaround in recent weeks – he’s seized the offensive with a series of controversial executive actions and challenges to leaders in his own party on the budget — can be attributed to a fundamental change in his political mindset, according to current and former aides. He’s gone from thinking of himself as a sitting (lame) duck, they tell me, to a president diving headlong into what amounts to a final campaign – this one to preserve his legacy, add policy points to the scoreboard, and – last but definitely not least – to inflict the same kind of punishment on his newly empowered Republican enemies, who delighted in tormenting him when he was on top.”
I am going to take much pleasure in that.
More Politico: “He needs to run, to compete – or more to the point, he needs someone to run against,” a former top Obama adviser told me.
He’s got that now, in a Republican-controlled Capitol Hill. Obama, a political counterpuncher who often needs a slap in the face to wake up, got a gut-shot in November. The Democrats’ staggering loss in the midterms – like his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate against Mitt Romney in 2012 – seems to have jolted him to the realization that he’ll have to act boldly to preserve what he’d assumed was a settled legacy.
Confused by the math here: New Castle and Kent are 4.9% and Sussex is 5.3% but overall is 6%? Math isn’t correct.
I also think Obama will go on the offensive in the last two years, recent months make me wish he had always been like this. Notice the Republicans favorite responses as of late consist of the famed lawsuits and “defunding” whatever they don’t like at the moment. Not that either will work, both are ” look, we’re doing something” diversions for the base.
In other news Saturday, two NYPD officers were slain in Bed-Stuy. Very sad turn of events. These cops had families… and right around Christmastime. However… (yeah, here we go….)
When an organization uses the political power of the criminal justice system to do gangster shit it’s not really a surprise that it’s met with gangster shit in return.
If a group of cops stand around and watch another cop choke out an unarmed man in the street, which is captured on video, and then use a secret Grand Jury to tell us we didn’t see what we clearly saw, that’s some serious Avon Barksdale type gangster shit.
So now the cops are in mob-style war. It’s terrible and very scary. I’m not pleased and I take no side in this. But am I surprised? No, I’m not.
I’m sure I’ll be vilified here. That’s cool. Like I said, I’m not happy about this… but this is my initial reaction.
“I’m sure I’ll be vilified here. ”
You posted on DL for Christ sake. If you want to be vilified go to Red State.
Of course, you could vilified for stating the obvious which most everyone else will have the class and common sense not to. It’s like going to someone’s home for dinner and commenting “It was good, but…”
So stating the obvious is classless & irrational? Is it really like the dinner anology? Pardon me, Dave, but I’m not sure what you’really saying here.
As far as being vilified, I really don’t think the fact that this is a liberal site protects me on this one. Stating a reason (not an excuse) for a double cop assassination is rather provocative regardless of the setting.
This is heartbreaking. My thoughts go out to the loved ones of those police officers. And I hate that this horrendous shooting will only escalate an already tense situation. Guess we still can’t talk about access to guns – which is the real culprit here.
And the spin that’s starting infuriates me (Can the police union please STFU. Talk about inflaming a situation. It’s as if they were hoping for this to happen. Using these officers’ deaths as a way to promote their agenda is sickening.).
The shooter shot his ex girlfriend before heading to NYC, but that fact is getting buried. He was a vile person and I won’t shed a tear over his death. But people linking this to the protests are the same people who refused to link the the deaths of the officers assassinated in the restaurant by the Gadsden Flag couple who went on to shoot up the Walmart and the guy in PA who lay in wait to shoot cops and then went to hide out in the woods and the guy in PA who orchestrated a shoot out with police while citing Glenn Beck to the Sovereign Citizen/Cliven Bundy/Conservative talk radio supporters. No more assigning lone wolf/crazy person status to certain groups.
