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Tuesday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 06:39:56 PM EST
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Another beautiful day in Telluride:

Romney appears close to naming his running mate.

I've downloaded the 145 jail calls in Zimmerman to my iPhone and will listen to them tomorrow on the 6 1/2 hour drive back to Denver. [More...]

Here's the state's response opposing the recusal of the judge. It misses the mark in my view, but what matters for now is what Judge Lester thinks...and wants. I think the case law the defense cited was more on point.

Witness #9 isn't worth spending more time on. After I've listened to all the calls to hear them in context, I'll weigh in on O'Mara knowing about the paypal account. As usual, I think people are selectively choosing statements to fit their pet theories.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Update: 'Tis a privilege to live in Colorado -- the view driving to dinner tonight:

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    Tuesday Night Open Thread | 87 comments (87 topical)

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    Jeralyn, why contaminate your lovely (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by oculus on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 06:58:11 PM EST
     mountain idyl9by listening to defendant Zimmerman's jail calls recordings

    That's what I was thinking. (5.00 / 3) (#19)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 09:03:50 PM EST
    Indeed, Jeralyn should instead rush down to the local bookstore -- trampling any patrons foolhardy enough to get in her way -- in order to get her hands on the latest book from the George W. Bush Insitute,The 4 Percent Solution: Unleashing the Economic Growth America Needs, which judging by its title sounds like a masterpiece of satire and irony.

    Parent
    There's a GWB Institute?! (5.00 / 3) (#20)
    by nycstray on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 09:08:08 PM EST
    {head desk}

    Parent
    I almost careened off the road (5.00 / 4) (#24)
    by Darby on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 09:21:03 PM EST
    When driving down he GW Parkway n Virginia and passed a sign for The George Bush Center for Intelligence

    Parent
    LOL! (5.00 / 2) (#25)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 09:24:07 PM EST
    The punchlines practically write themselves.

    Parent
    OMG!!! (5.00 / 1) (#32)
    by nycstray on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 10:36:00 PM EST
    I seriously don't know whether to laugh or cry . . .

    Glad no harm came to you!

    Parent

    Oh, yes. (none / 0) (#22)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 09:16:35 PM EST
    Read it and weep.

    Parent
    That just hurts my head . . . n/t (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by nycstray on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 09:21:00 PM EST


    Parent
    Here, use this hammer: (none / 0) (#39)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 11:03:52 PM EST
    "Eight years was awesome and I was famous and I was powerful. But I have no desire for fame and power anymore. I crawled out of the swamp and I'm not crawling back in."
    - George W. Bush (July 16, 2012)

    Parent
    If Only... (none / 0) (#52)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 08:32:29 AM EST
    ...they could have loaned George a copy around 2004.  

    Let me guess, tax cuts ?

    Parent

    Let me see... (none / 0) (#60)
    by sj on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 09:50:00 AM EST
    "We believe that we can do better in growing our economy," said Bush, who wrote the book's foreword.

    He added, "My view is that we'll never fix the deficit without growing the private sector."

    Um, yes.  I expect that would be tax cuts.

    Parent
    Segue: books. Have you (none / 0) (#36)
    by oculus on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 10:48:10 PM EST
    read Sarah Vowell's  "Unfamiliar Fishes"?
    I am listening to her read it.

    Parent
    6 1/2 hours is a long drive (none / 0) (#40)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 11:09:28 PM EST
    it's 365 miles from Telluride to Denver -- if the calls are boring, I'll switch to music or Sirius news channels. If I'm going to opine on them, it would be nice if I at least listened to them first.

    Parent
    I (none / 0) (#51)
    by spectator on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 08:15:15 AM EST
    think the calls would speed up the miles a bit, even a different route could be nice, it's a great drive and i miss it, i'm jealous.

