text:
DFT, Rectangular/Ramp/Triangle/Cosine Pulse.
The DFT and DTFT of a sequence of 100 samples is shown in the applet below. Samples between n1 and n2 is 1 and all others are zero. n1 and n2 changes the width of the pulse and Nf2 changes the width of the portion of the spectrum displayed. Changing n1 and n2 while leaving n2 - n1 constant translates the pulse.
The magnitude of the spectra has the characteristic sinc shape.
eg parameters (31, 36, NA, NA, NA, 0, 100, 50.0, 0.1, 1.0) show the spectra for 6 samples. Increasing n2 to 71 and reducing Vg to 0.15 show how the spectra changes as width of the pulse is increased.
The numerical values of the DFT and DTFT can be seen by changing wL.
Eg(31, 51, NA, NA, NA, 0, 45, 50.0, 0.1, 0.29) show the magnitude and phase of the DFT and DTFT at 1.88rad/s (0.03ws) is 9.752 and -82.8°.
Changing n1 to 32 and n2 to 52 leaves the magnitude unchanged at 9.752 but changes the phase to ~ -93.6° ie a change of (3 * 360/100)°.
Changing Fn to 1 and 2 shows the corresponding effects for the Ramp and Triangular pulse, 3 shows a 2 sided ramp, 4 shows 1 period of a cosine -p to +p halved and increased by 0.5, 5 shows a cosine from 0 to 2p halved and increased by 0.5, 6 shows a cosine from 0 to 2p.
Note the increasing concentration of energy in the main lobe as the pulse changes from Rectangular to Triangle to Cosine.


Tropical Cyclone Gita, a Category 2 storm, is tracking southward in the north Tasman Sea early Feb. 19. As of 0700 NZDT, the center of circulation was approximately 1,670 km (1,038 miles) northwest of Nelson, New Zealand. Additional strengthening is unlikely in the next 48 hours due to cooler water temperatures. Forecast models indicate that the system will maintain maximum wind gusts in excess of 90 kph (56 mph) as it approaches central New Zealand. Gita is expected to start transitioning to an extratropical cyclone prior to a forecasted landfall near Westport early Feb. 21.
Widespread accumulations of 5-10 cm (2-4 inches) of rain are likely, with localized areas of up to 20 cm (8 inches) possible where strong thunderstorms occur. The heaviest rainfall is expected to fall primarily in central and northern areas of South Island (in and to the northeast of northern Otago). Significant rainfall is also likely in far southern areas of North Island, including in Wellington. Flash flooding is likely during periods of sustained precipitation.
Strong winds could down trees and power lines, causing electricity outages and exacerbating potential ground transport disruptions. Authorities could suspend flights, especially at major airports serving Nelson (NSN), Wellington (WLG), and Christchurch (CHC), as the storm transits the country. Cross-island ferry services could be suspended due to rough seas. Storm surge and coastal flooding is possible along the western coast of New Zealand starting late Feb. 20, particularly in low-lying areas of the Karamea Bight.


The Hill Country Alliance and the Comal County Conservation Alliance will co-host a landowner workshop from 10 to 4:30, Friday, February 15, 2019, at the Anhalt Dance Hall in Spring Branch, Texas. The one-day workshop will highlight financial and conservation tools available to rural landowners in fast-growing Hill Country counties. The cost is $15/person ($20 for couples), which includes lunch and a social following the workshop. This seminar is designed to provide farmers, ranchers and other landowners with effective tools and resources to help them address issues inherent in passing family land on to future generations.


text:
Gabriel Rodrigues de Moura (born 18 June 1988) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Romanian Liga II side Dinamo București.

Club career

Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe
Moura arrived in Romania in 2018, when he signed a contract with Sepsi OSK.

Dinamo București
On 26 June 2019, he moved to Dinamo București, following his manager from Sepsi OSK, Eugen Neagoe. He made his debut for the team on 15 July 2019, playing for 90 minutes in a 5-0 loss against Viitorul Constanta. After Eugen Neagoe was sacked and replaced by Dušan Uhrin Jr., he lost his place in the first squad. Moura featured sparingly in the 2019-2020 first part of the season, often being played outside his favorite position, as a left back or even as a left winger. From this position, he produced his first assist for the club, for a goal scored by Ricardo Grigore in a 4-1 win against Chindia Târgoviște.

Gaz Metan Mediaș
After only six months, Moura left Dinamo on 25 January 2020 and reached an agreement with another Romanian club, Gaz Metan Mediaș.

Dinamo București
Following major financial problems at Gaz Metan Mediaș, he returned to Dinamo București on 14 February 2022. He played regularly as a right back in an underachieving Dinamo București team, under both Flavius Stoican and Dušan Uhrin Jr. Playing as a left back, on 1 April 2022, Moura produced an assist for Vlad Morar in a 2-0 win against Chindia Târgoviște. He made 10 appearances for Dinamo București in Liga I in the 2021-2022 season. He also played for 90 minutes in the first leg of the play-out game against Universitatea Cluj, which Dinamo București lost and relegated for the first time in history.

For the 2022-2023, Moura was one of the few experienced players who stayed at the club to play in the Liga II, playing regularly under manager Ovidiu Burcă. On 16 August 2022, he assisted Vasile Buhăescu in a 3-1 loss against Oțelul Galați.

References

External links

1988 births
Living people
Brazilian footballers
Brazilian expatriate footballers
Association football defenders
Guarany Futebol Clube players
F.C. Penafiel players
Gil Vicente F.C. players
Anorthosis Famagusta F.C. players
Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe players
FC Dinamo București players
CS Gaz Metan Mediaș players
Primeira Liga players
Segunda Divisão players
Liga Portugal 2 players
Cypriot First Division players
Liga I players
Liga II players
Expatriate footballers in Portugal
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Expatriate footballers in Cyprus
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus
Expatriate footballers in Romania
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Romania

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The 2017 Chrysler 200 is causing a flurry since its launch. This mid-size sedan is gorgeous and sleek, and comes in a line-up of five cars, all featuring different options to drivers. The sedan is competing with all the automobile giants of its class including Accord, Toyota, Chevrolet Malibu, Honda, Camry, and Ford Fusion. The styling and additional safety features in the 2017 Chrysler 200 are the winners in the car. Its exceptional curves and sleek frame is what grabbed the attention of millions around the world.
The 2017 Chrysler 200 has a starting price of $24,000 (MSRP). Because there are five other cars in its line-up, each one of them have a different price tag including the 2017 Chrysler 200C that is priced at $38,000.
The 2017 Chrysler 200 is a car that offers some of the greatest safety features to its drivers. This sedan is ideal for families looking for cars that offer luxury and supreme comfort and safety.
Engines: The standard engine is the 2017 Chrysler 200 is the 2.4 liter 4-cylinder engine. However, the 3.6 liter Pentastar V6 engine offering 296 hp is much more powerful and offers a greater level of performance than the standard version. But with the high performance V6 engine, you do not get great fuel economy. The V6 engine with manual has an EPA rating of 23 mpg city and 36 highway. In this engine, you can either choose manual transmission or automatic transmission. With the V6 automatic transmission, you get 23 mpg city and highway rating, but if you choose all wheel drive, the EPA rating falls to 22 mpg.
In the standard engine, you get 184 horsepower at 6,250 rpm with 173 lb-ft of torque and in the 3.6 liter V6 engine, you get 295 horsepower at 6,350 rpm with 262 lb-ft of torque.
Transmission: Both the standard version and the V6 engine consist of the 9-speed automatic transmission that gets activated when the car is in Sport mode. The steering of this sedan is heavy yet easy to handle. The suspension of the 200S from its line-up is sport-tuned and much more aggressive.
Efficiency: Both the engines of the 2017 Chrysler 200 come very close in terms of fuel efficiency. The standard 2.4 liter inline-4 engine offers EPA city/highway fuel economy of 23/36 mpg whereas the 3.6 liter V6 engine offers EPA city/highway fuel economy of 19.31 mpg on four wheel drive. However, if you choose an all wheel drive, the EPA rating drops to 18/28 mpg. The standard engine is much more fuel efficient than the V6 version.
The 2017 Chrysler 200 is a classy car with some new features. However, the two most highlighted and loved features of this sedan are its all-wheel drive and its mesmerizing interior.
When we talk about the interior of this luxury sedan, we are talking posh fittings and premium trimmings. This family sedan is made with care to pamper the passengers. The cabin of this car is highly detailed and has some impressive trimmings including the use of wood that makes everything look much more elegant and classy. The use of leather and subtle lighting in the cabin are also the most notable features.
The second best feature of the 2017 Chrysler 200 is its all wheel drive. Although the fuel economy suffers with this feature, it is worth a shot. What makes this feature impressive is that when you aren't using the rear axle, it disconnects electronically, offering better fuel economy.
There are many more features lined up in this family sedan including standard ones and optional ones. Some of the best standard equipments in the car include the multi-stage airbags, a USB port, rearview camera, Uconnect infotainment system, an electronic parking brake, cruise control, keyless entry and start, and the power windows and door locks.
You can also add many more features to your sedan including the SafetyTec package that costs an additional $1,300. However, investing in this feature is a wide choice to make as it gives you access to advanced brake assist, full speed forward collision warning plus, rain-sensing windshield wipers, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and park assist.
As mentioned earlier, the 2017 Chrysler 200 is a car with a chic interior that offers supreme comfort to the passenger. This family sedan is quite refined in terms of the interior features, trimmings, and fittings. The seats inside the cabin are power-adjustable, which means they can be adjusted according to the passengers' will. Furthermore, the luxurious leather fittings inside the cabin make it a comfortable car to ride. However, the space and the headroom for the rear seat are a bit smaller as compared to other 200 models.
The 2017 Chrysler 200 is without a doubt a sleek sedan that lives up to its audience's expectations from its exterior look. The 4-door family sedan is stylish, modern, and yet has a classy appeal to it. The Chrysler badge is placed in the grille and gets enhanced when the projector beam headlights are turned on.
The 2017 Chrysler 200 is a superb family-sedan offering outstanding luxury in the form of its interior and the great drive including 4WD and AWD features. Furthermore, from the safety perspective, this car seems like a perfect fit for families looking for maximum protection on the road. All in all, this car is incredible and if you want to test-drive it, come visit Derrick Dodge Dealership in Edmonton today to get a real feel of how this luxury sedan performs.
When you're ready to take a tour and test drive, head to our dealership located at 6211 104 Street NW in Edmonton, AB. We are less than a half hour from St. Albert and Sherwood Park. Look for us just south of the Home Depot and Staple locations, and feel free to contact us with any questions.


