Morning Reads for March 16
Love is a myth. There’s only a desperation tearing you apart from the inside out, and Arby’s.
Georgia
– Georgia taxpayers will get the Super Bowl we already bought! It’s gross, but it’s right.
– While we were watching the fireworks, did MARTA expansion get one last shot?
– No movement on the rape kit bill. Senator Unterman didn’t think of it herself.
– GUNS EVERYWHERE (Actually that sounds fine)
-I can’t say this enough: Savannah readers, Baywatch needs you.
– Representative Peake will take his medical cannabis bill to the wire but will take what he can get. This is what both principled and practical leadership looks like
– It’s hot
– Coach Kirby Smart opened spring practice with abundant energy, according to players, even if he kinda looks like an egg
Lesser Places
– At 11 AM today, President Obama will unveil his Supreme Court nominee. Conventional wisdom predicts Sri Srinivasan; preview him here– UPDATE: Conventional wisdom is dumb and so am I. It’s Merick Garland. Here’s who he is.
– Given last night’s results (ugh, results here) isn’t it about time for Senator McConnell to make a deal?
– Good news, we didn’t lose anyone in Libya!
– If you haven’t had time to read The Obama Doctrine, get to it. The president’s foreign policy isn’t fully liberal or conservative, but is based on a Hegelian certainty that history belongs to the just.
– How the South was won
– NFL executive has the audacity to admit truth, science
– In unrelated news, here’s a report on humanity’s effect on the climate since the 30s
– Young Thug as both the Pimp and the Poet
– Ta-Nehisi Coates on Nina Simone here; you might enjoy the recently released Simone documentary on Netflix and you’ll certainly enjoy this
About Author
Chet Martin
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Sen. Renee Unterman, why are you blocking what two-thirds of Georgia supports?
………..News/Survey USA poll says a two-thirds of Georgia voters feel that growing marijuana for medical purposes should be made legal in the state…………..
http://www.11alive.com/story/news/politics/2016/02/25/poll-growing-medical-marijuana-should-be-legal/80958278/
Actually, that’s not what the bill is about, John. The sections dealing with growing in-state were removed long ago. What’s left is allowing CBD oil to be used to cover more diseases.
Correct and Unterman’s explanation/nonexplanation for opposing Peake’s current bill is because she supposedly talked to several families and they were against it. The strange thing is she won’t state the specific objections.
Jon,
The voters are clear they want more options not less with medical marijuana. It is clear Sen. Untermann has been blocking the process for years, with no real explanation.
i was an extra on baywatch last week during the filming at the hospital, it was a long day, i was sent home after 15 hours and they still had one more scene to film…it was a lot of fun, i would totes do it again if i could work it into my schedule…
Sen. Renee Unterman why are you against this bill?
Sen. Renee Unterman is Blocking Justice for Rape Victims
…….A powerful Republican state Senator is blocking a crucial bill that would require police to account for the backlog of untested rape kits — evidence of sexual assault, sometimes including DNA, gathered when victims report the crime to authorities in Georgia……..
………..The Pursuing Justice for Rape Victims Act, sponsored by Rep. Scott Holcomb (D-Atlanta), would require law enforcement to find and count rape kits that have, in some cases, been ignored for years.
The bill has strong bipartisan support. Co-sponsored by Rep. Taylor Bennett (D-Brookhaven) and three prominent House Republicans, the legislation passed the state House of Representatives unanimously and has the support of law enforcement, hospitals and victims groups. Republican state Senator Charlie Bethel (R-Dalton) is sponsoring the legislation in the Senate
But Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford) won’t let the proposal go forward. She’s the chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, and she has refused to even schedule a hearing on the bill….
……Law enforcement groups, including the GBI and the Prosecuting Attorneys Council, support this bill. This is a simple, common sense proposal with overwhelming bipartisan support that would solve a big problem and make sure it doesn’t happen again. There is no good reason not to support it……….
http://bettergeorgia.org/2016/03/14/sen-renee-unterman-is-blocking-justice-for-rape-victims/
She blocked the original medical marijuana bill a couple years ago but it subsequently passed the next year. Now she blocks Peak’s current bill which slightly expands the number of conditions for which marijuana can be used.
She blocks the rape kit bill which passed unanimously in the house. Additionally her name is on another bad bill (HB 775 discussed in another thread). This woman needs to be out of office or at the minimum removed from the HHS committee.
She is running unopposed yet again.
…..Renee Unterman has a Republican primary opponent in her 45th District. Todd Tyson, who ran and lost in the primary for the house seat now held by Chuck Efstration, will face the long time Senator in May…………
Is Todd Tyson running?