    Parent
    Josh is really excited tonight (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 07:07:37 PM EST
    about the election.  By November he should be fully broken.  Rush was on saying gross things as usual on the Ed Show, Josh says, "I really hate that guy, he's fat and stupid".  Then Rick Perry comes on the screen and he says that he always gets Rick Perry and Mitt Romney mixed up, doesn't know why.

    Because their main selling points (5.00 / 2) (#41)
    by lilburro on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 11:23:22 PM EST
    are their full heads of hair?

    Parent
    Speaking of Rush... (5.00 / 4) (#53)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 08:46:08 AM EST
    ...haven't you heard, Batman is Democratic Party conspiracy against Romney.  From the Guardian UK:

    "So this evil villain in the new Batman movie is named Bane. And there's discussion out there as to whether or not this was purposeful and whether or not it will influence voters," said Limbaugh. "A lot of people are going to see the movie. And it's a lot of brain-dead people - entertainment, the pop culture crowd - and they're going to hear Bane in the movie and they're going to associate Bain.

    "And the thought is that when they're going to start paying attention to the campaign later in the year and Obama and the Democrats keep talking about Bain, not Bain Capital but Romney and Bain, that these people will start thinking back to the Batman movies: 'Oh yeah, I know who that is!'"

    If only Bane was wasn't created in the 90's...
    Can someone please get a fainting couch for Rush.

    Parent

    The irony (5.00 / 1) (#56)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 08:53:27 AM EST
    is that Rush is probably right to a certain extent but it's not the people that he's referring to that are going to be influenced. It's the people that would fall into the category of a typical Rush listener simply because these are the voters who are devoid of critical thinking skills. I think the reason he is saying it is because he's trying to get ahead of the curve with his own listeners.

    Parent
    Too rich... (none / 0) (#58)
    by kdog on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 08:58:04 AM EST
    Want some cheese with that whine Rush?

    From the same horse's arse always b*tchin' about the "professional victimhood" employed by "the left".  But I guess when the target audience are the duller knives in the drawer, it makes no difference.

    Besides, all that paper, Bruce Wayne's gotta be a republican;)

    Parent

    So Rush thinks the Batman people (none / 0) (#62)
    by nycstray on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:09:16 AM EST
    are that perceptive that they knew Mittens would be the nom and had Bain problems so they decided to use Bane as the villain?

    okay . . . .

     

    Parent

    Back-Up... (5.00 / 4) (#69)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:34:43 AM EST
    ...the character was actually created in the 90's, and Romney's company in the 80's, so the only logical 'conclusion' is that the Clintons are behind it.

    Parent
    Michelle Bachman... (none / 0) (#71)
    by kdog on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:39:22 AM EST
    must be the VP choice then, represented by Catwoman.

    Who was McCain supposed to be in the last installment, The Joker or Harvey Dent?

    Parent

    I Think... (5.00 / 1) (#74)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:48:38 AM EST
    ...the old villian who always dressed up as a ghost in Scooby Doo, with his infamous "And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for you meddling kids."

    I can just picture Mccain saying that as he goes to sleep, replacing 'you meddling kids' with 'the meddling press'.

    Parent

    Speaking of Michelle Bachmann (none / 0) (#73)
    by jbindc on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:46:40 AM EST
    Now she's accusing Hillary Clinton long-time aide Huma Abedin (also known as "Mrs. Anthony Weiner") of being a Muslim Brotherhood Infiltrator.

    Parent
    Lordy (5.00 / 1) (#75)
    by sj on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:51:27 AM EST
    The crazy just doesn't stop.  

    How do people suffering from that kind of delusion reach that kind of position?

    Parent

    That's what I was wondering . . . (5.00 / 2) (#76)
    by nycstray on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:57:44 AM EST
    If I started talking like that, my family would suggest I needed help . . . .

    Parent
    It would be entertaining (5.00 / 2) (#77)
    by jbindc on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:59:16 AM EST
    and possibly fodder for a reality show, except for the fact that these people actually make policy and laws that affect us all.