Lemons and limes are the refreshing tastes of the summer, along with a big scoop of ice cream. A few years ago I thought about turning key lime pie and ice cream into one, but I never did try it. Why oh why did I take this long to finally give in?
At the LA food blogger meeting I attended a few weeks ago, a fellow food blogger, Nancy, brought us each a bag of beautiful juicy key limes from Melissa's produce. Of course, I had to finally make this ice cream! The recipe is very simple with few ingredients. As with any ice cream recipe, you do need to have patience as the batter chills in the fridge before you're able to freeze it. But, rest assured, this particular tangy ice cream is well worth the wait!
Because I'm sharing so many ice cream recipes this month, I want to also share my ice cream maker with you! One lucky reader will win a Cuisinart Ice Cream maker by heading over to my Facebook page. The contest rules will be posted on the page later today, which means you will want to visit and "like" it so you will be notified right away when the contest begins.
In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients together except the graham crackers. Chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, freeze according to your ice cream maker's manufacturer's instructions. Stir in the graham crackers and transfer to a freezer container. Freeze for several hours.
Source: Adapted from The Neely's, via The Food Network.
This looks great! I think key lime pie ice cream is a wonderful idea… it's tart, sweet and creamy all at once! YUM!
I asked for an ice cream maker for my birthday, and it seriously can't come soon enough with all the wonderful ice cream flavors I've been seeing on your site!
mmm can't wait to try this treat, thank you!!
This is even easier when you mix slightly softened vanilla ice cream with frozen pink lemonade concentrate. Put in a chocolate cookie crust and refreeze. It's great to put in small paper cups or in a pie pan.


This page is more than anything else, an opportunity for you and me to interact throughout the year and show you in video form, just what I get to be a part of, every time I get behind the lens.
How about you plug in and savour the moments, ask questions, seek clarifications, follow and share the pages, tell us your stories too and let you and I be part of this truly amazing reality.
Consultation appointments are available onMonday to Friday evenings from 6pm – 9pm.
Due to our weekends being occupied to filming, we do not take appointments on weekends.


If you're new to blog hops & such, all you do is your own blog with the following fill-in-the-blanks. And then you go on over to Lauren's & add your blog's link to the blog hop (It will tell you how). It's fun & you meet tons of over bloggers.
1. If i could medal in an olympic event, it would be figure skating. I am just AMAZED!
2. If i was stranded on a desert island, I'd take Brad, a pillow & a good book.
3. Losing Brad is my biggest fear. I'm not sure if that's irrational. But i can't think of a single other thing. Oh, roaches. But i wouldn't say i'm AFRAID of them. Just grossed out by.
4. I'd rather have to eat cereal everyday, which might get quite boring than have a single bite of sushi ever ever again.
5. I am constantly making goofy faces & talking in silly voices. I don't know why.
6. I should really be going over my light & sound cues for a new show i'm stage managing tonight.
7. One of my favorite things in all the world is waking up on a Saturday at whatever time i felt like, with nothing on the agenda, just a long relaxing day & evening in an already clean house, spending time with my man.
Well, that was fun. Now it's your turn to play along!
I love figure skating too. The things those people can do on skates...it amazes me!


text:
British Steel Will Need Years Of State Support, Warn Unions
Britain's beleaguered steel industry requires up to three years of state support to persuade a buyer to acquire Tata's UK operations, union leaders warned last night.
They also urged the Government not to allow investors to "cherry-pick" Tata's assets as that would jeopardise the future of steelmaking in this country.
Ministers have faced charges of mishandling efforts to save the industry following Tata's decision to put up for sale all its British operations, including its giant Port Talbot steelworks in South Wales.
David Cameron will today become personally involved in the search for a buyer when he meets Carwyn Jones, the Welsh First Minister, for talks in Downing Street. The session will also be attended by Chancellor George Osborne and the Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, who is flying to Mumbai later today to meet the Tata chairman Cyrus Mistry.
Addressing an emergency session of the Welsh Assembly, Mr Jones said the Government should nationalise Tata's steel plants if attempts to negotiate a takeover fail.
Ministers are resisting the move and instead are attempting to sweeten any deal with the offer of shouldering some of Tata's £2bn pension liabilities and cutting energy costs for its plants. However, they need to find a way of offering financial support without breaching European Union rules on state aid.
Following a meeting in London, shop stewards from the steel plants agreed demands which will be presented to ministers today.
They argued that Tata's plants need two to three years of state support to enable them to return to "self-sustainability", with immediate government intervention required to maintain production so that customers are not lost.
Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community union, said: "There needs to be a step-change in the level of government involvement with Tata, its customers and the unions."
Frances O'Grady, the TUC's general secretary, said: "Ministers need to show British steelworkers that they are on their side. Other EU governments have acted to support their steel industries, ours must do the same."
Source : independent.co.uk

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Gabriele Becker (née le  à Marbourg) est une athlète allemande spécialiste du 100 mètres. Elle obtient ses seules médailles internationales en relais 4 × 100 mètres

Carrière

Palmarès

Records

Liens externes

Sprinteuse allemande
Coureuse de 100 mètres
Naissance en août 1975
Naissance à Marbourg


text:
Q: how to get paramaters of my policy assignment $test=Get-AzPolicyAssignment -Scope "/subscriptions/$subs" -Pre  -DefaultProfile $rest  -PolicyDefinitionId $Policy.PolicyDefinitionId -Verbose

it returns all the information other than the parameters ( allowed tag , values) and I need this information to anather feature
Thanks

A: You can use REST API for getting parameters.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/resources/policydefinitions/get

A: For this PowerShell command, you can use it to get all the policy assignments, no matter which policy and which resource like this:
Get-AzPolicyAssignment

And you also can use it to get a special policy assignment for a special resource like this:
Get-AzPolicyAssignment -Scope resourceId -PolicyDefinitionId policyDefinitionId

See the examples in Get-AzPolicyAssignment. If you want to get the policy definitions, you can use the PowerShell command Get-AzPolicyDefinition.

