What if Paul, Tom and Todd were raped, God forbid, how would they describe it to the police? Would they dispute it among themselves as whether it was legitimate, forcible or whatever word would fit the "stock language"?. Just saying...

Rape is always forcible. I am a Republican what is the matter with these guys. They must be living in their own world.Where are all the Republicans who have common sense.

I'm as liberal as they get. I believe his explanation. He doesn't consider statutory rape an exception, but he isn't trying to categorize rape beyond voluntary and involuntary. I know people are going to freak when I say that because a 14 year-old can be manipulated by a 30 year-old, but that's his only point. Trying to say he's diminishing the act of forcing sex on somebody is just looking for something to demonize him over. There are more substantive differences in our opinions than trying to form an ad-hoc accusation that he's some sort of monster.

80-year study: Democrats better at economics
August 17, 2012 | 8:42 am

Paul Bedard

Washington Secrets

The Washington Examiner
@SecretsBedard

When it comes to which party is better for the economy, Republicans talk the talk, but it's Democrats who deliver the goods according to an unusual 80-year study of the impact presidents have on growth, personal wealth, the stock market and even 401ks.

The bottom line, according to Bulls, Bears and the Ballot Box: Of the five best economic presidents since Herbert Hoover, only one is a Republican. The paydirt finding: $100,000 invested during the 40 years Republicans had the White House would be worth $126,027. The same amount invested in the stock market during the Democrat's 40 years would be $3,912,210.

"Our book is a myth buster," said financial planner Bob Deitrick who co-authored Bulls, Bears with CPA and educator Lew Goldfarb.

Goldfarb blamed the conventional wisdom that Republican presidents are better economic managers on the inability of Democrats to tell their story. "Democrats stand on their message so poorly," he said. "Republicans, on the other hand, win the salesmanship merit badge every single year."

The duo stumbled on their conclusions while working on a different issue. Researching the impact of politics on stock market trends, Deitrick realized that in the last 80 years, Democrats and Republicans have held the White House 40 years each, minus President Obama's term. They came up with a ranking system based on stock market returns, personal income, economic growth and business prosperity.

The best period was during the Kennedy-Johnson years, the worst Herbert Hoover, who presided over the Great Depression. In order, the rankings are: JFK/LBJ, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Bill Clinton, Dwight Eisenhower, Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon/Gerald Ford, George W. Bush, and Hoover. Carter was the only Democrat in the bottom half of the list.

Theirs is a non-political book that also suggests that the Democrats have been luckier than the Republicans. Just consider that George H.W. Bush had a flat economy that was starting to surge when Clinton was elected and it roared during his term. By the time George W. Bush took over, the Clinton-era internet bubble had popped and he started two wars. For example, they write, $100,000 invested in 1993 was worth $341,894 at the end of Clinton's term. Under Bush, that $100,000 was worth $64,990 after his eight years, a difference of $277,000.

So I turned on this Ed show to get a view from the other side and WOW is this guy FAR Left... I see why he is getting crushed in the ratings! At least fox points out errors on both sides and this guy is NO O'Reilly! (his "no SPin ZOne" keeps both parties in check) Come on pMSNBC... you can do better

OMG, i'm listening to the ed show and i'd be thrilled to hear some REAL news. they're still talking about 4-month old, wrong race @!$%#. try listening to a real "NEWS" channel. you'll find out what's really going on in the world. OR, we could split together some really old 5 second comments to make it sound like race is any kind of issue. regan is on NOW...REALLLY! keep drinking the koolaid i flip between all the news channels to get a "balanced" idea of what is going on, but msnbc is so OBVIOUSLY biased, that it can't be called a news channel.

for the love of god. i listen to foxnews a good bit. after 10 minutes of msnbc for the last half hour, all they're talking about is republicans and birther crap. i haven't heard anything about birther stuff in 2 years on foxnews

However much I detest seeming to defend Mr Ryan, the FBI does make that distinctions and ONLY count forcible rape in their statistics ( which of course makes it grossly understated)

That is great, "Rape is Rape". I guess we can drop all the current criminal laws, you know,"Statutory Rape", Forcible Rape" and "Date Rape". I wonder which punishment should be used for those convicted? Will an adult teacher that has consensual sex with a minor get the same punishment as a thug that jumps a female jogger, beats and rapes her? Both incidents are criminal acts currently called rape, one "Statutory Rape", the other "Forcible Rape". Strange conversation we are having given the current state of the economy, unemployment, and energy costs.

