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Tag: Boehner
The Morning Flap: March 5, 2013
Posted March 5, 2013 March 5, 2013 FlapPosted in Pinboard Links, The Morning Flap
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is interviewed on Fox News and discusses his new immigration book
These are my links for February 28th through March 5th:
Jeb Bush's False-Flag Operation – Jeb Bush generated quite a bit of publicity for his new book yesterday by suggesting that amnestied illegal immigrants should not be eligible for citizenship. Instead, he's suggesting they be given some kind of permanent status that would provide them work cards, Social Security numbers, driver's licenses, and the right to travel abroad and return, but not allow for eventual naturalization — in effect, a kind of permanent guestworker program or a green-card-lite, rather than an actual green card. This is consistent with suggestions from other pro-amnesty Republicans, including Senator Rubio and a group of House members working up an amnesty deal.Unfortunately, it's a trick.
A Market Solution to Immigration Reform – Since the recession formally ended in June 2009, the American economy has been growing at a rate of 2%, about one percentage point below its long-term average. To improve this performance, the U.S. needs more people with skills, vision and a drive to improve themselves—qualities that lead to innovation, business creation, increased employment and higher wages. One quick way to get such people is through immigration. A market approach would do this.We propose that, instead of the current maze of rules and formulas, the U.S. should sell the right to become a citizen. Setting a price of perhaps $50,000 would attract those who place the highest value on citizenship.
Jeb Bush's Poorly Timed Flip -Flop on Immigration – Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's new book was aimed at nudging a reluctant Republican Party toward reforms that would allow illegal immigrants to live and work without fear of deportation.But by recommending only legal residency and backing off his past support for citizenship, Bush is throwing cold water over a fledgling deal in the Senate, denting his own reputation as a bold policymaker and stoking speculation that he will run for president in 2016.None of those things were supposed to happen.The stunning reversal by one of the Republican Party's leading champions of immigration reform and Hispanic outreach, at least in part, comes down to a colossal political miscalculation.When Bush and coauthor Clint Bolick were writing the book during the 2012 presidential campaign, the GOP was veering far to the right. Republican nominee Mitt Romney had staked out a hard-line position against illegal immigration, blasting his primary rivals as pro-amnesty and promoting "self-deportation" for undocumented workers. Bush sent the book to the printer before Christmas – weeks before a handful of Senate Republicans embraced a sweeping overhaul that, like the proposals backed by Bush's brother, former President George W. Bush, would allow illegal immigrants to earn citizenship.
In other words, Bush's party unexpectedly moved a lot faster than the book-publishing world.
Video: Jeb Bush Promotes Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Obama job approval tumbles After Sequester Debate – President Obama's job approval rating took a hit over the weekend, falling to its lowest level in the Gallup three-day average since his reelection.His approval rating was 46 percent between Feb 29 and March 2, down from 53 percent a week earlier.The drop comes after Obama and Congress failed to reach a last-minute deal and automatic sequester cuts kicked in across the government on Friday.His disapproval rating also jumped to its highest level since November, hitting 46 percent over the weekend, up from 40 percent a week earlier.
Ashley Judd's War With Kentucky's Coal Industry Could Doom Candidacy – Comments Ashley Judd made in 2010 comparing the mining practices of Kentucky's coal industry to rape could sink her much buzzed-about Senate candidacy before it even begins.In a 2010 speech to the National Press Club in Washington, Judd called mountain top removal — the controversial but principal type of surface mining in Appalachia that involves the removal of mountaintops to extract coal — "the state-sanctioned, federal government-supported, coal industry-operated rape of Appalachia."Coal mines employe more than 19,000 people through
the year in Kentucky according to a report from the state, and the mining directly contributed approximately $4 billion to the state's economy while accounting for 1 percent of the state's employment. Kentucky's economic reliance on coal ranks in the top three in the United States, behind only West Virginia and Wyoming.Judd's use of rape to define the mining practice wasn't a slip of the tongue. Later in her speech she doubled down on her remarks.
Tag-teaming Obama – John Boehner and Mitch McConnell are currently mopping the floor with Barack Obama – Don't tell the Tea Party, but the tag team of John Boehner and Mitch McConnell are currently mopping the floor with Barack Obama.The president convincingly won a second term in November, but since that time, the congressional Republican leadership has outfoxed, outmaneuvered and plain out-strategized him on just about every issue.
What's Jeb Bush up to?
Wait: Jeb Bush now opposes a path to citizenship for illegals? – So his plan is DOA in Congress, but he knows that already. The point here isn't to float a viable compromise that might make comprehensive reform more salable to the base, it's to give Bush a way to hit Rubio from the right in the primaries two years from now — which is ironic, because in another segment this morning, Bush told Lauer that Romney got in trouble with Latino voters by tacking a bit too far right on immigration in the debates in 2011. I assume he thinks he's built up enough cred with Latinos over the years that backing away from a path to citizenship now won't cost him many votes. We'll see.
Jeb Bush pushes back against pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants – Former Florida governor – and potential GOP presidential candidate – Jeb Bush said this week that a pathway to citizenship should not be a component of an overhaul of the nation's immigration system.Bush, a Spanish-speaker who's wife is Mexican-born, has long-been viewed as one of the more liberal-minded GOP leaders when in comes to immigration policy, warning Republicans for years that they oppose significant reform at their own political peril.
Official Website for IMMIGRATION WARS by Jeb Bush & Clint Bolick – RT @JebBush Honored to work w/my friend Clint Bolick. #ImmigrationWars hits shelves tomorrow.
Ow.ly – image uploaded by @JebBush – RT @JebBush Honored to work w/my friend Clint Bolick. #ImmigrationWars hits shelves tomorrow.
Doctors report first cure of HIV in a child – Doctors report first cure of HIV in a child #tcot
Exercise, less sitting time, linked to better sleep
| Reuters – Exercise, less sitting time, linked to better sleep #tcot
Journaling helps woman lose half her body weight – CNN.com – Journaling helps woman lose half her body weight #tcot
Republican Consultants Plot New Tech-Savvy Infrastructure – After last year's blowout election, the Republican digital strategist Patrick Ruffini went on a not-so-secret mission to find out how to fix what was wrong with his party. "In less than 12 hours, the #infiltration begins," he tweeted, the day before the start of RootsCamp, an annual conference for Democratic digital, data and grassroots strategists that is held by a liberal non-profit group called the New Organizing Institute.What he found at the event came as a sort of revelation: A vast liberal brain trust bursting with young talent who had advanced far beyond Republicans in the art and science of using data, analytics and voter outreach. He live-tweeted his observations, and then began meeting with other young strategists in his party, like Katie Harbath, who handles Republican campaign outreach for Facebook, Kristen Soltis Anderson, a pollster at the Winston Group, and Reihan Salam, a political columnist for the National Review.
Chris Christie will have an uphill battle for the 2016 nomination – Also of note?Wall Street Journal columnist and deputy editor, Daniel Henninger , claimed Christie has an "uphill battle" for the 2016 nomination, thanks to his conservative competition."This is going to be a different group of people that Chris Christie will be competing against, and he'll be competing as a governor from the liberal Northeast.I think it's an uphill battle."Finally, one more thing of note?
Gigot pointed out that New Jersey's 9.6% unemployment rate was "one of the worst records in the country."
Tim Carney: Health industry pushes GOP states toward Obamacare | Mobile Washington Examiner – Health industry pushes GOP states toward Obamacare #tcot
Health industry pushes GOP states toward Obamacare – Republicans around the country railed against President Obama's health-care law for four years, but in recent weeks, GOP governors and state legislators have embraced some of the bill's provisions.
How did Republicans learn to stop worrying and love Obamacare?
In a word: industry.Hospitals, insurers and drug companies have lobbied in state capital after state capital, leaning on Republicans until they agreed to create insurance exchanges or expand Medicaid as Obamacare prescribed.
Moderate Ex-Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado "seriously" considers run against Jerry Brown | Politics Blog | an SFGate.com blog – Moderate Ex-Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado "seriously" considers run against Jerry Brown
Allysia Finley: The Reverse-Joads of California – WSJ.com – The Reverse-Joads of California
Gallup Poll: Asian voters lean Democratic, but are not strongly committed – A new poll found that Asian-Americans lean Democratic, but that they are not strongly committed to either the GOP or the Democratic Party.Fifty-seven percent of Asian-Americans lean Democratic, compared with 28 percent who lean Republican and 13 percent who are independent, according to a Gallup poll released Monday. The remaining are undecided or did not respond.
Untitled (http://www.sacbee.com/2013/03/03/5229747/cancer-stole-her-voice-but-tv.html#mi_rss=Opinion?utm&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed&u – Untitled (… #tcot
(500) http://flapsblog.com/2013/03/04/flaps-blog-flap-twitter-daily-digest-for-2013-03-03/ – Flap's Blog @ Flap Twitter Daily Digest for 2013-03-03 #tcot
Untitled (http://www.sacbee.com/2013/03/03/5229747/cancer-stole-her-voice-but-tv.html#mi_rss=Opinion?utm&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter) – Untitled (… #tcot
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At state convention, Republicans try to chart a new way forward – latimes.com – At state convention, Republicans try to chart a new way forward
Calif. GOP seeks answers for turning party around – San Jose Mercury News – California GOP seeks answers for turning party around
Flap's Blog @ Flap Twitter Daily Digest for 2013-03-02 – Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog – Flap's Blog @ Flap Twitter Daily Digest for 2013-03-02 #tcot
CA GOP Convention delegates urge retired congressmen to help party's finances | CalWatchDog – CA GOP Convention delegates urge retired congressmen to help party's finances
Gregory Flap @ Glendale-Hyperion Bridge – Finished the almost 10 miles of hills at Dodger Stadium. Now, some good food at Walt's studio. [pic]:
Gregory Flap @ Dodger Stadium – Getting ready for hill training with LA Roadrunners (@ Dodger Stadium w/ 3 others) [pic]:
Flap's California Blog @ Flap Twitter Digest for 2013-03-01 – Flap's California Blog – Flap's California Blog @ Flap Twitter Digest for 2013-03-01
Joshua Treviño Admits to Shilling for Malaysia – Conservative commentator Joshua Treviño admitted today that he's spent years doing down-low PR work for the government of Malaysia, and received $389,724.70 for the trouble. Some of that, but not most, was paid to writers who wrote negative pieces about the country's opposition leader for the likes of the Huffington Post, National Review, and RedState. BuzzFeed's Rosie Gray, in a report on the scam this afternoon, picks up where her boss Ben Smith left off. In 2011, Treviño told Smith, "I was never on any 'Malaysian entity's payroll,' and I resent your assumption that I was," which he now admits was a lie. But he's not particularly sorry.