    Parent
    Think of the Contribution to Society... (none / 0) (#78)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 11:03:02 AM EST
    ...if she would just donate her brain to science.

    Parent
    They'd have to (none / 0) (#79)
    by Zorba on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 11:43:43 AM EST
    find it, first.  Perhaps it would call for the use of an electron microscope.

    Parent
    And just think, they wouldn't need (none / 0) (#84)
    by Anne on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 12:06:47 PM EST
    much more than, what? a ring-sized box to house it?

    It wouldn't surprise me if she was really just a failed experiment with animatronics; apparently, there hasn't been much progress made since the Mitt Romney Experiment...

    Parent

    You know it's bad (none / 0) (#85)
    by jbindc on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 12:37:00 PM EST
    When John McCain gives a loud condemnation of such idiocy.

    Parent
    Ed discussed it (none / 0) (#72)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:44:21 AM EST
    I knew that Rush had to have had an abusive childhood, but no comics too?

    Parent
    Rush knows (5.00 / 2) (#81)
    by Zorba on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 11:48:21 AM EST
    d@mned well that it's not the truth.  He lies to fire up "the base," because he also knows that they're stupid and will believe everything he says.  He does this all the time.  I've never thought that he really believes a lot of the stuff that issues forth from his mouth, but he knows what the "rubes" like.

    Parent
    The Rube vote (5.00 / 1) (#83)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 12:02:34 PM EST


    Parent
    Agreed (none / 0) (#86)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 01:39:42 PM EST
    Same as Glenn Beck, carnival barkers.  But there has to be a point when you start believing your own hype, no one can be in character for decades, can they ?

    Parent
    Sure they can (5.00 / 2) (#87)
    by Zorba on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 05:46:42 PM EST
    What Rush believes is that Rush has found a way to make a whole he!! of a lot of money off do gullible people, and that he basically can't be touched because he has so many fans.  But I don't think he "believes" much of the stuff he spouts, any more than a carnival barker who has been doing his job for decades believes that the "wild man from Borneo" is really from Borneo.  It is my opinion that Rush is, indeed, a conservative Republican who does believe that less government (except for defense and national security spending) and fewer taxes, are good.  But I don't think that he gives a royal rat's patootie about banning gay marriage, or abortion, or any number of other social issues, nor does he really think that the Batman movie is trying to undermine Mitt's candidacy.

    Parent
    Michael Steele is now demanding to (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 07:16:53 PM EST
    see Mitt's tax returns.  The Republican party is butchering their own sacrifice before we even get to the alter.  I've never seen anything like this.  They are abandoning him like lemmings and hurling themselves into the sea.

    Michael Steele? Lordy... (5.00 / 3) (#9)
    by Anne on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 07:55:48 PM EST
    as a Marylander who suffered the insufferable vacuity of Michael Steele as lieutenant governor under Bobby "Haircut" Ehrlich, it's official: this is a genuine Sh!t Show...

    Parent
    He was talking down to Mittens harsh (none / 0) (#11)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 07:58:29 PM EST


    Parent
    Doesn't surprise me. (none / 0) (#30)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 10:12:58 PM EST
    There was never really very much affection for Mittens in the first place, and now they're deathly afraid that he's rapidly becoming an anchor around their necks.

    Were I running the Obama campaign, I'd fire a few more torpedoes and salvos at the S.S. Romney's waterline prior to the GOP convention, then make popcorn and watch all the rats jump ship upon realization that they'll never make landfall.

    Parent

    Well, if There is a Republican... (none / 0) (#55)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 08:49:26 AM EST
    ...liked less than Romney. it's Michael Steele.

    I would hardly call him one of them, but then again many others are making the same demand, my favorite being Kristol.

    Parent

    And I read today that Sen. McCain (none / 0) (#37)
    by oculus on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 10:54:34 PM EST
    stated he picked Sarah Palin over Mitt Romney b/c she was the best VP choice.  