All rape is forcible! Whether at gun point or knife point, physical or psychological intimidation, or through the introduction of drugs, ultimately force is used to penetrate the victim no matter to what degree. So, rape is rape! Cut and dried! Those who would parse words on this issue are immoral neanderthals who need the reality of rape shoved up their rear ends to adjust their thinking on the subject. It is utterly unbelievable that there is one--let alone so many--lawmakers who hold such Victorian notions in this the 21st century. Maybe they are right, there is no such thing as evolution. Their example certainly is an argument against it.

"Stock language" is like "stock photos" -- he's admitting he just copied the law from something a lobbyist sent him.

Or maybe "stock language" is language related to livestock, like "slaughter", "daughter", "slunk", "uterus", "cattle", "woman", "rapestock", "wife"...

US may sell weapons to Taiwan

http://youtu.be/SCr7uKbS3EI

US sell a record $66.3 Billion to Saudi Arabia in2011 Are we just putting a knife to our own throats? In few years we may find ourselves fighting against the weapons we sold?

http://newsfeedresearcher.com/data/articles_b35/arms-billion-sales.html

Even if Mitt Romney has a secret agenda and has good intentions and if he flips on the Tee Potty or Rove or Norquist has some thing on him, and remember John McCain has seen his taxes of past years it would be a simple task to blackmail him. I don't know what goes on inside his head at all because of all the flip-flopping like a weathervane. And if they didn't I think he would cooperate he would be in real danger. He signed Romneycare and now would remove Obamacare which he helped create??? Strange man to say the least. He kisses more rich butts more than babies! And if he stands by the economic policy that he states now it surely would mean a destruction of the economy of the US and maybe the world. And I haven't even gotten to what his foreign policy may be. But that's more than enough for me to say no way Josie! I'll stick with Obama and hope clearer heads will prevail and we get a congress and senate that will get this country going back in the correct direction. I don't agree with everything he does but if I did I would be the one in the drivers seat! No thanks!!! To me its not time to change horses as we face the hardest time this country has ever faced.

It's only 'stock language' for Republicans, since they seem to be constantly dragging this long-settled subject to the forefront. God help the women of this country if they ever take over the government. It is the absolute scariest thing I can think of.

Check this out!

http://www.meed.com/countries/saudi-arabia/

Chevron under contract! Well looks as if this company has no way to sell the oil extracted in the USA in the USA! Are we getting screwed twice over? Quite the deal wouldn't you say!

Chevron in Saudi Arabia

www.chevron.com/documents/pdf/saudiarabiafactsheet.pdf
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
closely with Saudi Aramco, the state-owned national oil company, as well as .... Under contract with Saudi Aramco, Chevron purchases Saudi crude oil for its ...

"Romney is a tax Felon" and "Ryan is an idiot" could also be considered as stock language to describe these morons

I have supported a Medicare public option for years for all Americans. The U.S. spends twice as much per capita on health care as any other industrialized country on this earth. Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Germany spend about 9% to 10% GDP on health care for excellent universal coverage for all their respective country's citizens. The U.S. spends 18% GDP and we have 50 million uninsured. The countries I listed above are nearly all in the top 15 countries in the world for health care quality in terms of longevity and infant mortality the most common statistics used in measuring public health outcomes while the U.S. ranks about 37th in health care outcomes. The U.S. however, is number one in expense by far at about twice the per capita spending all other major industrialized countries. It should be noted as well that all industrialized countries with single payer systems as a matter of course cover family planning and birth control as a routine matter for women. Nearly all countries cover abortion especially for rape, incest, and for the life of the mother etc.

