karela's Comments (570)
Top Arizona Republican Accused of Using Voter Database to Stalk Woman
Commented Dec 15, 2009 at 14:48:02 in Politics
“Yet another Family Values leader from the Republican party.”
Sheriff Arpaio Indicts Political Opponents While Feds Investigate Arpaio
Commented Dec 12, 2009 at 22:56:09 in Politics
“Sure makes me want to stay out of Arizona. I wonder how that affects tourism? Isn't Arizona experiencing so much trouble paying their bills that they're selling off their state house? All this stuff makes Arizona as attractive to tourism as George Wallace did for his state before he got shot and crippled and began to see the light.”
BruzinTuc replied on Dec 14, 2009 at 00:26:06
“Come to Southern Arizona, instead. The goofs in Maricopa county keep trying to mess up the whole state, but we keep valiantly resisting. Unfortunately when I go visit relatives in Northern Arizona, I have no choice but to drive through that hell hole. I takes an hour and I can't hold my nose that long. Anyway, please don't judge Arizona by our state legislature in Phoenix.”
hp blogger Dawn Teo replied on Dec 12, 2009 at 23:00:00
“Arthur Frommer announced a while back that he was considering a ban on Arizona because of our politics.”
Sheriff Arpaio Indicts Political Opponents While Feds Investigate Arpaio
Commented Dec 12, 2009 at 22:51:42 in Politics
“He's mean to good guys too. He's mean to anybody he doesn't agree with. He breaks Civil Rights laws all the time. That's a crime. Joe needs to go to jail. Preferably a jail where the population is primarily Hispanic.”
emrogers replied on Dec 12, 2009 at 22:57:47
“Tsk, tsk...don' t you know - guys like Nativeson and Joe don't need laws, they like to play g0d. See, they know who's good and whose bad just by looking at them. Both of them would be better off in other countries that aren't interested in facts, rule of law - those kinds of things.”
WH Releases Open Government Directive: Transparency (Plus) Engagement (Equals) More Democracy
Commented Dec 08, 2009 at 16:06:59 in Media
“Well that stinks! Maybe it will get bumped up to the Supreme Court where it will be more public and get greater national attention. Maybe Kennedy won't be such a dope and for once side with the side where the justices have a conscience.”
Coal Must Embrace the Future
Commented Dec 04, 2009 at 13:40:27 in Green
“I so wish that good people like Senator Byrd could look farther ahead to the future of our country and focus less on holding tight to the old. If we spent billions on clean energy instead of on coal we could create jobs for these same people while at the same time cleaning up our environment. Why must the jobs be in coal? Wouldn't a job making solar panels be a good job too? Wouldn't a job building a smart grid all across America be a good job? We need to focus on making our future better. We can do that best by building for the future, not by building more coal plants. We need coal for right now as we transition, but we need to be pouring our time, energy and money into building clean energy.”
newmillace replied on Dec 04, 2009 at 14:24:44
“Thats what he is saying”
Bring Back the Cots! The Filibuster and Health Care Reform
Commented Nov 18, 2009 at 17:33:15 in Politics
“Make 'em stand and talk. I don't care if it takes till spring. Don't give them all this power without paying the piper. Let's see how long all those old white men can stand napping on cots and urinating in the cloak room. We ought to make it a rule that they can't eat anything but peanut butter sandwiches for the duration. The longest actual filibuster was something less than three days and we let the welfare of the country be held hostage to it? Let 'em talk till their lips crack and fall off.”
Schmidt Calls Palin's Memoirs "Total Fiction"
Commented Nov 14, 2009 at 21:29:24 in Politics
“In Sarah's world, she never does anything wrong and everyone is against her because she's brilliant and beautiful. Imagine paying $29.95 to hear 400 pages of that!!!”
mainemomma replied on Nov 14, 2009 at 21:38:53
“The book is discounted to 9.99.. so much better to get compost for less..”
