The Inca: Mysterious Circular Terraces of Moray

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This is exactly what happened in NC.

The state actually went for Obama in 2008--first time voted for Dem presidential
candidate since Jimmy Carter.

All the Dems stayed home in 2010 and the Repubs in the State legislature took over.
Gerrymandered districts.

In 2012 MORE NC voters voted for Dem Representatives, but because of the gerrymandering,
the House delegation which had been split 7 Dem 6 Repub, became 9 Repub 4 Dem--EVEN
THOUGH MORE people voted Dem in House Rep races.


North Carolina provides a striking example. The state’s congressional vote and delegation had usually split closely in the decade since 2002. In 2010, for example, the House delegation was 7 to 6 Democratic. After the 2011 gerrymandering however, the results no longer reflected the state’s fairly even partisan split. In 2012, the Democrats won more congressional votes than the Republicans, 50 percent to 48.9 percent, but the new gerrymandering gave the GOP a 9 to 4 congressional majority.

http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2013/07/14/democrats-its-the-states-stupid/

Shout out for an old time Dem--Rep McDermott--saying "Boehner is not telling the truth".

Wow. I love this guy. He's been around a long time and haven't heard much
from him lately on the national scene.

So I'm sitting at the nail shop (an extravagance, what can I say) having a pedicure.
They have two flat screens on the wall tuned to CNN with the closed captioning on
during the Ashleigh what's her name show. (I never watch CNN at home.)

I started paying attention when I recognized McDermott. And I was THRILLED to
see him not only say...more than once...that Boehner was not telling the truth,
but also talk about the threat to the Constitution--and the process it lays out--
which I was jumping up and down about yesterday.

Here's the statement on his webpage:

McDermott to House GOP: You Ought to Be Ashamed

WASHINGTON, DC – After the Republicans’ failure to pass a “clean” Continuing Resolution last night, resulting in a government shutdown, Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) released the following statement:

“For a party that claims to love the Constitution, Republicans have no problem throwing it out when it doesn’t suit them. This is not how bills are passed or repealed.

“The Affordable Care Act has sailed through the checks and balances this country is founded upon: it passed both Houses, was signed by the President, and upheld by the Supreme Court. For one party, in one branch of Congress, to hold this country hostage in order to override that Constitutional process—disrupting the lives of federal workers and the American people who depend on their services—is unconscionable.

“The GOP leadership and its rabid fringe ought to be ashamed of this failure of governance.”

http://mcdermott.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=710:mcdermott-to-house-gop-you-ought-to-be-ashamed-&catid=25:press-releases&Itemid=20

He went further than the statement, in the interview on CNN. He stopped just short of putting together the fact that these Repubs are not following the Constitution, which they took an Oath of Office to uphold.

I would love to see more Dems pounding home this point. This is NOT about negotiating or discussing or talking together...this is about an attempt by one faction of one party to subvert the democratic process.

I just wrote to The President

and raised the question of whether the Tea Party Reps and Boehner could be charged
with sedition. I'd love for any DU'ers who are lawyers to chime in on this idea.


Here's what I said:

Mr. President:

I am writing to let you know that I stand with you regarding the implementation of the ACA. It is law. Although my husband (a psychiatrist) and I, a retired hospital administrator, would have preferred to see a single payer system, we are appreciative of many of the provisions of the ACA, particularly the result that so many thousands of Americans will now have access to health insurance.

However, I believe the Republican action to shut down the US Government is not about provisions of the ACA. That is just an excuse for them. I do believe the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party is out to destroy our system of government. And that cannot be allowed to happen. The men and women who are behind the votes to shut down the government took an oath when they were sworn into office--an oath to protect and defend The Constitution of the United States. I'm no lawyer, but it seems to me that the actions of this gang are intended to cripple the United States and to tilt the balance of power between the branches of government way over in favor of a minority of individuals in the House of Representatives. That is not right, it is not proper, and it must stop. Again, I am not a lawyer, but I wonder whether a case could be made by the Attorney General charging these out of control Tea Party Representatives--and House Speaker Boehner-- with sedition. I am quite serious. They have taken their ideological differences with you beyond the realm of reason and are flirting with terrorism. Our enemies do not have to come from beyond our borders. They do not have to blow things up. They just have to be out to rebel against the authority of the state--and the disrespect they have demonstrated regarding the ACA as law sure seems to qualify, along with their refusal to do the jobs they were elected to do by working with the Senate to enact a budget.

Throw the book at them, Mr. President. Just throw the book at them. You have my full support.

Respectfully,

Raleigh News & Observer puts blame on Republicans for the shutdown.

I think it will be important to watch the news media to see where the blame is assigned for the shutdown.


WASHINGTON — For the first time in nearly two decades, the federal government staggered into a partial shutdown early Tuesday morning after congressional Republicans stubbornly demanded changes in the nation's health care law as the price for essential federal funding

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/09/30/3241464/health-law-challenge-threatens.html#storylink=cpy


Right up front on the front page--there it is--blame laid at the feet of Republicans.


Please chime in with quotes from your local print media to see how this will be treated.

Fireman brings kitteh back to life! Nice story to go with SCE Sunday Cats LOL day

Opened up local paper today to find my squirrel photo published as "Your Best Shot"

No link is up yet for the on-line edition, but this is the photo I took last July of a squirrel
we encountered on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.

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Deer

We live in the woods--not far from downtown Chapel Hill--and have a growing problem with deer. This morning when Snowy--my rescue dog--and I went out for our daily 7 a.m. walk--there were five deer hanging out on the hill across from our driveway.
Four of them were lying down and one was not far off, nibbling tree greens. No way would Snowy stand still to let me take photos (which she will often do on our walks for flowers/trees, etc). But they were still there 45 minutes later! So back in the house she went and I grabbed my camera to take these shots.

Opposition to Gov. McCrory (R-NC) sparks early announcement for 2016 Governor race

Dems are not going quietly with the takeover of NC. It is heartening to see someone stepping up early. It's going
to take a lot of fund raising to go up against the Art Pope money machine and create name awareness.



Former state Rep. Kenneth Spaulding, a Democrat from Durham, said Monday that he plans to challenge Republican Gov. Pat McCrory in 2016, announcing his plans early in order to build a campaign organization and raise the kind of money needed to take on an incumbent.

Spaulding, a 68-year-old land-use development lawyer, said he would emphasize restoring education funding and improving the business climate, and encourage full voter participation.

“The taxpayers and voters are looking for a reasonable alternative to the extremist positions and actions taken by the governor and his legislative majority,” Spaulding said in a statement. “Business leaders are looking for a restoration to a vibrant business and economic climate. This will assure North Carolinians of jobs and job security during these difficult and uncertain times.”

Spaulding is a member of one of Durham’s most prominent families. His late father, Asa Spalding, was president of N.C. Mutual Insurance Co., once one of the largest black-owned businesses in the country.



Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/08/26/3139528/spaulding-announces-early-for.html#storylink=cpy

August Morning - Hard Rock Hotel

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