……….It seems so cruel that year after year the same Senator would kill a bill that is meant to help many suffering Georgia patients. She seems determined to continue Prohibition in our State and she doesn’t care about those suffering the consequences of her reefer madness.
In an Atlanta Journal interview she reveals her plan to hold the bill hostage again with another promise for next year.
Unterman said she felt the push to expand the list needed more work and discussion than time would allow during the session.
“I met with some of the families and I’ve committed to continue working on it with them, and that’s what I told them,” Unterman said. When asked if she expected to schedule a hearing, she said: “No, it’s not coming up.”
Read full AJC article here.
Seems 3 years ago most citizens and many legislators were saying Georgia can’t move fast enough. How much more time does Senator Unterman need? It seems Senator Unterman will have a primary race this year, as a seeming newcomer, Todd Tyson, has qualified as a Republican in her long held District 45. Looks like some fine Gwinnetians will have a decision to make come May……..
A search of all parties running in the 45th on the Secretary of State’s website only shows Untermann. I realize the website has had, um, issues, and am hoping that is the case in this instance as well. I had read here in a post from Jon that she was being primaried so checked on that day and again today with the same result.
Speaking of which, I just got my new voter registration card yesterday showing the change in my polling place. That was nice. Good thing I had checked online before heading out to vote two weeks ago. Many others in my location not so lucky. They were showing up at 7PM having come from (I guess) the previous location and finding no one there and had to figure it out somehow.
Then we only had one functional voter roll device. Eight voting machines, but it took a lot longer to get verified than it did to vote so only one at a time voting.
gcp,
I agree very good post!
SCOTUS Nominee – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrick_Garland
Let’s get ready to rumble!
You left out the most important attribute, he loves the outdoors, backpacking, hiking, etc. Good enough for me.
GOPers screwed the pooch on this one just like so many other instances since Obama took charge. They spoke too soon, backed themselves into a corner and now face a no win situation. It is truly amazing how stupid these ‘leaders’ are when it comes to just basic common sense. Can’t wait to hear the excuses on the day Garland is approved.
I doubt if he gets approved, or even voted on. They are already saying he is anti-gun. But one would think this would hurt some Repub down-ballot races. Majority-ness may be in jeopardy.
I would love to have been in the room for that conversation though.
“You know they aren’t going to approve you. This is more of a symbolic thing.”
What do you say to that?
No rumble – DOA. If the judiciary committee, after saying they wouldn’t even entertain discussion on a new one, waffles on this, Trump’s numbers rise even more. Be careful boys.
Actually with this nomination the President has made a very astute political move. Frankly it was unseemly for Republican Senators to announce they would not be considering any nominations from this President on the day of Justice Scalia’s passing in some cases and on the Sunday morning political shows in others. You speak about perception ranking high in politics below yet you’re ignoring the perception here that regardless of party loyalties the majority of Americans want to see that the system works and that our government remains Constitutional. To state categorically that they would not give any nominee a fair hearing simply because of the ill timing of the loss of the most conservative justice further diminishes the view many have of where our system is failing simply due to pure partisanship overriding good governance.
The President could have made it easy and nominated a noted liberal however with this nomination he has called their bluff and raised the pot such that it could affect the future balance in the Senate. Are Republicans willing to risk this just to see Hillary nominate a true liberal? I don’t think I have ever said this regarding this President but this is a brilliant political decision.
Pundits are a funny group. For example, Glenn Beck, this am, is apoplectic against Trump. Even making fun of Trump’s son. Completely unhinged. Hannity is railing against Kasich staying in. He’s unhinged, too. The nomination process has rules. If no one has the needed number of delegates, it can go to a number of ballots. Why so pissed off, Sean? That’s the way it goes.
Is it any wonder why millions of voters are so pissed off with politics? This is just one example of a dumb a$$ on my side of the isle. Some Repub d**che just said that the party picks the nominee, not the voters. (I’ll bet primary voters liked hearing that…) They dislike Trump so badly that, By God, they’re gonna politically take him down any way they can. Watch Trump quote this article by the end of the day. Can you say ‘stratosphere’ with regard to numbers?
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/16/we-choose-the-nominee-not-the-voters-senior-gop-official.html
Ironically, our country has been sent around the world to monitor elections to make sure stuff like this does not happen. This cycle, between both parties maybe we should have someone monitor us?
My point, sounds like elections in third world countries, Middle East, Africa, communist countries ….
Don’t be deliberately obtuse, Drew. These are party primary ELECTIONS for the nominee. Get into the weeds if you like, but to Joe Six Pack on either side is gonna be mighty pissed if you tell him his efforts/votes don’t really matter. Just like Sanders’ folks are pretty upset about Hill’s super delegates.