If You Have Donated To The RNC Since 1991, You Have Funded Abortion
Commented Nov 13, 2009 at 21:06:47 in Politics
“Look for increase in unmarried RNC pregnancies. Statistics show that the Red states have as many, if not more, abortions per capita than blue states---- -------wit h hugely less social support for women who do carry their babies to term instead of getting an abortion. The Republican leadership didn't just discover, after eighteen years, that they had abortion coverage. . . . they just kept it a secret. The leadership needs that coverage to protect them against the consequences of their many affairs with staff. There are gonna be problems now that they've been publicly confronted and have to give it up. Oh well, they can always use political contributions and call it something else.”
A Muslim Soldier's View from Fort Hood
Commented Nov 06, 2009 at 19:26:16 in World
“We didn't condemn the entire white race when Timothy McVeigh bombed Oklahoma City. There is no reason to condemn all of the Muslim faith for this one misguided man's actions. Thank you for the thoughtful interview.”
graffitijoe replied on Nov 06, 2009 at 20:41:58
“If only Muslim terrorists were as few and far between as an example like McVeigh. You do realize you are going back 14 years for your example of moral equivelency, right? This happened YESTERDAY. Hello, ...wake up!”
Tropiholic replied on Nov 06, 2009 at 19:32:50
“it's an easy excuse for right wad, ignorant ,haters to use”
greenpool replied on Nov 06, 2009 at 19:31:49
“Timothy h8ed the government. This guy h8s patriots. Big difference in my book.”
Obama's Invisible Victories
Commented Nov 05, 2009 at 07:52:51 in Politics
“Here here, Dr. Chopra! You express my thoughts exactly. I am so proud of this President and of the work that I did to help get him elected. I never expected that he would be able to accomplish 100% of the things he wanted to accomplish because Washington, D.C. is a quagmire, but I am pleased with the way he does things and I think he's doing well against formidable odds. In order to get anything done at all, he has to work with 535 of the most ego driven people on earth and everyone of them is trying to put him or her self center stage by publicly pushing for their own particular plan. It must be very frustrating to have to deal with them when the President's focus is not himself, but his country and it's people. Every faction demands to be center front with their particular issues. The President looks at the complete job that is before him and has to set priorities. The far left demands immediate everything on their list, but the President has to deal with realities. I have no doubt that President Obama would like nothing more than to wave a magic wand and make the world the better place that we all envision, but he's stuck with having to deal with reality. He will accomplish a great deal-----if we support him-----but he won't be able to do everything on our list before the end of his first year.”
NJ Law Enforcement Appear to Contradict Dobbs' Version of Gunfire Incident
Commented Oct 30, 2009 at 15:51:48 in Media
“Do a google search about how far a bullet can travel. I did. Even a small 22 Rimfire can go a mile. More powerful guns can go three or four miles. If a careless hunter aimed at something on the horizon and missed, his bullet could easily travel one to four miles and hit Lou Dobb's attic. In fact, it would have to be fired from at least a mile away or it would have penetrated the vinyl siding. 300 acres may sound like a huge amount of land in some parts of the country, but it really isn't huge in distance. A section of land equals one square mile and has 640 acres. Lou's land is 300 acres. It is doubtful, at best, if Lou's house is more than a quarter mile away from his property boundaries. He wouldn't build it on the very edge of the property and if it's in the middle, a quarter mile is the farthest it could be. It was a non threatening hunting accident and the bullet was probably fired from a mile or more away by a hunter who aimed at something on the horizon and missed. That hunter would be surprised to know how far his unwise shot traveled.”
A New Wrinkle in the JFK Assassination Story
Commented Oct 30, 2009 at 12:31:39 in Books
“Crying was fine. LBJ did a lot of good as President. Maybe he knew something about clandestine operations that made him worry. It seems doubtful that we'll ever really know.”