Covert Malaysian Campaign Touched A Wide Range Of American Media – A range of mainstream American publications printed paid propaganda for the government of Malaysia, much of it focused on the campaign against a pro-democracy figure there.The payments to conservative American opinion writers — whose work appeared in outlets from the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner to the Washington Times to National Review and RedState — emerged in a filing this week to the Department of Justice. The filing under the Foreign Agent Registration Act outlines a campaign spanning May 2008 to April 2011 and led by Joshua Trevino, a conservative pundit, who received $389,724.70 under the contract and paid smaller sums to a series of conservative writers.
Political Cartoons / So, you think Obama is over-hyping this sequestration thing? – So, you think Obama is over-hyping this sequestration thing? via @pinterest
Twitter / SpaceX: LIFTOFF of Falcon 9 and #Dragon … – Beautiful! RT @SpaceX LIFTOFF of Falcon 9 and #Dragon to the International Space Station
Twitter / NASA: Liftoff of the @SpaceX Falcon … – RT @NASA: Liftoff of the @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and #Dragon spacecraft to the #ISS!
Watch Live: SpaceX's Dragon Blasts Off to Space Station | Wired Science | Wired.com – RT @wired: Watch Live now: SpaceX's Dragon Blasts Off to Space Station
ASICS Support Your Marathoner – I'm running the 2013 Los Angeles Marathon sponsored by ASICS. Cheer me on at via @ASICSamerica
Club for Growth President Chocola: 'Sooner or Later, They Won't Want You to be their Speaker' – I will be surprised if Boehner survives as Speaker more than through the summer.
The Morning Flap: January 24, 2013
Posted January 24, 2013 January 24, 2013 FlapPosted in Pinboard Links, The Morning Flap
California Senator Dianne Feinstein
These are my links for January 23rd through January 24th:
Feinstein, Conn. Senators Set To Propose Assault Weapons Ban – Connecticut's two U.S. senators are joining forces with California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and other key senators, proposing a retooled federal ban on assault weapons in the wake of the deadly Newtown school shooting.Sen. Richard Blumenthal told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the proposed legislation, to be unveiled Thursday in Washington, D.C., will more narrowly define what's considered an assault weapon under a resurrected ban. The bill, he said, will also prohibit high-capacity magazines, limiting them to a capacity of up to nine rounds of ammunition.Blumenthal said the legislation is "one of the most significant" bills to be introduced following the Dec. 14 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It also marks the first bill that Blumenthal and Sen. Chris Murphy have worked on together as senators.
Video: No Budget, No Pay – Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog – Video: No Budget, No Pay #tcot
If you want bigger government, you need to side with big business | WashingtonExaminer.com – If you want bigger government, you need to side with big business #tcot
Why Democrats Should Fear Filibuster Reform – The latest word out of the Senate is that if Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell doesn't accede to changes in the filibuster rules over the next few days, Harry Reid will invoke the so-called "nuclear option" and change the rules with 51 votes. The most likely outcome would be outlawing the filibuster on motions to proceed, thereby forcing senators to take to the floor to filibuster bills, "Mr. Smith"-style.This move, and the overwhelming progressive enthusiam for it, are head-scratchers. Over the short-to-medium term (and no one can really see beyond that), the filibuster probably helps the Democrats more than it helps the Republicans. Before going any further, let me make clear that the following argument is couched purely in terms of political advantage and ability to move the agenda. I think there's a lot to be said for what we might call the small-"c" conservative arguments for the filibuster: requiring 60 votes creates the need for some sort of consensus before legislation moves through, and the chances of a destabilizing period of time where parties trade majorities and implement wildly divergent agendas willy-nilly are greatly diminished. In that sense, the filibuster helps the entire country, and both parties should be pleased with it.
Whole Foods' CEO Mackey Is Right — ObamaCare Is Like Fascism – In 2009, when Whole Foods CEO John Mackey in a Wall Street Journal op-ed compared the health care "public option" then under consideration by Congress to socialism — a nationalized economic system wherein the government owns the means of production — hardly anyone batted an eyelash.Sure, at the time, the left-wing site Daily Kos called for a boycott. And a Facebook group at the time managed to find a couple hundred users angry about the characterization. Whole Foods set up a special forum for customers to express their views on the op-ed.But it was hardly the response Whole Foods got when on Jan. 16 in an NPR interview, Mackey was asked a follow-up question on what he thought about the current law.After all, the "public option" was never adopted. What came afterward, now known in popular vernacular as ObamaCare, was a mishmash of mandates, regulations and price controls — but fell short of an outright nationalization of the insurance industry.
That was when Mackey used the F-word. No, not that one. The other one.
Untitled (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/23/antibiotic-resistant-diseases-apocalyptic-threat?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter) – Antibiotic-resistant diseases pose 'apocalyptic' threat, top expert says #tcot
If you want bigger government, you need to side with big business – The media too often see Washington battles as Big Business vs Big Government. This is usually not the case. Often it's Big Business & Big Government vs. Small Business.Brookings scholar and Clinton, Gore, Mondale advisor William Galston wrote a piece today telling liberals that they need to side with Big Business over small business if they really want to increase the government's role in the economy. Writing in The New Republic, Galston writes:The Obama administration will need to recognize the fervent opposition of small businesses to its priorities, while taking advantage of large corporations' willingness to cooperate.Galston is exactly correct about the alignment of interests. Big Business tends to do well when government intervenes. Small business dies.
The California Flap: January 24, 2013 – Flap's California Blog – The California Flap: January 24, 2013 – the morning's California political headlines
Optimistic State of the State address expected from governor – latimes.com – Optimistic State of the State address expected from governor
Cal lawmakers propose 72-hour posting of bills before final votes – latimes.com – Cal lawmakers propose 72-hour posting of bills before final votes
Capitol Weekly: The battle for CEQA – The battle for CEQA
Day By Day January 24, 2013 – Same Ol – Flap's Blog – Day By Day January 24, 2013 – Same Ol #tcot
Bobby Jindal speaking truth to GOP power – RT @TheFix Bobby Jindal tries a bit of tough love for his party.
GOP Plots Path Back to Powers – With President Obama's second inauguration still ringing in their ears, Republican national party leaders are hunkering down for three days of soul-searching.The presidential election was the toughest, but not the last indignity. Congressional Republicans were backed into a corner during the negotiations to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff and forced to accept tax hikes on the wealthiest Americans. Still seeking leverage, GOP leaders are backing off a showdown over the debt ceiling. At Monday's swearing-in, President Obama stuck it to the opposition party by laying out an unapologetically liberal agenda for the next four years.The most recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll pegged the Republican Party's unfavorable rating at 49%, its highest point since 2008. The most obvious hurdle will be improving the party's image among minorities, women and young voters, who comprise a growing share of the electorate and rejected Republican nominee Mitt Romney as out of date and out of touch.
Rush Limbaugh was right about Obama – There should have been something for everyone in President Barack Obama's second inaugural address. For liberals, a full-throated call to arms. For conservatives, vindication.Obama settled once and for all the debate over his place on the political spectrum and his political designs. He's an unabashed liberal determined to shift our politics and our country irrevocably to the left. In other words, Obama's foes — if you put aside the birthers and sundry other lunatics — always had him pegged correctly.
Continue ReadingIf you listened to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, you got a better appreciation of Obama's core than by reading the president's friends and sophisticated interpreters, for whom he was either a moderate or a puzzle yet to be fully worked out.
The GOP Gets Fiscally Tough – House Republicans appear to have gotten some of their mojo back. GOP leaders say they will insist that automatic spending cuts (the "sequester") scheduled to begin on March 1 will be made and that the House will adopt a budget resolution that would lead to a balanced budget within ten years without raising any more taxes. Just a few months ago, they were singing a different, less fiscally tough tune.On Wednesday, the House suspended the limit on the nation's debt ceiling. That gives Republican lawmakers nearly four months to sort out what they will demand in exchange for raising it and puts that potentially market-spooking debate off until after budget battles over the scheduled sequester cuts and the expiration on March 27 of a continuing resolution to fund the government. Republicans view the political terrain on those issues as more favorable than that of any confrontation with President Obama and Harry Reid's Senate over further spending cuts.
John Boehner: Obama wants to 'annihilate' GOP – President Barack Obama is aiming to "annihilate" the GOP during the president's second term, House Speaker John Boehner says."And given what we heard yesterday about the President's vision for his second term, it's pretty clear to me that he knows he can't do any of that as long as the House is controlled by Republicans," Boehner (R-Ohio) said at a gathering of the Republican-oriented Ripon Society on Tuesday, a day after President Barack Obama's second Inaugural address. "So we're expecting over the next 22 months to be the focus of this Administration as they attempt to annihilate the Republican Party. And let me just tell you, I do believe that is their goal — to just shove us into the dustbin of history."
The California Flap: January 23, 2013 – Flap's California Blog – The California Flap: January 23, 2013
Capitol Alert: Ex-Treasury official Neel Kashkari mulling run for CA office – Capitol Alert: Ex-Treasury official Neel Kashkari mulling run for CA office #tcot
My Daily Twitter Digest for 2013-01-23 – Locum Tenens (Temporary) Dentist – Gregory Cole, D.D.S. – My Daily Twitter Digest for 2013-01-23
Capitol Alert: Ex-Treasury official Neel Kashkari mulling run for CA office – Ex-Treasury official Neel Kashkari mulling run for California office
Capitol Alert: Sacramento GOP consultant files suit against Lance Armstrong – Capitol Alert: Sacramento GOP consultant files suit against Lance Armstrong #tcot
Panetta to lift ban on women in combat – Women in all branches of the military soon will have unprecedented opportunities to serve on the front lines of the nation's wars.Leon Panetta, in one of his last acts as President Obama's defense secretary, is preparing to announce the policy change, which would open hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs after more than a decade at war, the Pentagon confirmed Wednesday.The groundbreaking move recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff overturns a 1994 rule banning women from being assigned to smaller ground combat units. Panetta's decision gives the military services until January 2016 to seek special exceptions if they believe any positions must remain closed to women.
