More Media Nonsense

 Pyrrhus

Charlie Harper and I rarely, completely disagree. Generally we're on the same page and the devil lives where the devil lives.

His Herald Courier article on "Media Bias" is no exception.

I cannot disagree with the following,

The problem with selective edits and biased reporting of only selected facts is that it undermines not only the integrity of journalism, but on our political process as a whole.  Conservatives have every right to be suspect of what appears on MSNBC.  Liberals have every right to be suspect of FoxNews.

But down where the devil lives things become much more complicated and Charlie suffers from the very contagion he decries.

Is there bias in the media? Yes. Is it pervasive and steered in one particular direction? Outside the clearly uniformed polemicists, not really. And most importantly, does it bleed into reporting? Hardly and usually the evidence given of this grave sin is flimsier than a piece of scotch tape in a hurricane (Charlie's example of Andrea Mitchell's idiocy is a notable exception).

The context that Charlie leaves out in his "pox on both their houses" column is one side has spent over forty years, birthed with the utterance of "nattering nabobs of negativism", constructing a massive mythology that is then used as a narrative cudgel  in any political discussion.

A clearer picture of bias and its level of infection is given by conservative Conor Friedersdorf,

There is some liberal bias. It's fine to call it out -- but absurd to treat it as the very core of your worldview, the explanation for every ideological setback you suffer, or the main factor preventing a better society.

The very core of your world view may sound like hyperbole, but not when practically every conversation about the good Reverend Jeremiah Wright starts with the press didn't cover him, when it was ABC News that first broadcast the outrageous videotape.

Not when Joe Scarborough blasts the NY Times for covering Mitt Romney's Scrooge McDuck like exploits while ignoring John Kerry's fabulous elitism - only to be told the old grey lady in 2004 ran a series about the Boston brahmin's excesses.

Not when you consider a conversation I had with a conservative about the gas shortages of 2008. He claimed the "librul AJC" blamed Governor Sonny Perdue. I recalled most of the coverage focused on the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. He insisted. I researched. And then show him two articles from the AJC that squarely lay blame for the shortage on the storms. Nary a mention of Governor Perdue. He was still not satisfied and insisted the eggheads blamed the Republican Governor.

Of course the left has sinned too and MSNBC is as leprous  as Naaman. But it is not an obsession with the left. It is not carved into their DNA. It is not the subject of every last beloved conversation.


And the greater sin which is covered by this cacophony of constant caterwauling about the unfair liberal media conspiracy is that, as Jon Stewart noted, the true bias is "lazy".

Not in the trenches of the dailies where good people like Aaron Gould Sheinen and Jim Galloway (raging liberals both, I'm sure) toil, but the most fervent wallowing is in the slop houses of the national political press. Where the hogs are fed not on turnips and roots, but by the endless swill that spews forth from the twitter gullet of every person who has traded all vestiges of shame for the title "operative".

Jamelle Bouie of The American Spectator lances straight to the center of the boil,

The monstrous truth of this dynamic is that it’s driven by political journalists. They are the ones who breathlessly cover campaign tweets in a desperate bid for web traffic, they are the ones who act as glorified opposition researchers, evaluating claims on the basis of whether they’ll be used in an ad, and not whether they’re accurate or truthful. The obsessive focus on trivia, the constant search for gaffes—these are things generated by the political press.

 Today's story is about a mythical place called WaWa. Tomorrow's story will likely dance on the head of some new semantic pin. Or whatever is the latest "controversy", "miscue" or blessed shiny object that matters so much to all those who do matter; meaning the press itself and not 99% of the voters who will actually participate in the electing of our next leader.

Meanwhile, the Republicans are myth building, the Democrats are self-destructing, the Libertarians are keeping a straight face while pretending a Romney presidency would somehow blossom with more love of freedom than the current, the Tea Partiers have reached the U.N. conspiracy stage of transportation discussions, we face a terrifying fiscal reckoning and Syria seems intent on solving all its problems by not having any people left alive to cause problems.

And about a million other things that would matter unless your primary bias is your own self importance; which is the only real sin the press has exhibited for years.

Quote For The Day

George Chidi is a familiar name to anyone who followed the Occupy Atlanta fun. In a "break-up letter", published by Creative Loafing, he lets loose. While he exposes the many problems many of us suspected existed within Occupy Atlanta, the following stuck out for me.

The tent protest against AT&T's decision to shift roughly three percent of its workers from union wireline jobs to non-union jobs in the U-Verse division was so little respected that the union itself did not meaningfully participate.

People who say the left doesn't police its own have not been around the left leaning activists I've encountered. When Occupy Atlanta first got off the ground, I looked to the movement trench warfare veterans, of which there are many in this town, to gauge the seriousness of what was going down in Woodruff Park.

The reactions ranged from curiosity to utter disdain. Essentially the attitude was "they don't know what the eff they are doing and they will probably eff a lot of things up".

Good rule of thumb when dealing with new movements; always look to see how they are received by the established movement community and you'll have a good idea of their true impact.

About That New Welfare Drug Testing Law.....

Recently, Governor Deal signed a law requiring all applicants for welfare in Georgia to first pee in a cup.

As many, including yours truly, pointed out during the legislative debate, Florida already has a similar law which not only did its own study committee recommend against but is currently tied up in appellate court due to that pesky thing called the 4th Amendment (and based on previous rulings, including a seminal one from....where else....Georgia)

Well, it gets better.

Not only is Florida's law probably unconstitutional, as predicted by experts, it not only doesn't work, it actually costs the state money.

Ushered in amid promises that it would save taxpayers money and deter drug users, a Florida law requiring drug tests for people who seek welfare benefits resulted in no direct savings, snared few drug users and had no effect on the number of applications, according to recently released state data.

Since an overwhelming number of applicants have passed the test and the law requires the state to reimburse the costs of the test to anyone who passes, after four months, the program has actually cost taxpayers over $45,000.


Doesn't work. Costs money. Violates the Constitution.

Governor Deal and the rascals managed to hit the bad governance trifecta.

Quote Of The Day

Ta-Nehisi Coates on lazy pundits not taking the time to research before spewing memes,

And then there are pundits who write more than they read, and talk more than they listen, and prefer an easy creationism to a google search.

The context here is comments by Juan Williams about the lack of marches protesting black on black violence on Fox  Sunday Morning. Coates lists half a dozen such marches and rallies from the past year.

Selah

Many years ago, a fortunate connection provided me the opportunity to work the short-lived Sarazen Open at Chateau Elan. We worked the caddy shack, where I met the gracious, Payne Stewart, to the gruff, Bones McKay.

We also on occasion rotated up to the first tee to help with what ever needed helping. As I stood just inside the ropes on one late fall day, watching professional after professional, including the Golden Bear himself, strike balls down the first fairway, I felt a presence next to me.

I looked around and standing by my side was a small seasoned man whose face was as familiar as opening the paper. Although those who knew him swore of his gentle heart, my only knowledge was his sometimes acerbic writing style laced without what could only be called crankiness.

Screwing up my courage, I turned and said, "It's a great day for golf, Mr. Bisher".

He looked up at me from under his floppy, white hat, stretched a broad smile and replied, "Oh, it's a fine day for golf".

Selah.