America's Drug Crisis: Brought to You by the CIA
Commented Oct 29, 2009 at 10:28:17 in Politics
“Every time an American uses an illegal drug that comes from an opium poppy, they are financing the Taliban and Al Quaida and they are insuring that other people will die. We're the biggest consumers of illegal drugs in the world and every hit is the nail in the coffin of innocent people. There is no act that could be a greater evil against Americans and all people who suffer from the effects of terrorists than to use the product that supplies the money to finance terrorism. It is useless to be outraged with the deaths brought about by suicide bombers if this evening you plan to party with the product that finances them. Most of the opium products in the world are produced in Afghanistan. We shouldn't need anything as useless as a "War on Drugs". All we should need is enough Americans with a heart and some patriotism still burning in their hearts. If we just stopped using their product, they wouldn't have the money to do what they do. Most of their money comes from us. So, if you choose to use, remember that the next innocent child who gets blown up owes it all to you.
If you really need a buzz, do the American thing. Drink Tequila!”
If you really need a buzz, do the American thing. Drink Tequila!”
missouriwatcher replied on Oct 29, 2009 at 15:44:06
“Not really true. Opium poppy (Papaver Sominferum) is raised in many parts of the world, and probably in most cases is raised and harvested legally. Poppy products include seed (for food items such as breads, bagels, cakes, etc.; and for its oil) as well as opium, much of which is used by Big Pharm industries to produce pain killers such as morphine and codeine.
On the subject of illegal drugs in general, the illegality of these substances actually creates the "crime". Illegality often exacerbates drug problems, not only by creating a legal "problem" for those who chose to use, but also artificially drives up the price (or value, if you prefer) of these substances, which lends itself to those willing to exploit a black market system and thus creates all sort of crimes. Illegality also makes it more difficult for anyone wishing to get help for a drug problem to get what they want and need, especially without the nasty social stigma of being a "drug addict".
As for your "solution", please remember that alcohol was illegal in the U.S. throughout the 1920s and we failed to learn our lesson--that illegality creates a black market which creates more REAL crime against lives and property. Also, it has been well-documented that alcohol use/abuse leads to far more problems than other drugs, both physically and psychologically. Legal drugs, specifically tobacco and alcohol cause more injuries and deaths than ALL illegal drugs combined.”
On the subject of illegal drugs in general, the illegality of these substances actually creates the "crime". Illegality often exacerbates drug problems, not only by creating a legal "problem" for those who chose to use, but also artificially drives up the price (or value, if you prefer) of these substances, which lends itself to those willing to exploit a black market system and thus creates all sort of crimes. Illegality also makes it more difficult for anyone wishing to get help for a drug problem to get what they want and need, especially without the nasty social stigma of being a "drug addict".
As for your "solution", please remember that alcohol was illegal in the U.S. throughout the 1920s and we failed to learn our lesson--that illegality creates a black market which creates more REAL crime against lives and property. Also, it has been well-documented that alcohol use/abuse leads to far more problems than other drugs, both physically and psychologically. Legal drugs, specifically tobacco and alcohol cause more injuries and deaths than ALL illegal drugs combined.”
dtlewis replied on Oct 29, 2009 at 11:53:56
“didn't read the article then you abuse the privilege to comment by spreading untruths. please get real or go away.”
LHB58 replied on Oct 29, 2009 at 11:49:50
“If you really care about definancing terrorism, you could either naively hope that people will "just say no" to narcotics and say "yes" to tequila (are you for real??), or take the money out of illegal drug sales by repealing criminal penalties. The fact that you're not willing to do the latter suggest that you don't really care about anything but punishing people for failing to agree with you on your drug of choice.”
LiberalFromDenver replied on Oct 29, 2009 at 11:15:27
“Oh, please. Get off your high horse. Someone with a chemical dependence problem isn't in that position because they want to support terrorists. An addict doesn't wake up in the morning and think "Gee, I'd like to get high AND support terrorism, what drug best supports my goals?" Nor do they wonder "I'd like to kick my habit, but I don't have enough patriotism burning in my heart to do it. Can my hatred of terrorists help me win my battle with addiction?" If you've really got your knickers in a twist over this connection between heroin and terrorism, why don't you support domestic US decriminalization of poppy farming? Why don't you rail against east asian poppy farmers who also sell into the US?”
COPerez replied on Oct 29, 2009 at 11:12:43
“"...if you choose to use..."
That only works (maybe) the first time. After that, it's an addiction. One that the CIA seems not to care that it fosters.