    Parent
    McCain and Romney (none / 0) (#42)
    by IrishGerard on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 02:34:29 AM EST
     exchanged some harsh words during the '08 primary.
    McCain still refuses to throw Palin under the Bus. maybe someday he'll come clean and admit he made a huge mistake picking her.

    I personally think he should have gone with his buddy Lieberman.


    Parent

    I saw that later (none / 0) (#44)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 05:01:04 AM EST
    Does Romney survive this?  Is the anybody but Obama vote possibly 51%.  One Conservative went wild tonight on my facebook.  He's a school teacher in Michigan.  I can't figure that guy out at all.

    Parent
    I think (none / 0) (#68)
    by jbindc on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:29:00 AM EST
    Sarah Palin was "the best choice" because she was not a scary Mormon white guy and instead was a woman (ergo, the "best choice for the time"), whom he could use to grab some voters disgusted with the Democratic Party and the 2008 shenanigans.  Remember - McCain had a 2-5 point lead (depending on the poll) coming out of the conventions, so it did work (for a couple of weeks - until the crash of Lehman).

    Even today, McCain is saying how the comment is being taken as opposed is complete rubbish.

    Parent

    Oops altar (none / 0) (#45)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 05:13:38 AM EST


    Parent
    Poodle Delilah is an amazing healer (5.00 / 2) (#28)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 09:51:38 PM EST
    I'm working with a German Shepherd whose family put in wood floors and now she won't come in the house.  I didn't think it would be a big deal, just take a lot of time.  I make her do what she doesn't want to do though.  She sat paralyzed on the floor the first night (two nights ago) until I physically put her in a crate for bed.  She doesn't mind the slate areas or the throw rugs but with my asthma there aren't many of those.  I had to physically take her outside yesterday morning, where she is fine.  By afternoon Delilah had her coming gingerly in the house and hating every minute of it.  Last night she walked around the house crying.  Then she laid down next to me and Delilah laid down next to her nuzzling her and comforting her.  Today she goes in and out, but only come in for Delilah.  She walks around the house though with Delilah, I figure that Delilah shaved three days off of her therapy.  German Shepherds are not that kind to each other when one needs extra kindness.

    Aw, what a good girl. Poor German Shepard (5.00 / 2) (#29)
    by ruffian on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 10:04:21 PM EST
    Glad she has you and Delilah to help out.

    Do you have any ideas about how to get my old golden to use a ramp to get in and out of the car? He seems not to trust it - I might invest in steps instead.

    Parent

    Intro with treats (none / 0) (#33)
    by nycstray on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 10:40:58 PM EST
    If my dog is afraid of something, I say "check it out" (even if they don't know what that means, they start getting it through repetition) and I check it out first and a treat falls near it (but within their safety zone) and I just work the treats closer until they are on the ramp and then they start getting them for steps. (I had to do this with stairs for Dot and Roxy! needs it for oversized things parked on or near sidewalks) Keep it short and have them check out safe things in between the scary thing.

    Have you walked up the ramp?

    Parent

    it is pretty steep (none / 0) (#46)
    by ruffian on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 05:59:28 AM EST
    when it goes up into the back of the car but maybe I could walk on it if I make it going into the side. I can usually coax him into anything with treats, but he won't try this at all even with  treats. I have been lifting him into the side after he puts his front paws up on the floor of the car, but he's 85 pounds and that's getting a little old. I should have gotten a minivan!

    Parent
    I haven't done any ramp work (none / 0) (#43)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 04:54:02 AM EST
    Does he have a toy that he loves that he will go to or fetch?  Maybe toss it in and take his mind off of the ramp he's walking on for a minute.

    Parent
    How about (5.00 / 1) (#49)
    by DebFrmHell on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 07:09:11 AM EST
    putting the ramp in the back yard and making a game out it.  Teasing him with a toy maybe? Once he has no apprehensions then try the car?

