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| "Baby elephant mud bathing Chobi, Botswana Photo" by Lee R. Berger (Profberger) via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) |
Before we begin:
"Texas voter ID law is blocked," (August 30, 2012) Washington Post
THE U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decided earlier today that Texas's new voter ID laws are discriminatory against African-Americans and Hispanics of modest means. An appeal to the Supreme Court is intended.
Republican lawmakers have argued that the voter ID law is needed to clean up voter rolls, [. . .] Texas, they argue, is asking for no more identification than people need to board an airplane, get a library card or enter many government buildings.In South Carolina, voters would need to show a driver's license, DMV identification card, U.S. military ID, passport, or a photo ID which can be obtained from election workers in one's county free of charge. In Texas, the Department of Justice has estimated that anyone without a copy of their birth certificate would have to fork over at least $22.
The Department attempted to suppress the voter ID law, and in its court arguments against the law it has been joined by the NAACP, ACLU and others.
Here is the ruling on the Post's website: Ruling in State of Texas v. Eric H. Holder, Jr.
IN other news, Sen. John Kyl complains to C-Span that access to the convention centre is difficult because of the elevated security. Not asked: if he has ever heard of the refined security philosophies of the TSA.
7:30 p.m. John Boehner, Speaker of the House and Congressman of Ohio announces the opening ceremonies. The US Central Command Joint Forces Color Guard Team presents a row of flags. Still very unsure about having military at partisan event.
Pledge of Allegiance recited by Dylan Nonaka, a Marine veteran. With a touch of mischief, he quickly adds the postscript: "Mahalo and semper fi." Does Mahalo count as foreign-speak? National anthem sung by group of seven men. High treason perpetrated against the compositional law of harmony. Ken Hutchins of the Church of Latter-Day Saints offers the invocation prayer. The Color Guard Team includes an African-American or two. ('We are the 0%!')
7:40 p.m. Connie Mack, candidate for US senate in the 14th district of Florida."We are proud to be Americans," ad nauseam. American dream. Neil Armstrong, American exceptionalism. Another 'immigrant who became a small businessman in America' story. Blaming America bad.
7:47 p.m. A film in praise of a certain past president. Was Ronald Reagan a Catholic? Apparently he has already rocketed past the beatification and been canonized. "Mr. Gorbachov, . . ." quotation again.
7:49 p.m. Newt Gingrich with his wife. I feel like I'm completing the martyrization phase of sainthood myself now. Callista Gingrich could be a professional announcer; very resonant and clear and thoughtfully emphasized voice. What a monumental twerp her husband is.
7:57 p.m. New Mexico governor Susana Martinez in film: US is the greatest nation in history of the world. I am the greatest cleaner of my fingernails in the history of the Milky Way galaxy.
Pandering to Hispanics. Craig Romney spent a couple of years in Chile and therefore speaks in Spanish.
8:04 p.m. Another film. "Whatever the American dream is to you," says the narrator, while a young woman is pouring hot water into cups with bad aim so that a cup overflows and the water goes dripping all over. What does this mean? She Is Our Future.
8:05 p.m. Jeb Bush, former (1999-2007; I am surprised that the state hasn't become a crater due some terrible act of incompetence) Florida governor. Jeb also proffers a Spanish phrase and then says that he wuvs his brother, who did nothing wrong. Stop blaming my brother, Barack! he exclaims.
JB now dancing around a My Pet Goat reference, by talking about visiting schools, interacting with children, etc. Not enough engineering students in the US! Schools in a parlous state. "(. . .) equality of opportunity does not exist in our schools," he says, apparently concentrating on educational issues.
Sean Duffy, who is on the stage with the ex-governor and is speaking after him, is a teacher and he is willing to be hauled out as a political pawn. Some teachers are lousy, he says!
JB is speaking again and apparently supporting charter schools. Parents should be able to choose schools just like they can choose soy milk, he seriously says in yet another weak analogy.
Frantz Placide, African-American ex-pupil from Catholic charter school in Miami and now college graduate, speaks next, in support of school vouchers. "It's an incredible journey to see you grow up," says JB, completing at least half of what passes as a philosophical statement on a reality show.
Now back to everyone using 'teacher' as an insult.
8:22 p.m. Another video of Mitt Romney speaking instead of Mitt Romney speaking. "It's been an extraordinary journey," he says. "Shining city on a hill" already referenced by John McCain in this convention yesterday. There really is tiresome repetition.
8:23 p.m.
8:27 p.m. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, congresswoman from Washington State and Republican Conference Vice Chairman, again. In case we missed yesterday's tropes, here they are again! [Awkward chant] We Built It. Loud applause for announcement that Marco Rubio will speak later.
8:31 p.m. A friend of Romney, Grant Bennett, from Massachusetts speaks in praise of his buddy and fellow churchman. Romney did church community service and we must hear about it in creaking detail. Romney likes old people and widows just as the Bible tells us.
LinkedIn, if I have the right profile, says that Bennett is a graduate of the University of Utah (BA) and MIT (MA); also, careerwise,
President
CPS Technologies Corporation
1985 – Present (27 years)
ConsultantThe CPS Technologies Corporation: an electronics firm in Massachusetts.
Bain & Company
Privately Held; 5001-10,000 employees; Management-[Consulting] industry
1980 – 1985 (5 years)
[Grant Bennett (LinkedIn)]
Even more exploitative, a fireman is telling how Mitt Romney was supportive when his young son David had died from Hodgkin's disease. Whereas Obama is merely a shallow media hero, I think he was implying? The mother is speaking now too. This is kind of painful in several ways.
Another Mormon, Pam Finlayson, is testifying on his behalf now too. Her little daughter was premature and sick at birth. "When he looked down at her tiny body, his eyes filled with tears," and he didn't think she was ugly even though tubes were sticking out of her. Tears in the audience, discomfort here. Now the poor baby is dead.
Couldn't the inspirational bits of these stories just be written down for a Chicken Soup for the Politician's Soul book and the rest of it kept private as seems more decent except if the parents want to raise funds for medical causes?
8:51 p.m. Bob White, Chairman of Romney for President campaign.
Mitt Romney heard that a plane was running out of fuel. He jumped on a trampoline several times, launched into the air, smiled at terrified children whose faces were plastered at the tiny windows, then lifted the vehicle up with his hand until it landed safely at Salt Lake City's airport. It was February 2002 so it was also full of Olympic athletes and it was the best Winter Olympics ever after that.
8:58 p.m. "You didn't build that." Obama comes across as so genuine compared to the rest of this.
Some companies were invested in by Bain Capital Investments, so it is truly a princely distributor of patriotic largesse.
8:58 p.m. Founder of Staples, the enormous chain store where one purchases office supplies in enormous buildings, Tom Stemberg. Romney was a supporter of this business. "He got really excited at the idea of saving a few dollars on paper clips." Not really a ringing endorsement of Romney's funmindedness.
This administration didn't create any jobs? Now that's 'a lie, a half-truth, or an evasion.'
Stemberg and his team also worked through the night!!! I'm writing this blog post at 3:04 p.m. local time and I would like some form of recognition. I could be sleeping.
9:04 p.m. In fact I think I am going to sleep. This is simply boring.
N.B.: Why did Salt Lake City offer to host the Winter Olympics if it wasn't qualified and prepared to do it?
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