As in all other things, follow the money.
Much like Colin Powell warned about the Terrorist - Industrial Complex, echoing Eisenhower's warning of the Military - Industrial Complex, the War on Drugs is dependent on an "enemy" to fight. If there were no (or fewer) drugs available for people to get hooked on, who would the whole industry fight? Who would they jail?
Follow the MONEY.”
That only works (maybe) the first time. After that, it's an addiction. One that the CIA seems not to care that it fosters.
As in all other things, follow the money.
Much like Colin Powell warned about the Terrorist - Industrial Complex, echoing Eisenhower's warning of the Military - Industrial Complex, the War on Drugs is dependent on an "enemy" to fight. If there were no (or fewer) drugs available for people to get hooked on, who would the whole industry fight? Who would they jail?
Follow the MONEY.”
Raising Malawi: Will You Join Me?
Commented Oct 29, 2009 at 02:38:20 in Impact
“Both are important. Give to both. Sacrifice is not a dirty word. It's a grace and a blessing.”
buckfoot replied on Oct 29, 2009 at 10:03:24
“Well said.”
Obama Online -- Where Are the Young Supporters?
Commented Oct 23, 2009 at 17:36:04 in Technology
“The young supporters are in college and working hard at their lives. They were strongly committed, many of them full time, during the election. I don't think that they've abandoned Obama. They just can't do this full time for another year or years. I think when they get a message that a final push is needed that they'll help, but it isn't fair to expect that they'll be able to carry as much of the weight as they did during the campaign. We need to be engaging the next set of young people and the older adults will have to share in the heavy lifting.”
AP Asks If Obama Is "Obnoxiously Articulate"
Commented Oct 15, 2009 at 14:48:48 in Media
“The original article has the tone of republican junk that is trying to masquerade as a news article but without any empirical foundations to build the case on. I sleep a whole lot better these days because I know that we elected a brilliant man whose mind and heart always put America's security and well being at the forefront of his decisions and reasoning. I know these things because I listened to or read every thought he shared for the past two years. I know this man and because I know him, I can trust him. If he didn't keep himself before the public and if he didn't speak articulately, I wouldn't be able to know him. "Obnoxiously articulate" my Aunt Fanny! Keep talking to us Mr. President. The crazy people don't like it but it keeps the rest of us engaged in the needs of our country.”
Why the Dow is Hitting 10,000 While Everyone Else is Cutting Back
Commented Sep 22, 2009 at 20:10:08 in Business
“I know a whole lot of people who have their money in the stock market either because they're retired or because they will be retiring in a few years. We took a tremendous hit last fall and we're still down, but it's a whole lot better with the Dow nudging 10,000 then it was when the Dow hit 6500. It took several decades for the country's economy to recover from the great depression. I'd be dead before it happened and my daughter's life would be deeply compromised throughout her child bearing years if the government hadn't done the stimulus and bail outs. This country produces 13 trillion dollars per year. It will produce more if it's healthy. It would make no sense to allow it to die down to almost nothing and then take decades to creep back up. If you have a goose that lays golden eggs, it is a poor choice if you decide to let it starve to death. Beyond the economics, there is a moral issue. Our country allowed risk takers in high places to destroy the world economy. Because of that, millions more people would have starved this year and next all over the world. We'll have jobs faster with an economy that works than we would have had if we flushed instead of throwing a life preserver. Now we need laws to keep them from doing it all over again because they surely don't have the decency to not do it on their own.”
JoeCorrao replied on Sep 22, 2009 at 21:27:32
“Bailouts were a horrible idea. had we allowed these companies to FAL we would be headed out od the recession by now and a vauable lesson would have been learned.”
Mugzi replied on Sep 22, 2009 at 21:03:07
“So true...agr ee”
graceland9 replied on Sep 22, 2009 at 20:31:52
“Well said, Karela - exactly what I was thinking myself. Fanned.”
Have You No Decency, Sir? At Long Last, Have You No Sense of Decency?
