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Lou Dobbs resigns from CNN

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

CNN fixture Lou Dobbs made a surprise on-air announcement today by resigning from the network.

The backlash that followed Dobbs’ outspoken views on immigration and promotion of the delusional birther contingent will be mentioned ad nauseam in the coming days as the reason for his exit.  Liberals and Latinos will cheer.  The Media Matters crew are losing, going on a scavenger hunt for and then losing their shit yet again in celebration.

Everyone will assume a spot for Dobbs is waiting on Fox News alongside Hannity, O’Reilly and Beck. Maybe it will be.  Conservatives will cheer.

But does it matter?  Does Dobbs matter?  Do any cable news talking heads matter anymore now that everyone has gone all-in on their talking head of choice?

Full text of Dobbs’ statement here and video here of his departure.

Atlantans share their moments of shame on film

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Why is it just high-profile Atlantans featured in the 11 Least Influential? Where’s the recognition for all you normal people who feel impotent every day? Because we feel your pain, the CL team hit the Chomp and Stomp Chili Cook-off in Cabbagetown this weekend to ask everyday Atlantans about their moments of shame. From hung-over 5k races to a pantsing gone wrong, these urbanites bare all for your viewing pleasure.

Continue reading the 11 Least Influential.

The 11 Least Influential of 2009

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

news_11least1-1_28Don’t get us wrong, we take our job of highlighting the best of the city seriously. But equally important is shining the spotlight on those Atlantans who just can’t seem to get it right. Today being 11/11, we offer you the 11 Least Influential. From a police chief who can’t convince residents of decreasing crime to a quarterback who can’t maximize penetration, our annual list points out the lows … and lows … of 2009.

Continue reading “The 11 Least Influential”

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

More Reed momentum for mayor, courtesy of Borders endorsement

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

WEB-0046

How much does momentum help when you’re running for elected office? Just ask Hillary Clinton and the many other candidates who’ve stalled out after an early surge.

Look, Kasim Reed has a lot of ground to make up in his effort to win the Dec. 1 runoff for mayor against front-runner Mary Norwood, but right now, he’s got the momentum. On Monday, he picked up an endorsement from former state legislator Jim Martin. Yes, Martin has been twice defeated running for higher office, but he was a longtime House member who still enjoys respect as an honorable public servant. I know I’m often dragging race into these matters, but it doesn’t hurt Reed’s image that Martin is white.

But that boost was a lead-up to today’s announcement that former candidate Lisa Borders is endorsing Reed at an event going on at this moment. From the pre-release:

“After many months of campaigning, it is critical for us to come together as a demonstration of strength and unity. Atlanta lies at a critical crossroads and her very future depends on leadership that can unite us and move us forward,” Borders said. “Now is the time to lay aside our differences and work in the best interest of all citizens to ensure each has the opportunity to rise to their full potential. Senator Reed’s ideas for afterschool recreation centers, his focus on public safety and his willingness to work toward increasing revenue opportunities for Atlanta are in line with my policy objectives.”

Having talked to Borders’ campaign folks over recent weeks, it was pretty clear that she wasn’t going to support Norwood. I know this will irk many Norwood followers for me to point this out, but almost no one on the City Council believes Norwood has the competence to be a decent mayor. She simply doesn’t command much respect down at City Hall. I don’t want to put words in Borders’ mouth, but it’s my strong impression that she considers Norwood a lightweight.

