Prairie Weather

Thugs

The latest thug, a nutjob in Alabama who has shot at a schoolbus driver, kidnapped a 6-year-old child, and who now has that child in his post-Vietnam bunker below ground, was known to have a history of violence.  So, yes:  background checks should be thorough and decisive. 

But the NRA's thuggery continues.  I don't think their bunker will turn out to be as secure this time around as that of their violent customer in Alabama.  Trying to take control of Congressional hallways seems a bit much, doesn't it?

Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association’s chief executive, arrived for his hearing on Capitol Hill in the organization’s trademark fashion: violently.

When he and his colleagues stepped off the elevator in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Wednesday morning and found TV cameras waiting in the hallway, LaPierre’s bodyguards swung into action. One of them, in blatant violation of congressional rules, bumped and body-checked journalists out of the way so they couldn’t film LaPierre or question him as he walked.

“You don’t have jurisdiction here!” a cameraman protested as an NRA goon pushed him against a wall. After the melee, congressional officials informed the NRA officials that, in the halls of Congress, they had to follow congressional procedures — which prohibit manhandling.

This must have come as a surprise to the gun lobbyists, whose swagger seems to suggest that they are, in fact, in control of Congress. In their world, nothing trumps the Second Amendment — not even the First Amendment. ...Dana Milbank, WaPo

I don't like the prospect that we may not succeed politically with this issue.  There's a lot of money, ignorance, and brutality protecting the gun industry.  But there is an economic deterrent, a subject that came up once again on NPR this morning.  A couple of economists have suggestions.  Here's one from Robert Frank at Cornell:

Gun ownership, even in the hands of responsible people, increases the risk of death and serious injury to others. In cases involving multiple deaths, few gun owners could afford to compensate victims' families for their losses, just as most automobile owners couldn't afford to compensate the families of accident victims. With automobiles, we require all vehicle owners to carry liability insurance. A similar approach would help with firearms.

Nothing in the constitution grants people the right to expose others to serious risk without compensation. Insurance sellers are skillful at estimating the risks posed by drivers with specific characteristics, and we could expect them to be similarly skillful at assessing the risks posed by gun owners. Requiring liability insurance isn't a total solution to the problem of excessive risk, either for autos or for guns. But in both cases, it's a positive step. ...NPR

The new Massachusetts senator

Yesterday, John Kerry was confirmed as the country’s 68th Secretary of State, by a vote of 94 to 3. The only Republicans to oppose his confirmation were Ted Cruz and John Cornyn of Texas, and James Inhofe of Oklahoma. This morning, wasting no time at all, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced Kerry’s replacement—William “Mo” Cowan, Patrick’s former chief of staff.

Cowan will hold seat until this summer, when voters will choose someone to serve out Kerry’s term (in the running, so far, are Rep. Ed Markey and Rep. Stephen Lynch). In the meantime, Cowan will be the eighth African American to serve in the United States Senate, and the sixth since Reconstruction. What’s more, this will be the first time in more than a century that two African Americans have served concurrently in the Senate. ...Greg Sargent, WaPo

Republicans senators who have too much to be ashamed of to be senators anymore

Rachel Maddow raised this issue last night on her show, excoriating Missouri's Republican Senator Roy Blunt as probably the worst offender among the Republicans who voted against relief for victims of superstorm "Sandy."

Blunt was aggressive and successful in securing federal funds in the wake of the tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri.  "Missouri Senator Roy Blunt says he’s asking the federal government to reimburse 100 percent of the cost to local governments dealing with the Joplin tornado aftermath," is what CBS News reported right after the storm.  Later, Blunt reported on his own website:

“When the disaster exceeds the ability of communities and states, the federal government has a responsibility to help people rebuild,” said Blunt. “I’m pleased that Joplin continues to receive the important federal resources it needs to revitalize this region, and I am grateful for the generosity of countless volunteers and the tireless work of state and local officials.”

That, by the way, was posted in late October 2012 -- four months ago.

