Political news, yo.

[Zip Goshboots]

What I mean is, don't you kind of pick up the vibe that since a lot of the big shooters have taken off, Bush has started operating from a position of weakness, like he is kind of resigned to "going along to get along" in his last months in office?

Totally! And believe it or not, Rush Limbaugh made that call the day after the Dems reclaimed their rightful place. In fact, that may be why the Big Shooters are jumping ship. Not only is their casue defeated, but they don;t want to be seen on the ship with Bush when it goes down. They can repackage themselves as having been dissenters from TeamBush when they go back out into the public again.

[Tahoe]

Before the Iraq war

[Big Swami]

Myanmar (Burma) is what we like to call "ass-up." It's pretty messed up in Myanmar right now.

Since the early 60s, Myanmar has been dominated by their military. Every time a democratic government would get elected (usually pro-Chinese leftist parties were the ones getting elected), the military would overthrow the government. Did I mention that the UK and the US had formed a Myanmar Military Fan Club And Gun Fund?

One side effect of Myanmar's being ruled by a military dictatorship is that a lot of people ended up in prison. This is great news for big US corporations like Nike, who depend on Burmese prison labor to make their products. Obviously, there's a part of everyone that should be laughing when the US complains about the dictatorship in Burma - we've been actively contributing to it and profiting from it.

So when a popular Burmese pro-democracy advocate named Aung San Suu Kyi got elected Prime Minister and then quickly was imprisoned, people in Myanmar pretty much took it in stride. Then she won the Nobel Peace Prize. Then her husband came down with cancer, and the government would not allow her to see him. Then her kids grew up in the UK and they would not allow her to see them. And now people have apparently had enough.

In southeast Asian countries, Buddhism is the most important cultural aspect of life, and bhikkhus (monks) are seen as the moral authority. Because they do not engage in violence, they are generally regarded as innocent in most situations. However, there are strict rules for bhikkhus and how they can live their lives, and it's generally not allowed for them to participate in politics. Apparently they've had enough too, and they are pouring out into the streets in thousands in their orange robes and begging bowls to march in protest against the treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi. It's a controversial thing to do in the Buddhist world. Many people are glad they have taken a stand, and others are upset that the bhikkhus are getting involved in politics.

People in Myanmar are starting to become scared that the government will crack down, but who are they going to crack down on? Nonviolent beggars wearing robes? Apparently some warning shots have been fired, but the monks are not leaving. This is a very scary time in Myanmar.

[Zip Goshboots]

If they're worried about rioting monks, they should just build more airports for them to hang around in. That'll keep 'em occupied.

[WTFchris]

So when Jenny decides to shut down the state because they have no money, does she realize that the casinos that will also be shut down fund a large portion of her budget? That will just make the problem that much worse.

[Uncle Mxy]

So when Jenny decides to shut down the state because they have no money, does she realize that the casinos that will also be shut down fund a large portion of her budget? That will just make the problem that much worse.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned much is that, even if the House passed the Senate's continuation budget bill as currently written, Granholm would be constitutionally required to veto it since it's inherently unbalanced. Even her constitutional ability do an emergency budget is tenuous at best:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...ETCRISIS092007

Looking at the Michigan Constitution, Article XI Sections 26-28 specify a balanced budget and Article V Section 18 specifies the governor's job to enforce that. Article XI Section 27 is the one that most pertains to the above article:

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(xtu...-Article-IX-27

If I read things right, she could keep casinos open if she proposes it and 2/3rds of both houses approve. That'd be cogent thinking on everyone's part, if it's a moneymaking exercise. This business where she unilaterally keeps a skeleton crew around without the legislature's buy-in won't fly, though. And honestly, I'd LIKE to see her declare a state of emergency, shove them budgets, and force everything with legislative supermajorities. Rebuild the whole fucking budget component by component.

[Big Swami]

Isn't it funny how budget crises never seem to happen unless the Executive and the Legislature are represented by different parties?

Anyone remember that federal budget crisis in '95 that happened after the GOP took over the U.S. House?

[Uncle Mxy]

It just happened in New Jersey -- Democratic legislature and executive:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Ne...nment_shutdown

[Tahoe]

I guess US forces killed the top Al Qaeda guy in Iraq today.

We've killed about 37 number 2's. We might have got a number 1.

[Big Swami]

Oh I get it, we're making progress in Iraq! Sign me up!