So here is the problem why do we put up with an inferior, dysfunctional health care system that is nothing but a vile ripoff? The reason our health care system sucks so badly is that health care is run by for profit insurance companies. The ACA will reform our dysfunctional system but we will probably be confronting the cost issue again. The only answer is a Medicare for all public option for all people available at the insurance exchanges in 2014. The United States can not compete against other industrialized countries with more efficient single payer systems unless we adopt a single payer system ourselves.

Those who support our current for profit health insurance system need to take stock of an important fact about job creation. It just goes without saying that we will continue to lose jobs overseas in droves to more efficient single payer systems with about 4% administration costs while here in the U.S. our health care system often costs close to 30% for administration costs. The ACA has already reduced some of these problems but we will need to understand the ACA is only a beginning bridge to where we are and where we must travel as a country down the health care reform lane. We need to understand that it is simply impossible for the United States economy to compete against more efficient single payer systems with our inefficient corporate for profit health insurance system. All the jobs will go elsewhere because no one can afford to do business in America anymore until we have a Medicare for all public option. If you are happy with the United States of America finishing in 37th place in health care outcomes then go on supporting our health care insurance mafia. I am going to support a Medicare for all public option available at the insurance exchanges in 2014 or as soon as possible. I am tired of my country being 37th in the world in health care but number on in health care costs. Al Capone could not have dreamed up a better racket than our current for profit corporate health insurance system.

xxx ooo: Those were some good articles about U.S. arms sales to the Persian Gulf region. President Obama has been approving robust arms sales to these Arab Persian Gulf countries to counter the threats to the Iranian ballistic missile and cruise missile build up. President Obama switched the Bush decision from missile defense in Europe to the Persian Gulf and Middle East. President Obama decided to concentrate our missile defense system on the Iranian short ranged ballistic missiles and cruise missiles with an Aegis class cruiser being permanently assigned to 5th Fleet in Bahrain and U.S. Patriot III missile batteries assigned to oil exporting countries in the Persian Gulf from FT Bliss, Texas.

I write about this stuff frequently because Iran has the military capability to knock most of the Persian Gulf oil installations either by ballistic missile or cruise missile attacks or by terrorist surrogates. Iran also has a host of other military capabilities that could stop tanker traffic dead in its tracks. Iran's military has gained increasing capabilities to hit oil infrastructure hard. An Israeli-Iranian war would be a disaster for our national economy. Most oil analysts figure oil in a major regional Middle East war would immediately be $200 per barrel.

The country that has all of this figured out is Germany. The Germans lead the world in solar technology. Wind power connected to smart grids throughout the country. The U.S. has spent $7.3 trillion on aircraft carrier task for groups from 1976-2007 to secure our oil supplies. The Germans recently got 50% of their electricity form solar panels in midday in May, 2012. The Germans are building more solar panels, wind power, smart grids, biomass fuel applications, and has a robust mass transit network. We need to understand that the country with the best answer to all of these problem is Germany. Germany does not need a huge military to secure its oil supplies. Germany just builds more solar panels and wind turbines and smart grids. Angela Merkel is proving herself smarter than American conservatives pushing for more oil drilling.

Rex: I hope the Saudis don't turn their weapons toward Israel. Yet I understand its more for self defence and if there is a Saudi spring they could be used on the people of Saudi Arabia. Even with a Patriot missile defence stealth missiles would still reach their targets from Iran. Still in the short term it keeps the greedy US arms dealers from reaching in the pockets if US taxpayers money better spent here and beating down the debit.

I am all for renewable energy and its great for all kinds of reasons. One is less dependance on oil and all the reasons and problems it presents. Is it a coincidence that the US is having a massive military drill right now in South Korea as Obama is to come to a decision about selling arms to Taiwan Wednesday. So it seems he may be trying to influence China to agree with intervention in Syria and get an arms deal done. Two birds with one stone so to speak. If so a smart way to do this to get leverage either way.

