Making Sense of Politics and Events, So the Media Doesn't Have To http://www.northdecoder.com Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:55:12 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.northdecoder.com/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png http://www.northdecoder.com Making Sense of Politics and Events, So the Media Doesn't Have To http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/A-Cathy-Moment...-in-North-Dakota.html A little something to brighten every North Dakota Democrats' day: Democrats in Congress are poised to play a leading role this month in thwarting their party's effort to raise income tax rates on the wealthy.Tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 expire at the end of this year. President Barack Obama and Democratic congressional leaders have been eager to extend the breaks for individuals who earn less than $200,000 annually and joint filers who make less than $250,000. Those who earn more would pay higher, pre-2001 rates starting next year.However, a small but growing number of moderate Democrats... News - Latest Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:00:00 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/The-Orange-Man-Snuck-Into-North-Dakota-Last-Night.html From right-wing crack-pot Scott Hennen's agenda (posted on his website), today:8:30: The House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) joins us for a live, in-studio chat as he visits Fargo to campaign for Rick Berg...(from Scott Hennen's website)The House Minority Leader comes to North Dakota, and the Republicans keep it a big secret? The media doesn't know about it? Nobody knows about it? Why would Republicans be so secretive about the highly unpopular, orange-colored leader of the obstructionist wing of the U.S. House of Representatives spending a day in North Dakota? Is it because Boehner has consistently been... News - Latest Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:39:48 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/Rick-Berg-s-Unfinished-Basement.html Vote for me, Rick Berg says, and I'll make all of North Dakota look like the unfinished basement in this slummy apartment building in Fargo. Berg needs a new advertising consultant. (Hat tip to Walter Shapiro (http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/08/30/campaign-ad-wars-the-cliches-of-2010/).) News - Latest Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:26:50 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/Ethics-Allegations-Against-Pomeroy-Were-Bogus.html So says Rollcall:Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) confirmed Monday that the Office of Congressional Ethics has closed its inquiry into fundraisers held around the 2009 financial reform vote, and it recommended the House ethics committee not pursue the matter.RollCall.com (http://www.rollcall.com/news/49453-1.html) All the blathering by North Dakota Republicans was exactly what most people expect from Republicans: more crap. Here's the prattle from the NDGOP's Adam Jones:State Republicans [ ] will soon launch a countdown clock on their website metering the days gone by since the investigation began.“We’ll be counting since May 24, since I believe that is the... News - Latest Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:13:17 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/Group-Files-Request-That-ND-Supreme-Court-Take-Jurisdiction-of-Conrad-Recall-Case.html The new, right-wing fringe group called RecallND has filed its petition with the North Dakota Supreme Court, asking the court to exercise its discretionary authority to take jurisdiction over the group's claim Al Jaeger wrongfully rejected some guy's petition to recall North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad (D).Here's a snippet from the RecallND's summary of its argument:The power of the people to recall “[a]ny elected official” has been well-established for nearly a century, and is not to be taken away by misconstruing this express provision in the North Dakota Constitution. N.D. Const., art. III, § 10 (emphasis added). [N]o... News - Latest Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:32:19 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/North-Dakota-State-Investment-Board-Shocking-Audit-Results-Released.html Last Friday the North Dakota State Investment Board released the results of a shocking new performance audit. Here's what the smarties at the local mainstream media have written:An audit found no signs of fraud, illegal acts, violations or abuse by the former director of the North Dakota Retirement and Investment Office.The North Dakota State Investment Board heard the results of the audit Friday, about four months after former director and chief investment officer Steve Cochrane killed himself.Fargo For'em (http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/289141/) Shocking, I say. All intelligent people assumed the results of the audit would show multiple violations of policy... News - Latest Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:45:12 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/Blunt-Apparently-Abandoning-Claim-Memo-Was-Withheld.html I read with great interest the brief recently filed by former North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance Executive Director and convicted felon Sandy Blunt. It's short and fairly simple. You might want to read it to. So I'll post it. Here.Blunts Post Conviction Brief (http://www.scribd.com/doc/36533824/Blunts-Post-Conviction-Brief)my earlier blog post about this (index.php/BCSA-to-Blunt-Poop-Or-Get-Off-The-Pot.html). Might it be? Sure. But is there an other side of the story? Once again, as before, (index.php/BCSA-to-Blunt-Poop-Or-Get-Off-The-Pot.html) I'm on the edge of my seat. UPDATE: Somebody pointed out that correspondence between Blunt's lawyer and the prosecutor's office... News - Latest Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:01:15 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/GOP-National-Vehicle-Trajectory-Still-The-Ditch.html Newsweek has done an analysis of the difference between America's jobs and deficit under Obama versus America's jobs and deficit under Republicans. And it doesn't look great for Republicans. It's not a perfect analysis, but it's definitly worth consideration. Here's the bottom line :The bottom line, then, is that recent GOP proposals would produce fewer jobs and far larger deficits than the plans Obama has already passed or currently wants to pass.Newsweek (http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/08/26/on-jobs-and-deficits-republicans-are-worse-than-obama.html) Imagine how much better off we'd be right now if Republicans weren't obstructing Obama's more aggressive economic recovery proposals and throwing up... News - Latest Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:30:20 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/Chris-Crocker-Writes-Another-Letter-to-the-Editor.html Leave Al Jaeger Aloooooooooooooooooooooooone!The object of the SoSP rests on Joseph Stalin’s famous quote that “It’s not who gets the votes, it’s who counts the votes.” The truth of this was demonstrated in last year’s senatorial election in Minnesota and how important that 60th Democratic senator proved to be to the Obama agenda.Mock’s assaults, and there have been several, on Jaeger are just an extension of the SoSP so that he (Mock) will become the arbiter in close North Dakota elections. Jaeger’s performance over the years has been exemplary. He has performed in a quiet, efficient and, most importantly, nonpartisan... News - Latest Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:00:45 +0100 http://www.northdecoder.com/index.php/A-Nation-of-Know-Nothings.html Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative. John Stuart Mill (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_stuart_mill.html) Turns out.... if we weren't already, we really are turning into a nation of know-nothings ...Having shed much of his dignity, core convictions and reputation for straight talk, Senator John McCain won his primary on Tuesday against the flat-earth wing of his party. Now McCain can go search for his lost character, which was last on display late in his 2008 campaign for president.Remember the moment: a woman with matted hair and a shaky... News - Latest Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:52:59 +0100