Capitol Alert: Sacramento GOP consultant files suit against Lance Armstrong – Sacramento GOP consultant files suit against Lance Armstrong
Court: Putting Prop. 30 on top of ballot was illegal | CalWatchDog – Court: Putting Prop. 30 on top of ballot was illegal
Conn Carroll: Will the Democratic Party survive Obama? | WashingtonExaminer.com – Conn Carroll: Will the Democratic Party survive Obama? | #tcot
Majority of senators back Keystone XL pipeline – Yahoo! News – RT @StewSays: Reuters: Majority of senators back Keystone XL pipeline #bipartisan #KXL4jobs #jobs
Conn Carroll: Will the Democratic Party survive Obama? | WashingtonExaminer.com – Will the Democratic Party survive Obama? | #tcot
Will the Democratic Party survive Obama? | WashingtonExaminer.com – Will the Democratic Party survive Obama? | #tcot
Union rosters fall in labor fight states – Kevin Robillard – POLITICO.com – RT @politico: Union rosters fall in labor fight states, @PoliticoKevin reports:
Why Benghazi Hasn't Brought Down Hillary Clinton–and Won't – It's not that Clinton is blameless for the Benghazi disaster. The attack in Libya cost the lives of four Americans, including a beloved ambassador. It wrecked the aspirations of U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, who withdrew from consideration as secretary of State. It probably wrecked the aspirations of the president, who seemed like he wanted to nominate Rice. But even if it was Clinton's State Department that was unprepared, the word "Benghazi" is unlikely to chase the 65-year-old into her next life of books, high-end speeches, public service, needed rest, grandmotherhood (should she be so lucky), and perhaps another run for president.Why is Hillary so invincible now? She prevailed on Benghazi by having taken so many bullets that she became bulletproof, like her husband. At a certain point you're like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, just letting them bounce off you. Perhaps if Clinton wasn't on her way out of office, the debacle might have damaged her more. She's also mastered the art of damage control.
Will the Democratic Party survive Obama? | WashingtonExaminer.com – Will the Democratic Party survive Obama? #tcot
Day By Day January 23, 2013 – The Dog Whisperer – Flap's Blog – Day By Day January 23, 2013 – The Dog Whisperer #tcot
Will the Democratic Party survive Obama? – Republicans currently control the governors mansion and legislatures of 25 states representing 53 percent of the American population. The Democratic Party enjoys similar control of just 13 states representing just 27 percent of the population. With Obama out of the picture, it is hard to see how Democrats can add to those numbers.
Untitled (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2013/roll030.xml) – RT @jamiedupree: Full debt limit vote now posted at – GOP 199-33 in favor, Dems 86-111
Sen. Durbin: Democrats lack votes to pass talking filibuster reform – Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), a leading liberal, said Wednesday Democrats do not have enough votes to implement the talking-filibuster reform.He said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has suggested a package of more modest reforms to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.). They include proposals to eliminate filibusters on motions to proceed to new business and to speed the process for sending legislation to conference negotiations with the House.
It makes a difference, Secretary Clinton – RT @conncarroll: WaPo: "It makes a difference, Secretary Clinton"
9 Things You Want to Know About Hillary Clinton's Testimony–and 1 You Need to Know – NationalJournal.com – RT @nationaljournal: A guide to Hillary Clinton's testimony: What you want to know and what you need to know
Untitled (http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/jan/21/friends-remember-bob-larkin-long-time-republican/?partner) – Untitled (… #tcot
Hillary Clinton Fails in Benghazi Senate Hearing – Flap's Blog – Hillary Clinton Fails in Benghazi Senate Hearing #tcot
Untitled (http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/jan/21/friends-remember-bob-larkin-long-time-republican/?partner=RSS&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter) – Friends remember Bob Larkin, long-time Republican and Simi Valley activist
Capitol Alert: Assembly Democrat wants grocery store ban on plastic bags – Assembly Democrat wants grocery store ban on plastic bags
Amazon to build huge distribution center in Tracy – ContraCostaTimes.com – Amazon to build huge distribution center in Tracy
Flap's Dentistry Blog: Will ObamaCare Result in Less Dental Coverage for Patients? – Will ObamaCare Result in Less Dental Coverage for Patients?
The Morning Flap: January 7, 2013
Posted January 7, 2013 FlapPosted in Pinboard Links, The Morning Flap
These are my links for January 4th through January 7th:
Democrats look for up to $1 trillion in new tax revenues this year – Democrats say they want to raise as much as $1 trillion in new revenues through tax reform later this year to balance Republican demands to slash mandatory spending.Democratic leaders have had little time to craft a new position for their party since passing a tax deal Tuesday that will raise $620 billion in revenue over the next ten years.The emerging consensus, however, is that the next installment of deficit reduction should reach $2 trillion and about half of it should come from higher taxes.
Despite New Health Law, Some See Sharp Rise in Premiums – Health insurance companies across the country are seeking and winning double-digit increases in premiums for some customers, even though one of the biggest objectives of the Obama administration's health care law was to stem the rapid rise in insurance costs for consumers.
Red state Senate Dems face tough early votes – "I think you need to put everything on the table," Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D, told ABC News ' George Stephanopoulos this past Sunday, "but what I hear from the administration – and if the Washington Post is to be believed – that's way, way in extreme of what I think is necessary or even should be talked about. And it's not going to pass."The Washington Post article Heitkamp was referring to, reported that President Obama would soon seek to pass legislation "that would require universal background checks for firearm buyers, track the movement and sale of weapons through a national database, strengthen mental health checks, and stiffen penalties for carrying guns near schools or giving them to minors." And Obama wants all of this "by the end of January" according to The Boston Herald.While this ambition agenda and timing may be music to blue state Democrat ears, it can only be a headache for red state Democrats like Heitkamp … and she isn't even up for reelection this cycle. A total of seven Democratic Senators from states that Mitt Romney carried in 2012 are up for election in 2014. And six of those Senators (Sens. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, Mark Pryor, D-Ark., Mary Landrieu, D-La., Max Baucus, D-Mont., Tim Johnson, D-S.D., and Jay Rockefeler, D-W.V.) hail from states that Romney carried by double-digits. Only North Carolina's Kay Hagan will face an electorate that Obama even came close to winning in 2012 (Romney +2) … and the only other Democrat on the ballot statewide in North Carolina in 2012 lost by 11.
Hagel's Mideast blunder–not on Israel – Does Kaplan really think there is any case that the situation after Petraeus' surge isn't much better than the situation that would have existed if there had been no surge? I doubt it. And remember, Hagel didn't just oppose the surge. He declared that it was "the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam"– the sort of emotionalized MSM-pleasing misjudgment that seems to have endeared him to so many GOP colleagues (who, as Marc Ambinder notes, "think he's a showboat and turncoat").Can't Obama find a "anti-Israel" … Likud-skeptical figure who didn't flamboyantly and self-righteously get wrong the most important military decision since the original 2003 Iraq invasion (which Hagel, by the way, voted to authorize)? Sure, Hillary and Kerry opposed the surge too. But not everyone did–not even everyone who opposed the war. Gen. Anthony Zinni, for example, isn't someone likely to please Bill Kristol and AIPAC–but after opposing Bush's invasion he had the balls to say that a surge was worth trying.
Six Reasons Obama Chose Chuck Hagel – Back at the 2004 Republican convention, when then-Sen. Chuck Hagel was weighing whether to run for president, he paid a call on the Iowa delegation. His obligatory joke about his devotion to ethanol went over well. But then, to the puzzlement of some in the room, he started talking to his conservative breakfast audience about the United Nations and the need for multilateralism in tackling world problems.Needless to say, that wasn't quite what we were hearing from the convention stage, or for that matter from anyone else in the GOP. Hagel didn't run for president. But as it turns out, his remarks ended up laying groundwork for a different kind of future – as a potential defense secretary in the Obama administration.There are well known controversies associated with Hagel's expected nomination, involving everything from climate change and gay rights to Israel, Iraq and Iran. But unlike the case of U.N. ambassador Susan Rice, who withdrew as a potential secretary of state nominee amid criticism from Republicans, President Obama is pressing forward with Hagel.
LA Times – Critics slam Chuck Hagel's likely nomination as Defense secretary #tcot
Bill Kristol's big plans start with Hagel nomination – Kenneth P. Vogel – POLITICO.com – RT @DHBerman Bill Kristol-linked group planning a "substantial" paid-media campaign opposing the Hagel DOD nomination
Video – Fla. Governor Jeb Bush Considering Run for President – Video – Fla. Governor Jeb Bush Considering Run for President #tcot
Bill Kristol's big plans start with Hagel nomination – Bill Kristol's big plans start with Hagel nomination #tcot
Critics slam Chuck Hagel's likely nomination as Defense secretary – With former Sen. Chuck Hagel's nomination as Defense secretary imminent, conservatives denounced his views on Israel and Iran as out of step with mainstream foreign policy, underscoring the difficulty he is likely to face winning Senate confirmation.An administration official said Sunday that Hagel — a decorated Vietnam veteran, a Republican and a former two-term senator from Nebraska — would be nominated Monday to succeed Leon E. Panetta. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal White House planning.
Obama Expected to Pick Chuck Hagel for Defense Post – When President Obama nominates Chuck Hagel, the maverick Republican and former senator from Nebraska, to be his next secretary of defense, he will be turning to a trusted ally whose willingness to defy party loyalty and conventional wisdom won his admiration both in the Senate and on a 2008 tour of war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
JOHN BRENNAN TAPPED TO LEAD CIA – President Barack Obama will announce Monday that he's nominating the White House's point person on counterterrorism, John Brennan, to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, White House officials told POLITICO.Brennan, a 25-year veteran of the CIA, currently holds the title of Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. He's expected to appear with Obama later Monday at a White House event where the president will also announce his nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) to be the next defense secretary.
Boehner Coup Attempt Larger Than First Thought – A concerted effort to unseat Speaker John A. Boehner was under way the day of his re-election to the position, but participants called it off 30 minutes before the House floor vote, CQ Roll Call has learned.A group of disaffected conservatives had agreed to vote against the Ohio lawmaker if they could get at least 25 members to join the effort. But one member, whose identity could not be verified, rescinded his or her participation the morning of the vote, leaving the group one person short of its self-imposed 25-member threshold. Only 17 votes against Boehner were required to force a second ballot, but the group wanted to have insurance.