Quote Of The Day

In a sweeping analysis of Andrew Breitbart's methods and impact on the media, Conor Friedersdorf absolutely nails the neurotic obsessiveness the loudest voices on the right display when talking about the media.

There is some liberal bias. It's fine to call it out -- but absurd to treat it as the very core of your worldview, the explanation for every ideological setback you suffer, or the main factor preventing a better society.

If you are interested in the way the media landscape has changed and the impact of operators like Breitbart, the entire essay is a must read. It's as honest it gets, rightly crediting  the man for creating platforms that allow greater consumption of the news, rightly blaming him for using that platform to damage, not further journalism and ultimately, acts as a warning on the temptation to sate on satisfying short term tactical victories while ignoring the larger game being played.

The Deficit Is Shrinking

You read that headline right. And the source of this surprising reality? Drudge Peach Pundit Morning Reads.

If you click through and read the article, you'll see the CBO projects the 2012 deficit at $1.08 trillion. Originally the estimate had it dropping below the tantalizing trillion mark, but later revisions nudged it slightly back over that psychological marker.

Can that be right? Can the deficit actually be dropping despite the best efforts of our free wheelin' Socialist-In Chief?

Yes. And it has for some time.

Here's the deficits since 2009 (and remember 2009 was actually mostly President Bush since the fiscal year ran through Oct 1st):

2009: $1.41 trillion
2010: $1.23 trillion
2011: $1.29 trillion
2012: $1.10 trillion

Source: http://www.usgovernmentdebt.us/federal_deficit_chart.html

And that chart at the top? That's the rate of increase in Federal spending. That nose dive at the end is not an illusion.

Just a few things to roll around your head in case you have the misfortune of your radio landing on the WSB MEDIA CONVEYOR BELT OF DOOM with some snake oil salesman screaming "HE'S GOING TO SPEND US INTO OBLIVION!"

Reality bites.

Somebody Misses His Wooten

Valentine's must be in the air, for Republican Randy Evans has penned quite the love letter to former AJC scribe Jim Wooten.

But he did not stop there. When writing columns, he researched and verified every word to make sure that every column was thorough, accurate, and complete. He understood that just one mistake, one error, and thousands of readers would call him on it.

Really.

I've read Jim Wooten for over twenty years and deigned to be his informal, snarky ombudsman for the last four years of his tenure. What Mr. Evans writes was once true, as documented in my own conflicted thoughts about Jim's gradual transformation from thoughtful conservative in the Durwood McAllister vein to just another link in the WSB media conveyor belt churning out endless half truth panderisms, but it was laid waste in the final years as he gradually viewed his quest as not one for the truth but one that  matched his narrowing world view.

My own biased viewpoint? Absolutely. But feel free to graze on the years where I played Deacon Lunchbox to Wooten's Lewis Grizzard. It's all there for anyone to see.

Quote Of The Day

From Conor Friedersdorf on Newt Gingrich's 1996 bill proposing to execute non-violent pot smugglers.

This insufficient regard for the sanctity of human life and willingness to pander with the death penalty is problematic enough when exhibited by a powerful legislator. Electing a president with that mindset is terrifying

Exactly right.

Silliness Of The Day

This is threatening to be a regular feature.

For the record, the only constitutional requirement of the legislature is to pass a budget. If only they'd realize this fact. Instead, every year, they seem intent on proving 40 days is 39 too many.

Sen. John Bulloch (R-Down My Way) wants to allow hunters to use silencers.

A Georgia Senate proposal would end the ban on silencers for hunting firearms. Senate Bill 301 is sponsored by Sen. John Bulloch, who says allowing hunters to use silencers would keep them from disturbing their neighbors

Now in my 30 years of tromping through the south Georgia woods (and I'm sure it's a longer span for Sen. Bulloch), I've yet to encounter a neighbor who complains about the dulcet tones of a .270 Winchester Short Magnum ringing in the crisp autumn air.

I find it hard to believe that the good folks of Sen. Bulloch's home town, Ochlocknee, are a uniquely skittish bunch.

Down The Rabbit Hole

Did you know there is a Presidential candidate with eligibility issues? Due to questions about his citizenship? And his name is not Barack Obama?

From United Liberty (an always entertaining web site that stretches from just inside the sanity line to bull fruit looney):

Mitt Romney’s father was not a citizen, when Mitt was born. It remains questionable, if this citizen issue will be a defining factor in Mitt Romney’s plunge at the hands of South Carolina Republicans.

Birtherism is a weird sub-culture and now I discover the even weirder sub-sub-culture of Romney birtherism. If you google "Romney Citizenship Eligibility" be prepared for a journey into one of the strangest corners of the web.

Two things I love: the endless absurdity of the internet and the wonderland reality skewing adventure which is primary season in the south.

Those Nasty Anonymous Comments

Don't usually toot my own horn, but this statement from analysis by the commenting platform Disqus sounds awfully familiar.

Pseudonyms are kind of a cross between the two: You can say what you want without fear of retribution (a la anonymity) but you also want to cultivate a persona, and, typically, you don't want it to be hated. The result? Better comments.

From August 2007:

Unlike the real namers however, their credibility is based primarily on context. The semi-anonymous develops a reputation based not on name but on the content of their work. If the work is credible and consistent, the handle can become almost as legitimate as a real name.

The internet changes many things, but some truths remain consistent.

Quote Of The Day

Charlie Harper on how politicians frequently skew budgetary priorities:

Georgia could spend $20 Million on fishing, but it couldn’t spend money on teachers.  On veterans.  On trauma care. Go fish represents the last Governor’s monument to misplaced priorities

Charlie's article expands on this most recent example of appropriations infamy to explore the upcoming transportation vote and the proposed new Falcons stadium.Well worth the read.

There's Never An Egg Timer When You Need One

Remember earlier when I noted I would be saying "monumental waste of time" more often?

Democrat Pam Dickerson of Conyers wants to make photoshopping heads onto bodies of the nude variety illegal.

Did Britney Spears move to Rep. Dickerson's district and nobody noticed?

Urine Better Than Mine

Before the session began today, Georgians were already exposed to the latest pissing contest.

Republicans Jason Spencer and John Albers think it is only fair that if you receive the roughly 400 bucks a month in welfare that we should make sure what is leftover after buying Chef Boy-ar-dee and Kraft Mac And Cheese isn't spent on the Mary Jane or worse. These fine stewards of public money think our best efforts should be spent on drug testing TANF (Transitional Assistance for Needy Families) recipients.

Spectacular idea! I bet Georgia is on the cutting edge of this type of innovative thought! Oh wait. We aren't? Florida is already lining up the clear plastic cups at the johnnies? Well, certainly before these two wise men of Georgia germinated this idea they must have looked south to see how things fare. Right?

Given that in October, a federal judge issued an injunction stopping the testing and prior to the obviously activist judge stepping in, only 32 people out of 7,000 tested positive, which  isn't that surprising given Florida's own study commission on the subject concluded the amount of positives would not justify the cost, I'm going to go with "no, they didn't".

Not to be outdone in the contest of political puffery, in steps Democrat Scott Holcomb, who wants to test the entire legislature.