Commented Sep 10, 2009 at 18:11:04 in Politics
“They must know that the bill doesn't allow for any federal payment or assistance for illegal aliens. The bill does not explicitly prevent illegals from BUYING insurance at the full price. Why would anyone want to prevent them from doing that? It's humane, but I wouldn't expect that to sway them. But it should be obvious to anyone that a human being who has health insurance, whether they're here legally or not, will not need to be one of the people who has to be seen without payment in any emergency room in the country and paid for by the government. If all you care about is money, as the Republican party apparently does, then they should be cheering for the idea of allowing all people to buy insurance at the full price and without any subsidy. What the republicans are fighting for is the denial of illegals from BUYING health insurance. It's cruel. It's ugly. And it's stupid!”
Who Will Be Hurt if the Democrats Pass Health Care Alone
Commented Sep 02, 2009 at 13:59:27 in Politics
“Social Security and Medicare were far from wonderful when they started, but they provided a base to build on and many changes and improvements have been made. Move policing is needed for those programs because fraud and abuse is rampant but the programs themselves are good. It's a sign of what happens when republicans cut the funding for policing the programs when you get things like people who used to sell drugs in Florida leaving the trade and working in Medicare fraud because it pays better. Policing and hard punishments for cheating your country and your neighbors is needed. We could probably pay for the current programs if we took care of fraud and omitted unnecessary repeat tests. A friend working as a painter in a doctor's office last week heard the doctor give the office staff a pep talk: He told them that every patient gets tests ordered when they come in even if they had them at the last visit, "Because that's how we make our money." And that's a big part of why American health care costs twice as much as the next closest country. Another big part is that we pay many times more for the same drugs than other countries do. We can't go on as we are. Time to Get It Done!”
Who Will Be Hurt if the Democrats Pass Health Care Alone
Commented Sep 02, 2009 at 13:51:44 in Politics
“You're right about most of them, but I haven't heard Susan Collins or Olympia Snowe spouting lies. Dick Lugar's views don't agree with mine, but he's a good and decent man. John McCain lost his mind when he was trying to get elected to the Presidency and I sure don't agree with him, but he sets people right when they shout lies about our President. There are still some decent human beings in the Republican party, but it is a sad thing that their ugliest voices get the loudest coverage. Rush Limbaugh has far too much influence and far too many people are afraid to take him on, but I doubt that Snowe or Collins or Lugar spend much time listening to his program either. There are good people who see things differently. I wish they had a louder voice.”
Who Will Be Hurt if the Democrats Pass Health Care Alone
Commented Sep 02, 2009 at 13:44:49 in Politics
“I'm all for a public option. I need it so I can afford health care. But that petition is urging Congress to NOT PASS any bill that doesn't have it. I hope that we get it, but I think it's a mistake to put our entire faith in one part of a bill. That's what ideologues do. We're working hard to get a great bill passed, but we won't get everything we want. Better to have a bill that we can build on as we did Social Security and Medicare than to have no bill at all. George W. was an ideologue when he gave lots more money for AIDS in Africa and at the same time denied it to any organization that gave our Condoms. That's the way ideolouges think. I don't think that's in our best interest and I don't care to be that kind of person.”
Who Will Be Hurt if the Democrats Pass Health Care Alone
Commented Sep 02, 2009 at 13:38:49 in Politics
“The great majority of bankruptcies in this country are caused because someone in a family got sick. Three fourths of those people HAD health insurance but the co-pays, deductions and uncovered portions-----let alone the denial to pay portions that actually were covered, amounted to so much money that the family lost their home and/or their jobs along with their health. We have a false sense of security when we have health insurance because we go along paying and feel safe. But if real illness hits us or someone we love, we find that we aren't safe at all. The largest provider of health insurance in the country has a long list of multi million dollar fines they paid for repeatedly denying payments on claims that were covered. They don't care because the fines are tiny compared to the profits of denying. Several former management level executives in the industry have testified before Congress that this is standard practice. Today a drug company agreed to pay a fine of over two billion dollars for breaking the law. That's enough to finance several months of the best health care plan that is being proposed, but it won't be enough to keep them honest because the profits are enormous. Ten years ago America spent less than 10% of GDP on health care. Now we spend 17%. If we do nothing, it is projected that in ten years it will be 30%. Will you keep arguing until you have no food?”
