The GOP is full of embarrassing things, like Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney and President Bush's administration; however there are a few things the GOP should REALLY be shamed for.

 1. Opposing Health Care for All:

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Two other major players in the climate change world are the European Union and China. China has been using EU benchmarks to gauge their own projections and commitments, a nod toward the EU’s self-proclaimed leadership in the global battle against climate change. The EU is now offering assistance to China and India deal with carbon emissions.

Remember when you were a little kid and you were eating in the kitchen and instead of cleaning up your crumbs on the floor you just swept them under the rug? Well, there is a high-tech process called Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) that sounds kind of similar. You take the emissions from coal-fired power plants and bury them. Like, underground.

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The politics leading up the Copenhagen summit in December are fascinating. Major players like the EU, China, Russia and the United States are all jockeying for position, some playing a few cards, some holding them- and I’m sure there is some bluffing going on as we still have almost 6 months to go.

I wrote in Politics Report how the Democrat-sponsored climate change bill is still stalled in committees as lawmakers work to satisfy Democrats, and further satisfy Republican legislators whose votes are necessary to pass the bill through the House.

Russia rang in with a long-delayed play of their own.

The general guideline from green groups and developing nations has been a request that Industrialized nations cut their emissions 25-40% from 1990 levels, a number reached in reference to UN climate scientist panel suggested cuts.

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The Democrat-controlled Congress is focusing on creating legislation to combat climate change- perhaps the most far-reaching and influential shift in administrative and legislative policy in decades. The New York Times calls it a comprehensive energy and global warming bill- but how the bill will look once it satisfies everyone enough to pass both the House and the Senate is still anyone's guess.

In fact, the Democratic Party still doesn't agree with itself on everything, though the House Democrats say that they are close to an agreement and hope to be ready to move forward next week. Whether they have a bill that will satisfy rural and fiscal conservative Representatives is not apparent. 

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The biggest culprits and the biggest players in climate change seem to be the United States, the European Union, and China. With the meeting in Copenhagen of these three with everyone else who has a say and a responsibility, preliminary meetings and decisions are in full swing.

China recently unveiled a pledge to do as much as the EU does. The U.S. continues to talk big but do relatively little. The EU continues to set the pace and the tone. This week in Brussels the European Union agreed to the basis of its collective financial contribution to the coming global climate change deal. This financial contribution will go primarily to help developing nations deal with the effects of climate change.

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I just knew there was some kind of catch. A man just couldn’t be that wicked cool, smart, tech-savvy and generally all-around groovy with two cute kiddies and an awesome, intelligent wife. Something had to give.

Behold, Obama the Fly Killer!

A fly on the wall has no business during a White House interview, says President Obama. While CNBC’s John Harwood attempted to get an interview in the East Room, the fly simply wouldn’t stop interrupting, buzzing his own intelligible questions into the president’s ear—and our Commander in Chief had had enough.

Swatting the offending creature once it landed on his hand, he put a quick end to the multi-eyed invader.

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What does it mean to be American?

America is often referred to as a melting pot, as a land of immigrants, of opportunity, of refuge. At the same time it is characterized by a brutal and violent history of intolerance, murder and exploitation. While the Statue of Liberty has come to stand, both literally and figuratively, as a guardian over immigrants and the American dream of a “better life,” America could just as easily have the statue of a gun grace its money, sacred grounds and serve as a figure-head for its history.

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The Winning HandNot every disputed election ends with in revolutions in the streets. Take the case of Cave Creek, AZ (wonder how they picked that name), who recently had a tie-breaker in their election for the top CIty Council seat.

The Arizona state legislature mandates that any election ties are to be determined in a game of chance. Perhaps not feeling lucky enough to toss a coin, roll dice or draw straws, the incumbent Thomas McGuire and Adam Trenk decided to go a more traditional route,  (no they did not have a duel) and instead decided the election based on the highest card.

Imagine the made-for-tv movie with the accompanying sappy music and/or drumroll to set the scene.

The incumbent drew first. Again, we are talking cards, not guns here. It was a six of hearts.


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This past April the House of Representatives voted to approve an expansion of the Federal "hate crime" laws. Under the legislation "hate crime" will cover gay and lesbian citizens.

Wait, raise your hand if you knew that gay-bashing was not Federally considered a hate crime.

What?

But wait, there's more. The expansion of "hate crime" laws is not even close to becoming official. It hasn't passed in the senate. How could this possibly not just go through with flying (Gay Pride) colors?

Do I remember the Bush Administration's stance on Gay rights? Wait, did they have a stance or a turned head? What about McCain's general approach? Yes, I realize that there is serious opposition to Gay rights, especially with all the progress that same sex marriages are having. It is pretty standard for Republicans to oppose anything related to Gay rights.

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Senator EnsignSchadenfreude has to be my new favorite German word, far outranking Kindergarten and Gesundheit not for the sheer pleasure I get from it falling off of my tongue, but for its meaning. Delight when others fall.

While I personally could care less who is doing who, I do find it interesting that the latest sexual scandal to hit the US involving yet another Republican politician involves not only sex, but possible bribery as well. "The 19-year-old son of a woman who reportedly had an affair with Nevada Sen. John Ensign was being paid by the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the relationship, federal election records show."

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