Widow of officer slain by illegal immigrant criticizes new Arizona law

By GottaLaff

Julie Erfle

The new Arizona "Papers Please" law has placed new emphasis on footwear, but doesn't do much to prevent real crime. In fact, the law itself is a real crime:

The widow of a Phoenix police officer [Nick Erfle] who was fatally shot three years ago by an undocumented immigrant said Arizona's new law would have done nothing to save her husband's life had it been in place in 2007.

She's right.

Julie Erfle believes that policymakers need to cut through the "rhetoric" and "fear-mongering" and that the police would not be protected from violence... or from accusations of racial profiling, either.

She's right again.

Seems she's more concerned about the safety of police officers than those who claim to be concerned about the safety of police officers.

"My concern with this bill, though, is what it does to law enforcement [...] This bill puts them under a microscope. I feel it's a no-win situation for an officer. I don't think it keeps officers safe. [...] "My opinion on it is that this isn't the solution, that we need something on the federal level"

Erfle said that her husband would be "infuriated" by Arizona's politics.

Many of us are too.

Julie is very wise. But she is also very ticked that supporters are exploiting her husband to get political donations.

She said [state Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, who sponsored the bill] wrote to her in 2007 to ease her frustration about how her husband's memory was being used in the media, but she didn't feel the response was adequate.

"My response to (Pearce) was that it was inappropriate, under any circumstances, to use someone's murder to promote yourself financially or politically," she said.

But a little thing like that won't stop 'em.

"Republicans have already blown the politics of " health care summit

By GottaLaff

Greg Sargent has got an e-mail from a senior Democratic aide. Here's his take on how the Ruspublics have "already blown the politics of this":

After receiving the invitation from the President, Minority Leader Boehner and Minority Whip Cantor sent a letter detailing their pre-conditions for attendance. Some Republicans have insulted the Summit by calling it a set-up or a taxpayer-funded infomercial. Now we learn they have spent several weeks organizing a rapid response operation. The RNC is putting out real-time fact checks. They have a Truth Squad. On something as simple as getting together for a bi-partisan Summit, they have tried to turn it into a hyper-partisan event.

Republicans have already failed to match the President’s class, conduct, poise, and bi-partisanship.

I hope America agrees. I know I do.

John Podesta: American political system 'sucks'

By GottaLaff

What's up with politics these days? According to John Podesta, it's suckitude, pure and simple. Can't argue with that:

Asked in an interview with the Financial Times to comment on "the health of American political system," Podesta responded: "Sucks." [...]

"I think the president is trying to re-engage with Republicans, but quite frankly he is not dealing with the party of Lincoln, he is dealing with the party of Palin and the party of McConnell and the party of Boehner," Podesta said in the interview, which was filmed and posted online Monday. "They have a political strategy, really, which is that fierce opposition, trying to say no to everything will endure to their political benefit, and so far it looks like that is working for them, so I don't see them changing all that much." [...]

"All the concentration was on working the inside legislative process and I think they paid a price for that, in my mind, the administration paid a price for that because I think the narrative was all about the deals and not what was in it, what the substance of what the legislation was and how it connected to the broader project" of improving people's lives and strengthening the economy, Podesta said.

Another "that said" moment: He still thinks a health care bill and an energy bill can be passed.

Apparently, the suckitude isn't fatal.

Phony indignation = news

By GottaLaff

This is one of my pet topics. What was once hard news has gradually morphed into tabloid gossip, shouting matches, and bi-polar self-righteousness that is passed off as fair and balanced reporting.

The news dee jays and spokesmodels are like permissive, self-serving parents who enable rapt children who plug into frothy politics like they were narcotic iPods.

And so the viewing audience is hooked on manufactured drama the way Boss Limpdong is addicted to Oxycontin:

It's appropriate that a book about the 2008 campaign -- Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's newly published "Game Change" -- has given us yet another example in which phony outrage over an out-of-context sound bite captivates the media all out of proportion to the offensiveness of the remark. The statement was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's 2008 comment that he expected Obama to fare better electorally than previous black presidential aspirants partly because of his lighter skin tone and lack of "Negro dialect" -- a term, incidentally, that the "Google Books" search engine finds in 3,780 publications, all before this year, none apparently racist. [...]

