Jury Summons

%#$@?!!! For the fourth time in 16+ years, I have a jury summons. It isn't the duty involved--I think that might be very interesting--it's the low compensation. Especially in this economy. Unfortunately for me, the excuse that worked three times in the past (I'm the first link in the chain, if I don't work, nobody works), while valid, no longer works. It seems we Clark County folks voted to change it so that jury excuses are only for the old or sick. I don't remember that one.  So, I'll have to wait until my appearance date, and plead my case before the judge. Phooey. If only they paid something approaching my actual wages, and there was someone at work who could take over for me there.

Mike Huckabee Spreads "Birther" Nonsense, Says Obama Grew Up in Kenya

Mike Huckabee was asked by a back-bencher right-wing talker about President Obama's birthplace. Rather than state the obvious--that Obama was born in Hawaii, and that "Birthers" are bananas--Huckabee decided to play it safe. Sort of. He didn't answer the citizenship question, but wandered into a story about Obama "growing up" in Kenya, and how that might affect a person's development. Ahem.



Even the wackiest birther doesn't claim Obama grew up in Kenya, so Huckabee's story is just plain weird. He's even tried backtracking and "clarifying" his statement, but his revised story is no more credible than the original. . .

[Excerpt]

Huckabee backs away from birther claim, badly



. . .Huckabee had clearly thought this entire "Obama influenced by evil Kenya" script out in advance, so there's no way it was just a slip of the tongue. The entire thing was about Kenya. . .

Read more at: AmericaBlog

Republicans Want to Repeal the 14th Amendment to the Constitution

So, Republicans want to repeal the 14th amendment, which would remove rights. And they'd like a Federal Marriage Amendment. . .which would remove rights. Is anyone sensing a pattern here?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Newt Gingrich Tries to Slam Obama; Slams Reagan

Poor Newt. He's trying so hard to slam President Obama at every turn, he often doesn't think to check the YouTubes and Googles to see if anyone. . .say Saint Ronald Reagan. . .may have similar sentiments. Oopsie.

[Excerpt]

Media don't ask if Gingrich considered Reagan comment "intellectual nonsense"



CNN's Candy Crowley and CQ Politics' Jonathan Allen reported Newt Gingrich's claim that "I am not a citizen of the world. I think the entire concept is intellectual nonsense and stunningly dangerous," saying the line was a jab at President Obama. Neither reported however that President Reagan made similar remarks. . .

Read more at: Media Matters

Keith Olbermann & Arianna Huffington Discuss Obama Citizenship Controversy

Two of my favorite personalities discussing one of the subjects I find morbidly fascinating. How could I not post it? Don't get me wrong, I think the whole issue of Barack Obama's "natural born citizenship" being in question is ridiculous. But I'm paying attention to the conspiracy theorists with the fascination of a little kid rubbernecking at a car crash.

Supreme Court Will Not Hear Obama Citizenship Case

The US Supreme Court struck another blow at the "birther" conspiracy theorists today, by refusing to hear a case that alleges Barack Obama is not a "natural born citizen." None of the many cases filed have gone anywhere. Probably because the whole conspiracy theory is ludicrous.

Beyond the dubious merits of this and the many other cases though, there is something that needs to be said to the tinfoil hatters who are on this wacky bandwagon. Almost to a person, the birthers claim that they are trying to protect the US Constitution. They claim to be attempting to prevent a Constitutional crisis. They go so far as to call Obama some sort of Trojan horse candidate, ready to rend our Constitution into shreds.

Question: where have these people been the past eight years? Outside of screaming whenever any perceived attack of the 2nd amendment comes up, where were they during warrantless wiretaps? The USA PATRIOT Act? What about the countless other Bush Administration violations of the Bill of Rights?

The answer of course is that these folks are likely cloaking their true motivations within the Constitution. It's sorta like wrapping yourself in the flag. The truth is, they just can't accept the fact that a) a Democrat, b) Obama, c) a black guy, d) a Marxist, Socialist, elitist, secret Muslim with a crazy Christian preacher, who pals around with terrorists and has an angry, militant wife actually won. Take your pick.

[Excerpt]

Supreme Court Rejects Appeal Over Obama’s Citizenship

Without any comment whatsoever, the Supreme Court today declined to take up an appeal by a New Jersey man who questioned President-elect Barack Obama’s eligibility for the presidency, based on his birth to a father from Kenya and a mother who was a United States citizen. . .

Read more at: New York Times

More on Obama's Citizenship Challengers

Photo from source, Slate

I've already written a few posts about the conspiracy theorists who are trying to disqualify President-elect Barack Obama from inauguration. I find them oddly fascinating, for some reason. But until now, I hadn't read a good write-up on why they're so wrong.

Well, I found a piece from Slate that pretty much shoots down all of their arguments. And it finally gives me a name for these people. The 9/11 conspiracy theorists are known as "truthers," and now we can call the Obama conspiracy theorists "birthers." I like it!

[Excerpt]

Change They Can Litigate

. . .If you thought Barack Obama's clear rout over John McCain meant we'd be spared a third Electoral College melodrama—well, think again. This time, the argument is not over votes. It's over Obama's citizenship.

Thanks to the increased simplicity of online organizing and coverage in talk radio and fringe political Web sites, the citizenship crusaders have grown numerous enough to irritate people at every level of the presidential vote certification process. . .

Read more at: Slate

Tiny Crowd Hoping Obama Gets Bounced by Supreme Court

Photo from source, Raw Story

I've looked high, and I've looked low, and I cannot find any news on what the Supreme Court is planning to do with the Barack Obama citizenship question. What, you didn't know there was a question? Well, there really isn't, but a handful of right-wingers (and a couple of wayward PUMAs) are trying to get Obama disqualified by a technicality. Seriously.

I'm off to a harrowing trip to the dentist, so hopefully when I get back, there will be news. In the mean time, check out the huge crowd of protesters looking to get Obama bounced.

[Excerpt]

Tiny crowd prays Supreme Court will invalidate Obama presidency

A small but determined band of conservative protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court Friday morning to pray the justices would invalidate Barack Obama's election. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Citizenship Test: Do You Deserve to be a Citizen?

Image from source, AOL News

People sometimes question why anyone still uses AOL. Long plagued--even in its heyday--with derision as "training wheels for the Internet," the service just doesn't get any love. I guess for me, it has to do with familiarity. Just like how I started with CorelDRAW v. 2 wayyy back in 1990 or so, and still prefer it (by a long shot) to Adobe Illustrator, I took up AOL after the demise of Prodigy, and have been with them ever since. I like the interface--though the buggy software sometimes drives me to the edge of dropping them forever.

Still, one of the delights of the service is that almost every day there is an item in the splash page that begs to be clicked. Whomever is responsible for their highlighted 5 or so items does a great job. Today, the thing I couldn't resist clicking on was a citizenship test. I've often wondered how many natural born citizens could pass the test if forced to do so. And I'm happy to say, I scored 100% on the test with very little deliberation on any of the questions. How would you do?

Greenlee Gazette Challenge: Click the link, take the test, and report back here in the comments section! Which ones did you miss? Should people who fail be booted from the country? Do knee-jerk flag lapel-pin-wearing "patriots" do better or worse than commie liberals? Discuss!

[Excerpt]

LA Welcomes Record 18,000 New Citizens

Record crowds of immigrants - more than 18,000 in all - took citizenship oaths here Thursday, a showing credited to rising fees, a heated debate over illegal immigration and one of the brand-new Americans raising their hands. . .

Read more and take the test at: AOL News