    My dog, Cricket, gets terribly carsick...everytime.  I have to pick her up and put her in if she needs to go somewhere.  Her feet are so splayed out she looks like a cat!  I never knew a dog would get carsick.

    I even tried short trips to get her used to it and that was a fail.  I have cloth seats.  The dog has won unless it is vet time.

    Parent

    My girl used to get carsick (5.00 / 1) (#64)
    by sj on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:11:59 AM EST
    Well, actually when I first got her I had to physically lift her into the car.  She wanted no part of it.  And she couldn't go more than 10 minutes in a car without throwing up.  I got her used to it by loading them (I had two dogs then) up just to go to the gas station 3 blocks away to buy bottled water and very gradually extending the trip length.  My Beautiful Boy didn't mind the short ride.  He was up for a car ride anytime.

    She got much better when I got her a seat belt strap to attach to her harness.  Apparently there was much less motion to cause motion sickness.  In fact she didn't throw up again until a couple of weeks ago when I took her for a bath.  But I think I understand that.  It was so hot and so humid that I had the air conditioner going full blast.  It kind of made me nauseous myself.  Plus with her Chow coat the heat itself kind of did her in.

    I have cloth seats, too.  But because of her earlier problems I always keep some paper towels and a bottle of Nature's Miracle in the trunk.  Nature's Miracle is my friend.

    Parent

    I have a dog too that (5.00 / 1) (#66)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:13:02 AM EST
    can't get beyond carsick.  She has to use Dramamine for trips.  I have a dog from a member of the board of the AKC, so he is very dog knowledgeable.  He told me that puppies often have problems because their ear canals haven't matured, dogs usually mature out of it.  My dog that continues to have problems though, she has narrow features, kind of a collie nose.  I think that her ear canals must be narrow.  I get seasick easily and was told that I would never get over it and it is most likely from having narrow ear canals used for balance.

    Parent
    Paws up for Delilah! (5.00 / 2) (#34)
    by nycstray on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 10:45:03 PM EST
    I had to carry The Dot up to my 4th floor walk-up the first night I brought her home. And up and down for potty breaks until I got her used to stairs. Oy!~ Full grown adult Dal, not my idea of a good time (keep in mind, I'm about 105lbs soaking wet!). I took her to outside stoops to practice where she was more comfortable and then to some inside more open stairs in a warehouse and finally real indoor stairs.  Where was D when I needed her?  :)

    Parent
    I... (5.00 / 1) (#61)
    by sj on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:08:41 AM EST
    ... want to be 105 soaking wet...

    Parent
    Carry large, heavy dog up 4 flights. (none / 0) (#63)
    by oculus on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:10:36 AM EST


    Parent
    Okay... (none / 0) (#65)
    by sj on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:12:45 AM EST
    Very strong 105 pounds soaking wet.

    Parent
    CraZy (5.00 / 1) (#59)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 09:11:08 AM EST
    My dog just forgets there are hardwoods and busts her a$$ at least one a day, usually when I get home and her brain ceases working for about 5 mins.

    She had the same issue with stairs as you mentioned, just freezes and would not mess with them.  So for the first couple weeks, when she was like 5 lbs, I carried her up and down until I moved.  I could have used another dog as I spent so much time.  Said F it, I am moving and maybe this rescue dog had issues with stairs.

    Plus those were apartment stairs on the outside where you can see through them.  I don't think she has ever seen indoor stairs.  But I have a really high bed, she's like 45 lbs and jumps up, barely.  But I worry about her jumping down and getting hip issues.  tried to put a ottoman to cut the distance, she just whined at the site of it.

    Now I just use memory foam pillow.  But she's getting older and lately I have making her stay on the floor, but she gets so lonely way down there.