A: After assigning $test with Get-AzPolicyAssignment
Do the following -
($test).Properties.Parameters

Will return the parameters e.g - of an output
listOfRegionsWhereNetworkWatcherShouldBeEnabled
-----------------------------------------------
@{value=System.Object[]}

You can further drill in the parameter like this
($test).Properties.Parameters.listOfRegionsWhereNetworkWatcherShouldBeEnabled

Will finally return
value
-----
{northeurope, westeurope}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


SAP Public Services, a subsidiary of SAP AG, has announced that Miami-Dade County Public Schools has selected SAP ERP.
The district-wide business transformation project, called BOSS: Business Operating Solutions for Schools, "aims to improve administrative processes and to enable the district to reallocate resources to schools and students," according to school officials.
With this selection, SAP officials say, Miami-Dade becomes the fifth school district in Florida to run SAP products. The announcement was made at the co-located events Sapphire 2008 Orlando, SAP's international customer conference and the America's SAP Users' Group Annual Conference.
As the fourth-largest school district in the United States, M-DCPS has 342,000 students, more than 50,000 employees across 850 work locations, and maintains an annual budget of over $6 billion. The system needed "a current, integrated financial and human resource system in order to improve decision-making and provide data about student academic progress," SAP officials say.
School system officials say the M-DCPS legacy systems were labor intensive, difficult to navigate, costly to maintain and risk-abundant due to their age, growing obsolescence and the diminishing knowledge-base of IT staff able to work with the old code.
Another concern of the school system was to eliminate isolated pockets of information, to improve collaboration among principals, teachers and administrators.
The SAP software will be used to integrate financial, procurement, human resource and payroll business processes, and provide greater employee access to personal information and self-service options for benefits and payroll. Processes like time and attendance recording or the management of travel expenses, formerly paper-based, will be replaced by electronic workflow and approval processes.
In the last nine months, company officials say, fifteen life sciences companies have signed with Verticals onDemand, a vendor of SaaS CRM products for the pharmaceutical industry. Verticals onDemand's latest customer, UK-based ProStrakan Group, selected VBioPharma shortly after establishing their U.S. division earlier this year.
Verticals onDemand's client roster also includes biotechnology companies.
ProStrakan has been recruiting both specialty and managed markets sales representatives to commercialize ProStrakan's products in the U.S. The sales force will promote the company's new oncology supportive care product, currently under FDA review. Verticals onDemand's professional services team is now implementing VBioPharma to the managed markets account team at ProStrakan.
"I already knew the pluses and minuses of most of the major pharma CRM vendors from previous experience," said Paul Bidawid, Vice President of Managed Markets & Supply Chain at ProStrakan. "SaaS is definitely where we're heading."
One industry analyst, Datamonitor, predicted just such a major industry shift in a Pharma CRM report published last year, titled "Decision Matrix: Selecting a CRM Vendor in the Pharmaceutical Industry."
VBioPharma is a CRM product to come pre-validated for PDMA and CFR Part 11 compliance. Built on the Force.com platform from Salesforce.com, VBioPharma physician and account profiling, visual affiliations tracking, call scheduling and route management, call reporting and mobile call reporting with electronic signature capture and full samples management.
Matt Wallach, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Verticals onDemand, said SaaS technology is "much more flexible and cost-effective than client/server systems of ten years ago, making it attractive to pharma and biotech companies." VBioPharma runs in a disconnected mode on smart phones, laptops, and tablet PCs.
"In the not so distant past, companies built their entire organization around their old bricks and mortar systems. Pharma companies today simply cannot invest financial resources in these types of infrastructure," said Bidawid.
Creative Manager Pro, a software program for ad agencies and other creative and design firms, has launched a new brand. "Throughout the next twelve months, Creative Manager Pro's almost 17,000 users from across the globe will upgrade to the new brand, simply called Workamajig," company officials say.
The software, which was established in 2001, helps manage advertising agencies' projects and billings. Creative Manager Pro officials say it was just time to enhance both its product and its design.
Ron Ause, vice president for Workamajig, said the old brand -- Creative Manager Pro -- "did not properly reflect the product and organization. It wasn't very creative at all. Our old brand was too straitlaced and did not properly convey what we are all about."
It was time to "actually look like a brand that was meant for the industry it serves," said Push official Michael Alberici. The new brand was created by Push, the company's agency of record for the past two and a half years..
"Simply stated, Creative Manager Pro was not a brand that looked like it was meant for creative agencies," said Mark Unger, Push's media creative director. "We wanted to create a brand and name that was quirky enough to attract businesses, especially since those businesses appreciate creativity."
Workamajig offers many upgrades as well, especially through its functionality and design, including an avatar which embodies the "spirit" of the software, performs many different tasks within the program as it is used as an interactive guide to help and inform users, Workamajig officials say.
Along with the avatar, all of Workamajig's program navigations and desktops have moved from .net to Flash, while the overall look and feel of the program is now configurable by each user.
Workamajig was established in 2001 with the merger of two consulting and technology firms, A La Carte Systems and Streamline Technologies.
Recommind, a vendor of software systems for enterprises and law firms, has announced that Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, a global law firm, has deployed Recommind's MindServer Legal platform for knowledge management.
One reason for the move is to let Orrick's network of over 2,400 lawyers, paralegals and staff locate knowledge and expertise across their 18 offices worldwide. Peter Krakaur, Chief Knowledge Officer, Orrick, said the product results in "a significantly more productive billable hour for our clients."
To date, Orrick has implemented MindServer Legal's Enterprise Search, which connects attorneys and staff with relevant information located in the firm's document management system, contact database, and portal systems, plus myriad other applications and databases. It can also connect with the Practical Law Company database of legal know-how resources.
The firm has also implemented the Matters & Expertise component, which provides a firm-wide view of matters, deals, cases, and experience across a firm by tapping into a variety of information sources, such as CRM applications, portals, internal firm matter and case databases, and other information repositories.


text:
Joseph Wilde is a British playwright, screenwriter and dramatist.

Career
In 2011, his debut play Cuddles won the Capital Theatre Award for Best New Play. Cuddles was then staged at Ovalhouse in May 2013, directed by Rebecca Atkinson-Lord (theatre director). The production was nominated for multiple Off-Westend Awards and subsequently toured the UK before transferring to 59E59 Theatres in Manhattan in 2015 where it was awarded a New York Times Critic's Pick and named as one of the best theater shows of 2015 by both the New York Times  and the New York Post. In 2016, the production was nominated for two Manchester Theatre Awards for Best Production and Best Performance. Actress Carla Langley won Best Performance for her role as Eve in the production.

His first radio play The Loving Ballad of Captain Bateman won the 2014 Imison Award for UK radio drama writing.

Since 2013, Wilde has written for long-running BBC Drama series Doctors. He later wrote on Casualty and the seventh episode of the second series of Sky's A Discovery of Witches.

In May 2016 Nicole Kidman and her production company Blossom Films announced that she had optioned the rights to "Cuddles" and that Wilde would be adapting the play for screen.

Politics
One of Wilde's early plays, Last of the Pigs, was inspired by his home town's fight against a planned Tesco store. Supported by Hightide Festival, it documented the contrasting motivations of different generations - 20 somethings struggling in austerity Britain, who wanted jobs, and their parents' interest in maintaining a traditional town. The play became associated with the local council's decision to block the Tesco development in 2013.  Local journalists even speculated Wilde's writings may have affected Tesco's sales.

References

External links

Living people
21st-century British male writers
British dramatists and playwrights
British male screenwriters
British male television writers
British soap opera writers
Year of birth missing (living people)


