Week In Review: February 9-16

Tweet of the week:

Who is the happier: Iowa Democrats because Chet Culver isn't running or Iowa GOPers because Bob Vander Plaats isn't?
— Jeff Charis-Carlson (@JeffCharis) February 15, 2014

Not that I remember anyone other than Jennifer Jacobs even ASKING if Chet was running, and I'm sure she did so only out of thoroughness.

Bullying is again on the legislative Democrats agenda, and getting stalled mainly because the famIly leader wing of the GOP tacitly think bulling gay teens or even percieved gay teens is just acceptable social pressure to conform to thier social-moral" norms. Heaven forbid if anyone, like say Michael Sam or Ellen Page, tries to say it's actually OK...

(And Packer Pride: “Any player who can come here and be a good teammate and follow the rules of our program, which is one be respectful and produce on the football field, we have room for that guy,” says coach Mike McCarthy. Echoing Vince Lombardi, who had closeted players way back when and told his staff: "If I hear one of you people make reference to his manhood, you’ll be out of here before your ass hits the ground.”)


I'm a bullying survivor.  Maybe there's some personal growth in that, and maybe it's an evolutionary holdover like apes displaying at each other. But all these years later I still have a chip on my shoulder and I still think the appropriate penalty for bullies is expulsion. Permanent, absolute expulsion. And, since it's such a huge part of the social hierarchy for young people especially young men, a lifetime ban from athletic competition at all levels. Just one plank in my Platform To Offend Everyone.

Some no-surprise legislative re-elect announcement: GOP Senator Bill Anderson and our own Democratic Rep. Sally Stutsman, each seeking second terms. And Newton Democrat Dan Kelley is seeking a third House term. Not announced, but on file once again with the FEC: Mariannette Miller-Meeks,who seems to be stepping up her Twitter critiques of Dave Loebsack.

Crazy quote of the week: "The Tom Perkins system is you don't get to vote unless you pay $1 in taxes" and "if you pay $1M in taxes you get 1 million votes." I thought that was settled, for white males anyway, in the 1840s. But maybe not, I've seen an ONLY TAXPAYERS SHOULD VOTE bumper sticker right here in the People's Republic.