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Morning Newsdome: Feeling mavericky

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
SARAH PALIN: Feeling <em>mavericky</em>

SARAH PALIN: Feeling mavericky

>> Maverick Sarah Palin told thousands of abortion opponents at a Wisconsin fund-raising banquet Friday night that if the government would allow abortion rights, then it could also disregard the health of the elderly or special-needs children, like her “retarded baby” Trig. (Politico, Examiner)

>> Televangelist Pat Robertson denounced Islam as “not a religion” but “a violent political system” on the 700 Club yesterday. Those Muslims could learn a thing or two about peace from Robertson, who famously advised throwing “a very small nuke” at the State Department. (Crooksandliars.com)

>> The Vatican, which recently made it easier for disenfranchised Anglicans to convert to Catholicism, may have other converts in mind: The church has called in scientists to study alien life and what it would mean for Catholicism, saying one cannot “put limits on God’s creative freedom.” Galileo is rolling in his grave. (AP)

>> The U.S. Department of Justice subpoenaed the Philidelphia-based independent news site Indymedia.us to disclose the details of all reader visits on a certain day, including e-mail addresses, physical addresses, Social Security numbers and bank accounts. The request also stated “not to disclose the existence of this request.” Oops! (CBS News)

>> And finally, out of eastern India: Hundreds of poor Hindu villagers have claimed that a rare turtle with holy symbols on its back is the incarnation of the popular deity Lord Jagannath. Apparently Lord Jagannath likes to eat seagrass and algae and naps constantly throughout the day. (Reuters)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Borders/Reed press conference at 1:45 p.m. at Park Tavern

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Following up on Andisheh’s post from this morning about Lisa Borders endorsing Kasim Reed, an e-mail was sent to Reed’s volunteer list with details about the press conference:

Kasim Reed for Mayor Volunteers,

We invite you to join us on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 1:45 p. m., for Lisa Borders’ formal endorsement of Senator Kasim Reed.  We will assemble at Park Tavern, located at 500 10th Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 (at the corner of 10th and Monroe).

Please wear your campaign t-shirt as a representation of your continued support of Senator Reed’s mayoral campaign.

We hope to see you there!

Are any of you planning on attending?

WSB: Borders to endorse Reed

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

WSB-TV reports Lisa Borders plans to endorse Kasim Reed today for Atlanta Mayor. Reed and Mary Norwood face each other in a Dec. 1 run-off election.

11 Least Influential Countdown: No. 7 — Sebastian Hurst

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

With home births facing unnecessary hurdles in Georgia, Sebastian will have to be delivered at a hospital

With home births facing unnecessary hurdles in Georgia, Sebastian will have to be delivered at a hospital

Welcome to CL’s annual catalog of impotence: the 11 Least Influential. You’ll meet folks who tried to achieve an ambitious goal, but fell short (which happens to be the case with little Sebastian here); people who’ve devoted themselves to a personal mission in near-total obscurity; and ordinary Joes who can’t get anyone to pay attention to them. Every day until the full issue hits the streets on Nov. 11 (tomorrow!), we’ll bring you a new story of failure — some noble and heroic, others abject and pathetic.

Subject: Sebastian Hurst
Failing: Can’t be born at home

Sebastian Hurst hasn’t even been born yet — and yet he’s exhibiting a notable lack of influence. Of course, the root cause of Sebastian’s shortfall is hardly something you’d blame on a young man who’s still seven weeks away from the birth canal.

Like his mother before him — and two of her four siblings — Sebastian was destined to be born at home. Unfortunately, Georgia law makes it far too difficult for women to deliver anywhere but a hospital. In fact, it would cost Sebastian’s mom an estimated $1,600 to give birth at home. Delivering at a hospital, by comparison, is free. And because Sarah Hurst, a 20-year-old Cobb County native who works at a church nursery, subsists on a rather tight income, free is her only option.

“I wanted to be in a comfortable and relaxed environment,” Sarah Hurst says. “I wanted to have a home birth. I wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps. And all of a sudden I can’t. It was hugely disappointing.”

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6th District race heats up over Coyle accusation

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
Not gay-friendly?

Not gay-friendly?

And here we thought the mayor’s race was likely to become divisive.

There’s an impassioned open letter making the cyber-rounds in which Charlie Stadtlander, a just-deafeated candidate for Atlanta school board, accuses Council District 6 candidate Liz Coyle as being “not pro-LGBT equality.”

OK, there are worse things to be accused of. It’s not as if people said she runs a meth lab (although that could result in valuable management experience), but being tagged as anti-gay is kind of a deal in District 6, which boasts the city highest percentage of gay voters.