text:
Rachel Maddow Transcripts / Rachel Maddow
The Rachel Maddow Show, Transcript 11/15/10
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James Carroll, Jonathan Turley
RACHEL MADDOW, HOST: Good evening, Keith. Thank you.
And thanks to you at home for joining us tonight.
Behold the newest Republican members of the United States Senate.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: This is a little larger meeting than this day two years ago and four years ago. And after the '06 election, we had one Republican freshman senator. After the '08 election, we had two freshmen Republican senators. Obviously, I'm pretty excited to be sitting here with 13 this year. And it's going to be a huge improvement to the United States Senate from our point of view.
MADDOW: That was the top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, welcoming to town the newest Republican senators who will officially take their seats when the new Congress is sworn in in January. Republicans will still be in the minority in the Senate in January, but there are more of them than there were before the elections.
And top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell is therefore about to take on a much more highly visible and politically important role in Washington, D.C. That's really important. Here's why: As the lame duck Congress gets to work, there's lots of reporting and parsing and speculating and negotiating about the tax cuts, right—about whether or not rich people are going to get a giant new tax cut. That has been America's front-page political issue—actually for a few months now. It started getting debated even before the elections.
But honestly, nothing's really expected to happen on the tax cuts issue legislatively until the week after Thanksgiving at the earliest. What is about to happen a lot sooner than that in D.C. is a much more dramatic change from what we have been talking about for months now—something that puts the Republican Party's Mitch McConnell problem at the center of American news and politics. And I'm not sure very many people have seen this coming.
Here's how it works: President Obama has now arrived back home from his nine-day overseas trip to Asia. He is just home for a few days, though, and he will hop back on Air Force One for another overseas trip. At the end of this week, president Obama will fly to Portugal where he is to speak on Friday at the big international conference about what to do now in Afghanistan.
Did you notice that the elections were about precisely nothing foreign? We have not had any politics about something that didn't start with "A" and end with "merica" in months now.
Here's how much these past elections were not about anything foreign,
including our two wars. Sharron Angle in Nevada and Ken Buck in Colorado
were the Republican candidates in the two hardest fought, highest profile,
closest Senate races of these elections. Both of those candidates in both
of those incredibly hard-fought races said things on the record during the
campaign about the war in Afghanistan that were—oh, boy, take your pick
either completely incoherent or suitable for framing as part of a diagnostic manual for (WHISTLING).
But their opponents in both of these races, despite being in fights for their political lives, their opponents, their Democratic opponents, did not even bother to make political hay out of what these two political candidates said. They left this stuff on the table. In elections—in these two elections where I thought nothing got left nothing on the table, the Democrats left this on the table.
REPORTER: We have many Air Force people at Nellis Air Force Base. We have two wars we're prosecuting right now. You haven't talked about how we would prosecute those wars. No answer at all? You are literally staying silent about the two wars we're in right now?
SHARRON ANGLE ®, FORMER NEVADA SENATE CANDIDATE: No. The two wars that we're in right now is exactly what we're in.
MADDOW: Just to be clear, Sharron Angle's only on the record statement to reporters during her U.S. Senate campaign, her only on-the-record statement about America's wars was, quoting her exactly, "The two wars that we're in right now is exactly what we're in." Tada!
Ken Buck's take on Afghanistan was more astonishing because he actually went on at length, at painstakingly, confusing, stupefying length.
KEN BUCK ®, FORMER COLORADO SENATE CANDIDATE: The first thing I think we need to do is to make sure that Afghanistan is not a safe haven for terrorists. When I say "safe haven," I'm not talking about that there isn't a possibility of a terrorist in Afghanistan. I'm saying that when you look at other countries similarly situated, Somalia or Yemen, other countries, that Afghanistan is at least as safe as those countries.
MADDOW: At least as safe. See, we want to be as comfortable with Afghanistan as we are with Somalia and Yemen, where al Qaeda launches its attacks against us from now. That's what Ken Buck's goal is in Afghanistan. That Afghanistan would be at least as safe as Somalia—during the campaign.
But this was money left on the table by Democrats during those Senate races. The Democrats were fighting against those two candidates in the hardest-fought campaigns of the entire election season did not even bother with that stuff, because this year in American politics, it was not a foreign policy year.
Anything foreign, including our own wars, was almost entirely absent from the elections. And it wasn't just the elections, it's been nearly a full year since President Obama made his big speech at West Point about what to do in Afghanistan. And that topic has essentially been off the table in American politics since then.
But it is about to come back. What is expected to happen at the end of this week is that President Obama will elaborate on how the U.S. war in Afghanistan ends. Which means that we're going to very quickly change gears in this country from nobody talk about the war in Afghanistan to everybody freak out about the war in Afghanistan. We started to see a preview of this from Republican Senator John McCain this weekend. Where else? On "Meet the Press," after White House adviser David Axelrod broached the idea of a drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
DAVID GREGORY, MODERATOR, "MEET THE PRESS": You just heard David Axelrod say any withdrawal would be conditions-based. Is that not enough to satisfy you?
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN ®, ARIZONA: Well, I'd like to see the president say that it's only condition-based. According to Mr. Woodward's book, his problem is the political—the left base of the Democratic Party. You don't fight and conduct wars that way. You win and then you leave, and that's what we've done in Iraq.
MADDOW: That statement from John McCain is so perfect in so many ways. First of all, he's already setting the stage that no matter what President Obama will say this week habit leaving Afghanistan, John McCain is already against it because it's from the liberal left.
Also, what exactly does he think we did in Iraq?
MCCAIN: I'd like to see the president say that it's only condition-based. You win, and then you leave. And that's what we've done in Iraq.
MADDOW: Actually, the way that we are still leaving Iraq is that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney negotiated with the Iraqi government a date certain by which we would leave regardless of what was going on in that country. They negotiated a timetable for withdrawal. George Bush signed it and now, our country is following through on that signed agreement—an agreement that really had nothing to do with conditions on the ground.
The sheer ahistorical incoherence of John McCain's vehement response to this question, his lurch toward partisan gain when he was asked about Afghanistan is as sure as sign as, I think, we get in American politics that we are likely up for another round of partisan politicking about the war. Democratic president says he wants to end a war, that's essentially the cue for the Republican Party's theme song, their fight song to start up just at the thought of it.
This is the next big thing that's going to happen in D.C., and there is a very big political problem at the heart of it for the Republican Party.
MCCONNELL: And I believe the American people sure have chosen outstanding members to join the United States Senate.
MADDOW: Mitch McConnell—Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the United States Senate in former President George W. Bush's new book, the opening lines of chapter 12 include a bombshell about Mitch McConnell and the war in Iraq. According to President George W. Bush, Mitch McConnell came to him with a request right before the midterm elections in 2006.
"Mr. President," he said, "your unpopularity is going to cost us control of the Congress." "Well, Mitch," I asked, "what do you want me to do about it?" "Mr. President," Mr. McConnell said—"Mr. President," he said, "bring some troops home from Iraq."
President Bush says Mitch McConnell asked him privately to withdraw troops from Iraq in 2006 because it might help Republicans win the 2006 elections. That was, of course, while Mitch McConnell was simultaneously making the case in public that any Democrat wanting to withdrawal troops from Iraq was all but a traitor.
MCCONNELL: General Abizaid had it correct when he said, if we leave Iraq, they'll follow us. They'll come back here. So, cutting and running is not a strategy for protecting the American people here in the United States.
MADDOW: Spoken in the same month that President George W. Bush says Mitch McConnell was lobbying him behind closed doors to—what did he call it? Cut and run. Mitch McConnell is calling it cutting and running. That's what he was saying publicly while lobbying President Bush privately to pull the troops out for political reasons.
Mitch McConnell has not denied this new revelation on President Bush's new book. Senator McConnell's hometown paper, the Louisville "Courier-Journal" denounced the senator for, quote, "contemptible hypocrisy" because of this story.
We reported this story here on Friday night. We asked Senator McConnell to please appear on the show to discuss this. His office has declined our request.
But with that skeleton in Mitch McConnell's closet now revealed, Republicans have a problem on their hands. The debate in this country is about to return to questions of whether and when and how to draw down U.S. troops in wartime. What's their leader in the Senate going to say about it? And why won't anyone believe him that that's what he means? And why will anybody believe him that he's lobbying for the same thing in public as he is in private?
And what's his explanation for saying he wanted to change the strategy in the other war to help Republicans win the '06 midterms? He's the Republican leader in the Senate, and this scandal hanging over their Senate leader means Republicans are now politically hamstrung on the war as long as he's there.
So what happens next here?
Joining us now is Jim Carroll. He's the reporter who first wrote about the story in Senator McConnell's hometown newspaper "The Courier-Journal." After Mr. Carroll's reporting, it was "The Courier-Journal's" editorial board that blasted Senator McConnell for, quote, "contemptible hypocrisy" over this issue.
Mr. Carroll, thank you so much for your time tonight.
JAMES CARROLL, LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL REPORTER: Rachel, thanks for having me. Always glad to talk to a fellow Red Sox fan.
MADDOW: Very good. Now, you keep that quiet, unless it's going to get you in trouble at home.
CARROLL: No, it's fine.
MADDOW: You have obviously covered Senator McConnell for a long time now. What was your reaction when you first read about—when you first read this account in President Bush's new book?
CARROLL: Well, little secret—you know, Washington reporters, we do what every time there's a major book that comes out, we do the Washington read, you know? We run to the index and we flip through it to see what names are in the back. And I was expecting, you know, this is George W. Bush's memoirs, I was expecting some very kind references to Senator McConnell that probably, you know, wouldn't really raise an eyebrow anywhere.
And while I was reading this in the bookstore at Borders, in the middle of downtown Washington, my mouth dropped open, and I kind of looked around to think, gee, I hope people aren't wondering what it is I found in here. And I hurriedly bought my copy of the book and scurried back to the office and wrote a story.
It's striking because this is not the kind of revelation you would expect to see in a book from a Republican president about that current Republican leader of the Senate who is going to be even more prominent in the next coming years.
MADDOW: Now, Senator McConnell has pointedly not denied the allegations. And yet, I mean, this is—as far as I understand, Senator McConnell and President Bush were pretty close. I mean, at least publicly, Senator McConnell was one of his biggest defenders, specifically on the Iraq War.
Is there a potential rift between President Bush and Senator McConnell we didn't know about before?
CARROLL: Well, you know, we're put at a disadvantage a little bit here because it's sort of a he said/he's not saying kind of a story.
MADDOW: Yes.
CARROLL: And, oddly, it sort of flipped in reverse what you would normally expect. People, a lot of times, like to come out of the White House and say what they said with the president and, of course, the president is not saying anything. So, you don't know what they're saying anything.
In this case, you've got President Bush saying what Bush—what he and Senator McConnell discussed alone in the Oval Office. But McConnell has said that he is not going to discuss what advice he gives to the president of the United States, but he's always been supportive of the troops. But he doesn't address the actual issue that's raised in the book. So, we're kind of at a disadvantage until either Senator McConnell writes his own book or decides he wants to say something more about it.
MADDOW: Have you been surprised by the muted reaction so far among elected officials? I know in your piece, you quoted the Democratic Congressman John Yarmuth of Kentucky being critical of Senator McConnell on this. But other than that, there has not been broad political response to this yet.
CARROLL: It's very funny. You know, I fully expected, you know, a lot of forehead-smacking and desk-pounding and a lot of phone calls in the next day. And it's sort of—you know, not too much really came out of it.
There's a lot of conversation about it, you know, in the blogosphere and some Web sites and your program, but it really has not turned into a big political issue. Perhaps, you know, last week, Congress wasn't here, as you know, when Congress is here, Washington becomes much bigger—a much bigger echo chamber than normal. And so, it kind of—you know, if Bush could've timed it any better, I can't imagine how.