You know, Drew, you can cut the Mein Kampf references. It’s unseemly. You sound like Chidi.
You know, you have a point. Just like if Hill is the nominee, they’ll be folks commenting on Slick Willy’s foibles, too. Now THAT is gonna be hysterical! Enjoy!
John, do you have a way I can contact you directly? Sorry, Charlie, if this might not be allowed on here. I tried finding you on the net but your old company phone number was no good.
[email protected]
Thanks! An email is on the way in a few!
Mr. Pope is 100% correct. Whoever becomes the nominee will be approved by the delegates in accordance with the convention rules period.
In fact if you want to be technical voters do not elect the president at all. That done by the Electoral College which is comprised of electors who are elected by the people. Let’s see there has been I think at least 2 maybe 3 times where the candidate who won the popular vote didn’t win the presidency.
Still it doesn’t mean those voters will not be ticked off……..
Andrew is right on this—if it were just a matter of which nominee got the most (popular) votes, what would be the point of having delegates? Furthermore, measuring popular votes in caucuses can be problematic (see Iowa, February 2016 Democratic caucus). The allocation of delegates does not always reflect the popular vote—in Georgia for instance, Rubio finished 11,000 votes ahead of Cruz 15 days ago, but Cruz won more delegates than Rubio at the congressional district level because Cruz’s support was more dispersed across the state, while Rubio’s was concentrated in metro Atlanta. Thus at the CD level, Cruz won 9 delegates in Georgia (1 for each of the 9 districts where he finished second), while Rubio got 7 delegates at the CD level (2 each for winning CD 5 and 6 and 1 each for finishing number two in CD 4, 7 and 11). Can’t recall but maybe Andrew can help on this—perhaps in 2008 when Obama and Clinton sought the D nomination, Clinton may have won more popular votes (at least at the primary level).
Perception is reality, especially in politics. And if the masses feel they’re being screwed woe be unto the establishment. Actually, that’s what’s happening now after decades of Repubs lying to their voters. Rev. Wright may be right on this one: The chickens have come home to roost.
Drew, don’t laugh too hard! That woman’s vote is gonna cancel yours out!
Erick Erickson the king of spewing nasty comments, is organizing a third party run against Trump? HUH????
……….Top conservatives gather to plot third-party run against Trump
The meeting is scheduled for two days after tonight’s primaries in what many Republican operatives believe will determine whether Trump is on an unstoppable march to the nomination.
Three influential leaders of the conservative movement have summoned other top conservatives for a closed-door meeting Thursday in Washington, D.C., to talk about how to stop Donald Trump and, should he become the Republican nominee, how to run a third-party “true conservative” challenger in the fall.
The organizers of the meeting include Bill Wichterman, who was President George W. Bush’s liaison to the conservative movement; Bob Fischer, a South Dakota businessman and longtime conservative convener; and Erick Erickson, the outspoken Trump opponent and conservative activist who founded RedState.com……….
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/top-conservatives-gather-to-plot-third-party-run-against-trump-220786#ixzz436v0Rg3w
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Erick Erickson is upset about what Trump said, but below are just a few famous lines from Erick.
“I did not realize the Nobel Peace Prize had an affirmative action quota for it, but that is the only thing I can think of for this news. There is no way Barack Obama earned it in the nominations period.”
“The nation loses the only goat fxxxking child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court in David Souter’s retirement.”
“As the Clintons and their supporters continue their destruction of the Democratic Party, we see the latest salvo fired from the thighs of ugly nags. From the nether regions that see no men, New York’s National Association of Gals is out bashing Teddy Kennedy for endorsing Barack Obama instead of Hillary Clinton.”
“What gives the Commerce Department the right to ask me how often I flush my toilet? Or about going to work? I’m not filling out this form. I dare them to try and come throw me in jail. I dare them to. Pull out my wife’s shotgun and see how that little ACS twerp likes being scared at the door. They’re not going on my property.”
Thanks John, I was just looking for a link to that story. I guess Erick still has hard feelings about Trump from the failed Red State hubbub last year. Just have to wonder how long he will occupy the drive time slot on WSB, no way he gets ratings with all his religious based propaganda. Truly the absolute worst radio talk dude in the market, should be replaced by Eric Von Haessler.
I agree with that. Say what you want about Boortz but WSB has gone downhill since his departure. No way Herman has ratings like Neil’s. Herman is truly a dope and Erick is just grating. Hell, bring back David Paul! Or, to take liberties from Paul Simon, “Where have you gone Freddie Mertz?” Or Ralph from Ben Hill!