Among Stadtlander’s beefs against Coyle, who is straight: she has favored shutting down gay bars; she pandered to gays by hiring “semi-nude” dancers to accompany her Pride parade float; and she’s used the word “transvestitute” to describe men she believes to be soliciting sex in Midtown. His entire letter can be found on the SoVo website.

Clearly Stadtlander has issues with Coyle. But could any of this hurt Coyle in the runoff against gay opponent Alex Wan? It depends, I’m guessing, on how seriously the community takes Stadtlander. I don’t know the guy. He already endorsed Wan, so I don’t know that his Coyle-trashing is going to sway additional voters.

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MARTA bus driver forces passengers to pray, you decide why

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

A MARTA bus driver was suspended over an incident last week in which he insisted passengers hold hands while he led them in prayer.

In the complaint, the passenger told MARTA officials the Route 125 Avondale/Northlake bus was traveling northbound on Nov. 3 when it stopped around 7:30 p.m. at the corner of Northlake Parkway and Lavista Road.

As the passenger, whose name was not released, approached the front of the bus, Matthews, who has been with MARTA six years,  stood from his seat and asked everyone to hold hands for a brief word of prayer.

The prayer lasted  four to five minutes.

What they prayed for or about is unclear, said Harris.

What did the MARTA bus driver ask passengers to pray for?

View Results

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Georgia creates new black market for cigarettes

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Georgia will ban smoking in all prisons starting next year.

This should work out well.

After all, Nicotine isn’t very addictive and prisoners are usually really good at controlling their urges. Besides, nobody does anything illegal in prison.

Morning Newsdome: Passion for fashion

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
Neanderthalensis

THE NEANDERTHAL: Who could resist this?

>> After being rescheduled twice due to concerns of militant violence, Pakistan held its first-ever Fashion Week in Karachi, just two hours by plane from Al Qaeda and Taliban nesting places. This just in: sequin party tops are the new look of anti-Taliban defiance. (AP)

>> After all this talk of school dress codes comes more fashion news: A 20-year-old Brazilian college student was expelled from school after she wore a mid-thigh red dress to class. Six military police officers escorted her off campus while students chanted “whore.” What is this world coming to — skimpy clothing looked down upon in Brazil? (Reuters)

>> Appearance is important to petty thieves too: Twenty-three-year-old Matthew Maynard of South Wales, on the run from police, sent a picture of himself to his local paper after he disliked the mugshot they ran. Luckily for him it seems he’ll get a second chance to perfect his mugshot look in front of the cameras. (Reuters)

>> The driver of a Boston subway train is being called a hero after pulling the emergency brake just in time before hitting a woman who had fallen onto the tracks. The reward for his heroism? A dozen Dunkin’ Donuts. (AP)

>> And finally: On a dark night 24,000 years ago in a smoky cave, the lights low and the alcohol flowing, it appears that the modern human species did in fact have sex with our closest relatives the Neanderthals, according to scientists. Now that would make for an embarrassing walk of shame. (MSNBC)

(Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

11 Least Influential Countdown: No. 8 — Alex Goose

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Jay-Z tapped Gooses talents as a producer, but ultimately passed on his tracks.

Jay-Z's camp tapped Goose's talents as a producer, but ultimately passed on his tracks.

Welcome to CL’s annual catalog of impotence: the 11 Least Influential. You’ll meet folks who tried to achieve an ambitious goal, but fell short (or, in Goose’s case, more than made up for the difference); people who’ve devoted themselves to a personal mission in near-total obscurity; and ordinary Joes who can’t get anyone to pay attention to them. Every day until the full issue hits the streets on Nov. 11, we’ll bring you a new story of failure — some noble and heroic, others abject and pathetic.

Subject:
Alex Goose
Failing: Can’t get any play from Jay-Z

Atlanta-based music producer Alex Goose has big dreams, and bigger gonads.