But, you know, one other thing I want to point out in this thing is—this is not just any senator he's writing about. This is Mitch McConnell, who if you looked up—if there was such a place to look up staunchest defender of the Iraq War policy, Mitch McConnell's face would be right there. And this was true, you know, throughout many trying times throughout the Bush administration. That's number one.
Number two, this is a family matter. Who was sitting as the longest-serving cabinet member in George Bush's administration? Mitch McConnell's wife Elaine Chow, secretary of labor, was there from beginning to end. So, this was—this was just a—that's why you called it a bombshell, I was flabbergasted and thunderstruck and any other word you can find to read this.
And, you know, when I talked to some analysts, they—the word I heard mostly was "wow." And people said, I didn't know that President Bush had it in for Mitch McConnell. And because we don't know what Mitch McConnell's really thinking about this, we're kind of at a loss ourselves.
MADDOW: At this point, it feels like suspended animation with him avoiding comment. But I don't—even if there isn't a huge political firestorm over this, I think to have something on this on the record about him, he's got to comment eventually. I'm going to keep asking him to come on the show. I can almost guarantee you he will say no every day.
But if you hear from him, will you tell us?
CARROLL: I would be glad to. I'd be glad to.
MADDOW: All right. Jim Carroll, reporter for the Louisville "Courier-Journal"—thanks for your reporting. Thanks for your time tonight.
CARROLL: Thanks for having me.
MADDOW: OK. Still to come: a protest at the White House today.
Also, John McCain picks another huge, ugly fight with John McCain.
And the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is maybe going to stop selling those foam Statue of Liberty hats, or maybe not—major constitutional issues at stake all to come.
Please stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MADDOW: Today at the White House, the direct action side of efforts to overturn the "don't ask, don't tell" policy led once again to multiple arrests as activists handcuffed themselves to the fence at the White House's north gate. Discharged Army Lieutenant Dan Choi and a dozen others criticized the president and deliberately invited arrest by their actions in order to keep the pressure on to repeal the military's ban on gay people serving openly.
We will have much more ahead on that story. We'll be right back.
MADDOW: One of the things I'm looking forward to with Congress coming back into session is that maybe it will put an end to the trend of late of which the hottest stories in the media are about the media. Although I know I have done my part on this. The meta media stories that have dominated the news for the past week or two mostly, I think are more heat than light. That said, I do think it's been useful to have the overt acknowledgment we've had these last couple of weeks that in the 24-hour news cycle and in cable news, in particular—honestly, it's really political conflict that is most marketable, that drives viewership.
One of my favorite political conflict stories of all time is the sharp, bitter, divisive, at times inhumanely polarizing political conflict between John McCain and John McCain. John McCain, for example, against the Bush tax cuts for the richest Americans—John McCain, on the other hand, totally for those very same tax cuts.
GREGORY: If you go back to 2004, I know your position on the Bush tax cuts did change and you talked about that before. But I do want to play something you said from an interview in 2004 and ask you about it.
MCCAIN: I voted against the tax cuts because of the disproportionate amount that went to the wealthiest Americans. I would clearly support not extending those tax cuts in order to help address the deficit. But the middle-income tax credits, the family and child tax credits, all those, I would keep.
GREGORY: That's exactly what President Obama says.
MADDOW: So, what does John McCain today have to say to John McCain 2004? He says, is there a statute of limitations? No, seriously, that's what he said.
MCCAIN: Is there a statute of limitations?
MADDOW: No?
Even though John McCain 2004 was against tax cuts for the rich, John McCain now says this:
MCCAIN: It is not the time to raise anyone's taxes.
MADDOW: Anyone's.
John McCain is also diametrically opposed to John McCain on environmental legislation.
MCCAIN: Cap and trade, that there will be incentives for people to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It's a free market approach.
MADDOW: That's the John McCain who was in favor of cap and trade. But if President Obama's on board with that idea, John McCain finds that he is very much against cap and trade.
MCCAIN: By the way, that's cap and tax. That's not cap and trade.
MADDOW: I can't even say the words. John McCain who ran for president in 2008 also essentially admitted that he would vote against John McCain's own immigration proposal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At this point, if your original proposal came to a vote in the Senate floor, would you vote for it?
MCCAIN: It won't. It won't. That's why we went through the debate. No, I would not, because we know what the situation is today. The people want the borders secured first.
MADDOW: John McCain is also against Jerry Falwell, among others, as well as being for Jerry Falwell. Here is as the against Jerry Falwell model of John McCain.
MCCAIN: Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left, or Pat Robinson or Jerry Falwell on the right.
MADDOW: That's the model of John McCain that is against Jerry Falwell. Jerry Falwell is an agent of tolerance. But keep in mind, there is a different model of John McCain who is totally for Jerry Falwell.
TIM RUSSERT, FMR. MODERATOR, "MEET THE PRESS": Do you believe that Jerry Falwell is still an agent of intolerance?
MCCAIN: No, I don't. I think he can explain to you his views on this program when you have him on.
MADDOW: Every once in a while, a politician changes their mind, and there's nothing wrong with changing your mind. Normal humans do it in the normal course of events all the time. Politicians do it, too. They get new information. They recognize new political realities, ideas shift around in the country.
But this has happened to John McCain on every single major policy issue that has come up during his time in the Senate and he's been in the Senate for a really long time. There is not a major issue on which John McCain can be found now to have one identifiable position. Not a single one.
John McCain's positions on every single major policy issue that he has faced since he's been in the Senate are now utterly incoherent. It is impossible to say what he believes unless you're only counting the current model. And that makes it all the more remarkable that John McCain is such a perceived front of wisdom for the punditocracy in Washington.
What John McCain says he thinks about something at any one moment carries a great weight in the Beltway and gets written up and pontificated over—despite the fact if you wait five minutes, John McCain is likely to have a totally new stance on the same issue depending on who's asking and why. And that is the practical context for understanding John McCain's importance to repealing "don't ask, don't tell."
In Mr. McCain's 59th appearance on "Meet the Press" yesterday – 59 –
Senator McCain made clear his current stance on "don't ask, don't tell," which is that even though the Pentagon is completing its study of the effects of repealing the policy, the effects of repealing the policy on unit cohesion and morale, Senator McCain now demands that there must be another study on unit cohesion and morale.
I mean, honestly, to be fair, there are so many different John McCains to choose from on this issue, we should really start a few John McCains ago. Way back in 2006, John McCain told Chris Matthews it should be up to military leaders that if and when the military decided it was time for "don't ask, don't tell" to be repealed, he would be onboard with the military.
MCCAIN: The day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, "Senator, we ought to change the policy," then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it because those leaders in the military are the ones we give the responsibility to.
MADDOW: That was 2006. Then the leadership of the military did come to him and say it's time to change the policy.
ADM. MIKE MULLEN, JOINTS CHIEF OF STAFF CHAIRMAN: It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do.
ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The president announced he will work with Congress this year to repeal the law known as "don't ask, don't tell." I fully support the president's decision.
MADDOW: After that—after that, the John McCain who wanted to hear from military leaders, wanted to defer to military leadership—that John McCain mysteriously disappeared. The new John McCain was very, very angry that the military leadership was talking about getting rid of "don't ask, don't tell" because it meant that they weren't being properly deferential to Congress.
MCCAIN: I'm deeply disappointed in your statement, Secretary Gates. Your statement obvious is one which is clearly biased without the view of Congress being taken into consideration.
MCCAIN: See, that John McCain says the military must defer to Congress. Also, there's a different John McCain that says the Congress really must defer to the military. I bet those two John McCains hate each other.
Overall—overall, though, why does John McCain disagree with John McCain on how the decision to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" should be made? When the host of "Meet the Press," David Gregory, asked that question on "Meet the Press" yesterday, he got the opinion of a whole new John McCain.
GREGORY: Why doesn't that meet your standard of 2006 for you to say, OK, it's time to change views?
MCCAIN: Because as I said back then, that we need to have a careful examination. And Admiral Mullen was, as quote, "speaking personally." We are going to go, hopefully, through a year-long study that will hopefully also have the feelings of the men and women who are serving.
MADDOW: That was John McCain speaking in February. I stand corrected.
John McCain there, February John McCain thinks really that what we need to consider is not so much Congress or military leaders, but what the troops themselves think about repealing "don't ask, don't tell." Enter a study which surveyed members of the military about their feelings on "don't ask, don't tell." The survey has reportedly found that 70 percent think that the effect of repealing "don't ask, don't tell" would be positive, mixed or nonexistent.
So, what does John McCain think about repealing "don't ask, don't tell" now, now that every single new condition he has placed his support has met?
GREGORY: Are you going to stand in the way—you personally—in the way of this ban being lifted?
MCCAIN: I will stand that I want a thorough and complete study of the effect on morale and battle effectiveness of the United States military. I will listen, as I've said for years, to our military leaders. And not a—not a study that is leaked as we know this town's pretty good at that.
GREGORY: That said, seven in 10 members of the military think it would just be fine to have it lifted.
MCCAIN: You and I have not seen that study.
MADDOW: And even when that study comes out, he already knows he wants another study.
John McCain is not the chair of any committee. John McCain does not have any major legislation to his credit from his entire career in the Senate other than the McCain/Feingold campaign finance law, which he doesn't exactly support with a brass band anymore anyway.
Senator John McCain's stances on legislation and important policy issues and principles are so fundamentally inconsistent as to render the phrase "flip-flop" meaningless. And yet John McCain is still viewed as a Washington oracle, as a guy you've got to win over.
If you do fail to win him over, though, don't worry, a new John McCain might come along any minute now and maybe you will have better luck with him.
MADDOW: Programming note - even if you are a person who saw it when it was aired the first time here on this show, evidently, you guys are breaking the "MSNBC.com" with all the downloading and streaming of my extended interview of the host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart.
Because of the high level of continuing interest in that interview, which, frankly, is almost pestering at this point, but in a nice way, we have been asked to re-air the full sit-down between myself and Jon Stewart, which is fine by me. The interview will happen again, this bat time, this bat channel, 9:00 p.m. Eastern on Friday, this Friday, here on MSNBC. We'll be right back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, welcome to the Liberty Central online store. Here you can get office supplies, apparel, home things - all sorts of things.
MADDOW: Nearly, a year ago, Liberty Central, a conservative advocacy organization, was founded by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' wife. Her name is Ginni Thomas.
GINNI THOMAS, FOUNDER, LIBERTY CENTRAL: Hello, patriots.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
It is a pleasure to be with you. What an honor. If you have a crown on, I feel like I'm next to your heart and soul. Despite the lies from the other side, despite the intimidation, you are America's political first responders, and we thank you for coming out.
I've been living and working in the Washington, D.C. area for 30 years. And I'm here to tell you a couple of things that they're not going to tell you. First of all is they're scared to death of you.
They're scared and they're hiding from you. There's a war going on and Washington wants to make it look real complicated, real technical. And it's not so complicated. It's not so technical.
Every day, citizens have stayed, have stuck their feet in the ground and planted a flag in the ground and stopped tyranny before. And every generation has its time. And I guess this is our time, because we're all fulfilling pulled to the front lines.
From the front lines, I'm telling you, we need your help. We're at risk of losing the country. We have 61 days to put the brakes on this train that's heading for the cliff. And they thought we weren't going to wake up in time, but they were wrong. Join me.
MADDOW: That is the kind of advocacy work that Ginni Thomas has been doing for the past year all the while emphasizing publicly that she is married to an associate justice of the Supreme Court.
THOMAS: Thank you so much. Can I just say if something happens in Washington, my husband and I are heading to Texas.
What we're doing at "LibertyCentral.org" is equipping citizen leaders to lobby for liberty. And so - my husband and I do really different things, by the way. But there was a tornado over our wedding when we got married. God knew that we were both troublemakers coming together.