Poll: Few people know obesity can cause more harm to health than just heart disease, diabetes – The Washington Post – Poll: Few people know obesity can cause more harm to health than just heart disease, diabetes #tcot
Flap's Dentistry Blog: Parents of Marissa Kingery Sue Others in Dental Procedure Death – Parents of Marissa Kingery Sue Others in Dental Procedure Death
Mexican drug gangs dig into mining industry – On October 7, Mexican marines swooped in on one of the most powerful men in organised crime. But as the navy triumphantly announced the death of Heriberto Lazcano, leader of the Zetas gang, there was puzzlement over where he had been found. Far from the Zeta's strongholds and practically unprotected, he had been watching a baseball game in the small mining village of Progreso.Theories abounded as to what exactly Lazcano had been doing in Progreso, a one horse town in the wide open spaces of the sorthern state of Coahuila. Humberto Moreira, ex-governor of Coahuila says that he has the answer: "Heriberto Lazcano changed from being a killer, kidnapper and drug dealer to something still more lucrative: mining coal. That's why he lived in the coal region, in a little village called Progreso."Speaking to Al Jazeera, Moreira says that the Zetas gang is fast discovering that illegal mining is an even more lucrative venture than drug running.
White House to Go on Offense for Hagel Pick – WSJ.com – So what? Hagel's Done RT @ZekeJMiller: White House to Go on Offense for Hagel Pick – via @WSJ
Sen. Ted Cruz: "I'm A Conservative Because Conservative Policies Work" – SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TEXAS): The reason why I'm a conservative is because conservative policies work and they improve opportunities. They are the avenue for climbing the economic dream. And what I have been talking about for many years is opportunity conservatism, that every policy should focus like a laser on easing the means of ascent up the economic ladder. That we should be championing the 47%, to take that now infamous comment.Look, the great thing about Americans — Americans don't want to be dependent upon government. Dependency saps the spirit, it doesn't work. Americans want to stand on their own two feet and the best way to do that is to have policies that allow entrepreneurs and small business to thrive and to create jobs and advance the American dream.
Social Security – It's Worse Than You Think – CONGRESS and President Obama have pushed through a relatively modest stopgap measure to avoid the "fiscal cliff," but over the coming years, the United States will confront another huge cliff: Social Security.In the first presidential debate, Mr. Obama described Social Security as "structurally sound," and Mitt Romney said that "neither the president nor I are proposing any changes" to the program. It was a rare issue on which both men agreed — and both were utterly wrong. For the first time in more than a quarter-century, Social Security ran a deficit in 2010: It spent $49 billion dollars more in benefits than it received in revenues, and drew from its trust funds to cover the shortfall.Those funds — a $2.7 trillion buffer built in anticipation of retiring baby boomers — will be exhausted by 2033, the government currently projects. Those facts are widely known.
What's not is that the Social Security Administration underestimates how long Americans will live and how much the trust funds will need to pay out — to the tune of $800 billion by 2031, more than the current annual defense budget — and that the trust funds will run out, if nothing is done, two years earlier than the government has predicted.
Feud over Obama health care reforms to intensify in coming months – The spotlight on President Obama's health care overhaul will intensify in coming months as states and businesses gear up for sweeping changes that could determine whether the public embraces the president's signature legislative achievement or decries it as government overreach.After the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the new health care law, the politics evolved from arguments over the reforms' constitutionality to a debate over whether the massive system can be implemented effectively.The president has long assured critics that once the reforms are fully enacted, the public will embrace them. Yet, while voters gave Obama a second term in November, polls show they are wary of the looming changes. A Rasmussen poll last month showed that nearly half of the respondents expect the health care system "to get worse over the next couple of years."
The Education of John Boehner – GOP willingness to let the spending sequester take effect – What stunned House Speaker John Boehner more than anything else during his prolonged closed-door budget negotiations with Barack Obama was this revelation: "At one point several weeks ago," Mr. Boehner says, "the president said to me, 'We don't have a spending problem.' "I am talking to Mr. Boehner in his office on the second floor of the Capitol, 72 hours after the historic House vote to take America off the so-called fiscal cliff by making permanent the Bush tax cuts on most Americans, but also to raise taxes on high earners. In the interim, Mr. Boehner had been elected to serve his second term as speaker of the House. Throughout our hourlong conversation, as is his custom, he takes long drags on one cigarette after another.Mr. Boehner looks battle weary from five weeks of grappling with the White House. He's frustrated that the final deal failed to make progress toward his primary goal of "making a down payment on solving the debt crisis and setting a path to get real entitlement reform." At one point he grimly says: "I need this job like I need a hole in the head."
McConnell: Any gun proposals will take back seat to solving country's financial problems – The Washington Post – RT @washingtonpost: McConnell: Any gun proposals will take back seat to solving country's financial problems
Getting around Prop. 13 | prop, tax, percent – Opinion – The Orange County Register – Getting around California Proposition 13
Video: Pelosi: More tax revenues must be part of next deficit deal – Pushing back against the Republicans' deficit-reduction strategy, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said this weekend that more tax revenues – not just spending cuts – must be a part of Congress's effort to rein in deficits.Pelosi said the tax hikes in the recent "fiscal-cliff" deal are a start, but don't go far enough to generate the revenues the government needs to run the country effectively.
Video: There Would Be A Revolution in this Country If the Government Confiscated Guns – Video: There Would Be A Revolution in this Country If the Government Confiscated Guns #tcot
Day By Day January 6, 2013 – The Law: Bend it like Becket – Day By Day January 6, 2013 – The Law: Bend it like Becket #tcot
@ToddKincannon/TwitterGulagDefNet4 on Twitter – RT @ToddKincannon: #TGDN Please follow ALL: | | | | …
What is #TGDN ? « Foolish Reporter's Foolish Thoughts on the Foolish State of Things – RT @ToddKincannon: Hey #TGDN, read this please! RT @FoolishReporter
Todd Kincannon (ToddKincannon) on Twitter – @gkenn99 Follow and check it out….
The Twitter Gulag Defense Network #TGDN – the New TCOT? | Iron Mill News Service – RT @Politisite: the New #TCOT ? The Twitter Gulag Defense Network #TGDN
@ToddKincannon/TwitterGulagDefNet1 on Twitter – Click these 4 links & follow ALL #TGDN members: & & &
Gregory Flap @ Ronnie's Diner – 15. 4 miles finished for marathon training. Now, some carbs! (@ Ronnie's Diner w/ 2 others)
Genetically modified food labeling measure to qualify for Washington state ballot – A measure to require special labeling of genetically modified foods appeared virtually certain to qualify for the ballot in Washington state on Friday, two months after voters in California rejected a similar initiative.Sponsors of the measure turned in petitions signed by an estimated 350,000 registered voters – at least 100,000 more signatures than required – on Thursday, a day ahead of deadline, said David Ammons, a spokesman for the Washington secretary of state.The submission all but assures that the GMO-labeling initiative would be certified by the secretary and sent on to the state legislature, which could adopt the measure or leave it to a popular vote on the November 2013 election ballot, Ammons said.
Early flu season accelerates; no peak yet, CDC says – Vitals – Early flu season accelerates; no peak yet, CDC says #tcot
Video: Arnold on Chris Christie and his Water Retention Problem – Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog – Video: Arnold on Chris Christie and his Water Retention Problem #tcot
These are my links for December 29th through January 2nd:
Can the Republican party survive any more McConnell-brokered deals? – Mitch McConnell has many virtues as a legislator. Unfortunately, brokering deals advantageous to Republicans is not one of them.McConnell's defenders will say that his most recent deal was the best any Republican could do under the circumstances. Perhaps. But this defense ignores the fact that it was McConnell's prior deal — the one creating the "fiscal cliff" — that established these adverse circumstances.Let's step back and consider the impact of McConnell's deals on the valiant effort of House Republicans in 2011 to use the debt-ceiling to attack the debt. So far, the results are as follows: (1) the debt ceiling was raised, (2) the debt continued to soar, (3) the latest McConnell-brokered deal will increase, rather than decrease, the debt, and (4) taxes are about to go up.
The McConnell Tax Hike – The McConnell Tax Hike will become law of the land. Mitch McConnell can and should take responsibility for it.The McConnell Tax Hike raises taxes on people making over $400,000.00, but it also raises taxes on the middle class. "More than 80 percent of households with incomes between $50,000 and $200,000 would pay higher taxes."Not only does the McConnell Tax Hike stick it to the middle class, it raises taxes $41 for every $1 in spending cuts. Those spending cuts are ephemeral as there is $330 billion in new spending and a $4 trillion price tag over the next ten years.
Both Hollywood and NASCAR get carve outs. So too do wind energy companies.
The Republican Establishment in Washington, DC should be burned to the ground and salt spread on the remains. Republicans who saw Mitch McConnell and John Boehner destroy the last plank of the Republican Party are going to need to look elsewhere for a savior for their party. Boehner and McConnell have declared they will survive. Their party? They don't really care.
Conservatives must look elsewhere. I do not advocate a third party. I advocate bring fresh blood into the GOP.
Senate-Passed Deal Means Higher Tax on 77% of Households – The budget deal passed by the U.S. Senate today would raise taxes on 77.1 percent of U.S. households, mostly because of the expiration of a payroll tax cut, according to preliminary estimates from the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center in Washington.More than 80 percent of households with incomes between $50,000 and $200,000 would pay higher taxes. Among the households facing higher taxes, the average increase would be $1,635, the policy center said. A 2 percent payroll tax cut, enacted during the economic slowdown, is being allowed to expire as of yesterday.
McConnell's World | The Page by Mark Halperin | TIME.com – RT @MarkHalperin Mitch McConnell is the reason we got this deal. What does he do for an encore?
Timeline of the 'fiscal-cliff' showdown
The fiscal cliff deal that almost wasn't – House Speaker John Boehner couldn't hold back when he spotted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the White House lobby last Friday.It was only a few days before the nation would go over the fiscal cliff, no bipartisan agreement was in sight, and Reid had just publicly accused Boehner of running a "dictatorship" in the House and caring more about holding onto his gavel than striking a deal."Go f— yourself," Boehner sniped as he pointed his finger at Reid, according to multiple sources present.
