Video: This tiger seriously likes this guy

Start watching around 1:40 into the video.  It's about a guy who visits this tiger every day, and the tiger loves the guy, only does this for him.

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HuffPo: Budget deal would give DOD extra funds in exchange for cuts to social programs

From Ryan Grim and Sam Stein:

[T]he Pentagon is poised to reap billions more in federal funds, according to sources close to the discussions. The confines of the budget negotiations established by the two parties results in a system where every extra dollar going to military spending ends up being offset by a dollar reduction in spending on domestic social programs.

Democrats and Republicans are now moving toward an agreement that would increase defense spending. But Democratic sources close to the talks said the Democrats' spending recommendation remains roughly $2 billion shy of that of their Republican counterparts.

“If you plus up those areas together,” one high-ranking Democratic official said, “what happens is you have to take it from somewhere else. And where are you taking it from? From Labor, Education, the NIH [National Institutes of Health], health care, the social safety net. That’s how they are trying to jam us.”

Favorite quote:

Republicans say that Democrats knew from the beginning that proposed cuts to defense spending would be rejected.

And because Republicans reject it, that means we can't continue to demand it? Good, let the Republicans shut down the Pentagon because they refuse to accept the President's proposal. Like they'd dare. They wouldn't. But I just can't believe our guys won't blink. Read the rest of this post...

GOPers preparing for govt shutdown, Republicans want to cut $12bn in just one week

They are going to nickel and dime the President to political death.

First, from Brian Beutler we learn that House Republicans are privately preparing for a shutdown. And with the Teabagger fringe now running the party, I don't see how there's any budget, short of something totally traitorous, that the President could agree to and appease the people.

At a House GOP caucus meeting Monday evening, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told members to expect to receive guidance on Tuesday outlining protocol in the event of a government shutdown.

If funding for the government is not renewed before Friday, members will be advised to furlough non-essential employees, who will be told not to communicate using office resources in accordance with federal law.

And in fact, we learn from ThinkProgress that Republicans ar publicly preparing the public for a shutdown, and already blaming Democrats for the very shutdown the GOP is planning:

It’s looking more likely that this latest impasse cannot end without a government shutdown. This week, House Majority leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) declared that the American people would hold Democrats accountable for such a result. And this morning on Fox & Friends, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) repeated the talking point:

BACHMANN: We learned from Harry Reid, we learned from Chuck Schumer what the whole game plan is on the Democrats’ side. They are giddy about seeing the government shut down. That’s what they want. We can’t forget that. The Democrats want the government shut down.

In fact, Republican intransigence is the driving force behind the likelihood of a shutdown. Previous resolutions cut $10 billion from the budget, and the Democratic leadership has offered a total of $30 billion in cuts through the end of the year. This is roughly what Republican budget chairman Paul Ryan suggested at the start of the debate, before a Tea Party upheaval forced the House Republicans to pass a bill with both $61 billion in spending reductions and a series of controversial budget riders gutting funding for Planned Parenthood, health care reform, and the EPA.

Republicans now insist this budget must be the bare minimum for negotiations moving forward. They have also pointedly refused to consider savings in other parts of the budget, including defense spending or wasteful corporate tax subsidies.

And finally we learn from AP that the Republicans are preparing a short-term spending bill, only good for one week, that would cut a massive $12bn in just that week. The beauty of this neat little trick is not just to get the President to cave to hostage-takers (as he admittedly does) but they get to revisit this in another week with another temporary spending bill cutting just as much.

Why not increase spending in the one-week bill, as a sort of mini-stimulus? Why are we constantly debating on the Republicans' own terms? Perhaps because the President caved on this issue a year ago and we've never fully recovered since. Those of us who warned that it was a seriously bad move by the President to "admit" to the GOP talking point that the deficit had grown too big and needed to be addressed immediately (thus pulling the legs out on any remaining public support for the stimulus) - we warned that this would come back to bite him in the ass, and we were sadly, again, right. Just as we predicted that the Republicans would get the message when the President said in December, famously, that he'd rather cave than let hostage-takers kill the hostages. So prepare for another hostage crisis. And another, and another, and another... Read the rest of this post...

RNC thinks gays shouldn't be permitted to visit their partners' death bed

Just when you think the Republican party might be changing, you realize they're still controlled by a bunch of hateful old white men from the South. Much more on AMERICAblog Gay. Read the rest of this post...

Religious right hate group accuses Calvin Klein of hiding f-bomb in scantily clad NY billboard

Some hate groups have far too much time on their hands. (And they are a hate group.) This, from an email sent out today by the American Family Association:

The super-sized advertisement seems to subliminally spell out the F-word, although you may need to look twice

There's a small table in the background of the image, which is partially blocked by model Lara Stone's leg, thus creating an "F" shape. The model is strategically leaning forward, and the top of her black briefs strategically creates a "U" and then Calvin Klein's "ck" signature is cunningly placed alongside.