JHawkKC replied on Sep 09, 2009 at 11:35:16
“Link to where you get this information?”
Who Will Be Hurt if the Democrats Pass Health Care Alone
Commented Sep 02, 2009 at 13:25:25 in Politics
“That petition says that there would be no health care bill at all if there is no public option. I want the public option badly. I need it because I can't afford my own health care. But I won't tie the President's hands and I don't think Congress should either. It's OK to say it, but when push comes to shove we need a health care bill this year. If we don't get all we want, then we can add to it as time passes. That's how we got Medicare and that's how we got Social Security. When Social Security first passed, farmers weren't even eligible. Lots of changes have happened to both programs and lots of changes will happen to this one. Ideologues are hard liners who get an idea in their head and won't budge. I don't care to be like them. I have seen some very ugly things come about in this country because of that way of looking at the world. Remember all the new money George W. Bush got for the prevention and treatment of AIDS in Africa---- ---------- -and the hard line rule that none of it could go to programs that advocated using CONDOMS to help prevent the spread of the disease? That's what thinking like an ideologue will get you. It's not the way to go.”
Who Will Be Hurt if the Democrats Pass Health Care Alone
Commented Sep 02, 2009 at 13:15:01 in Politics
“Hip Hip Hurray!!!
Finally a Democratic elected official who talks sense! "So what?" is exactly the right thought when it comes to not using the majority we have now to pass important legislation because it might mean that we someday lose that majority. Someday we will. In the meantime, we've been trying to get health care for decades. What are the waiting for? Do they think the republicans will do it for us if we wait until we lose the majority?
Before the election republicans worried and used this argument as a campaign issue: "If the Democrats pass health care reform, they'll have control of the House and Senate for fifty years." I actually read that during the campaign and it came from the republicans. When people see that none of the awful scare myths come to pass, they'll be glad that we have this. Health insurance for people who don't have it will help 47 million Americans and that's two thirds of the number of people who voted for Obama----and he won. But besides that, think of this: 62% of American bankruptcies are due to someone in a family getting sick and 74% of those cases happen to families that HAD health insurance. Limiting the amount a family has to pay will affect EVERYBODY. This will be Very popular once it's passed and put into practice. Thank you Lincoln Mitchel for talking sense.”
Finally a Democratic elected official who talks sense! "So what?" is exactly the right thought when it comes to not using the majority we have now to pass important legislation because it might mean that we someday lose that majority. Someday we will. In the meantime, we've been trying to get health care for decades. What are the waiting for? Do they think the republicans will do it for us if we wait until we lose the majority?
Before the election republicans worried and used this argument as a campaign issue: "If the Democrats pass health care reform, they'll have control of the House and Senate for fifty years." I actually read that during the campaign and it came from the republicans. When people see that none of the awful scare myths come to pass, they'll be glad that we have this. Health insurance for people who don't have it will help 47 million Americans and that's two thirds of the number of people who voted for Obama----and he won. But besides that, think of this: 62% of American bankruptcies are due to someone in a family getting sick and 74% of those cases happen to families that HAD health insurance. Limiting the amount a family has to pay will affect EVERYBODY. This will be Very popular once it's passed and put into practice. Thank you Lincoln Mitchel for talking sense.”
French Women Don't Wear Shorts
Commented Aug 30, 2009 at 22:05:40 in Style
“America has a whole lot more regular Moms and ordinary everyday American women than we have New York fashion templates. Most of us know exactly why Michelle was wearing shorts while visiting the Grand Canyon with her children in 104 degree heat. She looked as American as Apple Pie and hot dogs----------which French fashion models also wouldn't eat. We love our Michelle. She's a great wife and mother and she's regular folks. She never puts on airs. Even when she's fancy for public events she still treats people with the same lovely friendliness that she shares wherever she goes. Michelle always knows who she is and that person is never phony. We love our Michelle and all the rest of her family too; including Bo!”