Reid, a bit startled, replied: "What are you talking about?"
Boehner repeated: "Go f— yourself."
The harsh exchange just a few steps from the Oval Office — which Boehner later bragged about to fellow Republicans — was only one episode in nearly two months of high-stakes negotiations laced with distrust, miscommunication, false starts and yelling matches as Washington struggled to ward off $500 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts.
The White House and Congress knew of the self-imposed deadline for more than 17 months and they still blew past it, as a president fresh off a strong reelection victory tested — and ultimately broke — the Republican Party's fidelity to its tax-cuts-only governing philosophy.
It took a late intervention of two Senate veterans — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Vice President Joe Biden — to rescue the negotiations. Their relationship, forged over two decades on Capitol Hill, helped move Congress to a resolution because it wasn't burdened by the raw political conflicts of the past and the legislative fights still to come.
How the House Voted on Fiscal Cliff Legislation – Most House Republicans voted against the final fiscal cliff deal late Tuesday night, while just 16 Democrats joined them.A few notes from the votes:* The bill easily passed 257-167, with 217 votes needed for passage. Democrats voted 172-16 in favor while Republicans votes 151-85 against.
* GOP leadership was split. While House Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) and 2012 vice presidential nominee and Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (Wis.) voted yes, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) voted no.
* Ryan's vote is noteworthy because another major 2016 presidential contender, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), was one of just eight senators to vote no early Tuesday morning, as did another potential presidential candidate, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
* Other no votes included GOP firebrands Reps. Allen West (Fla.), Michele Bachmann (Minn.) and Joe Walsh (Ill.). West and Walsh lost reelection in November, while Bachmann narrowly won.
* GOP Senate candidate Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.) voted no. She is a top hope for Sen. Jay Rockefeller's (D-W.Va.) seat.
Gregory Flap @ Chumash Casino Resort – A little poker to start the New Year! (@ Chumash Casino Resort)
LIVE: Final Day Before The Fiscal Cliff – Business Insider – RT @businessinsider: Fox News reports Reid hasn't signed on to tax deal
What's in the fiscal cliff deal – Ginger Gibson – POLITICO.com – RT @politico: What's in the fiscal cliff deal? @GingerGibson details:
White House pre-spins fiscal cliff defeat | WashingtonExaminer.com – RT @conncarroll: White House pre-spins fiscal cliff defeat
Adventure Travel, Gear, and Fitness | OutsideOnline.com – CrossFit Endurance's Unconventional 12-Week Marathon Training Plan | Endurance | #tcot
Silent sub: Russian noiseless Borei class nuclear submarine immersed – Super-modern, powerful and almost noiseless Russian nuclear submarine Vladimir Monomakh has been put in water to become the third ship of the Borei project. The cruiser is about to begin sea trials and mooring to become fully operational in 2013.Vladimir Monomakh was laid down at Russia's largest shipbuilding complex Sevmash, located on the shores of the White Sea in the town of Severodvinsk in northern Russia on March 19, 2006 – the 100th anniversary of the Russian submarine fleet.Borei-class submarine
Length: 170 m
Beam: 13.5 m
Draught: 10 m
Test depth: 450 m
14,720 tons surfaced
24,000 tons submerged
Speed: 29 knots (54 km/h)
Complement: 107 (55 officers)
Armament: 16-20 × Bulava SLBMs
6 × 533 mm torpedo tubes
It belongs to a class of missile strategic submarine cruisers with a new generation of nuclear reactor, which allows the submarine to dive to a depth of 480 meters. It can spend up to three months in autonomous navigation and, thanks to the latest achievements in the reduction of noise, it is almost silent compared to previous generations of submarines.
The submarine is armed with the new missile system, which has from 16 to 20 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles Bulava (SS-NX-30 by NATO classification). The rocket is able to overcome any prospective missile defense system.
NFL playoff matchups and dates are set – latimes.com – RT @latimessports: NFL playoff matchups and dates are set
CrossFit Endurance's Unconventional 12-Week Marathon Training Plan | Endurance | OutsideOnline.com – CrossFit Endurance's Unconventional 12-Week Marathon Training Plan
Hillary Clinton hospitalized after doctors discover blood clot – NBC Politics – Hillary Clinton hospitalized after doctors discover blood clot – NBC Politics #tcot
Report: Hillary Clinton hospitalized after doctors find blood clot – The Hill's Blog Briefing Room – RT @thehill: Report: Hillary Clinton hospitalized after doctors find blood clot by @danielstrauss4
Hillary Clinton hospitalized after doctors discover blood clot – NBC Politics – RT @nbcwashington: Latest on Sec. Clinton's hospitalization:
Hillary Clinton 'in hospital' with blood clot – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been admitted to hospital in New York with a blood clot, officials say.Mrs Clinton suffered a concussion earlier this month after fainting and falling down.At the time, she was reported to have had a stomach virus and to have passed out after becoming dehydrated.
Mrs Clinton is due to stand down as secretary of state before US President Barack Obama officially begins his second term in January.
Doctors discovered the clot during a follow-up examination on Sunday, her spokesman Philippe Reines said.
Mrs Clinton is being treated with anti-coagulants. She was admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where she will remain for the next 48 hours so that doctors can monitor her medication.
Pentagon Readying 800,000 for Rolling Layoffs – The Pentagon is preparing to notify its entire civilian workforce to prepare for furloughs if Congress and President Barack Obama are unable to reach a deal before Jan. 2 to avert automatic spending cuts.A senior defense official said Sunday that the Pentagon would notify 800,000 civilian workers to brace for furloughs in the new year, meaning the workers would be ordered to take mandatory leave without pay for a certain period. The warning is much gloomier than the agency recently offered employees, as it had said there wouldn't be an immediate impact on personnel or operations if a deal wasn't reached by January.But the senior official said that notices would go out soon after sequestration took effect. The official didn't know when the first layoffs would take place, but said they weren't likely to happen immediately.
The Pentagon must notify Congress of the possible layoffs because of labor laws requiring advance notice, the official said.
In a letter to employees before the December holidays, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta promised that other options for cutting costs would be examined before officials resort to layoffs and that sequestration "would not necessarily require immediate reductions in spending."
California Democrats signal they want to reform Proposition 13 – San Jose Mercury News – California Democrats signal they want to reform Proposition 13 #tcot
Untitled (http://pollingmatters.gallup.com/2012/12/very-conservative-americans-least.html) – RT @gallupnews: Very Conservative Americans Least Likely to Want Fiscal Cliff Compromise #tcot
GOP Sen. Cornyn will oppose Hagel nomination – Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), the Republican whip, told me in a phone interview this morning he would oppose the nomination of Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense: "I can't support a Hagel nomination if it comes," he said. He is the first senator to expressly state he would oppose Hagel. He told me he thinks there would be substantial opposition to Hagel on both sides of the aisle. "I've heard prominent Democrats concerned about his position on Israel. Many Republican have said they did not want to prejudge. But it would be a bad move and one of the reasons I've taken the position [to oppose]. 'Mr. President don't do that. It would be a bad nomination.'"
As 'fiscal cliff' looms, Republicans have no political incentive to make deal with Obama – That mentality means that for the vast majority of Republicans in Congress, a deal is more dangerous than no deal. A deal creates the possibility of a primary challenge from their ideological right in districts and even states that, by and large, went heavily against Obama in November. No deal means they might — with the emphasis on "might" — face some blow back from constituents who want them to get something done for the good of the country and put the partisanship and politics aside.And so, if you are wondering why congressional Republicans won't, in the words of Obama, just "take the deal," now you know. They have every political reason not to.
Pat Buchanan – Conservative Columnist and Political Commentator – Why the War Party Fears Hagel #tcot
Press Releases – News – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell – RT @StewSays: Sen. McConnell's speech today on the lack of urgency and his call to VP Biden is here: #FiscalCliff
Untitled (http://gov.mtopgroup.com/ref/art1/house-live.htm) – RT @HouseFloor: 2:15:44pm – The House recessed. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.
McConnell reaches out to Biden, Reid steps back – RT @ZekeJMiller: RT @edatpost: Mitch McConnell reaches out to @VP Biden as Harry Reid steps back #fiscalcliff
Why the War Party Fears Hagel – Neocon hostility to Hagel is rooted in a fear that in Obama's inner councils his voice would be raised in favor of negotiating with Iran and against a preventive war or pre-emptive strike. But if Obama permits these assaults to persuade him not to nominate Hagel, he will only be postponing a defining battle of his presidency, not avoiding it.For Bibi Netanyahu is going to be re-elected this January. And the government he forms looks to be more bellicose than the last. And Bibi's highest priority, shared by his neocon allies, is a U.S. war on Iran in 2013.If Obama does not want that war, he is going to have to defeat the war party. Throwing an old warrior like Chuck Hagel over the side to appease these wolves is not the way to begin this fight.
Nominate him, Mr. President. Let's get it on.
Latest on the fiscal cliff: Major setback – Negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have suffered a "major setback" after Republicans demanded the inclusion of new method for calculating entitlement benefits as part of the fiscal cliff package, according to Democratic sources.The provision, known as "chained CPI," is opposed by many progressives because it would result in lower payments for Social Security beneficiaries.
The Healthy Flap: December 29, 2012 – Locum Tenens (Temporary) Dentist – Gregory Cole, D.D.S. – The Healthy Flap: December 29, 2012
52 ways to leave your blubber – latimes.com – 52 ways to leave your blubber
Hope for hearing: Cochlear implants – CNN.com – Hope for hearing: Cochlear implants
Medicare Cuts Loom Large as 'Cliff' Nears – ABC News – Medicare Cuts Loom Large as 'Cliff' Nears
New year means changes for taxes, driving, light bulbs Page 1 of 4 | UTSanDiego.com – New year means changes for California taxes, driving, light bulbs #tcot
Lawmakers in VIP loan program violated no rules, House panel says – latimes.com – Lawmakers in VIP loan program violated no rules, House panel says #tcot
New law: Texting on hands-free devices while driving will be legal Jan. 1 – LA Daily News – New California law: Texting on hands-free devices while driving will be legal Jan. 1 #tcot
The Fiscal Cliff – Something for Nothing? – Flap's Blog – The Fiscal Cliff – Something for Nothing? #tcot
The Morning Flap: December 20, 2012
Posted December 20, 2012 FlapPosted in Pinboard Links, The Morning Flap
[youtube]http://youtu.be/QY_Gc1bF8ds[/youtube]
These are my links for December 19th through December 20th:
Dec. 21, 2012: Fearful 'end of world' callers flood NASA – If there's one government agency really looking forward to Dec. 22, it's NASA.The space agency said it has been flooded with calls and emails from people asking about the purported end of the world — which, as the doomsday myth goes, is apparently set to take place on Dec. 21, 2012.The myth might have originated with the Mayan calendar, but in the age of the Internet and social media, it proliferated online, raising questions and concerns among hundreds of people around the world who have turned to NASA for answers.Dwayne Brown, an agency spokesman, said NASA typically receives about 90 calls or emails per week containing questions from people. In recent weeks, he said, that number has skyrocketed — from 200 to 300 people are contacting NASA per day to ask about the end of the world.