    Parent

    LOL! I have some tile (5.00 / 2) (#70)
    by DebFrmHell on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:37:58 AM EST
    floors in the kitchen and dining rooms and Cricket is like the cartoons on them.  Feet are moving like a set of crazylegs but she seems to go...well, not so far.  

    She does her puppy explosion when I get home from work but she goes straight to the couch for her "OMG!OMG!OMG!ITHOUGHTYOULEFTMEFOREVER" antics.  She is very enthusiastic.

    Mine can make the jump to the high bed but she prefers her aid.  I took it away once because she can easily make the leap.  She was very vocal about that!  She won.  Its back.  

    The Dog is happy.  If my dog ain't happy, nobody is happy!

    Parent

    New emerging theory (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 10:26:04 PM EST
    on why Romney won't release his tax returns from businessweek:

    It's possible that Romney paid ZERO taxes in 2009

    That's what I was thinking... (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by desertswine on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 10:47:33 PM EST
    That he paid -0- taxes for certain years.

    If he can take a $77,000 deduction for his dancing horse, I should be able to take a 25 buck deduction for my cat Queen Patty.

    Parent

    I guess I should start deducting Roxy!~ (5.00 / 1) (#38)
    by nycstray on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 11:01:17 PM EST
    I hope to do dog sports with her . . . .  and she's my studio mascot :D

    Parent
    I read this article this morning, five possible (none / 0) (#50)
    by Angel on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 07:45:54 AM EST
    reasons, and none of them are good.  

    http://tinyurl.com/c6la6nj


    Parent

    Seems Very Dumb (none / 0) (#57)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 08:54:54 AM EST
    Romney didn't just fall into this, he's been wanting to be Prez for a long time, predating the past 5 years of returns for sure.  Why on Earth would his returns not be the stuff made for public consumption.

    And to me, if he can't plan that far ahead with something so basic, seems like maybe he shouldn't be in charge of the countries planning.

    Parent

    Whaaaaaaaaaat?! (none / 0) (#2)
    by Addison on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 07:01:29 PM EST
    Romney appears close to naming his running mate.

    No. Not at all. I'm surprised people think that. He'll pick in mid-August. This is all just a distraction. That's why Condi and T-Paw are getting floated, because neither has a chance and there's no harm wasting their news cycle.

    Much as I hate to see time rush by (none / 0) (#3)
    by ruffian on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 07:04:53 PM EST
    It is getting close to the end of July. The end of this week would not be all that early. I'm sure he has decided already - just a matter of when best to announce it. If he still feels some heat by Thursday....

    Parent
    Eh. (none / 0) (#7)
    by Addison on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 07:25:06 PM EST
    Those closest it's been in modern times is 3 weeks ahead of the convention (2004, Kerry picking Edwards). I believe that a pick this week would be 6 weeks ahead of the GOP convention. Twice as far ahead. That's quite a bit. It's a ploy to distract from the third straight week of bad news cycles for Romney (and the worst one yet).

    Parent
    Ok. Didn't realize it was so unusual. (none / 0) (#12)
    by ruffian on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 08:00:25 PM EST
    I am not arguing it would be an act of desperation. He really needs both a change of subject and some help out there.

    Parent
    I think the best tactic for Mittens, (5.00 / 2) (#54)
    by KeysDan on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 08:47:21 AM EST
    at this point, is to try to change the subject with just trial buffoons.   Actually naming a running mate would bring it all back, real fast---with questions for the vice presidential candidate such as will you release all your tax returns; do you think Romney should release his?   The answers, of course, will be rehearsed, e.g., when Obama releases Bo's vaccination records.  But, it is the questions.

    Parent
    It's going to be (none / 0) (#67)
    by jbindc on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 10:22:35 AM EST
    after the Olymics sometime.

    Parent
    Maybe Romney is (none / 0) (#82)
    by KeysDan on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 11:56:15 AM EST
    waiting until after the Olympics so as to pick a real American who got the top medal--a candidate who at once appeals to   fans of sport and collectors of  gold.