Do I think the Brooklyn shooter justified his actions due to Eric Garner and Mike Brown? Yes. I think, after he shot his ex-girlfriend, he decided to go out in the most dramatic way possible. He, like others, latched onto a cause. Do I think he would have killed people, other than cops? Yes. He was going to kill – no matter what because he had an easily attainable gun. Oops! We’re not allowed to talk about guns. Looks like an armed society isn’t a polite society. And given our lax gun laws I expect more of this. Cops shooting unarmed people – armed people shooting cops. It’s our new reality. And if you’re a 2nd Amendment, gotta be prepared to fight our government supporter then you are okay with this, because cops being shot is part of the deal you’ve made by advocating for everyone being armed.
As most of you know, I am a cop’s kid. And while I’ve always known cops who should have never been allowed on the force I just don’t understand some of the cops today. Their job is no more dangerous today and yet, every time you turn around, there’s video of police killing unarmed people, tazing people indiscriminately, punching and choking people, raping people, stopping people for no reason, etc. Maybe this always happened – and, sadly, I think it did – and we’re seeing it now due to technology. This behavior has to stop.
When I was growing up I remember one incident that has stayed with me forever. A man opened our front door and walked into our home. Did my cop father get his gun? Hit the man? Nope. My Dad put his arm around the guy and spoke calmly and quietly to him. “Hey buddy, are you okay? I think you’re in the wrong house? Can I help you?”
The man was obviously confused. He was also kinda scary. No weapon was drawn. No fists swung. My Dad diffused the situation and got the man help. Did my Dad take a risk? Yes. But that’s part of the job. If you aren’t willing to take risks with your life you have no business being a police officer. That’s actually part of the job description. Period. End of story.
Well said, P. I’m heartbroken for the families of these two officers, but I think I am more heartbroken at the need to be a constant witness to the daily violence our society tolerates.
I’m mad at the “us vs. them” rhetoric that the NYPD (and their allies) are throwing at this. We’ve been here before and we already know this isn’t about justice — it is about providing working space for some upcoming bamboozlement. These officers don’t want their judgement questioned or have to live with any accountability. And what does that sound like to you? Frankly, I’m astonished that the NYPD union didn’t choose to respond to this in a way that reminds people that they may actually deserve the respect they insist folks don’t have for them.
This shooter was deranged. Which would be the story if he had been white. Trying to blame this on the thousands of protesters who are asking for better decision-making and better accountability from the police is cynical and profoundly unjust.
This article pretty much says it all — thanks to a FB friend for posting it:
The script has been flipped, but the lesson remains: nobody – even police officers – should have to live with even the threat of violence. We’re better than this
cassandra_m- The shooter posted “I’m putting wings on pigs today. They take 1 of ours, let’s take 2 of theirs,” officials said. He used the hashtags Shootthepolice RIPErivGardner (sic) RIPMikeBrown. Yes, he was deranged, but he did target police officers. It is clearly a racist rant, but is conveniently ignored by the left to suit their mission and purpose.
He targeted police officers after he targeted his ex-girlfriend. His family reports that he was medicated for some behavior or psych issues. His family also reports that he tried to kill himself. Clear psych issues conveniently ignored (and ignoring the shooting of the woman is really despicable — just erase her assault in order to pretend that only cops were hurt by this guy) by the right to ensure that black and brown people are reminded of their place.
Reminded of their place? What part of “I’m putting wings on pigs today. They take 1 of ours, let’s take 2 of theirs,” are you ignoring. what is being ignored in the murder of his girl friend? That took place in a city far away from New York and had he not taken the cowards way out, he would have been caught and extradited to face his accusers and serve justice.
Arguing this within the context of race and politics at this point is yesterday’s news. Both sides, cops and criminals, are gangsters doing what gangsters do. Simple as that. Scary, sad… and simple.
Its a sad day in America when the death of someone killed in the line of duty has to immediately be discussed in political terms.
R.I.P. officers Liu & Ramos. Or is a little peace too much to ask for in this day and age?
One officer was Hispanic, the other Asian. How is this about race again?