Accident or carefully put together?

Yes, a very cunning linguist, that Calvin Klein - hiding sexual messages in what appears to be ordinary text. Now, granted, I'm not exactly the target audience for a female model, but I'm gonna bet that straight guys (and lesbians) don't really need a subliminal "u" to get them to look at the model's panties.

And in case you're having a hard time finding the hidden sexual innuendo, I've marked up the photo to show you where they think the F and the U are hidden:



And hello, her cleavage creates a much better U, but whatever. Read the rest of this post...

Huckabee destroyed government hard drives before leaving office

How Watergate-y of him. Then again, it's not like he set some rapist free who then went on to rape and murder two more women. Read the rest of this post...

Tomorrow is election day in Wisconsin

Wisconsin is one of the states that elects Supreme Court justices. This means that in Mr. Roberts' Neighborhood, judges can be bought for campaign cash.

Enter David Prosser, the hard-right candidate — current self-avowed conservative Justice (he's the incumbent), who promises to complement Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican legislature, and who appears to have prejudged a number of cases that will come to the court, including Walker's "budget repair" bill, the "kill the unions" bill, and any challenges to right-wing legislative redistricting.

He's the guy who screamed at the female Chief Justice during a conference meeting, calling her a "bitch" and threatening to "destroy her."

Oh, and Prosser's the Sarah Palin–endorsed candidate. 'Nuff said?

If you're eligible to vote in Wisconsin:

▪ Volunteer for JoAnne Kloppenberg; she needs your help for a get-out-the-vote effort tomorrow.

▪ Organize your friends to vote tomorrow.

▪ Vote tomorrow.

Yes, tomorrow, April 5, is the day for Prosser vs. JoAnne Kloppenberg. As David Nir says, this may be a tough one:

Despite the increased enthusiasm on our side, April elections in Wisconsin traditionally favor conservatives. Prosser is a long-time incumbent with a lot of friends; before the ads started airing, Kloppenburg was a virtual unknown who had never run for office before. And as you well know, right-wing interest groups like the WMC and TPX are more than capable of out-spending us.

I can't find polls, but the turnout is expected to be around 20% of eligible voters. This favors the side that turns out its voters.

So, turn out your voters. Again, you can volunteer here.

And thanks to everyone who put us above the half-way mark in our newly enhanced "Repeal the Republican 8" fund-raising goal. If you haven't contributed yet, please consider it; again, thanks!

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Mayor McCarthy, please don't kill us

Mayor Raymond McCarthy and councilmembers Janice Maly, Nicholas Joanow, Robert M. Ruane, Peggy O'Boyle Dunigan, Michael J. Venezia and Bernard Hamilton of the city of Bloomfield, New Jersey will vote tonight on whether these kittens should be put to death. You can have a say by reading this post and then "liking" this Facebook page. The local media is now paying attention, after renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, among others, "liked" the page. Please do the same.

Also, click here to share this post on Facebook, and here to retweet it. Thanks again. Read the rest of this post...

Zombies outnumber Teabaggers

It seems more zombies turned out in Madison, Wisconsin this weekend than Teabaggers turned out in DC last week. Yeah, that's right -- zombies in Madison. Hundreds of them. Protesting a lack of brains (their favorite food, of course) under the Badger rotunda.

If you want some genuine laughs, check out this item from Daily Kos diarist strobusguy. Watch the vids -- they're full of great bits. At the end of this video (about the 5:00 mark) take note of the riotous chant led by one zombie. Are there any zombie translators out there who might help us understand it?

One sign spotted in the parade: "Republican Brains: Taste Like Sh-t... and such tiny portions." Read the rest of this post...

Genetically modified cows produce human milk

And the Brits can make ice cream out of it.

Seriously though, is this a matter of legitimate concern or should we be welcoming the fact that kids may be able to some day move from baby formula to a healthier alternative to mom's milk? I admit the whole Frankenfood thing disturbs me, but I can't tell if I'm being a Luddite or whether my concerns are legit.

From the Telegraph (I also worry about linking to the British press. I worry that some of their publications aren't exactly up to our journalistic standards, but I can't always tell which is and which isn't):

The scientists have successfully introduced human genes into 300 dairy cows to produce milk with the same properties as human breast milk.

Human milk contains high quantities of key nutrients that can help to boost the immune system of babies and reduce the risk of infections.

The scientists behind the research believe milk from herds of genetically modified cows could provide an alternative to human breast milk and formula milk for babies, which is often criticised as being an inferior substitute.

