Bad Deeds for 4-9-2009

Goodbye Maple Syrup: Climate Change Pushing Sugar Maple Out of Northeast U.S. – For some places in the Northeast, the sugar-tapping season is getting shorter and shorter, sometimes lasting only a week, as it did in Quebec last year. Warmer weather has also translated to problems with pests such as the pear thrip, and the non-native Asian longhorn beetle destroying maple trees. Deer populations have also exploded in some places, meaning that more maple shoots are eaten before making it to maturity. It requires a mature tree of 40 to 50 years old to make maple syrup safely. Chemical pollutants from acid clouds are also a factor of stress.

Texas Republican Legislator Tells Asian-Descent Voters To Adopt Names That Are “Easier for Americans to Deal With.” – During House testimony on voter identification legislation, a North Texas legislator, Rep. Betty Brown, (R-Terrell) said Asian-descent voters should adopt names that are “easier for Americans to deal with.” Brown suggested that Asian-Americans should find a way to make their names more accessible. “Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese — I understand it’s a rather difficult language — do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?” Brown said. Ramey Ko, a representative of the Organization of Chinese Americans, told the committee that people of Chinese, Japanese and Korean descent often have problems voting and other forms of identification because they may have a legal transliterated name and then a common English name that is used on their driver’s license on school registrations.

Newt Gingrich Accuses Former Methodist Pastor of Being “Anti-Religious” – In an interview with FOX News, Gingrich said he strongly disagreed with Obama’s choice of Harry Knox — an outspoken activist for gay rights — to the White House advisory council on faith-based initiatives. Gingrich said, “Why wouldn’t you put an anti-religious, left-wing zealot on a faith-based group? It’s a perfect pattern for this administration.” Knox is a former Methodist pastor.

Congressman Luis Gutierrez Pushes Payday Lending Bill Legalizing 391% Interest – A House subcommittee wants to legalize payday loans with interest rates of up to 391%. Lobbyists from the payday industry bought Congress’ support by showering influential members, including Chairman Luiz Gutierrez, the top Democrat on the Financial Services subcommittee in charge of consumer credit issues, with campaign cash. The Congressman is now playing good cop, bad cop with the payday industry, which is pretending to oppose his generous gift of a bill.

Eric Cantor’s Secret Plan to Ambush Freshman Democrats so They Can be Humiliated on YouTube – House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has put together a team of Republican members to create embarrassing, YouTube-worthy moments for vulnerable Democratic freshmen. Cantor’s floor staff has created a photo album to help identify the 42 most vulnerable Democrats. The aides send daily e-mails to the members of the attack team and alert lawmakers when these targeted members are speaking on the floor. They even draft quick scripts to help focus the questioning.

Democrats are now hip to the scam and rarely take the bait. A top aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) quickly ushers most junior members out of the chamber whenever Republicans launch an attack — even if the member is controlling debate. But the guerrilla tactics — which are just about all the Republicans have — are sure to continue as long as Democratic leaders, in a time-honored bid to help junior members look productive, keep encouraging them to offer amendments and bills.

Rush Limbaugh Tells Caller That Talking Against Torture is Not Being a Real Republican – A caller to Limbaugh’s radio show, Charles, identified himself as a Republican and a veteran, who “really didn’t want to see Obama get in office.” From there, he let loose, especially on the torture issue, telling Limbaugh, “We’re not supposed to be torturing these people. This is not Nazi Germany, Red China, or North Korea.” Limbaugh shot back with, “Charles, Barack Obama is president of the United States today because of stupid, ignorant people who think like you do. You pose — you and your ignorance are the most expensive commodity this country has. … But it doesn’t surprise me that you’re the kind of Republican that our last candidate attracted. Because you’re no Republican at all based on what the hell you just said right here.”

Oil Companies Talk Green, Do Otherwise – Even as Washington goes into a frenzy over energy, many of the oil companies are staying on the sidelines, balking at investing in new technologies favored by the president, or even straying from commitments they had already made.

Michele Bachmann Tries to Scare Us About ‘Politically Correct Re-education Camps for Young People’ – U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann says she fears the Obama administration will create “re-education camps for young people, where young people have to go and get trained in a philosophy that the government puts forward and then they have to go to work in some of these politically correct forums.” Bachmann is soooo entertaining.

Focus on the Family Bible Narrator Tried to Lure 15-Year-Old for Sex According to Police – A Colorado man who works for Evangelical group Focus on the Family has been arrested after he solicited sex online from an investigator posing as a teenage girl, police have said. Juan Alberto Ovalle, 42, thought he was corresponding with a girl under the age of 15, but instead it was undercover officers with the Jefferson County district attorney’s office, according to court documents,” reported the Denver Post.

How Will History Remember George W. Bush?
Overheard from narrator in the U. S. Hall of Presidents, 100 years from now, “And here we have George W. Bush, the last Republican President.”

Regards,

Jim