Drudge Retort

Mladic Makes Throat-Cut Gesture in Court

rcade — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:32:44 -0400

During a war crimes trial accusing him of ordering a horrific campaign of ethnic cleansing during the Yugoslavian civil war, former Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic appeared to threaten victims in court Wednesday. Mladic, 70, drew his hand across his neck as if cutting a throat while staring at victims of the war. "Victims have waited nearly two decades to see Ratko Mladic in the dock," said Param-Preet Singh, senior counsel at Human Rights Watch.

RFK Jr.'s Wife Dies

L_E_Light — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:30:46 -0400

Mary Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, was found dead on Wednesday at her home in a New York City suburb, officials said. She was 52. She had four children with her husband, who filed for divorce in 2010.

Dean in Car Crash on Live Radio

rcade — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:32:57 -0400

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D) was conducting a live interview on Montreal radio when the car he was in was involved in an accident. "We just got hit by a car, sorry," Dean told CJAD host Aaron Rand. "I'm going to have to -- goodbye." Dean called back 20 minutes later and said everyone was alright. He was a passenger in a car hit by a taxi.

AP: Romney Dubious on Debt

corky — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:33:50 -0400

A fact check of Mitt Romney's claims about President Obama and the U.S. debt conducted by AP finds several false or highly questionable assertions. When Romney claimed that Obama "added almost as much debt as all the prior presidents combined," AP calls this false: "In short, the debt has gone up by about half under Obama. Under Ronald Reagan, it tripled." When Romney said he'd lead the U.S. "out of this debt and spending inferno," AP cites a study that said "Romney's plans would not make a dent in deficits, and could worsen them considerably."

Boehner Reopens Debt Limit Brawl

726 — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:09:47 -0400

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) revealed Tuesday that Republicans still have an appetite for debt limit brinksmanship -- even after the last round hurt the economy, and the GOP's Congressional approval ratings. Boehner said he would "insist on my simple principle of cuts and reforms greater than the debt limit increase." Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, responded, "Once again, Republicans are playing chicken with our economy and manufacturing an unnecessary crisis."

Can Polls Still Be Trusted?

letusprey — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:08:46 -0400

The legitimacy of political polls is under threat because a decreasing number of Americans are willing to take them. The percentage of people who answer the phone and complete a survey -- what pollsters call the "response rate" -- was 36 percent in 1997 and is 9 percent today, according to Pew Research Center. A study of the people who answer polls finds they are the same in almost all criteria as those who don't, but with one exception: People who answer polls are more likely to volunteer in civic organizations or talk to their neighbors.

Stimulus Money Studied Chubby Chubbies

paneocon — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:44:25 -0400

The University of California-San Francisco received two grants totaling nearly $1.5 million dollars in a federal stimulus program to study erectile dysfunction in overweight middle-aged men and the accurate reporting of someone's sexual history. "I don't think most tax payers would think that would be a justified spending of stimulus money to conduct a sex study over fixing bridges and roads that are crumbling every day," said Scott Amey of the Project on Government Oversight.

Zimmerman Medical Report Leaked

ExpsRedemption — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:32:58 -0400

A medical report compiled by the family physician of George Zimmerman, the man on trial for murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, has been leaked to ABC News. In the report, Zimmerman was diagnosed with a "closed fracture" of his nose, a pair of black eyes, two lacerations to the back of his head and a minor back injury the day after he fatally shot Martin. The report also shows that prior to the shooting, Zimmerman had been prescribed Adderall and Temazepam, medications that can cause side effects such as agitation and mood swings.

What Did Ron Paul Accomplish?

Doc_Sarvis — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:30:44 -0400

Not much, according to Jonathan Tobin, editor of the conservative magazine Commentary. "Though many on the left wrongly assume his extremist approach resonated with the party's base, the truth was, he had little to offer average Republican voters," Tobin writes. "Nor can it be credibly asserted that he moved the conservative discussion in his direction on any issue where it had not already moved. Every time he opened his mouth, he demonstrated the strong distinction between his own extremist approach and that of even most Tea Party hardliners."

Hawaii's Beaches Are in Retreat

zatoichi — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:50:00 -0400

Most beaches on Hawaii's three largest islands are eroding, and the erosion is likely to accelerate as sea levels rise, the United States Geological Survey warns. Over the last century, about 9 percent of the sandy coast on Hawaii, Oahu and Maui has vanished. Building seawalls just worsens the problem. "If we want beaches we have to retreat from the ocean," said USGS researcher Charles H. Fletcher. "It's easy to say retreat; it's much harder to implement it."

Pelosi Raises $43 Million for Dems

BruceBanner — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:32:53 -0400

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), became the most powerful woman in American history when she was sworn in as Speaker of the House in 2007. She lost that power four years later and is now hell-bent on winning it back. "They have endless money, secret, undisclosed, special interest money that they pour into elections," Pelosi said of Republicans. "But I think we can offset it. We have out-raised them, out-redistricted them, out-recruited them." Pelosi has raised more than $43 million for Democrats in this election cycle and attended nearly 500 fundraisers. The Democratic leader said she is motivated by more than winning back the Speaker's gavel. "It isn't about me, it is about what is at stake in this election and quite frankly I wish that so much were not at stake in this election."

Feds Deny Elderly Pain Meds

adammm — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:30:50 -0400

Reason.Com reports that under Administrator Michele Leonhart, the Drug Enforcement Administration has been engaged in a three-year battle against longterm care facilities that allow nursing staff to submit pain prescriptions for patients. The reasoning for this practice that a doctor isn't always around when a patient needs more painkiller medicine. So, historically, when a doctor hasn't been able to call in a prescription personally, nursing home staff have done so on the doctor's behalf. On the grounds that prescriptions may be called in, collected, and resold by nurses, the DEA has been trying to stop this practice since at least October 2009, when the Washington Post reported that the Obama administration was "denying some hospice and elderly patients needed pain medication."

'C'mon, Ladies, One Pound Fish'

tosser — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:31:14 -0400

Muhammad Shahid Nazir has become an Internet sensation for selling fish at Queen's market in east London with song. YouTube videos of Nazir performing his "One Pound Fish" song have received more than one million views and it is being covered by musicians including Mindless Behaviour and Alesha Dixon. "People too much like my song," he said.

TPM: What Really Caused the Deficit?

Doc_Sarvis — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:33:40 -0400

TPM: Under Obama's watch the national debt has risen from roughly $10 trillion to $15 trillion, a record high. But to what extent are his decisions while in office to blame? The answer: very little. The vast bulk of the debt is the result of policies enacted during the Bush administration coupled with automatic increases in federal spending and decreases in tax revenue triggered by the economic downturn.