Now, Rep. Holcomb is new to the job so perhaps he doesn't know that in 1997 the Supreme Court struck down a Georgia law (we didn't even have to go to Florida to look for this one!) requiring office seekers to step up to the urinalysis trough.

Or perhaps he did and he believes the best way to counter Republican ridiculousness is with Democrat ridiculousness.

Meanwhile, we all sit in traffic on the Perimeter, the Connector and everywhere in between, companies are beginning to question moving to Georgia because the quality of life ain't what it used to be and we continue to snatch school kids all over the place as no one knows what to do with the education system.

What a monumental waste of time. Get used to me saying that this session.

Welcome To The Wallow

They'se back. Let the rolling in the mud begin.

Quote Of The Day

A bonfire was quenched last night.

I have one consistency, which is [being] against the totalitarian - on the left and on the right. The totalitarian, to me, is the enemy - the one that's absolute, the one that wants control over the inside of your head, not just your actions and your taxes. And the origins of that are theocratic, obviously. The beginning of that is the idea that there is a supreme leader, or infallible pope, or a chief rabbi, or whatever, who can ventriloquise the divine and tell us what to do.

Christopher Hitchens, 1949-2011

Quote Of The Day

Our old friend the witch burner, Erick Erickson.

I hope for a Perry rebound. He’s on his first wife still and has the most consistent record of conservative policies. And we hate the same people and institutions. We have the same general world view.

Note use of the word "hate". This from the man who routinely questions Jimmy Carter's Christianity.

Rewarding Bad Behavior

The streak of media in this town rewarding bad behavior continues.

Atlanta Progressive News' Matthew Cardinale continues to report the "scoop" that the Atlanta Journal Constitution does not credit other sources for stories. I know this comes as a shock to all those staffers at Creative Loafing, the editor of Decatur Metro and every other blog that has covered local news in this town for the past decade.

But let's put aside the continued self-declared importance of Matthew Cardinale (and his new best friend at Peach Pundit, imagine that, a Republican consultant collaborating with an avowed socialist to attack the Republican's favorite punching bag) as he protects us from the greed and sloth of the corporate media giant  and wonder aloud about the response of two of Atlanta's most storied journalists.

Former Creative Loafing Editor, Ken Edelstein:

Thank you for covering this, Matthew. The straightforward, factual fashion in which you play this media watchdog role is a real service to the community.

And The Saporta Reports Maria Saporta:

Astute observation Matthew

Ken and Maria, I just have one question. If one of your reporters did this, would you continue to promote their "good work".

There are many people in social media who continue to do good work and for years they have been routinely ignored. But many times, those who play fast and loose with the rules, get links, credit and pats on the back.

Welcome to the new world, bubba. Same as it ever was.

Quote Of The Day

Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell responding to allegations made by the blog LaFayette Underground that she waltzed into a Huddle House, drunker than six sailors.

I wrote them back and said they must’ve gotten me mixed up with someone else because I don’t drink and I don’t smoke and I don’t dance and I don’t date.

LaFayette Underground has been sticking pins and needles in Walker County officials for two year.Recently, one of its anonymous contributor's was not only identified by police but questioned after security footage showed him on city property after hours.

The conflict between the powers that be in Walker County and the anonymous blog has been bubbling for some time and brings into light a number of issues confronted by social media in the past half decade; anonymity, ethics and standards, etc.

I'll withhold judgment on the standards of LaFayette Underground but will say based on what I've read, they've played fast and loose with the game. That's a dangerous position in any circumstance and as they are discovering, it has real world implications when you are accusing those in power of malfeasance

Quote Of The Day

From an Andrew Sullivan reader:

I spent Thanksgiving with my family of formerly-sensible moderates and conservatives. Every one of them has morphed into a Gingrich fan....The only thing they're interested in is the visceral joy of watching someone destroy and humiliate "that damned Obama." They're convinced that Gingrich is just the guy to administer the rough justice they crave, and whether he's electable or would even be good for the country simply doesn't enter into their thinking.

I could tell a very similar story in the context of "that damned Obama". And I agree with the reader that anyone who thinks Gingrich doesn't stand a chance in nabbing the nomination is fooling themselves. The desire to "teach Obama a lesson" is very real and many are under the delusion that Professor Gingrich can administer the beat down.

Friday Night Lights

My beloved Colquitt County Packers will play the Grayson Rams this Friday night in Loganville. While checking the ticket situation, I noticed the following on the Grayson website:

We need a volunteer to work the TDC parking lot beginning at 4pm. I have had numerous  emails and calls about parking, so I think that they will be bringing a large following.  I  believe that last year we had some issues with them getting here early and parking in that  lot.

Yes. We travel.

And yes. We tailgate.

Welcome to high school football - South Georgia style.

Tweet Of The Day

In response to Poltico's Mike Allen tweeting that Warren Buffet buying his hometown newspaper is a "great day for publishing", the AJC's Kyle Wingfield tweets:

I'm sure it would also be a "great day for publishing" if a Koch bought a paper.

In the rapidly closing circular world of "Republican thought", Warren Buffet = George Soros.

All because he uttered the heresy that we may be on the left side of the Laffer Curve.

Job Seeking Is A Part Time Task?

Sen. John Albers wants those receiving Unemployment Insurance Benefits to volunteer 24 hours a week or lose their "handout". He would amend current unemployment law to add the following:

The individual has performed at least 24 hours of service per week, either paid or unpaid, for a nonprofit charitable organization.

His justification?

“At the heart of welfare is the notion that government is responsible for the prosperity and success of our lives,” Albers said in a statement. “It is not. Government is responsible for providing the environment and helping people when needed with a 'hand up' and not a 'hand out.'”

I suppose we should give Sen. Albers a break since he's only been in office a little over a year and actually understanding the laws, portions of which have existed for decades, before commencing to tinker would be a terrible burden.

Unemployment Insurance is no hand out. It is exactly what it is named - insurance. Employers pay a relatively modest premium, in the form of a payroll tax, in reality no different than the subsidy they pay on most other forms of insurance (health, disability, etc.), and if the employee is separated through no fault of their own, that employee receives a weekly payment (once again, think of disability plans) for a period of their unemployment.

In exchange, employers benefit from a more stable workforce and through the various human resources functions of the Department of Labor, easy access to that workforce.

In order for the recipient to receive the benefit, they must not only be available for employment but actively seek employment. Actively seeking employment means using the majority of the work week mailing resumes, interviewing and networking.

Now, along comes the seasoned Senator Albers with the notion that actually using the majority of your week to search for work is counterproductive to searching for work. Those lazy lucky ducks would be much better served by squeezing 24 hours of picking up trash in between actually trying to find a job.

I would think the "conservative" approach would be to actually understand the system instead of immediately implementing radical change. And I bet Sen. Albers could accomplish this herculean task of educating himself in less than 24 hours a week.

Quote Of The Day II

Breaking the current "conservative" orthodoxy.

Government is not the sole solution in any of the above issues. But the limited government we have should be functional, competent, and dedicated to the overall policies that create an environment that lets individuals prosper.

Slowly but surely, Republicans are waking from their talk radio fever dreams to remember conservative philosophy does not divorce governance and competence.

Quote Of The Day

Political scientist Jonathan Bernstein rips into Drew Westen for accusing Obama of not being more FDR-like.

