The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[innerSpaceman]

So, um, what's all this about Cloves prohibition??? Huh?

[Ghoulish Delight]

It's a law that was signed in June giving the FDA authority to ban "flavored cigarettes" ostensibly because they are attractive to children. It's been in the works in Congress for years. One of the reasons it's taken so long is that Indonesia has cried foul since as written it covered cloves but not American-made mint/menthol cigarettes, so Congress has been trying to figure out if they can pass it without completely pissing Indonesia off. Apparently they decided so.

I have not yet found any source that says exactly when cloves will be off the shelves, if they will. Though I have read that the importer of Djarum, Kretek, has started making a filtered cigar that apparently looks and tastes a whole lot like a clove cigarette to get around it since the bill doesn't cover cigars.

ETA: Apparently Sept 22 is the date source

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by 3894

Dumping Bush's border fence would buy a whole lot of public option insurance.

It wouldn't even pay for the illegals that would pour in.

[3894]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

It wouldn't even pay for the illegals that would pour in.

Oh, scaeagles, you kidder! You know that fence is going to work every bit as well as Reagan's Star Wars project.

[Alex]

Regardless of whether it will work the, the fence is expected to cost about $400 million per year. While that could certainly go other things it wouldn't buy a whole lot of health care (let alone a "public option" which as is currently being pursued would be self-funded).

[3894]

Originally Posted by Alex

Regardless of whether it will work the, the fence is expected to cost about $400 million per year. While that could certainly go other things it wouldn't buy a whole lot of health care (let alone a "public option" which as is currently being pursued would be self-funded).

And your point is? Okay, you're right about the self-funding.

[Gemini Cricket]

Oh yes. There is a reason why I love this man in so many ways.

CNN: President Carter said he thinks that a lot of the animosity directed toward President Obama is race related.

Dave Matthews: Of course it is! I found there's a fairly blatant racism in America that's already there, and I don't think I noticed it when I lived here as a kid. But when I went back to South Africa, and then it's sort of thrust in your face, and then came back here -- I just see it everywhere. There's a good population of people in this country that are terrified of the president only because he's black, even if they don't say it. And I think a lot of them, behind closed doors, do say it.

Maybe I'm paranoid about it, but I don't think someone who disagreed as strongly as they do with Obama -- if it was Clinton -- would have stood up and screamed at him during his speech. (Shakes his head) I don't think so.

CNN: Everything has gone to such a frenzied pitch.

Matthews: I think a lot of it has to be on the press. We give the podium to a lot of people who shouldn't have the podium. The message that's delivered the loudest and in the most entertaining way is the one that we're going to put on because that's what we want. We want ratings more than we want to deliver information. That's just where the culture's gotten.
There's no way that Walter Cronkite, as a young journalist, no way Ed Murrow would be hired to do news today. Not a chance.

CNN: Because they're too low-key? Because they're not bombastic?

Matthews: Because they're thoughtful, and they're patient, and they're tying to tell you a truly balanced story. They're trying to impart information. I don't think that's the goal [now] because it's not a good business plan. ...
Everyone's outraged all the time. Why are you outraged? There's war -- there's always been war, as long as most of us have been alive. There have always been people being abused, there's always been horrible things in the world. Why are we outraged? We should just be quiet and figure it out, and work it out together. ... There's no solution in Washington as long as people are shouting like that.

Source

[innerSpaceman]

Props to Gemini Cricket's boyfriend, er, um, hero.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Though I have read that the importer of Djarum, Kretek, has started making a filtered cigar that apparently looks and tastes a whole lot like a clove cigarette to get around it since the bill doesn't cover cigars.

No such luck according to the guy at the cig store I was just at, that got nixed. I bought his last carton of specials. At the rate I smoke 'em, combined with the handful of partial packs I have in random places at home, that should last me a while.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Dave Matthews

Of course it is! I found there's a fairly blatant racism in America that's already there, and I don't think I noticed it when I lived here as a kid. But when I went back to South Africa, and then it's sort of thrust in your face, and then came back here -- I just see it everywhere. There's a good population of people in this country that are terrified of the president only because he's black, even if they don't say it. And I think a lot of them, behind closed doors, do say it.

What a crock. There are racists, certainly. To claim that opposition to his agenda is largely racially motivated is ignorant.

Even Obama has said he does not believe the opposition is racially motivated. Good for him.