"Who's the first agency you would call?" he said. "You're going to call NASA."
House set to vote on Boehner's Plan B – A scheduled showdown vote Thursday evening in the U.S. House will determine how Congress and the White House proceed on fiscal cliff negotiations.With less than two weeks until the automatic tax hikes and spending cuts of the fiscal cliff take effect, the House will consider two measures proposed by Speaker John Boehner in the latest wrinkle of tense negotiations with President Barack Obama.One of the proposals would amount to both a concession by Republicans and a hard-line stance against the president on taxes. It would extend tax cuts scheduled to expire at the end of the year for most people while allowing rates to increase to 1990s levels on income over $1 million.A second proposal would change the automatic spending cuts set to kick in next year under the fiscal cliff, replacing cuts to the military with reductions elsewhere.
The White House threatened Wednesday to veto Boehner's tax plan, saying it would achieve little and diverted the focus from efforts to negotiate a broader agreement to reduce the nation's chronic federal deficits and debt.
While considered a negotiating tactic to pressure Obama to make more concessions, the vote also seeks to turn public opinion that now backs the president over Republicans in the talks.
Day By Day December 20, 2012 – As Good as it Gets – Flap's Blog – Day By Day December 20, 2012 – As Good as it Gets #tcot
Here's What to Watch in Debate on GOP's Plan B – Welcome to the preview of the debate on the Plan B bill—or is that bills?— where the drama will unfold according to an unacknowledged script of party politics.One of the leading actors in the recitation, House Speaker John Boehner, was not even in the room when the Rules Committee debated well into Wednesday night, before voting to send to the floor the speaker's fiscal cliff proposal that extends Bush-era rates on people who earn $1 million or less as well as on spending cuts, a late addition to the agenda and a retread of a bill the House passed earlier this year.The spending-cut measure, dubbed the "magical mystery bill" by Democratic Rep. James McGovern of Massachusetts, because it was not added to the agenda until late Wednesday, is evidence that the speaker did not have the support in his conference for Plan B alone. Spending cuts were needed to sweeten the deal for the restive members of the conference."Of course, spending cuts were a very important part of this and we passed the reconciliation package last May, and there were members who were concerned that this didn't have spending cuts in it and so that's why the inclusion of this will allow that to happen," Chairman David Dreier said in an interview.
As Election Sting Lingers, Republicans' Recalibration Advances – An influential Republican operative lamented that Jindal cast light on something that had fallen out of the national dialogue, complaining that there's no reason to remind the public of an issue that caused Republicans fits this past year. But Jindal, who is widely expected to consider a 2016 presidential bid, observed that the Democrats successfully painted the GOP as opposing the use of birth control. That misconception is something high-level Romney campaign aides Katie Gage and Rich Beeson have said was a tough one for them to refute during the election, noting that it hindered their candidate's electoral prospects.In addition to losing support among women, Republicans lost the Latino vote by historic margins on Election Day. While officials on both sides of the aisle have cautioned that the Hispanic population doesn't rise and fall based solely on the nation's immigration policies, the optics of a legislative fight on the issue do hold significance.In March, the American Conservative Union will host its annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. And while the country's largest gathering of conservatives typically boasts a speaker roster peppered with controversial firebrands, the ACU unveiled a lineup of young and diverse headliners for the 2013 confab.Among the speakers are Tim Scott, the 47-year-old African-American congressman from South Carolina who was appointed to the Senate this week; Ted Cruz, a 41-year-old Canadian-born Latino who was elected to the Senate from Texas last month; Marco Rubio, also 41 and a Cuban-American senator from Florida; and Susana Martinez, the 53-year-old Mexican-American governor of New Mexico. The 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee, Paul Ryan, will also speak, as will Ron Paul, Jim DeMint and noted immigration reform champion Jeb Bush.
The Auto Bailout Failure Is Now Complete – You may recall that during the presidential election, the Treasury Department refused requests by General Motors to unload the government's stake in the giant automaker.Taxpayers had sunk $50 billion into a union bailout in 2009 and were now proud owners of 26.5 percent of the struggling company. Reportedly, GM had growing concerns that the stigma of "Government Motors" was hurting sales in the United States. At the time, any transaction would have come at a steep loss to taxpayers and undermined the president's questionable campaign assertions that the auto union rescue had been a huge success.Well, now that the election is over and the Treasury Department is freed of political considerations, it plans to sell its 500 million shares of stock over the next 12 to 15 months and ease its way out of the company. GM will buy around 200 million shares at $27.50 per share by the end of the year. GM's buy brings taxpayers back to around $5.5 billion of the $27 billion the company still owes. The special inspector general for TARP estimated in October that the Treasury would need to sell the remaining 500 million shares at $53.98 per share just to break even on its investment.Once GM buys its 200 million shares, the taxpayer stake in the company will drop to 19 percent, but the price to break even on the remaining 300 million shares will be around $70 per — or, in other words, probably never. As of this writing, GM shares are trading at around $27 per share. That, in the Obama era, is considered a successful transaction between the state and private industry. So successful that you'll also remember that during the campaign, Obama maintained that "what we did with the auto industry, we can do in manufacturing across America."
Taxpayer funds and unions for everyone.
Fiscal Cliff's Dirty Secret: It's Not About Taxes At All, But Too Much Spending – There's a lot of talk right now about an impending fiscal cliff. But we already went over a cliff economically in this country a long time ago.The current debate over tax hikes is an empty one built upon a false premise. The debate is whether raising tax rates will address our current crisis. The premise is that it is a lack of taxation that has led to the crisis. Both are hopelessly wrong.President Obama's proposed tax increases on the top 2% of earners would fund the federal government for about eight days. Even if we taxed Americans earning over $1 million on 100% of their income, we would raise only about $600 billion in revenue.Taxing citizens at this level is a tyranny even Europe hasn't reached, and still it would only address about one-third of our deficit.
If one actually does the math, "taxing the rich" turns out to be no real solution at all, only fantasyland rhetoric.
Every dollar the government takes is another dollar used unproductively. Every dollar removed from the private sector and wasted in the hands of bureaucrats is a dollar that will not be used to purchase goods, to pay for services or to meet a payroll.
Examiner Editorial: Boehner's Plan B is conservatives' best hope | WashingtonExaminer.com – You are wrong, sir | RT @JohnCornyn Examiner: Plan B is conservatives best option
Mass. poll: Scott Brown for John Kerry's seat – Kevin Robillard – POLITICO.com – Brown beats all Dems handily | RT RT @politico New Massachusetts poll: Scott Brown for John Kerry's seat:
Here's What to Watch in Debate on GOP's Plan B – Hopefully failure RT @HotlineJosh RT @mikecatalini: What to watch for in today's Plan B floor debate in the House
Examiner Editorial: Boehner's Plan B is conservatives' best hope | WashingtonExaminer.com – No way! RT @ByronYork RT @conncarroll: Examiner Editorial: Boehner's Plan B is conservatives' best hope #tcot
Is the Handwriting on the Wall for Rep. Buck McKeon? – Flap's Blog – Is the Handwriting on the Wall for Rep. Buck McKeon? #tcot
Philip Klein: How to evaluate 'fiscal cliff' proposals | WashingtonExaminer.com – Philip Klein: How to evaluate 'fiscal cliff' proposals | #tcot
Philip Klein: How to evaluate 'fiscal cliff' proposals – After weeks of relative calm, America's "fiscal cliff" drama has now been overtaken by a flurry of proposals, counterproposals and legislative maneuvering.As various ideas have been floated, they have triggered two main reactions among conservatives. One is to insist that if Republicans firmly stand their ground long enough, they will eventually get what they want from President Obama. Another is to side with House Speaker John Boehner and to act as if anybody who rejects any of his proposals is completely detached from reality.If Republicans refuse to back any deal that doesn't preserve all of the Bush-era rates in hopes of protecting the GOP's reputation as the low-tax party, they risk accomplishing the exact opposite. Americans would likely blame the GOP for taxes going up on everybody — as would happen automatically on Jan. 1 if no deal is struck. At that point, Obama could propose a massive tax cut for those making less than $250,000 per year, and it would be difficult for Republicans to resist. If they continued to do so, their reputation as tax cutters would be deeply damaged.
Obama Digital Team Say Mobile Ads Targeting Young, Females and Hispanics Worked – Obama Digital Team Say Mobile Ads Targeting Young, Females and Hispanics Worked #tcot
Flap's Dentistry Blog: New Prophylatic Antibiotic Guidelines for Joint Replacements Issued by the American Dental Association – New Prophylatic Antibiotic Guidelines for Joint Replacements Issued by the American Dental Association
Judge Robert H. Bork – R.I.P. – Flap's Blog – Judge Robert H. Bork – R.I.P. #tcot
The Morning Flap: December 19, 2012 – Flap's Blog – The Morning Flap: December 19, 2012 #tcot
Day By Day December 18, 2012 – The Environmentalists – Flap's Blog – Day By Day December 18, 2012 – The Environmentalists #tcot
Posted December 19, 2012 Flap1 CommentPosted in Pinboard Links, The Morning Flap
A Bad Budget Deal – Higher taxes now for notional reform later is worse than nothing – It's clear by now that the budget talks are drifting in a drearily familiar Washington direction: Tax and spending increases now, in return for the promise of spending cuts and tax and entitlement reform later. This is a bad deal for everyone except the politicians who want more money to spend.Consider the tax increase now being touted as a sign of "compromise." Speaker John Boehner has moved from opposing higher tax rates to offering higher rates for incomes above $1 million a year. While that's better than the scheduled increase on incomes above $200,000 a year (for singles), it would still put the GOP on record as endorsing a tax increase, in particular on small businesses that file individual returns.President Obama has countered with a ceiling of $400,000. If they compromise at $500,000, we are all supposed to thank the two sides for their reasonableness. Yet both parties will have declared that raising tax rates is no big economic deal. This will hurt the economy, and it further advances Mr. Obama's political goal of separating the middle class from the affluent on tax policy.