After being contacted this summer by a New York-based A&R rep working closely with Jay-Z, the burgeoning producer jumped at the chance to submit beats for the legendary MC’s album-in-the-making, The Blueprint 3.

He says the A&R rep was so impressed with his work for such Atlanta-based artists as Brittany Bosco and Danny! that he came to Atlanta to hear what the Goose was cooking. “He was telling me, ‘I’d love to get some of these [beats] to Jay, for sure,’” recalls Goose, who estimates he submitted 20 to 25 tracks for consideration. “A few months later he hit me up and was like, ‘Hey, I got word back from Jay that he didn’t really hear anything that he wanted to use for the album.’”

With such name-brand producers as Kanye West, Timbaland, the Neptunes and No I.D. getting first dibs at the highly-anticipated release, a virtual unknown just didn’t have the pull to earn himself a placement.

“You know it kinda sucks,” he says. “Jay would say, ‘It’s politics as usual.’”
(more…)

Unfinished business: Looking at the Dec. 1 runoffs

Monday, November 9th, 2009

On Dec. 1, an abysmally small percentage of Atlanta voters will return to the polls for the city runoffs:

Reed celebrates on election night

Reed celebrates on election night

MAYOR

As the city saw on Nov. 3, Kasim Reed’s an expert finisher who passed Lisa Borders heading into the home stretch and now carries that momentum into the runoff.

But it won’t be easy to beat Mary Norwood, whose supporters hail from all corners of the city and arguably are more enthusiastic than Reed’s, and thus more likely to flock to the polls on Dec. 1. Last week’s results also confirmed previous polls that suggest Norwood seems to have a lock on north Atlanta’s white vote, which may convince the Reed campaign to try to peel away her strong support among black voters. If Reed decides to employ racial politics, the race could turn ugly and divisive.

“Reed has to increase his black voters, but it would be to his detriment to make an overt racial appeal,” says Emory political science professor Michael Owens. ” I suspect you’ll see his surrogates and supporters do that for him.”

(more…)

What’s Nathan’s deal with birther probe?

Monday, November 9th, 2009

How kooky is today’s GOP? It’s off the deep end — and swimming for open sea.

What other conclusion are we to draw from U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal’s decision last week to solidify his Republican bona fides by casting his lot with the birthers?

Deal has long been the most level-headed of Georgia’s GOP congressmen. But these days, rational behavior and reasonable positions don’t win Republican primaries — just ask Dierdre Scozzafava of New York’s House District 23. If you want to compete with the likes of John Oxendine — Deal’s opponent for governor — you best be prepared to board the crazy train.

As the Tea Parties prove, this is a national phenomenon, but it’s doubly disturbing in a red state like Georgia, where most of the top elected officials are Republicans who now feel pressure to act like loons. (And then there’s Rep. Paul Broun, who really is a loon.)

In other words the GOP’s “big tent” is being reduced to a padded cell.

Lest you think this is more liberal whining, the purpose of this post is to draw your attention to an interesting blog item on the increasingly conservative Peach Pundit:

The real news here is that Deal has done what no other candidate in this race has been able to do thus far: He has taken a position so “out there” that Ox has been able to take a stance that makes him seem sensible and sane.

However, the comments suggest that not everyone on the right sees sanity the same way.

Alex Wan nabs Buckhead Coalition endorsement

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Alex Wan’s week kicked off on the right note as the Buckhead Coalitionbuckheadcoalition announced their endorsement of him in the Dec. 1 runoff against Liz Coyle for Atlanta City Council – District 6.

The influential Buckhead business group rarely gives direct endorsements, instead opting to make their choices known by large campaign contributions through a PAC.  But they held off from making a contribution in the District 6 race, most likely because the district does not fall in Buckhead, and instead went for the traditional endorsement.