So I do - I do policy, he does law. And I don't understand that world, and I'm glad God didn't tell me to do that because I don't know how to do that. But thank you all for what you do.
MADDOW: Liberty Central is new on the scene, but it is a player on conservative politics already, in part because of a lot of money. In the past year, it got two really big secret donations - one for $50,000, one for $500,000. We do not know who made those donations.
Presumably, Liberty Central knows where the money came from, but they don't have to disclose it. Did those donors make those donations to Justice Thomas' wife organization in order to influence how Justice Thomas might rule on a particular case? Nobody knows. There's no public disclosure of those donations.
Justice Thomas, of course, ruled in favor of Citizens United paving the way for organizations like Liberty Central to fund ads and other communications for political candidates.
And that, according to the "L.A. Times," quote, "Clarence Thomas has been the lone justice to argue that the laws requiring public disclosure of large political contributions are unconstitutional."
But whenever people criticize Ginni Thomas for doing the kind of political activism she's been doing, considering who her husband is and the power he has, Ms. Thomas has repeatedly said her activism raises no conflicts of interest.
Out of the blue today, however, have come reports that Ginni
Thomas has suddenly decided to step down from her activist position. A
spokeswoman for Liberty Central's public relations agency telling the
"Washington Post," quote, "she'll take a backseat so that Liberty Central
can continue with its mission without any of the distraction"
And a board member of Liberty Central is now denying that report telling "Politico.com," quote, "There have been absolutely no discussions with the board about her stepping down."
We contacted Liberty Central ourselves early this afternoon to try to get clarification. So far, we've had no response to them. But what if Liberty Central's PR agency told the "Washington Post" something that is true, that Ginni Thomas is stepping down so her advocacy organization can continue its work without distractions?
What prompted that sudden decision when she's been openly marketing herself as an activist based in part who her husband is for nearly a year? Suddenly, this is a distraction?
Maybe it became a distraction for the Supreme Court, which is an oddly lawless place if you think about it because, in our system, nobody gets to tell Supreme Court justices what to do.
Joining us now is George Washington University law professor, Jonathan Turley. Professor Turley, it's nice to have you back on the show. Thanks for being here.
JONATHAN TURLEY, LAW PROFESSOR, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Hi, Rachel.
MADDOW: So obviously, the spouses of Supreme Court justices are entitled to their own careers, their own views, their own activities. But are we entitled to know whether, in pursuing those careers, there are conflicts of interest for their judicial spouses?
TURLEY: I think we are. This was an act of remarkable poor judgment on the part of Mrs. Thomas. I mean, the - you give up certain things when you become a Supreme Court justice. And frankly, you give up a few things when you're married to a Supreme Court justice.
Most spouses of justices have avoided controversy because they realize that, in some ways, this is a demonstration of their commitment to their spouses that they need to take a less prominent role, because there's only nine of them, and their roles are so central to this country.
It showed almost a contempt for that tradition to take a position of this kind. And no one's saying that a spouse shouldn't have his or her own career or political views, but adults make mature decisions all the time and that requires some restrain restraint. There's no restraint here. And I think it did hurt the institution a great deal.
MADDOW: If we ever find out who the donors are to Ginni Thomas' political organization, if they are groups that either argue cases before the Supreme Court, have interests before the Supreme Court - if there's a case in which Justice Thomas should conceivably have to recuse himself because of those donations, does he get to make that decision himself, or does somebody else tell him recuse?
TURLEY: Well, it's pretty much up to the justice. And these justices have not been recusing themselves. Justice Scalia has refused repeatedly to recuse himself in very significant controversies. They are the final word, that's why they're called supreme, not because they're inviolate, but because they're last.
And they can make those decisions. This court has been fairly hostile towards requests for recusal.
MADDOW: The other justices that have sort of stumbled into these fields, stumbled into these controversies recently, include Justices Scalia and Thomas. It was reported they were at secret meetings organized by the head of Koch Industries, which, of course, funds political groups like Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Works.
Those aren't spouses of justices. Those are actual justices. Is that against the code of conduct they're supposed to use that says they shouldn't themselves engage in political activity?
TURLEY: It is against, in my view, the traditional code of conduct. They're not supposed to be participating in fundraising for political organizations. They're not supposed to be just paid and getting members for political organizations.
I think that some of these definitely cross the line. Justice Alito was just in the news about participating in a fundraiser and he just simply said that this isn't a problem. It is a problem.
And past justices have refused to cross that line. And I've got to tell you, I think the directions, really, it's hard not to mistake that we're going back in history. This is the type of thing that Samuel Chase did in 1804 when he was a rabid federalist. It was one of the reasons he was impeached.
But we're going back to a period when our - when our justices were not apolitical, where they seemed to parade their political affiliations. It's a terrible direction to take this country in.
And I'm just shocked that these justices would have such little faith in their institution but more importantly fealty in their institution to take a less political role.
MADDOW: Jonathan Turley, professor of law at George Washington University, thank you so much for your time tonight.
TURLEY: Thanks, Rachel.
MADDOW: Immediately following this show tonight, Lawrence O'Donnell will be hosting a special two-hour program on the topic of the immigration. It's called "Beyond Borderlines." He's co-hosting it with Maria Teresa Kumar. It's a very important topic, obviously, and it's going to be a very cool two-hour special. That's coming up next.
Coming up on this show, though, how many push-ups can you do? And how many can you do by wearing a badger costume that outweighs you and makes your head as big as a wood stove? It's very important. That's coming up next.
MADDOW: On Friday's show, your cheating-and-sports update concerned Antonio Margarito effectively banned from boxing after he got caught putting plaster in his gloves last year.
Texas, ever classy, decided to license Mr. Margarita to box again anyway, even though nobody else would license him. That was for a fight on Saturday against Manny Pacquiao in Dallas.
Now, I don't know if Mr. Margarito cheated this time around. Texas certainly didn't care regardless. But if he did cheat this time around, he did not cheat well enough as Mr. Pacquiao beat him like he was an egg and Pacquiao was an angry Julia Child with a whisk.
Since it turns out we like reporting on cheating and sports, here's today's "is it cheating" news. When the University of Wisconsin football team scores, the team and its fans are very happy. The mascots for the team, Bucky the Badger, I'm sure, is also happy.
But that happiness is tempered, because every time new points go up on the Wisconsin scoreboard, Bucky Badger, the mascot, has to do pushups for every point that Wisconsin has put on the board.
So Wisconsin's scores at touchdown and an extra point, Bucky does seven pushups. When they score field goal, the Wisconsin scores goes from seven to 10, and Bucky does 10 pushups - 10 more pushups, I should say.
If Wisconsin scores another touchdown and extra point and their scores goes to 17, Bucky then does 17 more pushups, putting his total pushups tally by that point of the game up to 34.
Here's the problem which has given rise to the mystery. On Saturday, the Wisconsin football team scored 83 points - Wisconsin 83, Indiana 20. Wisconsin scored 83 points, 11 touchdowns, two field goals.
With Bucky having to do pushups equal to the number of points on the Wisconsin scoreboard every time there was a new score, that turns out to be a total of 573 push-ups in a big plushy suit with a giant fur head on.
Here is the mystery. After Wisconsin scored the 76th point, here is what happened, Bucky Badger left the stadium after having done only 414 push-ups. Six minutes later, Bucky, or someone wearing the same Bucky suit came back and finished all the push-ups expected of him or her - all 573 of them.
By the time, the Badgers were done running up the score against poor Indiana. Was it the same Bucky? Whoever came out in the Bucky suit the second time seemed remarkably refreshed and pushup-capable unlike the Bucky Badger that left just a few minutes before.
Is one college mascot depicted capable of doing 573 crowd-pleasing push-ups while wearing a plushy badger suit and a giant fur head? So far, the University of Wisconsin Athletics Department is not talking, at least to us. For us, Bucky the Badger-gate is still unresolved.
Next week, the Badgers play Michigan. We're not planning on DNA testing the mascot for that occasion, but we will be watching with beer.
REP.-ELECT ALLEN WEST ®, FLORIDA: I have a clearance that even the president of the United States cannot attain.
MADDOW: In the United States, there is no security clearance the president of the United States cannot get. That's like saying, "I have Super Bowl rings from 2001, 2003 and 2004 that not even Tom Brady could get." Impossible.
But do not tell that to Congressman-elect Allen West. Since he was elected in Florida's 22nd District, Congressman-elect West has made headlines. He's made headlines mostly by naming this radio host as his chief-of-staff, as the person who would run his office in the capitol.
JOYCE KAUFMAN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I don't care how this gets painted by the mainstream media. I don't care if this shows up on YouTube, because I'm convinced that the most important thing the founding fathers did to ensure me my First Amendment rights was gave me a Second Amendment.
And if ballots don't work, bullets will. I've never in my life thought that the day would come where I would tell individual citizens that you are responsible for being a militia that the founding fathers designed. They were very specific. You need to be prepared to fight tyranny.
MADDOW: Since Allen West announced that he would name that radio host as his chief-of-staff in Washington, things have gotten stranger in the story.
First, the host announced that she would not be chief-of-staff after all. Then, Mr. West said that not having her as his chief-of-staff had renewed his commitment to use his time in office as a Congressman to bring the left to its knees.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
WEST: What they need to understand now is that I'm even more
committed, even more focused on making sure that this liberal, progressive
socialist agenda, this left-wing vile, vicious, despicable machine that is
out there is soundly brought to its knees, and that's my commitment -
(END AUDIO CLIP)
MADDOW: After those comments, we contacted Congressman-elect Allen West's office to see if he would explain what the vile, vicious, despicable machine is, how he intended to bring it to its knees and whether or not he would come on this program to talk about it.
No response. We are hoping it will. Although he won't yet talk to us, Allen West did talk to CNN this weekend.
WEST: And that despicable, disgusting action and the way that they went after Joyce Kaufman shows that, not only does the liberal left have some issues with racism, because I guarantee you, if I was a black Democratic Congressman-elect, they would not be doing this type of actions. And the fact that they are attacking a woman like this - that shows me something about sexism and misogynist behavior.
MADDOW: Congressman-elect Allen West says the only reason Joyce Kaufman was being criticized is because she's a woman. Reminder, this is Joyce Kaufman.
KAUFMAN: I don't care how this gets painted by the mainstream media. I don't care if this shows up on YouTube because I am convinced that the most important thing the founding fathers did to ensure me my First Amendment rights was they gave me a Second Amendment.
And if ballots don't work bullets will.
MADDOW: She also said she was going up into the hills of Kentucky, in the Midwest, to Vermont and New Hampshire to gather together men and women who understand that some things are worth fighting for and dying for if things didn't go the way she wanted them to on November 2nd.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the fact Joyce Kaufman is a woman is not the controversial thing about her.
Similarly, I'm sure that Allen West has made a strong - I'm not sure that Allen West has made a strong case that his attempt to make Joyce Kaufman a congressional chief-of-staff is only controversial because of Mr.
West's race. To be clear, I think this is why the headlines, congressional
chief-of-staff colon -
KAUFMAN: And if ballots don't work, bullets will.
MADDOW: I think that's more to the point. Congressman-elect Allen West now says if the prospect of that person becoming a congressional chief-of-staff is unsettling to you, it is because of your racism and sexism.
I don't know how exactly, but I would really like the opportunity to ask him in person. Since we invited him on as a guest last week, Mr. West has done interviews with CNN. He did a very friendly one with Fox Business.
He, so far, does not want to appear here. Let me say it again that we would love to have him. Congressman-elect Allen West, if somebody in your staff is clipping this for you, if you stumble across this on YouTube, if you're watching, I mean it - we would love to have you here.
It would be fair. It might even be fun. And I'd love to have you clarify this in your own words rather than me trying making sense of them without you.
That does it for us tonight. We will see you again tomorrow night. Now, it's time for "Beyond Borderlines," hosted by Lawrence O'Donnell and Maria Teresa Kumar. Good night.
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The Rachel Maddow Show, Rachel Maddow Transcripts and Transcripts