What about tax reform next year? A final judgment on this prospect depends on the fine print, but it's already looking grim. The GOP has prepared the ground for a genuine tax reform, on the Simpson-Bowles model, that lowers rates in return for fewer deductions. In what is shaping up as this budget deal's prototype, tax reform looks like it means both higher rates and fewer deductions.
This isn't reform. It's another tax increase next year disguised as reform. The Fortune 500 CEOs who are lobbying Republicans don't mind because they hope to get a cut in the corporate tax rate. But small businesses will be stuck with a huge immediate tax increase, at least until their owners can scramble to reorganize as corporations instead of Subchapter S companies or LLCs.
How Do We Know an 'Assault Weapon' Ban Would Not Have Stopped Adam Lanza? Because It Didn't – Although Friday's massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School has prompted renewed calls for reinstating the federal "assault weapon" ban, we know for a fact that such a law would not have stopped Adam Lanza or made his attack less deadly, because it didn't. The rifle he used, a .223-caliber Bushmaster M4 carbine, was legal under Connecticut's "assault weapon" ban, which is similar to the federal law that expired in 2004. Both laws, in addition to listing specifically prohibited models, cover semiautomatic rifles that accept detachable magazines and have at least two out of five features: 1) a folding or telescoping stock, 2) a pistol grip, 3) a bayonet mount, 4) a grenade launcher, and 5) a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor. The configuration of the rifle used by Lanza, which his mother legally purchased and possessed in Connecticut, evidently was not covered by that definition.
Democrats Dismiss Boehner's "Plan B" on Budget – With one eye on the clock and the other on the White House, House Speaker John Boehner introduced a "fiscal cliff" backup plan Tuesday that would only address taxes — an apparent attempt to pressure President Obama into moving Boehner's way in deficit-reduction negotiations."Plan B" would permanently extend current tax rates on those with annual incomes below $1 million, a concession by Boehner from his earlier opposition to any rate increase. The speaker insisted he was not walking away from the negotiating table, but said he wants to move faster to ensure that most Americans' taxes won't rise starting Jan. 1.
Benghazi review slams State Department on security – The leaders of an independent panel that blamed systematic State Department management and leadership failures for gross security lapses in the deadly Sept. 11 attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya will explain their findings to Congress on Wednesday.The two most senior members of the Accountability Review Board are set to testify behind closed doors before the House and Senate foreign affairs committees on the classified findings of their harshly critical report.An unclassified version released late Tuesday said serious bureaucratic mismanagement was responsible for the inadequate security at the mission in Benghazi where the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed.
"Systematic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels within two bureaus of the State Department resulted in a Special Mission security posture that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place," the panel said.
Despite those deficiencies, the board determined that no individual officials ignored or violated their duties and recommended no disciplinary action. But it also said poor performance by senior managers should be grounds for disciplinary recommendations in the future.
Wednesday's classified testimony from the review board – retired Ambassador Thomas Pickering and a former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen – will set the stage for open hearings the next day with Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, who is in charge of policy, and Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides, who is in charge of management.
Inquiry Into Libya Attack Is Sharply Critical of State Department – An independent inquiry into the attack on the United States diplomatic mission in Libya that killed four Americans on Sept. 11 sharply criticized the State Department for a lack of seasoned security personnel and for relying on untested local militias to safeguard the compound, according to a report by the panel made public on Tuesday night.
2012 Person of the Year: Barack Obama, the President | TIME.com – Why of course. He won decisively RT @TIME Barack Obama is TIME's 2012 Person of the Year | #POY2012
Resolutions: So Irresistible, So Hard to Keep – WSJ.com – RT @WSJ More than half of the 45 million smokers in the U.S. tried to quit in 2010, but < 10% of them managed to stop.
Sleep's Surprising Effects on Hunger – WSJ.com – RT @WSJ Study: sleep deprivation triggers hormonal changes that can lead to overeating, weight gain.
Obama to Announce Gun Task Force – President Barack Obama will on Wednesday announce the first step on gun control following the Newtown school shootings: an interagency task force, led by Vice President Joe Biden, charged with guiding the administration's continuing response.The announcement will be the third time in five days Obama has addressed the massacre that killed 20 first-graders and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. And it will follow a call on Friday for "meaningful action" and his Sunday pledge to use the White House to "engage" Americans to prevent mass shootings.
Magazine Clips, Background Checks Lead Gun Talk – All of a sudden a dam broke, and it's OK for members of Congress to talk about guns. The discussion is civil and calm for now, and everyone hopes that means sanity will prevail when it comes to new firearms policies."I think elected officials are thinking about trying a little experiment. They might try to get the policy right in the hopes that the politics will take care of themselves," said Mark Glaze, director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, an organization run by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.In an incredibly divided Congress, it seems ridiculous to assume lawmakers would focus on policy before politics. (For Exhibit A of political gamesmanship, look at the back and forth on a fiscal-cliff deal on Tuesday.) But on guns, it turns out there is a lot of rational agreement among even gun enthusiasts about trying to protect innocent people from being killed by them.
New rules being tossed around by lawmakers include banning high-capacity magazine clips, the kind that allow hundreds of rounds to be fired at a time, and tightening up background checks for gun purchases. Existing gun laws could also be enforced with greater regularity, such as compelling or enticing states to do a better job of reporting red flags like drug abuse or domestic violence to a national crime database.
New GOP polling firm goal: Catch up with Dems – The Republican polling community is about to get a shake-up.With the GOP still reeling from its defeats in the 2012 election, a new Republican polling firm is seeking to help the party bounce back with a fresh stream of data on the state of the electorate.The outfit, Harper Polling, launches this week with the goal of putting the party on parity with Democrats in the field of IVR polling – a term that stands for interactive voice response polling, commonly known as "robo-polling."
For several cycles now, Democrats have benefited from a high-volume, relatively inexpensive flow of survey data from the company Public Policy Polling, which takes hundreds of polls in any given cycle checking up on individual races and national issue debates. Some of those surveys are released to the public, while others are conducted for private purposes by Democratic campaigns and interest groups.
Behind the Curtain: Grand old white male party gets diversity memo – Republicans are in full panic mode about being the party of old, white, straight, conservative men for years to come — and struggling big time with how to change things.Under pressure from party leaders, most Republicans have chucked the anti-gay marriage, anti-illegal immigrant hostility — at least in public — that defined the party the past three elections. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other prominent Republicans are privately warning conservatives to put a sock in it when it comes to arguments that turn off large swaths of voters, sources tell us. Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy is doing the same on the House side.
Byron York: Anxiety rises as Americans face start of Obamacare | Mobile Washington Examiner – Anxiety rises as Americans face start of Obamacare #tcot
Log In – The New York Times – President Delivers a New Offer on the Fiscal Crisis to Boehner #tcot

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Is it possible to show the regex match result in the message field of the ORF log?
For a message with a subject containing "word2", in the log it would be nice to see the comment plus the match, as in: "Subject keywords 20160328 word2"
The regex engine does not look for keywords, but interprets the combination of metacharacters (=characters with special meaning) and regular characters (=characters with literal meaning) as a search pattern, then attempts to match the *entire* pattern in a given text. Due to this, it would be extremely difficult - if not impossible - to implement a feature that you just described. I am afraid, your only option is to use more descriptive comments for the keyword entries.
@Daniel Novak (Vamsoft): OK, but please consider it as a feature request.
Regex tests usually result in an array of matches so the developers may have an easy time to include $matches in the comment field that could be substituted for a placeholder.


text:
VW Up!, not yet a threat for 500-Panda. Analysis
VW Up! 3-5D against Fiat 500 and Panda
A-segment has been always a Fiat segment. They have been always the leaders not only in Europe but also in Brazil. First, their popular Panda presented in 2005, and then the unique 500 in 2007. Both cars have had excellent registrations in the continent thanks to their good relation price-product and the good way they differenciate them. Nonetheless competition has been getting hard as other important car makers had arrived with their proposals, with the exception of the Europe's largest car manufacturer, VW. Unlike what it happens with most of car segments in Europe, VW has not been able to have a good sales performance in A-segment. First they tried with Lupo/Arosa with bad numbers and then came the real flop: the Fox, imported from Brazil. Those cars did not understand the target as they were expensive, unpractical and made with very low quality materials. But inFrankfurt 2011, they finally presented the Up!, an all new small car with VW's main characteristics: good quality and very classic design. But VW decided to offer it using two more brands: Skoda Citigo and SEAT Mii in order to reach around 120-150.000 units/year in Europe.
The new Panda, A-segment best selling car in Europe in 2012. Photo by netcarshow.com
Meanwhile, in the same automotor show, Fiat guys were presenting the third generation of the Panda, Europe's best selling A-segment car. The new Panda showed an excellent evolution of its predecesor keeping its great habitability and improving its practicality, and interior and exterior design. The car kept its idea of taking the best advantage of its interior roominess and this time was going to be 100% Italian and no more Polish (as part of Fabbrica Italia plan). During the last years Fiat's sales in Europe had been depending more and more on A-segment. In 2011 Fiat 500 and Panda's sales represented 36% of total sales of the group in Europe, and Italy counts for 51% of those sales, followed by France 10%, Germany 9,6%, the UK, 9% and the Netherlands 5%. In terms of models, the Panda sold 55% of Fiat's total sales in A-segment, but it depends much more on Italian market: 60% of its sales are in Italy. On the other hand, the 500 is more international as it is popular not also in Italy (38% of its European sales), but also in the UK (16%), France (12%) and Germany (11%). With the arrival of VW to the segment things might be changing.