High school cross-dressing in the spotlight

Monday, November 9th, 2009
news_firstperson1-1_26-jonathan-escobar

JONATHAN ESCOBAR gained national attention after cross-dressing in a North Cobb County high school

High school is a tricky time for many teenagers, with the simple act of what to wear becoming a huge dilemma. Does this skirt look right, a girl might wonder to herself before school. But what about when a boy wonders the same question? This weekend the New York Times asked the same query  in a piece dissecting cross-dressing in high schools across the country. The article mentions some accepting schools, like one in Tucson, Ariz., where a girl who identifies as male was nominated for homecoming prince and another in Los Angeles, Calif., where a gay male student won prom queen. But for every good example, there are just as many bad scenarios, including the case of Jonathan Escobar, the Cobb County student who was sent home for wearing female clothing this October, which the article touches on. We talked to Escobar in our First Person series where he revealed the intentions behind his attire:

When I came to Georgia, I would shop at antique stores and use larger shoulder pads to make these weird little outfits. It’s not that I like to wear girl’s clothes. It’s my art. Why be called “gay” or “cross-dresser”? Why label? I’m only 16. I wanna have fun. I don’t stick to titles.

That same month Atlanta’s Morehouse College implemented a dress code against five male students who were, according to the school, “living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men.” The issue of gender-bending dress codes may become more common in the coming years, says the New York Times:

Although dress code disputes are largely anecdotal, popping up in the news when a lawsuit threat emerges, educators and psychologists say that more schools will have to address them in the near future. There are 4,118 gay-straight alliance clubs in high schools across the country, which raise awareness of such issues. Gender-boundary questions are even bubbling up in elementary schools, with parents seeking to pave the way for their children, in blogs like acceptingdad.com and labelsareforjars.wordpress.com.

Continue reading of our First Person with Jonathan Escobar here.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Morning Newsdome: Democracy Now!

Monday, November 9th, 2009
Isakson

SEN. JOHNNY ISAKSON: Average net-worth in 2008 valued at $9,586,038 according to the Center for Responsive Politics, ranking him at 57 out of Congress

>> Germany celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with people all over the world sharing their memories of the historic day to BBC. So far, no mention of the Hoff. (BBC News)

>> The storied  town of Amherst, Mass., has been home to poet Emily Dickinson, actress Uma Thurman and now … war crime detainees? Amherst is the first municipality in the country to accept cleared detainees released from Guantánamo detention camp in Cuba, though Congress has voted not to allow Guantánamo detainees on U.S. soil. (Christian Science Monitor)

>> British courts ruled that schools discriminating against ethnic origin, as opposed to religious origin, is unethical when a 12-year-old boy whose father is Jewish and mother is a Jewish convert was rejected from a Jewish school in England. Traditional Jewish law dictates that one’s religion is traced through the mother, not the father, but if you ask me, only a Jewish mother would kvetch all the way to the Supreme Court. (the New York Times)

>> As most of America is hurting during the recession with unemployment now up to 10.2 percent, it’s a bit of a shock that two-hundred-and-thirty seven members, or 44 percent, of Congress are millionaires. And we’re trying to teach Afghanistan about how democracy works? (Politico)

>> On Saturday the House approved what would be the biggest expansion of health care in over 40 years, with only one Republican in favor. However a difficult fight is predicted to get the bill passed through the Senate because, you know, they’re all millionaires anyway. (CNN)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

11 Least Influential Countdown: No. 9 — Todd Dominey

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

Todd Dominey can't get teetotalers to relax their death grip on state lawmakers

Dominey can't get teetotalers to relax their death grip on state lawmakers

Welcome to CL’s annual catalog of impotence: the 11 Least Influential. You’ll meet folks who tried to achieve an ambitious goal, but fell short; people who’ve devoted themselves to a personal mission in near-total obscurity; and ordinary Joes who can’t get anyone to pay attention to them. Every day until the full issue hits the streets on Nov. 11, we’ll bring you a new story of failure — some noble and heroic, others abject and pathetic.