    Parent
    One of my facebook friends is a looney (none / 0) (#5)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 07:10:28 PM EST
    liberal living in the Bay area and he says that Condi has already said, "No!"  She likes where she lives and her job just fine and has no desire to do anything else.

    Parent
    Condi said a very emphatic 'no' (none / 0) (#10)
    by ruffian on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 07:56:27 PM EST
    On a Sunday show a few weeks ago. She seemed serious about it!

    Parent
    So Has the Romney Camp (none / 0) (#80)
    by ScottW714 on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 11:46:42 AM EST
    The Today Show said Romney is thinking about deploying a second jet as a decoy.  That seems ludicrous, but the Times mentions it HERE.
    The Romney campaign has cloaked its vetting of possible vice-presidential nominees in layers of secrecy, so much so that it is even considering using a decoy -- two sets of planes, two rollout locations, for example -- to try to keep the selection from leaking out.


    Parent
    For the rich, they sing (none / 0) (#88)
    by DFLer on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 06:37:21 PM EST


    Parent
    States response (none / 0) (#8)
    by labrat on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 07:44:28 PM EST
    That PDF file crashes my internet everytime I try to open it. Can anyone point me to a summary or give me a brief synopsis of what their argument is?

    The argument is ... (none / 0) (#18)
    by cboldt on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 08:56:43 PM EST
    The state basically says:

    the court gave the defendant what he asked for (bond), therefore it isn't biased

    defendant argued that he and his family was candid and forthright in the bond hearing, but Lester correctly found otherwise.  Defendant is claiming Lester is biased because Lester didn't agree with defendant's position that defendant was candid and forthright

    defendant can't bring up the absence of grand jury, because that was more than 10 days ago

    there is case law where the highlighted portions stand for the proposition that no matter what the court says, it's not a sign of bias

    parenthetically, defendant is wrong about the state's evidence not being strong.  Self defense arguments are irrelevant to the question of whether or not Zimmerman shot Martin, and the state has strong evidence that Zimmerman shot Martin.

    the state did not assert that the court was correct to find Zimmerman would have fled, but was thwarted.  I think the state missed the point of O'Mara's argument(s), and instead set up a straw man that it could knock down.

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    thanks (none / 0) (#48)
    by labrat on Wed Jul 18, 2012 at 06:44:25 AM EST
    you're the best!

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    Very bad timing (none / 0) (#13)
    by ruffian on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 08:02:47 PM EST
    Just saw an ad for a new Ben Stiller movie. It is about a neighborhood watch group. In fact it is a comedy, entitled 'Neighborhood Watch'.  Oy.

    If I'm not mistaken, that movie's release (none / 0) (#14)
    by Anne on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 08:06:42 PM EST
    was delayed by the Zimmerman case; I think it was originially scheduled to be released several months ago.

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    Too bad it just doesn't go ... (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 09:14:44 PM EST
    ... straight to video. I find Ben Stiller's movies to be insipid.

    The one glaring exception to that rule is 1995's Flirting With Disaster. That film was hysterical, but of course, its real stars were actually Mary Tyler Moore, Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin and George Seagal, who deftly managed to upstage the younguns to show them how good farce is done.

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    Correct you are. (none / 0) (#16)
    by Angel on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 08:22:06 PM EST


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    Imagine that...$$$ (none / 0) (#15)
    by fishcamp on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 08:14:06 PM EST


    The title was also changed (none / 0) (#17)
    by IrishGerard on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 08:45:01 PM EST
     to "The Watch". Dropping neighborhood.

    Not on the ad I just saw a little while ago! (none / 0) (#26)
    by ruffian on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 09:38:55 PM EST


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    I guess I might not have seen the final (none / 0) (#27)
    by ruffian on Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 09:45:37 PM EST
    titlefinal title, but they use the words often enough in the ad.

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    Tuesday Night Open Thread | 87 comments (87 topical)

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