The intestine is the most important part of the immune defence. 80% of our immune system can be found here.
If the intestine falls out of balance, this can have far-reaching consequences for the entire body. This is the reason why people simply become ill or why symptoms refuse to go away and/or keep coming back. Reasons for disturbed intestinal flora include: unbalanced diet/malnutrition, medication (especially antibiotics), infections, alcohol and nicotine to name but a few.
· Which undesirable bacteria are found in the intestine and in what number?
· Are there indications of food intolerances?


text:
Mama's Little Prince: A Sample In English
Mamas Little Prince: Elvis Presley in 1945.
As I promised in my previous post, this one will include a sample from my brother Mårten Melin's new book Mama's Little Prince, translated by him as it is written in Swedish. The novel was released today, it has 213 pages and the reading age is from 9 years.
But before we begin, I'd like to let Mårten himself introduce the book:
This is the story about Elvis Presley. But not the one about the world-famous entertainer, adored by millions. No, this is the story about the poor eleven-year old boy from Tupelo who just wanted to sing. And to buy his mama a pink cadillac.
It's about the boy who would be known to the world simply as "The King".
Dealing with issues like bullying, racism and the first big love, you really don't have to be an Elvis aficionado to enjoy it. But after reading it, maybe you will be.
Based on true events, and thoroughly researched, the story takes place in the small town of Tupelo, Mississippi in the mid-1940's. Elvis Presley moves from house to house with his mama (who likes to spend money) and his daddy (who's not to keen earning them). Among bullies, neighbors, friends and love interests, he plans for the future: to become a famous singer. But how is he to achieve his goal? Could the talent contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy show be the beginning of success? Or will the feelings of guilt, being the only surviving twin, hold him back?
This is a story told with warmth and humor, filled with both sadness and triumph. We believe it's the first book of its kind: a novel for young people about the young would-be king, before fame and fortune came his way, when Elvis Presley was still just his mama's little prince. Or at least, when she thought he was.
So now, without further ado, here follows a sample in English
from Mama's Little Prince.
I place the cans on top of the fence. Squeeze the rocks in my hand.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
I haven't lost it. I hit all of them. I put the cans on the fence again, pick up the rocks. It's the same cans I had on Berry street. Same rocks, too. I never did unpack them, not until now.
"Will you let me try?"
I turn around. There's a black guy standing there, about my age. He's alone, standing in the garden on the other side of the fence. I don't answer his question, just nod towards the house behind him.
"You live there?"
"Sure. With my grandpa."
I wonder where his parents are, but before I ask he says:
"Most people here on the Hill are black."
"Not us."
We look at each other for a while, then I hand him the rocks.
"Be my guest."
He climbs over the fence, glancing to both sides as he does. He takes the rocks and throws the first one. He misses.
"Throw like this, from the side."
I show him. He misses again, but he's getting there. Third time he scores. He smiles at me and I can't help smiling back at him.
"Name's Sam," he says. "Sam Bell."
"Elvis. Elvis Presley."
We shake hands, just as if we're grown-ups.
"Where did you live before you came here?"
"Mulberry Alley. But originally we're from East Tupelo."
"Got any siblings?"
I think of Jesse, of course I do. But I just shake my head.
"Nah, it's just me and my ma and daddy."
"Mulberry," he says. "That's close to Shakerag. It's pretty wild, I hear."
"Yeah!" I say. "There was this man, he could really play the guitar!
Sam laughs.
"I was thinking of fights and stuff. You like music?"
"I love music."
"I got something for you then. Come on!"
I gaze towards the house.
"I just gotta tell mama. Follow me!"
"You sure?" Sam asks.
We run up to the house, it's like a race that Sam wins. We enter, mama sits there with a cup of coffee, listening to the radio. Of course, Grand Ole Opry is on soon. But it can't be helped, I'm too curious to see whatever Sam wants me to see.
"Mama, I'm going out with a friend."
Mama looks at me.
"What friend?"
"A new one, he's living next door. Sam, say hello to my mama."
Sam, who has been standing in the hallway, takes a few steps forward and bows. He looks nervous.
"Nice to meet you, ma'm."
Mama looks at him, surprised.
"Well, hello Sam. What you gonna do?"
"Just listen to some music, ma'm."
Mama nods her head.
"All right. Just be back at five."
"Thanks, mama!" I say. "Bye!"
When I pass the window from the outside, I look up. Mama is standing there, looking at us. I wave at her, she waves back.
"Your mama's all right, Elvis."
I smile at him.
"I guess she is."
Sam starts to run, I have to work hard to keep up with him.
"Let's see," he says. "Yes! There they are."
I hear music. Guitar and singing, it's a woman's voice.
"Who?" I ask.
"I don't know their names, but ... there!"
Sam is pointing to a man and a woman sitting outside a little drug store. They each have a guitar, but only the woman seems to be singing. They could be about mama's and daddy's age.
Look down, look down that lonesome road
Before you travel on
Look up, look up and greet your maker
For Gabriel blows his horn
At first I believe they have a speaker somewhere, it's so loud! The singer makes faces, she's really into it, singing with her eyes closed.
I applaud them when they're done. The woman looks at me, surprised, then she smiles. They play some more and I long to get home, to play the guitar myself. Somebody comes out and hands them sodas.
"She sounds a little like Sister Rosetta Tharpe," Sam says.
"You gotta listen to her. Let's go to my house!"
"Does she live there?"
Sam laughs, then starts to run. He makes a gesture that I should follow him. Does he ever walk?
Sam's house looks just like ours. It smells of tobacco inside. An elderly man is sitting in an armchair, reading the paper. He looks up at Sam.
"There you are, my boy! How's everything?"
"Great, grandpa. This is Elvis, he lives in the house behind ours."
"How are you, sir?"
I bow, just like I've been taught to do in front of older people. Sam's grandfather raises his eyebrows, then smiles at me.
"Just fine, son. Welcome to the Hill!"
"Could we use the record player, grandpa?"
"Record player?" I cry out. "You have a record player?"
"Of course! We can't listen to a record without a record player, can we?"
I look around. And there it is, the big brass horn is gleaming in the sunlight that looks in through the curtains. They have a piano as well. What luxury!
Sam's grandfather laughs out.
"You gotta have a record player to hear the really fine songs. What will you play?"
"Sister Rosetta Tharp," Sam says.
"Good choice!" his grandfather says.
Sam starts to browse through a pile of records. I want to hear them all.
He finds the record he's looking for, puts it on the turntable and starts to wind it up. When the turntable is spinning, he puts the needle down, and soon a powerful voice fills the room. Sister Rosetta Tharpe slides on the notes, drowns out the trumpets in the background. Sometimes she talks more than she sings.
When she's holding the last note I hold my breath. What a voice!
Music is really everywhere. Outside stores, in the church, on the radio. But with a record player you can decide for yourself when you want to listen, what you would like to listen to. It must be the greatest invention of all time.
"She sounds like the woman at the store, doesn't she?" Sam asks.
"Uh-huh," I say. "Only better."
We listen to the other side of the record. It's just as good as the first. I want a record player too. And records!
I make a promise to myself that when I grow up I'm going to have a whole room full of them.
Then it's time for me to go, mama will wonder where I am if I don't come home.
"It was nice meeting you, Elvis. You're a very polite boy. Come back anytime."
"Thank you, Mr Bell."
I bow before I go out through the door. Sam joins me.
"You know what, Elvis? You're weird."
"You don't have to call my granddad Sir. Whites usually don't say that to black people."
"He's your grandfather. He's older than I am. Of course I will call him Sir."
Sam gives me a big smile.
"As I said, you're weird."
He says it like it's a good thing.
"See you!" I say and jump over the fence.
Sam waves back at me.
Next Saturday he enters our garden where I sit and practice. I keep playing, while he's standing there, listening. When I'm finished he laughs a little.
"You sound like a black person when you sing."
"I don't think I sound like a black person."
"Or a white person, for that matter."
"So who do you sound like?" Sam asks.
I have to think about that for a while.
"I sound like myself."
Sam laughs again.
"Wanna do something?" he asks.
"Sure," I say.
"What do you like except music?"
"The movies! We can go to the movies! Strand has a showing at three o'clock."
"But we can't sit together," he says.
"Don't worry about that," I say.
"And I don't have any money either."
"I have money," I say. "I can pay for the both of us."
"All right, it's a deal!"
We go into the kitchen. Mama gives us each a sandwich and we're off.
"Two tickets, please!" I say.
The cashier looks suspiciously at Sam, then at me. But she gives me the tickets. I hand one of them to Sam.
"See you inside!" I say. "Keep a seat for me."
"You heard."
The house is half-filled, mostly with children. I wave at Sam, he waves back, but looks at me, uncertain.
When the lights go down, I climb the railing that separates Sam's part of the house from mine. It's easy.
I sit down beside him.
"You're a fool, Elvis," he says and laughs.
"In the dark you can't see who's white and who's black, can you?" I say.
I think of music, of different voices. Is it really possible to hear who's black and who's white? For real?
© Mårten Melin, 2021
If you are a publisher and interested in this book, please contact Rights director Åsa Bergman, Rabén & Sjögren Agency, at asa.bergman@rabensjogren.se
Posted by Thomas at Monday, June 28, 2021
Mama's Little Prince: The Mårten Melin Interview
Mama's Little Prince
What If: Celebrating My Birthday In Memphis, June ...
Harum Scarum: The Charlie McCoy (Guitar) Interview