You know what can FDR kicked down the road for political reasons, to be dealt with after an election? A little something called WORLD WAR II.

Read the whole delicious teardown.

More From The Bill Heath Files

Yesterday, I mentioned how Republican Senator Bill Heath is not satisfied with having "In God We Trust" as an optional sticker on our license plates. Instead, it should be required! And those heathens that don't like it will have to pay extra for a modesty sticker to shamefully cover up the declaration of worship!

Not surprisingly, this ain't Heath's first rodeo in wielding the power of government for righteousness and the preservation of modesty lest the bedrock of our country crumble!

In 2004, he tried to outlaw genital piercing. But for women only.

Amendment sponsor Rep. Bill Heath, R-Bremen, was slack-jawed when told after the vote that some adults seek the piercings...."What? I've never seen such a thing," Heath said. "I, uh, I wouldn't approve of anyone doing it. I don't think that's an appropriate thing to be doing."

The original bill outlawed female genital mutilation; a particularly heinous ritualistic practice usually performed on young girls. Heath  tacked on an amendment outlawing genital piercing even if it was a voluntary action of adult women on their own bodies.

Heath's zealotry to make sure the government appropriately enforced his version of sanctity for all things hoo-hah derailed the entire bill.

Ultimately, with some girl power from both sides of the Capitol and both sides of the aisle, the bill passed. History does not record if on this second try, Heath was unable to lift himself from the fainting couch to save the Republic once again.

January Can't Come Fast Enough

In case you're wondering why I revved the engine up again, look no further than two pre-filed bills.

Exhibit A - Sen. Bill Heath is not satisfied with optional IN GOD WE TRUST stickers for license plates. He wants those magical words required. Those who don't want idolatry/graven images on our government required identification will have to pony up a dollar for generic county modesty stickers.

Exhibit B - After the hippie/communist/dirtbags who infest that leftist hive known as Mississippi (with that many consonants, they must all be descended from Russians!) destroyed righteousness by defeating the personhood amendment, Rep. Rick Crawford takes up the noble cause of protecting us from the sins of in vitro and birth control. Bonus....he's a Democrat. Oh, what fun we'll have dissecting that one.

Seriously. Who could stay away with the yahoos making it this easy?

Quote Of The Day

What do you get when you mix the state's leading Republican blog with a newspaper run by middle Georgia Democrats? A sometimes jarring dose of common sense.

At the heart of the issue is the Federal Government’s inability to process enough work visas or to process those that they are able to complete quickly enough. This, combined with the low chance of being caught without a visa and minimal consequences for those who are, has led to employers opting for illegal workers and for an unending stream of those who would take the jobs.

Of course, Charlie Harper glides by, barely touching the political crux of the problem - any straightening of this labyrinthine mess to ease access to a willing labor pool will  immediately elicit cries of "amnesty" for "law breakers" by those who wish to steer his party.

This Side Of The River

A pet political philosophy of mine is "this side of the river"; no matter how right you feel, sometimes you have to look around at who's with you on this side of the river.

In an interview with the Atlantic's Conor Freidersdorf, Minutemen founder Jim Gilchrist explains his "side of the river" moment.

In the mid-2000's Gilchrist made headlines for leading people down to the Mexican border to "assist" the Border Patrol in guarding against illegal immigrants. Then some really "interesting" people started showing up.

In 2007, a similar group created a "parody" video portraying a Minutemen killing an an illegal alien and burying him the desert. Gilchrist rightly condemned the horrid thing and that's where, for him, things went sideways.

I got down there on the border and started to lecture them. And they literally threw me off their mountaintop and declared me an enemy of America. At that point I realized it was becoming not about racism, but about outright fascism. You goosestep with me and my ideas or we're going to trash you just like we're going to trash the illegal aliens. And that's when I realized -- that was about 2007 -- that's when I realized that I had opened up a can of worms, somewhat. Part of this issue had opened up a can of worms and brought forth some of the ugliest people you can ever imagine.

Subsequent events even caused him to praise former adversaries the ACLU and soften his stance towards the Southern Poverty and Law Center,

He still holds to fairly hard line views on immigration, but he deserves credit for looking around and realizing, this ain't the place I'm supposed to be.

Quote Of The Day

Context  of the quote is the events of the last few days, Cain's weird press dealings, Ohio stomping Kasich's agenda flat and Mississippi strangely saying a pro-life amendment went too far. The entire piece is worth the read but to me, this is the kernel.

A party that gives a motivational speaker ten times the support of a two-term governor of Utah, re-elected with 84 percent of the vote, with strong bipartisan credentials and an even stronger tax reform plan ... well, it's a party in free-fall that also doesn't understand that it is.

The quote struck me, not only because it wraps some reality around our current fun show mirror political world, but it also reminded me of a recent conversaiton.

I try to avoid predictions because I'm not very good at them. But when a night fueled with alcohol caused two of the most reasonable men in Georgia  to turn red-faced, sputtering and abandon reason, I looked the Republican in the eye and said, "you don't see it yet, but he's going to roll you".

Crashing The Blame Game

When the entire global economy comes within inches of collapse, you can be sure there will be plenty of finger pointing. The direction of the pointed finger generally depended on your preconceived political point of view.

Listen to the Limbaugh/Hannity/Axis every day? Then you probably think it was the government forcing banks to loan to irresponsible people. Read Daily Kos on a regular basis? Then, it's all about unregulated greed with Wall Street running wild. If you're the Tea Party.....well, it's probably a weird mix of both, but really, you're just pissed about government money heading in six different directions and none of them yours.

I will admit that I've struggle to make sense of it all, but there's one thing that never seemed to jibe with reality.. Sure there were irresponsible loans and irresponsible borrowers and I'm sure Fannie Mae had its part to play, but how does Dudley Downbeat down the street taking a second mortgage to buy a boat result in global economic armageddon?

Based on one emailer to Andrew Sullivan, Dudley Downbeat had his role in the play but he was a walk-on showing up briefly while other larger players convinced the audience the show must go on.

Wall Street firms were regularly leveraged 30:1...the scale of the bubble to be increased by orders of magnitude - the equivalent of having 50 homes in a fire-prone neighborhood, but with 100 insurance policies on each and a lively market of bets on which will burn down first.  If this were just a sub-prime housing crash, it would have hurt (think dot-com crash), but it wouldn't have brought the global financial system to its knees.  That required Wall Street and AIG, with the ratings agencies helping along the way (by convincing institutional investors that all was safe).

The burning house analogy is the best one I've heard yet.

The analysis of what happened isn't finished (few have yet written about the hidden bank run that annihilated things like mutual funds) and will probably go on for the next decade. But it's clear there's plenty of blame to spread around, but it ain't going to spread like peanut butter. Some deserve some chunks.

Playing Mad Max On N. Highland

Creative Loafing's Gwynedd Stuart gets many things right in her article about daily conflict between drivers and pedestrians in Virginia Highland.

Atlanta is not a pedestrian friendly city. Sidewalks are sparse and multi-lane thoroughfares, even in the city core are numerous. Also, even on the never ending autobahns we call interstates, we text, apply makeup, read and stuff our faces with pounds of fast food flesh.

In a pedestrian dense neighborhood like Virginia Highland, it is down right frightening.

