Ninja Monkie Bacchanal

From The Washington Independent:

A combined 54 percent of at-least-weekly church-goers say torture is either often or sometimes justifiable; for those who attend monthly or a few times a year, that figure is 51 percent; for those who do not attend, it is 42 percent.

Evangelicals, according to the survey, are more prone to saying torture is justifiable than members of the nation’s other two main Christian groups: so-called “mainline” Protestants and white, non-Hispanic Catholics. Unaffiliateds–a conglomerated group of atheists, agnostics, and those who say their religion is “nothing in particular–support torture the least: 40 percent say it’s justifiable often or sometimes.

....these days, much of what liberals really anguish about behind closed doors is how to find common ground with people of faith. And now I realize that for at least some people, commom ground will never be possible because they don’t object to specific ideas that can be reframed or adjusted. They object to Satan, whose bidding we are doing. They may not hate us - they may believe they love us - but they hate him, and they won’t negotiate with him either. We want to persuade them, reason with them, and accomodate them. They want to save us. It’s not even the same playing field - Daniel Radosh, Rapture Ready!

Today we mark the (totally artificial) 100-day mark of the administration of President Obama. So what has he done? CBS has the breakdown:

News Conferences: 16 – of which two were formal prime time news sessions. Most of the others were joint press availabilities with foreign leaders at home and abroad. (Mr. Obama has a prime time news conference this evening.)

Speeches: 115 (at least 47 using a Teleprompter)

Cabinet Meetings: 1

Bill Signings: 12 (bill signing ceremonies: 6)

1) S. 181 - The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
2) H.R. 2 – The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act
3) S. 352, Digital TV Delay Act
4) H.R. 1 – The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
5) H.J. Res. 38 – a Continuing Resolution to provide funding to the government through March 11
6) H.R. 1105 - $410-billion Omnibus Appropriations Bill
7) H.R. 1541 - Small Business Act Temporary Extension
8) H.R. 146 – the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009
9) H.R. 1512, the “Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2009
10) H.R. 1388, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act
11) S. 520, which designates the United States Courthouse located in Rockford, Illinois, as the “Stanley J. Roszkowski United States Courthouse”
12) S. 383, the “Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program Act of 2009

Visits to the Capitol: 8

Visits to Camp David: 4 (all or part of 9 days)

Visits Home To Chicago: 1 (all or part of 4 days)

Foreign Travel: 3 trips; 9 nations:

1) Canada
2) U.K.
3) France
4) Germany
5) Czech Republic
6) Turkey
7) Iraq
8) Mexico
9) Trinidad and Tobago

Meetings with Foreign Leaders: 34 one on one sit down meetings with heads of state and government (plus casual greetings with 24 leaders at the G20 Summit in London and 33 at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.)

Flights on Marine One: 46 (plus 4 flights today)

Flights on Air Force One: 34 (plus 2 flights today)

Night Outings: 8 (dinners, parties, theater, sports)

States Visited: 11 (including today)

1) Maryland
2) Virginia
3) Indiana
4) Florida
5) Illinois
6) Colorado
7) Arizona
8) North Carolina
9) Ohio
10) California
11) Missouri

Proclamations: 17

1) Save Your Vision Week
2) American Red Cross Month
3) Irish American Heritage Month
4) Women’s History Month
5) National Poison Prevention Week
6) Greek Independence Day
7) National Donate Life Month
8) National Child Abuse Prevent Month
9) National Cancer Control Month
10) National D.A.R.E. Day
11) National Sexual Assault Awareness Month
12) National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day
13) Pan American Day and Week
14) National Park Week
15) National Volunteer Week
16) Earth Day
17) National Crime Victims Rights Week

National Debt: $11.2-trillion (up $563-billion on Mr. Obama’s watch)

Golf Outings: 1

School Visits: 4 (for policy events)

Sports Events: At least 10 (includes White House visits by championship teams and players and one visit to a pro basketball game: Wizards v. Bulls, Feb. 27)

So, Senator Spector (R B-PA) has finally come around huh? LOL.

Veteran Republican Sen. Arlen Specter disclosed plans Tuesday to switch parties, bringing Democrats closer to the 60-vote supermajority they need to push Barack Obama’s agenda through the Senate.

“This is a painful decision,” said Specter at a Tuesday afternoon news conference. “I know that I’m disappointing a lot of my friends and colleagues...the disappointment runs in both directions."

So the US has declared a public health emergency over the swine influenza outbreak. Interesting.

Responding to what some health officials feared could be the leading edge of a global pandemic emerging from Mexico, American health officials declared a public health emergency on Sunday as 20 cases of swine flu were confirmed in this country, including eight in New York City.

And then there is this:

American investigators said they expected more cases here, but noted that virtually all so far had been mild and urged Americans not to panic.

The speed and the scope of the world’s response showed the value of preparations made because of the avian flu and SARS scares, public health experts said.

The emergency declaration in the United States lets the government free more money for antiviral drugs and give some previously unapproved tests and drugs to children. One-quarter of the national stockpile of 50 million courses of antiflu drugs will be released.

I am spending the weekend in Omaha for my cousin’s wedding. Last night I found myself with my brother and one of my sisters (and her friend) at a Village Inn gnoshing on biscuits and gravy. A quick survey around the table included mongo skillets, scrambled eggs, and french toast. Good drunk food. Yes, we had closed the bar down earlier. And that was after closing down the wedding reception prior that.

Ahhh, good times. 

From Paul Krugman’s blog:

Let’s say this slowly: the Bush administration wanted to use 9/11 as a pretext to invade Iraq, even though Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. So it tortured people to make them confess to the nonexistent link.

There’s a word for this: it’s evil.

This is the largest assault on democracy and freedom in this country that I’ve ever experienced. I’ve lived through some tough times in Congress. We’ve seen two wars, terrorist attacks. I fear this more than all of the above - Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.)

BTW, the subject of his ire? The administration’s proposed cap-and-trade system for fighting climate change.

From Robert Reich:

The Administration is coming up to that magical 100-day mark, at which point measures are taken of how a new president is doing. As a university professor I’m accustomed to giving grades.

I tend to disagree with this assessment of the bank bailout. While abyssmal, I don’t think it warrants his F. That is a bit harsh I think.

ROTFLMAO:

Times are tough in this economy, and there is no longer any such thing as job security. The New York Daily News reports that one woman in Akron, OH, used the tools of her trade to defend her job. A 52-year-old woman, recently hired by a local club as a stripper, was attacked by one of her new co-workers who didn’t think the club needed any more dancers. The assailant used to the stiletto heel of her shoe to beat the newcomer repeatedly in the face. The attacked woman was taken to the emergency room where she received 7 staples. She has declined, for the moment, to press charges. Now that’s a tough first day on the job!

Hey Iran… President Obama can comment on any of the citizens of his country he wants to. Especially those tried on closed court on dubious espionage charges:

Iran urged President Barack Obama on Monday not to comment on the case of a U.S. journalist convicted of spying and sentenced to eight years in prison before learning the details.

So suck it.

Something about this really bothers me.

Law enforcement officials are vastly expanding their collection of DNA to include millions more people who have been arrested or detained but not yet convicted. The move, intended to help solve more crimes, is raising concerns about the privacy of petty offenders and people who are presumed innocent.

Until now, the federal government genetically tracked only convicts. But starting this month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will join 15 states that collect DNA samples from those awaiting trial and will also collect DNA from detained immigrants — the vanguard of a growing class of genetic registrants.

It shouldn’t I suppose but it really does.