I hope soon the US would be done importing oil and cut the Oil companies stranglehold on people and the economy being held hostage by them. I would surmise that oil from the Middle East then would be sold the India and China for the most part as you know China has interest in Iran's oil and is willing to back them and also Afghanistan because of their rare earth minerals and now I just heard natural gas. I don't think we can stop the Iranian regime from wanting to attack Israel but Obama's methods may still work and if not it may not be up to the US to be the one who starts a war with them.

The future is unknown and full of danger and its better for the world if Iran doesn't feel like their backs against the wall. We can only hope the missile defence will work, assuming Iran would use a missile and pray there not the stealth type. If Iran strikes first they will be the second nation to be toast from the use of atomic weapons from the US. Would this cause a chain reaction with other countries? Now that's going into unknown territory and that's where I won't even try to figure it out.

xxx ooo: I get pretty concerned sometimes about Iran and Israel. Israel is worried about Iran's nuclear program. Also, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia would invest in a nuclear programs and nuclear programs the day that Iran successfully tests a nuclear device. So a real regional arms race would ensue. Israel has had nuclear weapons since the 1960's and probably has about 200 to 300 nuclear weapons. I am not sure that Israel will strike anytime soon because the Israeli public is knowledgeable about military information because most Israelis serve in the military. Most of the Israeli public knows that a bombing raid on Iran would be disastrous and not really all that effective.

The Israelis don't have the strategic type cruise missiles and long ranged bombers to do more than set Iran back for more than a year at most. Iran's nuclear program is deep underground and our understanding of what they are doing is limited at best. All we can do is implement the George Kennan strategy of containment by diplomacy and military deterrence with our allies in the region. I really think we need to do more diplomacy with Iran. Sure they are tough customers to deal with but its always better to talk than it is to launch a war. War with Iran would be a disaster for America because oil prices would spike up. This is Iran's most potent weapon and Israel, the U.S., and Iran all know it too. We need to solve this problem with robust diplomacy, continued deterrence, but absolutely no provocation or unilateral military stupidity on our part. We need to continue involving the UN and diplomacy with Russia and China. Smart people with patience can avoid war but if Iran builds an atomic weapon a regional Turkey, Egypt, an Saudi nuclear and ballistic missile arms race would almost immediately ensue. Not a good thing for regional peace or the global energy market.

Mon Aug 27, 2012 at 06:21 PM PDT

I can't keep this a secret anymore.

by spgilbert

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

‘Like way too many people in this world, someone I know and care deeply about has been raped.

And yet I suspect that her rape is the kind that conservatives would say wasn't "legitimate", or little more than a child being born out of wedlock.
You see, she was date raped at a conference we attended. By someone she knew.

Afterwards, I was the one who took her to the police and hospital, and I can tell you that I have never in my life seen such anguish in person. I was there when she had the "rape kit" test administered. I was there when she had explain to male police detective all the painful details. And I was there when we found out that the odds of successfully prosecuting an outstate resident for date rape were slim.

To this day, the memories of her cries still shake me to the core.

And anyone who could argue that women must somehow bear even more burden from the horrible crime already committed against them by forcing them to give birth to a rapist's child is something less than human.

Shame on you, Mr. Smith. And Mr Ryan. And on anyone else who shares this inhumane perspective and callous disregard for women.'

Stock language? That sounds so cold and inhuman. What more can this man say to make himself more unlikable? He might as well be a robot that is wound up and stuck on stupid. This man is not a good steward of the American people. He cannot represent us the way we need to be represented. He cannot be good for us on a whole because he wants to separate us for his own purposes of financial reward for his own kind. He cannot be fair to all of us because he doesn't "care" for all of us. He's a man living in a republican bubble of ego and nothing more. Ryan has yet to enter the "human" race.