• Hot Off The Presses - Politics, Schmolitics

    Surveying The Old Rugged Crosshairs

    January 9, 2011 - By 

    If they’d only gone with the cute dartboard graphic… but that doesn’t go with “Don’t retreat, Instead – RELOAD.” Crosshairs it is! Just like those roadside surveyors use, and not like gunsights at all, not one bit. Also, too, maybe: subliminal Christian symbolism can’t hurt. A ‘SURVEYOR’S SYMBOL’?…. On March 22, the day before the Affordable Care Act became law, former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R) published a list of House Democrats with crosshairs, like that of a rifle scope, over their districts. A day later, she sent a message to “commonsense conservatives” and “lovers of America” — it read,…

  • Hot Off The Presses - Mini-Posts - Politics, Schmolitics

    Can we lose the gun metaphors? Legal concealed carry worked out SO well in Arizona

    January 9, 2011 - By 

    BUDA, Texas — Talk about the gang that couldn’t shoot straight. Some members of the Capitol press corps took a 10-hour concealed handgun safety and shooting class this week – an exercise less about getting a weapon than getting into the Capitol. Visitors now must pass through metal detectors, virtually guaranteeing delays. But there’s an express lane for people with a concealed handgun permit. The theory, apparently, is that people licensed to pack heat have undergone a thorough background check and can be waved right through. via Straight-shooting press corps members get CHL permits for express access to Texas Capitol…

  • Hot Off The Presses - Mini-Posts - Politics, Schmolitics

    Netroots UK: Good Luck Stormin’ The Castle

    January 9, 2011 - By 

    Hope this conference went well and didn’t get bogged down in “long-winded” discussions. This Saturday we’re hosting the first annual Netroots UK conference. It brings together the new generation of left activists, working and discussing politics online, with the veteran institutions of trade unions and many more in between. The hope is that we can begin to build a new infrastructure to bring together campaigners and activists so that they can learn from each other. Our plan isn’t to have long-winded discussions, but create useful spaces where people can discuss strategy drawing on their experience of local campaigns: what works…

  • Hot Off The Presses

    Linkdump: January 9th

    January 9, 2011 - By 

    Make 3-D moving water in Second life The Giffords Shooting and the Palin Graphic: Almost Predictable — BagNews Giffords gestures that she is in the crosshairs Kuhner: "Republicans must wage an all-out assault on Mr. Obama’s presidency" | Media Matters for America These Are Not The Violent Extremists You Are Looking For | TBogg It doesn't matter whether Loughlan was a Tea Party activist or not; he was mentally disturbed with bizarre views he documented on YouTube. The violent rhetoric, and the Right's love of gun imagery, needs to stop. How many pictures of Sarah Palin with a gun menacing…

  • Blogs Wot I Read - Hot Off The Presses - Politics, Schmolitics

    Sometimes A Nut Is Just A Nut, But Probably Not A Left-Wing Nut

    January 9, 2011 - By 

    Confusion at Daily Kos today in the swirling aftermath of the Giffords shooting – the right-wing commenters at Palin’s Facebook page, on Twitter, and on many, many blogs have pounced on the curious case of a Daily Kos diary that criticized Rep Giffords was deleted earlier today. They were quick to howl that the diarist, a low-level member named BlueBoy whose diary didn’t get very many comments or “recs,” must be the same person as Jared Lee Loughner, the accused shooter. Well, it appears he’s not, as he’s been posting in comments threads on Daily Kos tonight. He took the…

  • Twitter

    Weekly Tweets 2011-01-09

    January 9, 2011 - By 

    I ate an elk sausage hot dog at Fredhot's in Glenview, quite tasty. # At my new doctor's office, it's VERY busy but they're calling people pretty quickly. #fb # However, this doc is conveniently located in the 21st century, as I wished for 2 weeks ago.#fb # Thankful for so many things; my husband, my declawed cat, my tubal. #cf # Well, crap. # Finally called in for pre-exam check with PA. Doctor soon. Weh-hey! # RT @kqthomson "in the market for an excuse to get this device, which shoots a Kevlar line & titanium grappling hook http://fb.me/E9DqRUpZ" #…

  • Hot Off The Presses - Politics, Schmolitics

    Refudiate This, Sarah Palin

    January 9, 2011 - By 

    That’s your signature on that “take back the twenty” graphic that was taken down from your site earlier today. Gabrielle Giffords knew she was one of the “targets” during the election: “We’re on Sarah Palin’s targeted list, but, the thing is, that the way that she has it depicted, has the crosshairs of a gunsight over our district. When people do that, they’ve got to realize there’s consequences to that action.” —Gabrielle Giffords on MSNBC Words matter, and so do symbols. To an unbalanced man with a gun, this is like a shopping list. Via: Flickr Title: Repudiate This, Sarah…

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    Target: Gabrielle Giffords

    January 8, 2011 - By 

    “Though hardly the worst offender in Congress when it comes to gun control, she does believe that restrictions should be placed on gun ownership and right-to-carry–“… Via: Flickr Title: Target: Gabrielle Giffords By: GinnyRED57 Originally uploaded: 8 Jan ’11, 3.17pm CST PST