The most obvious reason is that it's a political game perfectly suited for our new news cycle. Episodes like the Reid comment provide "catnip for the news media," as Obama said, because of the new rhythms of cable TV and blogging, which intensify the old talk-radio pattern: polarized and combative, with guest experts and pundits chosen to parrot each side's arguments with requisite rage. Verbal missteps work well for cable because they require little explanation (so the fight can begin quickly); they lend themselves to simple partisan battles; and viewers can readily align their own emotions with one side or the other.

The media, of course, reflect our politics, and a second reason these flaps are so common lately is that they fit well with our divided and mutually suspicious condition. [...]

Then there's a third, less obvious reason that the outrage game is thriving: its connection to the politics of race. [...]

Ultimately, explaining all the subtleties of a linguistic concept like "Negro dialect" -- or any other touchy subjects that could trigger such an episode -- demands more time, patience and intellectual precision than the leading producers and avid consumers of our breakneck political discussions wish to indulge.

David Greenberg is a professor of history and journalism and media studies at Rutgers University and the author of "Nixon's Shadow: The History of an Image" and other books.

Much more here.

Tire slashing story in NY-23 made to look political? Looks that way.

By GottaLaff

I posted everything you need to know and more about this story here. Consider this an epilogue:

Capt. Michael Branch of the Plattsburgh City Police Department said the incident wasn’t criminal mischief, but rather a tire-meets-bottle affair. “This was not a tire slashing—this was some guy who drove over a bottle and cut his tire,” Branch said.

The police captain added that he had personally driven past all of Plattsburgh’s polling places and found “no disorder, no crowds, nothing going on. Peace and quiet here in Plattsburgh.”

Peace and quiet, except in the mind of the conservative candidate. See my previous post.

H/t: raine1967

VIDEO ADDED- Oh, but Joe the Mouther Wilson didn't play politics at all...

By GottaLaff

UPDATE: Here's the video:





Let's get this straight: When Joe the Mouther shouted, "You lie!" at the president of the United States, temporarily disrupting his health care speech, and more permanently disrupting the news cycle, that wasn't playing politics?

Yes, Joe, you go right on thinking that the Dems want to deflect from health care reform, the legislative win of their dreams.

Hyp. O. Crite:

Look for a showdown next week, assuming Democratic leaders follow through on their threats to formally scold Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) for breaking House rules.

Said Wilson on Fox News: "I am not going to apologize again."

Wilson accused Democrats of "playing politics" to take attention away from the health care reform battle.

Hoo-ah! Hoo-ah!

No apology for you!

Jindal's road to nowhere

By GottaLaff

Ba-ba-ba-Bobby*, your self interests are showing:

Legislators on Friday blocked the Jindal administration’s plans for spending the state’s first batch of federal “stimulus” money.

The rejection by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget stalls $308 million for state road and bridge projects.

The $72 million widening of Interstate 10 from Siegen Lane to Highland Road is part of the package.

State Transportation Secretary William Ankner said he plans to regroup and talk to legislators.

Gov. Bobby Jindal was less conciliatory.

In a telephone interview after the meeting, Jindal said his message to committee members is to quickly draw up a list of projects that meet federal criteria.

The governor said that the committee should have amended the list of projects rather than rejecting it. [...]

During a nearly three-hour discussion, legislators complained about the Jindal administration’s proposed distribution of dollars and expressed a feeling that the governor left them out of the loop on decision making.

Lawmakers demanded answers on why parishes were excluded from the spending plan and why the administration wants to spend $1 million on a bridge at the end of a dirt road. They also wanted to know whether the governor plans to accept all of the money due to Louisiana in the “stimulus” package.

Jindal was not on hand to answer any of those questions.

Instead, Ankner fielded a flurry of complaints and criticism, an experience that one legislator characterized as being raked over the coals. [...]

State Sen. Francis Thompson, D-Delhi, said he was offended and appalled that the money wasn’t distributed equally based on need and parish.

He accused the Jindal administration of playing politics. [...]

State Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton, complained that one of the projects is a West Carroll Parish bridge at the end of a mud road that serves a private enterprise.

He said that type of project is hard to rationalize. [...]

State Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Grosse Tete, said he wants to know who the unnamed private enterprise on the other side of the bridge contributed to in order to get on the administration’s list.

Gaa!*

*