I’m with Dorian. How long did police think they could shoot, strangle, and electrocute people with impunity before they started shooting back? This is America, where we shot at our opressors until they left back when their coats were red and not blue. Nobody expect those citizens who return fire to be choir boys; there will be no George Washingtons in this war. Of course innocent officers were ambushed. That’s how asymmetric warfare works. When attacked by a superior foe you take opportunistic advantage of the element of surprise. I am surprised it took this long. It’s a dirty gang war, complete with gang colors, Blue and Brown. Police refer to themselves as a “Family” – they don’t know how right they are.
Police and their supporters need to transform their horror over these murders into action to stop the runaway police culture.
So now, Liu and Ramos, who were inconveniently not white and for all you know were living up to their oath to serve and protect are labeled as gangsters because they wear blue. Stereotype much? Oh, you weren’t talking about race so it’s ok? They were members of class of people that you judge to be suspect because, you know they have a tendency to be that way and they were probably guilty of something so…
I constantly criticize the hard right for their abject hypocrisy. Someone want to explain how this is any different? All lives matter. Someone in uniform did not live up their oath. So now all those in blue are suspect? Really? You guys are really, really going there? Shame on you. Fakes.
They were members of class of people that you judge to be suspect because, you know they have a tendency to be that way and they were probably guilty of something so…
This is called profiling. And instead of spinning up the us vs them BS, they could learn something here.
So now, Liu and Ramos, who were inconveniently not white and for all you know were living up to their oath to serve and protect …
Stop trying to interpret the killing of the two officers as individual judgment for something they did. It is retribution against the police force in general – collective punishment. If you recall there were attempts to hold individual officers responsible for their actions, but accountability failed. If police want to act as a solid blue wall, then blowback is invited to happen at any point in the wall. Sad that it has come to this.
Dave.. I have no idea what you’re talking about because you want to argue and call names. What I was saying is that the criminal justice system is gangster. I made a very plain example in my original post. On the street these tactics are met with violence as pay back. Gansters kill gansters on the other team. I know you don’t like it, but your understanding of it or acceptance of it is irrelevant. This is what’s happening.
You’re fixated on this idea of yours. Feel free to keep trying to make the point.
I don’t see anyone claiming that cops lives don’t matter. What I’m saying is that the police and the entire criminal justice system don’t seem to be ready to accept their responsibility. They have all the political power. They have the weight of the entire criminal justice system behind them. And they use it in very nefarious ways.. Unless they clean up their act they can expect to be in a mob war. That’s the game.
I’m not saying it’s right. I don’t take sides in Corleone versus D’italia but I know why they go to the mattresses.
“It is retribution against the police force in general – collective punishment. ”
Collective punishment!!! Liberals with a belief in collective punishment as a response for the actions of individuals?
Even if you believe in that, whatever would possess you to type it and put it out there for everyone to see?
You jumped the shark with that one and no further discussion is necessary. Have a safe and joyful holiday.
We don’t believe in it you fucking twit. Gangsters believe in it. Police certainly believe in it. That’s what “stop and frisk” is all about. Collective punishment. Rough up the neighborhood. Show ’em who’s boss.
We’re not advocating for it. We’re explaining it. Bloody hell, you’re dense.
Dave sounds like the people who, after 9/11, said, “We don’t need to discuss why this could have happened – They hate us for our freedom! Go shopping!”
That sort of attitude won’t solve anything.
It is retribution against the police force in general – collective punishment.
If this is true, then that gives some weight to the idea that this guy was deranged and was intent on killing people that day. He got 3 out of 4. But I also don’t think that this was collective punishment.
But I don’t remember the handwringing or the insistence on the absolute privilege of police officers when these two were clearly hell bent in targeting the police.
Great point. When a white guy who hates cops ambushes and kills cops, he is a lone wolf. When the deranged person happens to be black (which is rare BTW), he is undoing the legacy of MLK.