HOWEVER.

There are also some special factors about Virginia Highland which should be considered.

Between Ponce and Los Angeles, there are no fewer than 10 pedestrian crossings with a significant number placed mid-block. It would be interesting to research the genesis of this high frequency. I imagine it has something to do with it being an "entertainment district".

The result of this overcompensation is drivers start, stop, repeat process for the full 1.5 miles. It can be frustrating for the most patient driver.

But this is a mild annoyance compared to the far more dangerous game of Frogger played by the pedestrians.

I will not go so far to claim the previous point is causation for this one, but despite being blessed with abundance of crossings, Virginia Highland pedestrians have a peculiar laissez faire attitude about where to cross the street.

 It doesn't matter the conditions; light, dark, sunshine, raining., hail of frogs, it is inevitable that a drive down Highland will result in a sudden stop due to a pedestrian darting between cars to dash across the street.

Sunday, returning from my farm in south Georgia, I witnessed near tragedy. A car was inching its way out of Yeah Burger, attempting to turn left onto southbound Highland. Of course, the driver was looking to his right to avoid being boned like a T. At the same time, a gentlemen who was drunk/texting/generally oblivious began walking at a diagonal from the Taco Mac towards the other side of the street.

The car saw an all clear and gunned it. I do not exaggerate in saying that a life was spared by two humans suddenly becoming aware of a vast world outside their tiny existence, a quick swerve of the car and hilarious pirouette by the walker.

It is law that cars stop for pedestrians and any suggestion otherwise should be castigated. However, it is also law that pedestrians use the crosswalks and in this particular neighborhood it's almost impossible to avoid them.

But most important of all, if you are a couple hundred pounds of soft flesh, can we expect a smidgen of common sense instead of proudly strutting arrogance when you cross paths with 2000 pounds of twisted steel? As Gwynedd also notes, the law won't matter one smidge if you a smudge on the pavement.

Atlanta Tea Party Strenously Objects

I strenuously object?  Is that how it works? Objection. Overruled.  No, no, no, no, I strenuously object. Oh, well if you strenuously object, let me take a moment to reconsider. ~A Few Good Men

The Atlanta Tea Party (conveniently located in Dacula) has issued a press release letting everyone know they still aren't happy about the Occupy Atlanta thing.

we could not have signs on poles or sticks, or not allowed to even pass out little flags to wave, because they were held up by sticks....Occupy Atlanta has had control of Woodruff Park for the past weeks with no permit, no fees, the use of poles and sticks to hold some signs and their tents

So basically it boils down to "they were allowed to have sticks and we weren't."

You object once to get it on the record.

Atlanta Tea Party, however thin it was, you made your point. Now you are just being ridiculous.

UPDATE: A commenter points out, the rally where the Tea Party couldn't carry their "sticks" was at the State Capitol which is not only State property but operates under a whole different set of rules. The Occupy "campers" were in Woodruff Park which is a city property. You would think the "Atlanta" Tea Party would know the difference. Even if they both are inside the perimeter.

The Danger Of Living On An Island Thinking It Is A Continent

As dawn broke with Woodruff park clear of its recent "campers", the consensus seems to be that, although most would have acted earlier, Mayor Reed resolved the Occupy Atlanta situation with great prudence and care. Watching Oakland wake to a haze of tear gas, most are rightly relieved that Atlanta continues its legacy of restraint and orderly resolution.

Except, of course, the Tea Party. They continue to mewl about perceived hurt and wallow in yet to happen persecution.

If all you see is shark filled waters, soon, you begin to believe your existence is the only one in the vast ocean.

Older Sister Jealous Of New Baby

Local Tea Party people have been fuming about Occupy Atlanta for the last few weeks. They frequently miss the irony of attacking the "unwashed" down in Woodruff Park using the same methods previously used against them.Poor messaging. Badly spelled signs. Ridiculous outfits. Jackasses doing things no one would abide.

But what has really lit their fuse is Mayor Reed not immediately scooping up the Occupy People by the britches and flinging them out the park. They do have a point.

Although, one could argue that Mayor Reed was put in a difficult situation by the campers and hindsight is 20/20, that the occupiers are violating city ordinance by remaining in the park past 11:00pm is undisputed. It will probably cause a headache at some point in the future.

Debbie Dooley and the Atlanta Tea Party Patriots (conveniently located in Dacula) want to cause Mayor Reed's head to throb now. They demand an extension of  the same courtesy to the Tea Party and if he doesn't, by God, they aren't afraid to lawyer up. From an email sent to the Mayor's office.

We have noticed that the City of Atlanta has waived many of your ordinances, fees, etc., in regard to the Occupy Atlanta protests. We have called in the past to find out information for events on City of Atlanta venues like Woodruff Park and have been told it would require a permit and fees and there were restrictions. In the future, Atlanta Tea Party expects to receive the same “benefits” or waiving of fees, permits, restrictions that you have accorded the Occupy Atlanta protests. If we don’t, we will seek legal action.

You have to get past the comedic image of a woman who once told me she was afraid to ride MARTA at night alone, camping out in Atlanta's version of Hooverville. But once there, it is easy to think she and her compatriots are right.

To a point.

There is a subtle difference. Occupy Atlanta didn't exactly start as an "event'. It started as a metastasized version of the homeless problem around the park. People sleeping overnight ain't exactly a new problem down there. And every now and then the city will come along and roust them out.

Where Occupy Atlanta began crossing the line was when they started building things and then decided to throw in with an already permitted festival. Anyone watching the growing spectacle could see Mayor Reed's patience growing thin.

It finally broke when, due to security reasons, the city pulled the permit on the music festival. The lunatics running the asylum decided to keep romping. Their romp included a non-permitted generator and when the Mayor's people tried to tell the press the what for, they began shouting that it is "their park".

There's a big difference between asking forgiveness instead of permission (the tact the occupiers originally took) and asking permission that is refused and proceeding anyway (the line they finally crossed this weekend).

And, despite the conspiratorially minded, I doubt the Tea Party would have been treated any differently.

If some Tea Partiers sporting powdered wigs, waving American flags showed up sans permit on public property screaming about God knows what, I doubt the city would do much. I know this because I saw the Ron Paul people (sometimes with muskets!) do it in 2008.

But if those tea partiers, sans permits, rolled out a stage, a generator and began putting on a Let Freedom Ring concert, were told they couldn't do it and kept on rolling, I imagine they would receive exactly the same reception the occupiers are now facing.

It's a subtle difference. But the difference is there.

Not that it will matter. Subtlety is quickly lost in the whirlwind of the screaming mi-mis.

ID Please

Scene from The Breakfast Club

Andrew: What do you need a fake I.D. for?
Brian: So I can vote. 

Todd Rehm at Peach Pundit references an interesting study from our neighbors to the east. South Carolina has a voter ID law similar to Georgia. Unlike Georgia, however, where Democratic activists cried people would be dispossessed, then scoured the state for those poor unfortunates and comically failed, the Associated Press' report on South Carolina is very different.

The report is unclear if South Carolina has similar "free ID" provisions like Georgia. It is these access provisions that ultimately saved the Peach State's law and caused much consternation in liberal circles. But the number of people who do not possess ID in the Palmetto State is dramatic.