Subject: Todd Dominey
Failing: Can’t convince lawmakers to overthrow Sunday blue laws

Just think: Waking up on a day like today and craving some bubbly — and then sipping mimosas on your couch. Heading home from church and picking up a sixer of high-gravity beer. Sipping on newly purchased brandy while making a cake for your Sunday book club. All these freedoms could be yours — if you lived in a different state.

For 10 years, Virgina-Highland resident Todd Dominey, a 38-year-old software developer and Atlanta native, took a detour from his birthplace to live in Charleston, S.C. While he was there, the Palmetto State changed its state law to allow people to buy alcohol in stores on Sunday, ending decades of frustration for residents and tourists alike. When friends back home would rib Dominey about living in the sleepy state, he’d remind them that South Carolina was progressive enough to repeal the Sunday sales statute. Argument won.

Dominey lost a little freedom when he moved back to Atlanta. He learned to live with the ridiculous law that forbids liquor from being sold in stores — but not bars — on the Sabbath. Then a friend tweeted him a link to a 50,000-signature online petition seeking to overturn the ban on Sunday booze sales. Dominey added his name with the all-caps message “REPEAL THIS ARCHAIC LAW.”

So far, no luck.

(more…)

11 Least Influential Countdown: No. 10 — Jonathan Jaxson

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

There’s nothing Jaxson won’t do for fame. Unfortunately, fame has remained elusive.

There’s nothing Jaxson won’t do for fame. Unfortunately, fame has remained elusive.

Welcome to CL’s annual catalog of impotence: the 11 Least Influential. You’ll meet folks who tried to achieve an ambitious goal, but fell short; people who’ve devoted themselves to a personal mission in near-total obscurity; and ordinary Joes who can’t get anyone to pay attention to them. Every day until the full issue hits the streets on Nov. 11, we’ll bring you a new story of failure — some noble and heroic, others abject and pathetic.

Subject: Jonathan Jaxson
Failing: Can’t make it to the A-list

Jonathan Jaxson has been angling for fame since the tender age of 15. But even after tabloid television appearances, the launch of a celeb blog and stints as a publicist for fellow D-listers, the Atlanta-based PR rep just can’t get to the next level.

The 26-year-old’s futile attempt at fame began in 1999, when he reconnected with his estranged father on the talk show “Forgive or Forget.” A year later, he came out to his dad on a “teen secrets” episode of the “Sally Jess Raphael Show.” Jaxson allegedly became the head of publicity for the Backstreet Boys the same year, after winning backstage tickets to the boy band’s concert. And from there, the 16-year-old continued to network with celebs.

Relying on the fame-by-association theory, Jaxson ran the now-defunct celebrity gossip blog JJsDirt.com where he trashed his supposedly Hollywood “It” girl friends. In an attempt to score privileged information from the queen of all media, Perez Hilton, Jaxson sent the blogger sexually explicit videos of himself. In return, Hilton filed a federal defamation suit  after Jaxson claimed Hilton asked for those videos.

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11 Least Influential Countdown: No. 11 The AJC

Friday, November 6th, 2009

Welcome to CL’s annual catalog of impotence: the 11 Least Influential. You’ll meet folks who tried to achieve an ambitious goal, but fell short; people who’ve devoted themselves to a personal mission in near-total obscurity; and ordinary Joes who can’t get anyone to pay attention to them. Every day until the full issue hits the streets on Nov. 11, we’ll bring you a new story of failure — some noble and heroic, others abject and pathetic.

We begin with one of the latter. Enjoy.

WEB-News_Cover_AJC_28Subject: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Failing:
Can’t nut up enough to endorse candidates

One of the perks of being the sole daily newspaper for a major metropolitan city is that you can tell folks what to do. Where to eat. What movies to see. What books to read. And who to vote for. That goes double for a paper with a storied history of taking strong editorial stands on the issues of the day, such as Ralph McGill’s impassioned columns blasting segregation.

But what if, in giving an opinion — even a modulated, rational, well-argued one — you happen to say something some people don’t wish to hear. Horrors! We can’t have that. What if readers stopped subscribing to the paper? Oh, yeah, they’re already doing that… Perhaps it’s best to remove any opinion, insight, conclusions or point of view from the paper altogether.