Fiat 500, now with better engines to face new rivals. Photo by carmagazine.co.uk
To make a good analysis about the impact the small VW has had on Fiat's models, it is important to evaluate data from January/12 when both, new Panda and Up! were properly begining their commercial life. It is also important to take into account the countries evaluated: Austria, Czech Rep., Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland. In the first month, VW Up! had a slow begining in its native Germany were they only sold around 2.000 units, much more, though, than new Panda with only 803 units and Cinquecento with 1.559 units. In Italy, the Up! was not already available, but both Italians did have a good performance nevertheless the bad situation of Italian market. For the whole month, the 3 of them, Panda, 500 and Up!, sold 26.738 units, 54% of those were Pandas, 35% Cienquecentos and 11% Ups. One month later the situation was pretty much the same but with some good news for the new Panda that got 56% of total sales of the 3 models, 15.467 units, while the 500 decreased its share to 30% and Up was up 3 points, 14%, as it began its sales in more countries but decreased its registrations in Germany. In March, VW Up! finally takes off with total sales of 8.975 units, or 26% of the sales of the 3 models, affecting directly 500 sales, which, though were up 14% compared to total of February thanks to better numbers everywhere in Europe (no matter the strike problems in Italy), had a final share of 28%, around 600 units more than the German. Finally, in April 2012 the situation had again some changes: Panda continued to increase its sales up to 16.733, up 6% compared to March, thanks to good performance in Italy, Germany, Spain and Greece, while 500 and Up! were down 8% due, in the first case, to lower sales in Germany (-23%), and Spain (-80%: most of units sold in March were car renting ones), but better numbers in Italy (+30%). In the case of the VW, it has a decrease in its German market (-3,5%), Denmark (-47%) and the Netherlands (-11%). For the Year-To-Date results, the Panda has 51% of market share among them, while Cinquecento has 29,5% and Up! 19,5%. By countries, the Panda has the lowest export ratio, as 66% of its sales are made in Italy, followed by the Up!, 52% in Germany and then the 500, whose sales in Italy represent 40%.
VW Up! and Fiat 500. Photo by autobild.de
It all means that the small VW had a low take off, to finally takes off and affect some how Fiat 500 sales, but it seems not to be a big threat yet as its sales are not being brilliant in Europe's largest A-segment market: Italy, while its performance in Germany has not been outstanding. Certainly the 3 door version is a direct competitor to Fiat 500, and Fiat guys should be working on better strategies to protect its market share, but its popularity in Italy, the UK (which's sales were not considered as there is no data for April), France, Germany, Netherlands and some others, are the best tool to compete. Meanwhile, the 5 doors Up! will have a tougher match with the Panda, as it continues its success in Italy. Nevertheless Fiat must work harder in marketing strategies and keep telling Europe they make the best mini cars, as VW is a strong car maker and knows perfectly how to get new clients, no matter its negative background in this segment. Here there is sales information per country for Jan-Apr/12:
Click here to see Fiat Panda/500 vs. VW Up! May 2012
This entry was posted in 500, Europe, Fiat, Panda, Sales, Segmentation. Bookmark the permalink.
Breaking news: Alfa and Mazda to share platform
What comes for Jeep
8 thoughts on "VW Up!, not yet a threat for 500-Panda. Analysis"
Nice analysis.. Where did you get the idea of calculating the export ratio ;)?
I don't know if that is possible, but it would also be interesting to see the percentage (of both 500 and Panda) sold with TwinAir engines and Natural Power engines
Juan Felipe says:
Hey Dario. I got it from you, thanks! nevertheless I've been always interested about this, to see how popular are cars beyond their countries. Unfortunatelly I don't have the info you are looking for, but I promiss I will look for it. See you!
Wonderful, thank you.
However i was thinking.. Does the Ypsilon belong to the A segment? If it does, VW Up's share in Italy would considerably drop.
By the way I think the Y deserved a better success in the rest of Europe.. It combines a beautiful design and practicality (5 doors). It is a modern synthesis of 500 and Panda.
Lancia Ypsilon is considered in B-segment but it gets close to A-segment because of its size: 3.86m. Personally I think is a good car and can be seen as the 5door version of the Fiat 500. But it has two problems: high prices and bad reputation of the brand Lancia in Europe. Besides, most of B-segment clients are not looking for luxury (as Lancia positionates all its products) but for reliability and toughness of materials.
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Hello there, have you been on Twitter? Can be terrific to go through your future articles or blog


Take a stroll along Dunbar High Street and it soon becomes apparent that there's a whole lot more hidden away behind the street frontage.
and to provide shortcuts from the High Street to other parts of the town – a 'common way' where passage was protected by written rights guaranteeing 'free ish and entry, haigh and low, back and fore'.
No matter how you count them – and the number has changed over the last 150 years – there are over 50 seperate closes. Before the street was numbered (by statute) for the 1881 census, the denizens of Dunbar had to locate the tenements and closes by other means. So as well as a number, each of the closes had before at least one name – the name depending on who was asked, their age, or their business, or even where they lived themselves. The 1841 census provides a good tally of the names in most general use.
Some are descriptive of then owners, other well known inhabitants, or simply the shop next to them. The selection in the illustration above runs mainly with the former; by 1841 'Blair's' had become 'Meikle's' – an illustration of how transient these names might be.
Others show how, on the other hand, a name or association could be long lasting. This type provides a insight into deeper history: Old Bank Close, Slaughterhouse Close, Old School Close, or The Puirs' House Close are examples.
And finally, there's always an exception to any rule. The Common Close, unlike all the rest, ran diagonally across the rigs of the north-east block of the High Street. It was both densely populated (almost a community in its own right) and densely packed with workshops and stores. There were three or four exits onto the High Street, and a similar number onto Castle Street.
Little has been done to explore the range of names and their origins, but sources exist at the John Gray Centre, not least the newly returned Burgh Records, that could be used to explore the byways of the burgh through the centuries. Visit us or search the indexes to find out more.


text:
Q: Repeating an attribute value in sql I have a simple query that I would like some specific results but not sure of the right way to go about it.  I'm using a SQL Server database and my query is as follows:
SELECT  dt.year ,
        db.dist_code ,
        db.dist_name ,
        db.s_code ,
        db.s_name ,
        fl.zip ,
        fl.num_births ,

        total_enrollment
FROM    dbo.fact_enrollment_school AS fs
        INNER JOIN dbo.dim_building AS db ON fs.building_key = db.building_key
        INNER JOIN dbo.dim_time AS dt ON fs.time_key = dt.time_key
        LEFT OUTER JOIN dbo.fact_live_birth AS fl ON dt.time_key = fl.time_key
                                                AND db.building_key = fl.building_key

GROUP BY dt.year ,
        db.dist_code ,
        db.dist_name ,
        db.school_code ,
        db.school_name ,
        fl.zip ,
        total_enrollment ,
        fl.num_births

What I need is to output the num_births total for every district_code that is the same.
Desired output:

A: I think you can achieve this by window function:
SELECT  dt.year ,
    db.dist_code ,
    db.dist_name ,
    db.s_code ,
    db.s_name ,
    fl.zip ,
    sum(fl.num_births) over (partition by dt.year, db.dist_code),

    total_enrollment
FROM    dbo.fact_enrollment_school AS fs
    INNER JOIN dbo.dim_building AS db ON fs.building_key = db.building_key
    INNER JOIN dbo.dim_time AS dt ON fs.time_key = dt.time_key
    LEFT OUTER JOIN dbo.fact_live_birth AS fl ON dt.time_key = fl.time_key
                                            AND db.building_key = fl.building_key;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Abstract: A novel class of dimension reduction methods is combined with a stochastic multi-factor panel regression-based state-space model in order to model the dynamics of yield curves whilst incorporating regression factors. This is achieved via Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis (PPCA) in which new statistically-robust variants are derived also treating missing data. We embed the rank reduced feature extractions into a stochastic representation for state-space models for yield curve dynamics and compare the results to classical multi-factor dynamic Nelson–Siegel state-space models. This leads to important new representations of yield curve models that can be practically important for addressing questions of financial stress testing and monetary policy interventions, which can incorporate efficiently financial big data. We illustrate our results on various financial and macroeconomic datasets from the Euro Zone and international market.


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Earlier this year, Mercedes announced that the G-Wagen was getting an updated interior. The timeless classic was getting reworked on the inside like so many other Mercedes models. If a new infotainment system and LED screens aren't what you're looking for in a G-Wagen, then perhaps some bomb protection will tickle your fancy. That's right, dictators, war lords, and drug kingpins looking for timeless G-Wagon styling to go along with military-grade protection, look no further. You can buy a fully armored G63 for $250,000 on AutoTrader right now.
The G63 rolls on impact-resistant reinforced-premium security wheels wrapped in specialized run-flat tires. In case you're doing some night-time missions, there's premium Flir night vision that's hooked up to a four-camera DVR mobile surveillance system. A built-in loudspeaker and flashing strobe lights are there in case you want to make your presence known.
The grey exterior features armored fenders and a lightweight armored hood. There's also a stainless steel mesh grill and a polished brush guard up front. It looks like the 2014 G63 only has 7,679 miles on the odometer.
Considering that a new 2018 Mercedes-AMG G63 starts at $142,800, the extra $100k may be worth it for the piece of mind that nobody's going to be able to shoot you up. Just be sure your driver is the one who hops out to refuel at the gas station because you're going to be filling up a lot.
The new G-Class will follow the trend of swanky new interiors for the Mercedes brand.


Welcome to Giddyup Triathlon Sports, or GUTS as I like to think of it, which is what it takes to even think about doing a triathlon. The sport of triathlon can be intimidating for beginner triathletes and very expensive for any triathlete.
As an experienced triathlete myself I understand the nervousness a beginner triathlete has to even start, I have also felt the frustration of trying to find the necessary gear for a decent price. Giddyup Triathlon Sports is going to provide answers for both of those very broad topics and more.
Check out our areas for gear reviews and discount gear. We also have free training plans for the asking. GUTS is a work in progress and we are always adding new information and gear to make your races the best they can be.
If it's a local or national race you are looking for take a look at our race calendar. If you are a race director and want your race added to the calendar we would love to do that.
Please join the community, give me your two cents, I want to hear it. I love talking multi-sport which is why I developed the site.
I want you to come back often, which is why I am going to make it worth your while. Please check back for discussion forums, and top notch GUTS triathlon clothing for training and racing without breaking the bank.
Most importantly Giddyup, have fun, and train hard.