Darn those Koch fed Teabaggers! Call your congressman/women

[Mathman]

Chemical weapons watchdog wins Nobel Peace Prize for Syrian mission

Good for them. I was rooting for the young champion of education for girls in Muslim countries, but the choice of the OPCW is quite compatible with the spirit of the original intent of the prize.

The funny thing is that no one knew that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (who?) existed until this crisis sprung up. The United Nations did a lot of hand-wringing and viewing-with-alarm, but nothing more. When the agreement emerged between Putin and Assad to let Russia become involved as a major player, all of a sudden someone remembered that there was already a multi-national group charged with the responsibility of enforcing the chemical weapons ban.

The Nobel committee hopes that this will inspire Russia and the United States, two signatories to the agreement to get rid of chemical stockpiles by 2012, to follow through on their promises. (I am not holding my breath.) I don’t know why the U.S. needs stores of chemical weapons anyway – if push come to shove we can always nuke 'em, we don’t have to gas ‘em, too.

I still maintain that Obama made out it pretty well, politically. When he was pressing for military action his approval rating with the American people dropped to 39%. Once that option was off the table it quickly climbed to 49%. Peace is better than war.

 

[Olympia]

I agree with you about the effect on Obama. Thank God this time finesse (mixed with a lot of luck) won out.

 

[Dee4707]

I just read on the CNN news site that many senators and representatives are refusing their paychecks. Others are giving them to the Treasury or to a charity. The list in the article linked here includes both Democrats and Republicans. It's heartening that there's at least some understanding of shared suffering here.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.co...id-but-whos-keeping-their-paycheck/?hpt=hp_t1

Nebraska Representative Lee Terry made this comment:

Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., was blunt when asked if he would continue collecting his paychecks during the shutdown.
“Dang straight,” he said.

Terry suggested it's an irrelevant question because the situation would be resolved before long.

What about the other members who were donating or forgoing their pay?

“Whatever gets them good press,” Terry said. “That's all that it's going to be. God bless them. But you know what? I've got a nice house and a kid in college, and I'll tell you we cannot handle it. Giving our paycheck away when you still worked and earned it? That's just not going to fly.”

What do you think about that?? Poor Lee!!!!

 

[Olympia]

Nebraska Representative Lee Terry made this comment:



What do you think about that?? Poor Lee!!!!

No wonder the world thinks we're out of our minds. China has suggested that there should be a new world order. If our prestige falls around the world, these malignant yahoos can take the blame. They think they're making Obama look like a fool? They're making the elected U.S. President look like a fool. Maybe they don't care how the world regards us, but they will soon learn to their cost that American leadership and excellence depend on whether anyone else will follow us.

 

[Dee4707]

They think they're making Obama look like a fool? They're making the elected U.S. President look like a fool. Maybe they don't care how the world regards us, but they will soon learn to their cost that American leadership and excellence depend on whether anyone else will follow us.

You are absolutely right Olympia. Whatever happened to RESPECT???

Just a note: Mr. Terry has taken so much flack about his comments that he's decided not to take his pay....what a wonderful thing for him to do.

Many people welcomed him to the real world... some said we have more than one kid in college and we don't have probably as nice a house like you but we too pay a mortgage....get a life like ours, Mr. Terry.

 

[Mathman]

But you know what? I've got a nice house and a kid in college, and I'll tell you we cannot handle it. Giving our paycheck away when you still worked and earned it? That's just not going to fly.

I am sure many Nebraskans raised the question of whether the Republicans in the House of Representatives earned their salaries or not this term.

This would be a cool ad for whoever runs against Mr. Terry for his house seat next term: You get a thousand or so people to get up and say, one after another, "I have a mortgage and a kid in college, too, and I am one of the 800,000 people who were furloughed or forced to work without pay because of Mr. Terry and his obstructionist buddies in the House."

 

[Dee4707]

Math, we have been trying to get him out for years, this may have done it for him and he did it all by himself!!!