Tag Archives: open thread

Open Thread: Greg Gutfeld to Open First Gay Bar Catered to Muslim Men

Apparently he is completely serious . I’m announcing tonight, that I am planning to build and open the first gay bar that caters not only to the west, but also Islamic gay men. To best express my sincere desire for dialogue, the bar will be situated next to the mosque Park51, in an available commercial space. This is not a joke. I’ve already spoken to a number of investors, who have pledged their support in this bipartisan bid for understanding and tolerance. As you know, the Muslim faith doesn’t look kindly upon homosexuality, which is why I’m building this bar. It is an effort to break down barriers and reduce deadly homophobia in the Islamic world. The goal, however, is not simply to open a typical gay bar, but one friendly to men of Islamic faith. An entire floor, for example, will feature non-alcoholic drinks, since booze is forbidden by the faith. The bar will be open all day and night, to accommodate men who would rather keep their sexuality under wraps – but still want to dance. Needlessly stoking tensions, or making a valid political/cultural point?

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Open Thread: Greg Gutfeld to Open First Gay Bar Catered to Muslim Men

Open Thread: You Thought the Bailouts Were Over?

Victor Davis Hanson and Kyle Smith explore two upcoming bailouts, one directed at state governments – and therefore at the public employee unions whose lavish contracts threaten to bankrupt a number of state treasuries – and the other at homeowners who can’t afford their mortgages. “What did you expect?” asks Hanson . Progressive culture, where ads blare hourly about skipping out on credit card debt, shorting the IRS, and walking away from mortgages, did the public employee unions really think they were exempt from a Chrysler-like renegotiation? In the age of Obama, there is no real contractual obligation: everything from paying back bondholders to fixing a BP penalty is, well, “negotiable.” When the money runs out, the law will too. Law? There is no law other than a mandated equality of result. “That’s right,”  Smith notes : If you bet badly in the housing-market casino of the Aughties, the government is thinking of refunding some of your chips so you can play again. You may have heard something about a sub-prime real-estate bubble that popped and nearly took down the financial system with it? President Obama wants to double down. Are we starting (continuing) to see a pattern here? 

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Open Thread: You Thought the Bailouts Were Over?

Open Thread: Sen. Sessions’s Closing Statement on Kagan Nomination

The battle against the nomination was always a losing battle, but Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., made an impassioned defense of his position. What do you think the effect of Kagan’s nomination will be on the court? Will it change its makeup significantly? 

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Open Thread: Sen. Sessions’s Closing Statement on Kagan Nomination

Open Thread: Guess Who Said It

See if you can guess who this stalwart defender of school choice is: I’m not anti-charter schools. I’m pro-good charter schools. We want what’s best for our kids, even if it doesn’t follow the liberal status quo… I think there’s a new leadership in the black community, and we’re not wedded to the [teachers] unions calling our shots… I think accountability must be part of what we do to make sure kids have the education they need to close the achievement gap. Any idea? Take a guess, then look below the fold. Answer: Al Sharpton . I know, that’s what I said, too. Any thoughts on the Reverend’s newfound political independence?

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Open Thread: Guess Who Said It

Open Thread: ‘The Blue State Tax Preference Act’

Democrats from wealthy districts are torn: they really want to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, but the problem is many of those Americans hail from their own districts! What to do . One irony of the tax increase that arrives on January 1 is that the it will hit residents of high-income, Democratic-leaning states like California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York the hardest. This is a problem for pro-tax Democrats. Enter New York Representative Jerrold Nadler, who wants to exempt his own six-figure constituents from the tax hike he supports. Mr. Nadler’s bill would “require the IRS to adjust tax brackets proportionally in regions where the average cost of living is higher than the national average.” In other words, the various tax brackets would apply to residents in certain regions at higher income levels versus other parts of the country. A family with an income of $50,000 or even $1 million in Manhattan would pay less federal income tax than a family with the same earnings in Omaha. The bill is called the Tax Equity Act, but a more accurate title would be the Blue State Tax Preference Act. Really, did you expect anything less? 

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Open Thread: ‘The Blue State Tax Preference Act’

Open Thread: President Obama Has Trust Issues

The President recently chided Republicans for their alleged lack of trust in the American people. But who really has the trust issues, wonders David Harsanyi . Was it the administration’s faith in the wisdom of the American parent that persuaded it to shut down the voucher program in Washington, D.C., and continue the left’s decades- long campaign denying school choice for kids and parents? Or was that just faith in public-sector unions? Was faith in American industry behind the Democrats’ support of a stimulus bill that was almost entirely predicated on preserving swollen government spending at the expense of private-sector growth? Is this hallowed faith in the citizenry also what compels the administration to dictate what kind of car we will be driving in the future, what kind of energy we will be filling these “cars” with and what amounts of that energy will be acceptable? Is faith in American know-how why Washington funnels billions of tax dollars each year to its handpicked industry favorites rather than allowing the best and brightest to — please pardon the pun — organically figure out what the most sensible energy policy is, as we have in every other sector? Make sure you follow the link for much, much more. Then return and tell us your thoughts.

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Open Thread: President Obama Has Trust Issues

Open Thread: Another Dem Lets Loose on a Constituent

It looks like some combination of the Texas heat and the fear of losing his bid for reelection. Probably more of the latter, huh?

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Open Thread: Another Dem Lets Loose on a Constituent

Open Thread: Another DOJ Lawsuit Against Arizona?

Attorney General Eric Holder said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that if the suit filed last Tuesday — on the grounds that immigration falls under the federal government’s jurisdiction — failed, the Justice Department could sue on the grounds of racial discrimination . …Holder said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that the federal government was leading with its “strongest” argument in the suit filed Tuesday and would not rule out a second suit months down the road — if the law ends up going into effect. “It doesn’t mean that if the law for whatever reason happened to go into effect, that six months from now, a year from now, we might not look at the impact the law has had … and see whether or not there has been that racial profiling impact,” Holder said. “If that was the case, we would have the tools and we would bring suit on that basis.” Will DOJ have a case if Holder pursues this angle?

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Open Thread: Another DOJ Lawsuit Against Arizona?

Open Thread: Gingrich Says Obama Doesn’t Understand America

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: Newt Gingrich says President Obama doesn’t understand America (h/t Ed Morrissey ). Thoughts?

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Open Thread: Gingrich Says Obama Doesn’t Understand America

Open Thread: Arizona Guilty of Enforcing the Law

There are, contrary to popular belief, a number of states with immigration laws similar to Arizona’s. They are not, of course, being sued by the Justice Department. Why ? California is NOT being sued by the Federal Government for it’s law regarding illegal immigration and law enforcement cooperation with detaining suspects who may be illegal aliens. California’s law forbids ANY entity from interfering with the enforcement of this law, but California does not enforce this law, instead Los Angeles is boycotting Arizona and the Obama administration is spending million in taxpayer dollars to tell a court that States cannot enforce Federal laws, despite Federal laws that urge and seek local and state cooperation. Why isn’t California being sued? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE- California has no intention of enforcing this law while Arizona does. What’s your reaction?

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Open Thread: Arizona Guilty of Enforcing the Law