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Socialism prepares to ’steam roll’ Georgia Congressman

Friday, November 6th, 2009

0124

At the GOP rally/Tea Party at the U.S. Capitol yesterday, Rep. Paul Broun (R – CrazyPartsOfGeorgia) had a stern warning for Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi:

“Go tell your Congressman you’re not going to eat this rotten, stinking fish that is . . .  [awkward pause] Pelosi health care!

We’re going to put a stop sign in front of her steam roll of socialism! Go to it, patriots!”

I haven’t played Rock-Paper-Scissors in a while, but I’m pretty sure steam roller beats stop sign. Here’s a video. Broun’s comments begin at the 4:35 mark.

While we’re on the subject of gratuitous dumbassitude masquerading as steadfast patriotism, at the same event yesterday House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner’s held up what he claimed was his copy of the U.S. Constitution and read aloud from the section he described as its preamble:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Those words are not from the Constitution, but from the Declaration of Independence.

Doh!

The video:

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Fulton County delegation to hold public meetings for 2010 legislative session

Friday, November 6th, 2009

In January, state lawmakers will convene in Atlanta to shake hands, eat at fancy restaurants, and maybe pass a law or two. Because it’s an election year, these men and women will introduce a bunch of ridiculous proposals and resolutions to earn some brownie points with voters. But they’ll also have to tackle such serious issues as water, transportation and tax reform.

On Nov. 11 and 12, state lawmakers who represent Fulton County under the Gold Dome will hold three public meetings at the Coverdell Legislative Office Building to discuss local issues. Among them: Grady Health Systems, MARTA and education.

At the annual citizens’ public hearing on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m., you’ll have a chance to tell lawmakers what you’d like to see them focus on during the session.

The meetings are free and open to the public. Meeting dates and details are after the jump.

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Morning Newsdome: Do it like they do on the Discovery Channel

Friday, November 6th, 2009
-3

WOAH, GIRL: Having fun with a four-legged friend

>> Scientist are discovering more animals appear to be having sex for pleasure, including Australian redback spiders that have 100 minutes of foreplay and fruit bats that have oral sex. The discovery brings to light the debate of “what’s natural” and if sex exists purely for procreation. Next, the Supreme Court will be debating whether the animal porn observed by these scientists is considered obscene. (Fox News)

>> Someone who knows a thing or two about animal pleasure: A 50-year-old South Carolina man was sentenced to five years in prison after having sex with the same horse for a second time within two years. The horse’s owner became suspicious when she noticed Sugar, her 21-year-old horse, was getting infections again.  In the man’s defense: it was a female horse. (New Orleans Examiner)

>> President Obama told representatives from the 564 federally recognized Native American tribes at a summit yesterday that he promises to work on issues with them while also respecting their sovereignty. In other words, he’ll continue to ignore them just like always. (the New York Times)

>> More seriously: Twenty-three American CIA agents as well as two Italians were convicted by the Italian court for kidnapping an Egyptian cleric off the streets of Milan and taking him to be tortured in Egypt. This practice of shipping arrested people (sometimes innocent) to countries where torture is illegal, common under Bush’s war on terrorism, is now brought to the international spotlight as illegal. (the LA Times)

>> Decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana and paraphernalia were overwhelmingly voted OK in Breckenridge, Colo., this Tuesday, but the next day Colorado health officials struck “caregiver” from the rules governing medical marijuana sales, making it harder for patients to legally buy pot. Indecisiveness is apparently common in pot smokers. ( Summit Daily News, the Denver Post)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Toll roads, train terminal deals, and MARTA’s clean bill of health

Friday, November 6th, 2009

So there was an election this week in which an estimated 24 percent of registered voters participated. Pretty depressing.

But there was also a ton of transit and transportation news we couldn’t get around to covering. So we present it here. Catch up time!

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