The list continues:

Kelly Ayotte, NH,  voted for Sandy aid for her own state but not for the two states hardest hit. She was on the "no" list. Pat Toomey, PA, did the same.  John Barrasso, Wyoming, requested aid for his state's flooding but denied it to Sandy victims.  The same holds for the rest of the Republicans on the list, senators from Texas (drought), Florida's Rubio (freeze), Arizona's McCain (flooding)... and on and on.

Summing up Think Progress's shitlist of Republican denialistas is the kicker:

Not one of the opponents has co-sponsored Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-NV) “Extreme Weather Prevention and Resilience Act” which would encourage Congress to “prepare and protect communities from extreme weather, sea-level rise, drought, flooding, wildfire, and other changing conditions exacerbated by carbon pollution” and “reducing pollution, promoting the use of clean energy sources, and improving energy efficiency.” ...Think Progress

Actual immigration, updated

Pew Research

Is America the top choice for emigres of all nationalities?  Yes.  By far, according to Pew.  Russia is a distant second.

The U.S. total of 40.4 million, which includes legal as well as unauthorized immigrants, represents 13% of the total U.S. population in 2011. While the foreign-born population size is a record, immigrants’ share of the total population is below the U.S. peak of just under 15% during a previous immigration wave from 1890 to 1920 that was dominated by arrivals from Europe. The modern wave, which began with the passage of border-opening legislation in 1965, has been dominated by arrivals from Latin America (about 50%) and Asia (27%). ...Pew Hispanic Center

OFA vs. Obama

The guys to whom President Obama gave the "nuclear codes" are situated, generally speaking, to the left of the President.  That will reassure many Democrats for whom Obama's political course has been necessary but hardly representative of many in the party.  The Hill reports that both unions and Hollywood, traditional supporters of the Democratic party, will support the new "super pac," Organizing For Action."

Labor unions and Hollywood donors are open to bankrolling Organizing for Action, the outside group that has been formed in support of President Obama’s second-term agenda.

Traditionally one of the biggest donors to Democrats, unions are considering putting their financial weight behind the group as it tries to harness the grassroots power of Obama’s reelection machine.  ...The Hill

The more idealistic among us are a little wary of the set-up.

Organizing for Action will reportedly have access to the voter database that helped the president win the White House again in his more than $1 billion reelection bid. Jon Carson, who worked in the White House Office of Public Engagement, is the group’s executive director.

To the dismay of campaign finance reformers, Organizing for Action will operate as a 501(c)(4), a tax-exempt vehicle that was used during the 2012 campaign to evade donor disclosure while spending hundreds of millions of dollars on campaign ads. 

Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, this week said Obama should shut the group down “and remain true to the repeated warnings he has given the nation about the dangers of corporate influence-money and business as usual in Washington.”

Organizing for Action has pledged to reveal its donors to the public, and as a nonprofit group, can accept unlimited contributions from corporations, unions and wealthy individuals. ...The Hill

Awkward.  But herding cats is much the same as herding numbnuts -- which is what the Republican party has learned how to do very effectively.  Do we want to be righteous?  Or effective?

Amoral governor gets slightly moral, temporarily

I don't think Michigan's Rich Snyder should get our congratulations for doing the right thing once... and temporarily.  Nonetheless, it's good to see that the state of Michigan will not -- at least not for now -- go along with plans to skew Michigan elections.

Snyder had previously been considering the plan to shift Michigan’s presidential system from a winner-take-all system to divvying electoral votes by congressional district.

However, in an interview with Bloomberg, Snyder backed off, saying he was “very skeptical” of the idea, noting it would “change the playing field so it’s an unfair advantage.” He finished by saying, “I don’t think this is the appropriate time to look at it.” ...Think Progress

If he were totally honest, he'd just say "not an appropriate time politically..."  But Snyder's track record doesn't indicate that the governor is capable of being totally honest.  Plus, he has safe majorities in both the Michigan senate and house.

We're living in a moral desert.  Let's take the few drops of clear water we can get.