The precinct that votes at Benedict College in Columbia, has 2,790 voters, including nine white voters. In that precinct, 1,343 of the precinct’s nonwhite voters lack state identification, but only five white voters do.

All this fascinating data led to the usual discussion of "how do people live in a modern society without identification". To many, having to flash a government ID is a pervasive act in the 21st century. They cannot be convinced otherwise, not matter how you explain that not everybody drives, not everybody flies, not everybody drinks spirits, etc., etc., etc.

But the bottom line is this - although having an ID certainly greases the rails of our society, it is by no means necessary and it is actually pretty rare that you have to show one.

Don't believe me? Try this little experiment. Try to remember the last time you actually had to show your ID. If your over 30, I guarantee it is harder than you think. If you can remember, then think of how many times you've had to do it in the last six months. Probably not that many.

Checks are direct deposited. We no longer access our money by cashing checks. If you don't drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, speed, fly planes or rent cars and have worked at the same job for years or are retired, it's actually pretty rare that anyone ever ask you to prove who you are.

I honestly can't recall the last time I actually showed my drivers license to someone. Probably the last time I took a plane trip. Definitely the last time I voted. Other than that? Can't think of of one time I had to whip the old government ID out.

Identification helps but it's just not as much a requirement as it used to be.

Unless you want to vote.

Or get a job.

And perversely, it is those who publicly decry government interference in our lives who seem obsessed with the government knowing exactly who you are and what you are up to

Republican Strategist: Opposing HB87 Is "Hard Left

It has always amazed me how cavalierly the Republicans in this state ignore parts of their rural base with continued preening over their pet anti-illegal immigration law, House Bill 87.

But rarely does the mask slip to show their real disdain. They are usually a bit more clever - especially those who make a living loving up that base prior to elections.

Today on Peach Pundit, Republican strategist Mark Rountree noted that the OccupyAtlanta folks were now demanding repeal of HB87 (a demand that was apparently by a splinter group and quickly denied by the Occupy folks) and that showed the group had been taken over by the "hard left".

When regular commenter pointed out that many people who don't associate with left wing politics also disagree with HB87, Rountree responded:

Yours is a hard Left demand” from political outer space

So you farmers down south of I-16, you know, all my neighbors and friends who usually pull Republican when you enter the voting booth? The ones with the crops currently rotting in the field? Remember what the suits in Atlanta consider you the next time the election season rolls around.

Nothing but a bunch of whining "hard leftists".

"Our" Means A Small Group Of The Selfish

I didn't think there was any way I could start to sympathize with the Tea Party, but Occupy Atlanta may accomplish the impossible.

From Gwynedd Stuart at Creative Loafing

#OccupyAtlanta will erect a wall today on which the 99% can write their stories.

Say what you will about the naivete and ridiculousness of the Tea Party, and I've said plenty, but they never plopped their asses down in a public park for days on end, with the overwhelming support of less than 100 people "renamed" the park to their liking and then, on the eve of finally getting rousted by the authorities, started building a wall!

Occupy Atlanta is the 99% in the sense that 99% of us have bat crap crazy relatives that overstay their welcome.

The Serenity of John Lewis

If you can ignore the cult-like chanting, focus on the face of John Lewis.

If there is a god, he reached down and placed something deep within Lewis. Something most will never possess. Once again, in his lifetime, he is told by a man that he cannot speak and he responds with a shield of peace and serenity.

The young man at the end of the video who yells "John Lewis is not better than anyone else" is very wrong. John Lewis is better than most. And it is this denial which lifts the shallow shell of self-righteousness off this movement and exposes a deep arrogance not so different from those they oppose.

The Long Suffering Of Gwinnett County

4 days.

Practically every year, MARTA and Grady step before the government of the great state of Georgia, hat in hand, and beg for a few crumbs to stave off fiscal starvation. They are met with tut-tuts, accusations of poor management and disdain for their very existence. Usually, they leave with an empty hat.

After four days of suffering the indignity and inconvenience of the HOT lanes, Governor Deal heard the terrible cries of the Gwinnett commuters and not only promised reduced tolls but pledged to ask for a waiver to kill the occupancy requirements which are key to the programs success.

At least we now know the weak member of the pack. We will have no problem identifying who to cut loose when the lions come.

OccupyWhereEver vs. The Tea Party, Contd

On the flip side, you don't get to say the Tea Party represents America when they wear funny outfits and bitch about bailouts helping Wall Street and then call the folks doing pretty much the same thing - dirty hippies.

The Daily Show
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OccupyWhereEver vs The Tea Party

If you made fun of grannies toting signs saying "Keep The Government Out Of My Medicare", you're not allowed to get mad at people making fun of the Occupy movement for using iPhones to spread their anti-corporate message.

Quote Of The Day

From the always interesting Conor Friedersdorf, who explains why Sarah Palin hinders the acceptance of right wing populism.

Then there are the constant attacks on "the lame-stream media." Once again, that's language with appeal to a lot of political junkies on the right. But if you're a Republican voter for whom the news media plays a small, decidedly peripheral role in life, how are you going to react to the woman who always seems to be on the TV, complaining about how much the people on the TV suck?

Of course, since Conor doesn't worship at the temple of mavericky, he's obviously shackle-y.

Why You Shouldn't Listen To Libertarians

Libertarians are consistent in one aspect- they always think everyone else is wrong.

Many are currently crowing about how President Obama "answered" Reagan's question of "are you better off now than you were four years ago".

Of course that's not really what he said and he has carefully explained in interviews how things were much worse than anticipated. Matters not one speck to libertarians who use such oracular texts as pamphlets "proving" that FDR extended the Great Depression to reach conclusions on Obama's policies before he ever put his hand on the Bible.

Not because they overestimated the economic problems they country was facing, but because it was based on the false premise that government can create jobs by spending money we don’t have.

The only difference in the libertarian's view that Obama made things worse and the Republican's caterwaul that all he does is blame Bush is semantics.

The problem is they both ignore the fact that Obama is right.

See that chart up there? That's the revised statistics of the depth of the contraction during the Great Recession. It was a full percentage point worse than originally estimated. That means the economy lost $100 billion more than originally thought.

But what if the Libertarians are right? What if Obama is a misguided incompetent? Then we should look at alternatives right?

How about Romney? Nope. They hate him because of Massachusetts healthcare.

Surely Perry. Nope. One word - Gardisil.

Well how about tea party darling, Herman Cain? Oh, you didn't know he supported TARP?

So what will Libertarians do when election time rolls around? They'll vote for Gary Johnson who stands not a hoot's hell chance in winning. Then, what will they do in the general? They'll either stay home or vote for the candidate they select at the colorful hootenanny they call a convention.

And in January 2012 if, with their assistance at picking every scab the Republicans open on Obama, we elect a full bore lunatic, they will wipe their hands and say their conscience is clean because they didn't vote for either one.

Which is why until the day dawns where they give a whit about reality, we shouldn't give a whit about what libertarians think.

The "Good Story" Standard At The AJC

According the ajcatlantanews twitter feed, I should check out a "good story" from Atlanta Progressive News "editor" Matthew Cardinale. So I did. And I have to admit there's some good reporting in there about Atlanta Housing Authority chair Renee Glover's impending departure. Not surprisingly, having read Cardinale over the years, the "good story" stuff amounts to what Matthew actually witnessed.