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Republican budget proposal privatizes Medicare

That's right. The Republicans are looking to privatize Medicare. From Brian Beutler (my emphasis):

One of the fun little tidbits in the Republican Budget roll out today is here:

The substitute gradually converts the current Medicare program into one in which Medicare beneficiaries choose the most affordable coverage that best suits their individual needs. For individuals 55 or older, Medicare will not be changed (other than income-relating the prescription drug benefit): the budget preserves the existing program for these beneficiaries. To make the program sustainable and dependable, those 54 and younger will enroll in a new Medicare Program with health coverage similar to what is now available to Members of Congress and Federal employees.

In other words, privatized insurance. Note the exemption for those (voting while) 55 or older.

The Professor makes three points and counts them as two:

1. Privatizing and voucherizing Medicare does nothing whatsoever to control costs. We’ve seen that from the sorry history of Medicare Advantage. I’m sure that the Republicans will claim savings — but those savings will come entirely from limiting the vouchers to below the rate of rise in health care costs; in effect, they will come from denying medical care to those who can’t afford to top up their premiums.

And:

2. ... This will be Obama’s defining moment. Will he stand up for the principle that society takes care of those in need? Or will he cave in? I wish I had confidence in the answer.

His third point is a word "for all those older Americans who voted GOP last year because those nasty Democrats were going to cut Medicare" — suckers!

Point two above is worth watching. Is there a Cave Week 2 in Obama's future?

GP Read the rest of this post...

Obama: 'Today, we are filing papers to launch our 2012 campaign'

By email, with a video, Barack Obama told supporters (and the nation) that he's running for reelection. The email begins:

Today, we are filing papers to launch our 2012 campaign.

We're doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you -- with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. And that kind of campaign takes time to build.

So even though I'm focused on the job you elected me to do, and the race may not reach full speed for a year or more, the work of laying the foundation for our campaign must start today.

We've always known that lasting change wouldn't come quickly or easily. It never does. But as my administration and folks across the country fight to protect the progress we've made -- and make more -- we also need to begin mobilizing for 2012, long before the time comes for me to begin campaigning in earnest.

Here's the video:

From the New York Times:

President Obama confirmed Monday morning that he will seek another four years in the White House, beginning a re-election campaign that will ask Americans to endorse the status quo over the increasingly vocal calls from Republicans for a fresh start in Washington.

Facing turmoil in the Middle East, ongoing military action in Libya and the threat of a government shutdown within days, Mr. Obama conveyed his political intentions in an understated Internet video titled “It Begins With Us,” which features his supporters talking about the need to re-elect him.

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3 cracks found in Southwest planes

Once again, remember who wants to scrap regulations and let businesses decide what is safe. This is terrifying.

Inspectors have found small, subsurface cracks in three more Southwest Airlines planes that are similar to those suspected of causing a jetliner to lose pressure and make a harrowing emergency landing in Arizona, a federal investigator said Sunday.

Southwest said in statement that two of its Boeing 737-300s had cracks and will be evaluated and repaired before they are returned to service. A National Transportation Safety Board member told The Associated Press later Sunday that a third plane had been found with cracks developing.

The cracks found in the three planes developed in two lines of riveted joints that run the length of the aircraft.

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China blocks artist from flying to Hong Kong

Communist China has always been paranoid. Since the Middle East/Africa uprisings, they've become even more paranoid.

One of China's most famous contemporary artists has been missing for more than a day after he was blocked from leaving the country and police raided his home, his wife said Monday.

The disappearance of artist Ai Weiwei comes as China carries out a massive crackdown on lawyers, writers and activists, arresting and detaining dozens since online calls for protests similar to those in the Middle East and North Africa began to circulate in February. No public protests have emerged.

Ai, an outspoken government critic, has been keeping an informal tally of those detentions on Twitter, where he has more than 70,000 followers. Ai, who has been barred from going abroad before, was stopped while preparing to board a flight to Hong Kong on Sunday. Police later raided his Beijing home and studio.

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Air France flight 447 wreckage found

It would be very good news if they could finally solve the mystery of that crash. Airbus and Air France are funding the search. The Guardian:

Pieces of wreckage from an Air France plane that crashed in the Atlantic in 2009 with 228 people on board have been recovered by underwater teams, according to French investigators.

A fourth attempt began last month to locate remains of the aircraft, and particularly its flight recorders, in the hope of determining the cause of the still unexplained disaster.

The wreckage was recovered at the weekend by a salvage vessel equipped with unmanned submarines, the French air accident investigation agency, the BEA, said on Sunday night. The agency said the pieces were identified as parts of flight 447, which crashed on 1 June 2009 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

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