Cartoon of the Day

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Those socialist fire fighters! Can't we just burn in peace?

By GottaLaff

Via the L.A. Times letters to the editor...

Damn socialist firefighters! What are they trying to do, take over our lives by taking control of our raging wildfires? Why, that's unAmerican! Privatize! Now!

Where are the "tea baggers" now that we need them?

The bumbling government, once again, is launching another bound-to-fail program with the massing of firefighters to battle the Station fire.

Why save someone else's house from destruction; it's not mine? The fire departments are just more of the socialist governmental programs designed to take away what little freedom we have left. Why can't we just burn in peace?

****

Once again, our hearts are overflowing with thanks and praise for the firefighters, law enforcement, Red Cross and other emergency services that come to our aid during these crises.

"Our health" and "our lives" are the most important things to protect. Why then do we refuse a concept like universal healthcare?

This week, we haven't questioned the value and necessity of spending millions in tax dollars to save our homes and other structures from fire.

We don't shout "socialism" when government (firefighters) comes to our aid to save our property -- and we don't question the ability of these "government run" services because they are efficient and highly skilled. No one would think of allowing these emergency services to be "for profit."

As the flames kiss your back door, would a firefighter refuse service, claiming you have a preexisting condition (drought)? Never.

Helping a family faced with thousands of dollars in medical bills needed to save their child battling cancer is just as important as helping (perhaps that same family) battle a wildfire about to take their home -- isn't it?

(via)

Supreme Court rules for white firefighters

The only thing that this will do is rachet up the Sotomayor bashing. Worth noting that Pete Williams is saying that there is a new rule that the Supreme Court used that was not available to Sotomayor or her colleagues when they ruled.

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled Monday that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.

New Haven was wrong to scrap a promotion exam because no African-Americans and only two Hispanic firefighters were likely to be made lieutenants or captains based on the results, the court said Monday in a 5-4 decision. The city said that it had acted to avoid a lawsuit from minorities.

Obama Administration Refuses to Cross Picket Line

Very satisfying.

WASHINGTON—Steering clear of a messy labor dispute, the White House on Friday said Vice President Joe Biden and other members of President Barack Obama’s Cabinet have scrapped plans to attend a national mayors’ conference in Providence rather than cross a picket line of city firefighters.

In a statement to The Associated Press, presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs said the Obama administration will redouble its efforts to work with the nation’s mayors in other ways. That includes a fresh invitation for the mayors to come to the White House.

9/11 victims' families happy with today's meeting with President Obama

By GottaLaff

I'm watching a 9/11 victim's relative on MSNBC right now, and she is saying that she was more than pleased with her president when they met today. President Obama will investigate all the cases thoroughly, he told her, and she feels very reassured.

He answered their questions for 45 minutes and assured them they would get "swift and certain justice," says a firefighter who was working that day (I believe I got his identity right; please correct me if I didn't).

Update by Paddy

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Firefighters vs. McCain

Via Ben-

A spot from the International Association of Firefighters, airing in a half-million-dollar buy in markets in Ohio, Virginia, Missouri, Florida and New Hampshire, amplifies Obama's warning that McCain will tax healthcare benefits.

Firefighters union back Obama

Really not major news, but nice to see. So, who's there on Obama's behalf? Joe Biden. Yikes.

(CNN) – A major firefighters union will throw its support behind Barack Obama during its annual convention in Las Vegas on Thursday.

Obama, who is on vacation with his family in Hawaii, taped a message that will be played in front of the 3,500 members of the International Association of Fire Fighters at around 2pm E.T.

The union chose to back Obama over John McCain because of the presumptive Democratic nominee’s support of collective bargaining, which gives workers the right to jointly work with their employers to negotiate hours, salaries, benefits and overall working conditions, IAFF spokesman Scott Treibitz said.