To find it, you have to read through a wash of unsourced innuendo such as:

Mayor Kasim Reed--who one source told APN is estranged from Franklin--is also not a fan of Glover.

And:

Then, late last week, another source--a Buckhead source--also said they were expecting Glover to resign within the next few days.

A Buckhead source! Well that must make it credible!

But even if you can look past the bizarre writing (Buckhead!) and the side swipes based on the unverified, does someone who in the past has said he wouldn't bother allowing the other side to give their point of view realy merit a "good story" atta boy?

And I don't know if the fact that he doesn't care is worse than he admits to being lazy..

Cardinale in response to his sloppy reporting on Kasim Reed in 2009, "I've been doing this (APN) now for 4 years and usually have a good idea of when a PR department is going to respond, and when they aren't. So, I just didn't want to waste my time, nor my readers' time"

 It takes about five seconds to discover just how much Cardinale respects journalism.

Once upon a time that attitude would have resulted in a shunning. Now, it gets a hearty pat on the back.

ADDENDUM: Just seconds after I publish, Creative Loafing's Thomas Wheatley publishes a story that indicates Reed may have pushed Glover out. Well, of course that makes a difference right? Absolutely. The difference is in Wheatley's last sentence.

We asked Mayor Kasim Reed's office why he and board members he appointed would like to see a change in leadership, as the AHA statement says. "We have no comment," replied a spokeswoman.

Because that's what the writer of a "good story" actually does.

Get Me A One Handed Economist

I love Politifact. It's not because they make a valiant attempt to fact check the pretzel logic of politics. It's because they tend to piss everyone off. My motto is if everyone is mad, you must be doing something right.

Republicans are so convinced they are just another arm of the liberal media octopus, websites have already sprung up documenting their alleged complicity in the massive media conspiracy.

Fortunately for the purveyors of "everyone is out to git the Republicans", amnesia is a convenience.

Today, the AJC's Kyle Wingfield praises Politifact for rightfully calling "Pants on Fire" on Nancy Pelosi and her debt chart that is once again, circling the meme-circuit.

Politifact is absolutely correct. Pelosi's chart is a horror of incorrect data based on starting the Obama Presidency in 2010 instead of 2009. To my mind, this says more about Pelosi's utter incompetence than honesty.

Oh, if only Politifact had stopped there Kyle. Because, as is their way,  they proceed to throw a little fire your way as well.


Turn on WSB radio any time after 8:30am and there's a fair chance you'll hear some version of "Obama tripled the deficit How can he blame Bush!".

Well, according to Politifact, although Pelosi's numbers would make a third grader blush, the Republicans catchy numbers don't fare well either..

Most of your conservative brethren tend to ignore that it was Bush's final budget that pushed the deficit over $1 trillion. Not Obama's first.

Or as Politifact demonstrates once it ran the numbers:

Using the corrected figures does mean that, superficially at least, Democrats have a point. The debt did still increase more, on a percentage basis, under Bush than it did under Obama.

But don't fear, Kyle, they do go on to explain how when compared to percentages of GDP and time spent in office, the Democrats arguments gets weak again.

Or as Politifact so eloquently states:

Of course, all this goes to show that statistics can be used -- and misused -- to bolster almost any argument

But that last part is almost certainly due to their liberal bias.

Inside Baseball Scorecard - BFD vs Peach Pundit

A hush hush payment to a former state employee has led to a tempest in a teapot. It remains to be seen if the teapot boils over and spills into the public awareness, but, as with most things of an insider nature, the insiders care deeply.

So, let's check the scorecard to see how they fared.

The Field of Play

On July 28 of this year, a Senate administrative committee paid $80,500 to an Atlanta law firm stating that it was to deal with a personnel issue. According to those involved, the sum came with a confidentiality agreement and the principles said no more.

Enter state Senator Vincent Fort. Sen. Fort claims the money settled a discrimination lawsuit filed by a former senate secretary. Fort is then followed by Democratic Senator Donzella James who not only furthers the story of discrimination but also names names. She claims the allegations were against Republican Senators Barry Loudermilk and William Ligon.

Enter Democratic Party of Georgia chair Mike Berlon. Berlon issues a press release asking Republican Senate leader Tommie Williams to release the details of the settlement. Later, Berlon releases a second statement echoing Donzella James' accusations

Loudermilk and Ligon issue statements hotly denying the implications.

With the gag order in place, what took place was a proxy war that played itself out on the states two most prominent partisan blogs.

Let's tally up the score.

The Players

DPG Chair Mike Berlon

Reality - As a lawyer, Berlon knows it is sticky to play around with a confidentiality agreement. As a politician, he knows that attacking when your opponent can't speak is a rare opportunity. As the DPG chair, he has a responsibility to fire up the troops and he would be derelict if he let this particular chance pass.

The Politics - Berlon is using a tactic since time immemorial but was crystallized by Lyndon B. Johnson in a congressional race when he ordered his campaign manager to tell the press his opponent fornicated with swine. When the campaign manager offered it was not true, Lyndon responded, "make him deny it".


Blog For Democracy

Reality - Blog For Democracy is doing its dutiful duty of releasing tidbits passed down from the DPG.As exhibited by their comment sections, they are accomplishing the number one task of an activist website; the troops are getting fired up.

The Politics - Passion has to have practice or it becomes a quickly extinguished flame. If this episode becomes another exercise in liberal epistemic closure, merely reinforcing the hard left's notion that all "rethuglicans" are racists, then it goes nowhere. If it is used as a smaller plot line that carries into a larger narrative of a lack of transparency by Republicans, then it may keep the base rallied.

Peach Pundit

Reality - It's rare the Republicans are put on the defensive and as Republicans are so adept at doing, they've fired back pretty hard. The charge is led by Todd Rehm (his fellow contributors are curiously quiet) who notes that if the Democrats want answers they can ask one of there own. Democratic Senator Steve Henson sits on the committee that approved the payment.

The Politics - Rehm's riposte is a good one but it's not as clean a narrative as "racial discrimination". Complicating the Republican's response is their flank is tender from pokes by tea party and others who always look askew at government.The comments by the anonymous and the trolls have not been kind. But more importantly, Debbie Dooley with the Atlanta Tea Party seems to be having none of it as well.

The Final Tally

Berlon and the BFD are narrowly winning this round.  However, Democrats tend to get wrapped around the axle on relatively minor issues (Alan Powell's residency) while Republicans were clutching the steering wheel of the entire car (winning practically every election in the state). Whether this issue stays a minor distraction or gains traction with the general public will determine the final tale of the tape.

Quote Of The Day

Mitt Romney on his perceived "flip flopping":

In the private sector, if you don’t change your view when the facts change, you’ll get fired for being stupid.

He's right. And it's the most refreshing thing he has said.

Refreshing because in the current season of the dogmatic there are few who understand facing facts is a necessity. Sometimes, even old Mitt himself.

My Afternoon Kyle

Blow, Gabriel, Blow. Kyle Wingfield defends his brothers and sisters in the profession against the myth that they are intentionally influencing campaign outcomes.