Come and get yourself established in this lovely family home. This property is within walking distance to Settlers, Parow & Tygerberg High School as well as Parow East and De Tijger Primary School. a Must to view!!!


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We're sorry! No schools found within 1 mile of 3760 Vt Route 109, Bakersfield, VT 05442.
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Nigeria must not borrow more to fund its budget and should instead raise money it needs by other means, the country's finance minister said on Tuesday, calling into question planned foreign loans of $2 billion from lenders like the World Bank.
Africa's largest economy is in its first recession in 25 years, and had planned to borrow extensively from overseas to fund a record budget aimed at helping the country spend its way out of its economic doldrums.
But plans for lenders like the World Bank and African Development Bank to loan at least $2 billion to Nigeria have been stalled for over a year as international organisations' frustrations mounted at the country's refusal to impose key fiscal reforms such as allowing its foreign exchange rate to float freely.
Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun's comments, made while speaking at a business forum in the capital of Abuja, suggest that Nigeria will no longer seek such loans, or an additional $1.5 billion it had planned to raise from international debt markets, Reuters reports.
"We cannot borrow anymore, we just have to generate funds domestically enough to fund our budget. Mobilize revenue to fund the necessary budget increase," she said.
In May, the head of Nigeria's budget office said the country has a shortfall of $7.5 billion for its 2017 budget expenditure, and said that would be addressed with $3.5 billion from the aforementioned loans and debt.
The government also planned to raise $4 billion from the local debt market, he said at the time.
Nigeria's presidency signed off on its record 7.44 trillion naira ($24.39 billion) budget for 2017 in June, after numerous delays.