The media aren’t trying to puff up Cain now any more than we were trying to hold him down before. The public responded to Herman Cain, and the media are responding to the public. If he falters, the cycle will work the same way. And likewise if he continues to gain momentum.

And it is exactly the formula of public responds then media responds that is frequently distorted and reversed by some of Kyle's friends in order to continue the "liberal media" myth.

Kyle's honest defense is something we never saw from the previous proprietor.

The Stupidest Thing I've Read All Day

I occasionally read an Occupy Wall Street story, think, "I used to be stupid and 22", then go back to the important things in life.

But when the Ginger Flash at Creative Loafiing reports that we're getting our own local chapter, "Occupy Atlanta", my curiosity is piqued!

Where will these idealistic, young torch bearers of civil disobedience gather?

Centennial Olympic Park? Convenient for shouting at the Chamber of Commerce!

Atlanta Finanical Center? Atlanta's own Wall Street!

The Gold Dome? The nexus of corporatist corruption!


Phipps Plaza? Sneer at the bourgeoisie!

Brownwood Park. Huh?

If you are not familiar with that hotbed of radicalism, it's the public park near Moreland and Glenwood. Smack in the middle of that notorious snake pit of corporate interest known as East Atlanta.

Maybe they chose their location due to the proximity of neighborhood watering holes. After all, what better way to quench your chant parched thirst than downing a Proletariat Beer Refreshment.

UPDATE: Some have questioned if I'm missing the point that this may be some sort of organizing hootenanny as opposed to an actual protest. I get it. I hope they get that it doesn't dull the point that they've made an open call via social media to have God knows how many people just show up in a public park in the middle of a neighborhood.

But I'll let your judge for yourself. Here's the guide to "People Assemblies" . Make sure you learn that people don't speak, they have "oral interventions:.

One Night

Originally posted 2007

Jim Wooten on the death penalty.

We can either accept that juries reflect the will of the people and, therefore, disparities that superficially appear “arbitrary” will result. Or we can change the system.

David Keaton
Samuel Poole
Wilbert Lee
Freddie Pitts
James Creamer
Christopher Spicer
Thomas Gladish
Richard Greer
Ronald Kleine
Clarence Smith
Delbert Tibbs
Earl Charles
Jonathan Treadway
Gary Beeman
Jerry Banks
Larry Hicks
Charles Ray Giddens
Michael Linder
Johnny Ross
Ernest Graham
Annibal Jaramillo
Lawyer Johnson
Larry Fisher
Anthony Brown
Neil Ferber
Clifford Henry Bowen
Joseph Green Brown
Perry Cobb
Darby Tillis
Vernon McManus
Anthony Ray Peek
Juan Ramos
Robert Wallace
Richard Neal Jones
Willie Brown
Larry Troy
Randall Dale Adams
Robert Cox
Timothy Hennis
James Richardson
Clarence Brandley
John C. Skelton
Dale Johnston
Jimmy Lee Mathers
Gary Nelson
Bradley P. Scott
Charles Smith
Jay C. Smith
Kirk Bloodsworth
Fredrico M. Macias
Walter McMillian
Gregory R. Wilhoit
Muneer Deeb
Andrew Golden
Abolph Munson
Robert Charles Cruz
Rolando Cruz
Alejandro Hernandez
Sabrina Butler
Joseph Barrows
Verneal Jimerson
Dennis Williams
Roberto Miranda
Gary Gaugher
Troy Lee Jones
Carl Lawson
David Wayne Grannis
Ricardo Aldape Guerra
Benjamin Harris
Robert Hayes
Christopher McCrimmon
Randall Padgett
James Bo Cochran
Robert Lee Miller, Jr.
Curtis Kyles
Shareef Cousin
Anthony Porter
Steven Smith
Ronald Willamson
Ronald Jones
Clarence Dexter, Jr.
Warren Douglas Manning
Alfred Rivera
Steve Manning
Eric Clemmons
Joseph Nahume Green
Earl Washington
Willam Nieves
Frank Lee Smith
Michael Graham
Albert Burrell
Oscar Lee Morris
Peter Limone
Gary Drinkard
Joaquin Jose Martinez
Jeremy Sheets
Charles Fain
Juan Roberto Melendez
Ray Krone
Thomas Kimball, Jr.
Larry Osborne
Aaron Patterson
Madison Hobley
Leroy Orange
Stanley Howard
Rudolph Holton
Lemuel Prion
Wesley Quick
John Thompson
Timothy Howard
Gary Lamar James
Joseph Amrine
Nicholas Yarris
Alan Gell
Gordon Steidl
Laurence Adams
Dan L. Bright
Ryan Matthews
Ernest Ray Willis
Derrick Jamison
Harold Wilson
John Ballard
Curtis McCarty

Damn right we need a new system.

The Innocence Project

Flavors Of Condescension

Advocacy for a particular political persuasion requires a belief one holds the correct point of view. However, there is a point where belief converts to condescension, arrogance, haughtiness or whatever word you can find in your thesaurus that equates to being a jackass.

In my travels, I have found the two dominant parties prefer different flavors of condescension.

Republican Flavor:

I'm right. You're wrong. Go pound sand.

At this time, there's just too many examples to list.

Democrat Flavor:

If only you were knowledgeable / understanding / worldly, you would change your mind

Latest example. Troy Davis.

Douglasville Public Snitch Program?

We're still three or so months away from the scoundrels returning to the Gold Dome but Douglasville is wasting no time in advocating new "we must fix this!" legislation. In response to the terrible death of Bobby Tillman at a teenage house party, the wise ones of Douglas County want a state law to make sure the police gets advance notice of house parties.

How you might ask? Punish neighbors who don't dial 911 if they see obviously ill-intentioned youth clogging the well manicured streets? Instead of neighborhood watch are they going to get funds to start a neighborhood snitch program? Punish kids who show up to anything that doesn't involved a bouncy castle and pony rides?

Well, they aren't really sure.

Toward that end, Douglasville officials are considering a resolution that would urge state lawmakers to pass legislation to help give police advance notice about teen house parties. City Manager Bill Osborne said he doesn't know exactly what form such a law would take, but is hopeful state lawmakers can come up with a proposal.

Give the legislature an idea (involving more police power no less!) and let them work out the details. Now there's a rabbit hole lined with trouble making.

A Couple Of Random Thoughts

Lots of hootin' and hollerin' about last night's special election in New York.

Can you ever remember such intense interest in what amounts to local races? Is it a product of more information available due to the internet, more people involved at the grassroots level or, as some make it, bell weathers to a larger change? No doubt it will play as the latter. My warning to the crowers, the hardest fall is after the overreach.

If it is a bell weather, as Jay Bookman notes this morning, we face the possibility in 2012 of the Republicans controlling every facet of government. In 2010, I heard a lot of people justify the Republican takeover of the House (including electing some certifiable loons) as a good thing because divided government is a good thing. So, will people who used this rationalization vote Democrat in 2012?

Closer to home, I'll tease a bit. Radio Host Martha Zoeller has announced a bid for Congress. Not too long ago, she and I had a fascinating exchange on Twitter. It involved the word sacrifice. More on that later.

Finally, perhaps if this grows into more than a tempest in teapot, I will comment. I'm fortunate to not have certain shackles. But for now, I stand in solidarity with no comment.