Random Notes for a January Wednesday

Tell Congress: Don’t censor the web!

English Wikipedia anti-SOPA blackout - Wikimedia Foundation: "Today, the Wikipedia community announced its decision to black out the English-language Wikipedia for 24 hours, worldwide, beginning at 05:00 UTC on Wednesday, January 18 (you can read the statement from the Wikimedia Foundation here). The blackout is a protest against proposed legislation in the United States — the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate — that, if passed, would seriously damage the free and open Internet, including Wikipedia. . . . "

Three myths about the detention bill (NDAA) - Salon.com: "In sum, there is simply no question that this bill codifies indefinite detention without trial . . . There is no question that it significantly expands the statutory definitions of the War on Terror and those who can be targeted as part of it . . . The issue of application to U.S. citizens . . . is purposely muddled — that’s why Feinstein’s amendments were rejected — and there is consequently no doubt this bill can and will be used by the U.S. Government (under this President or a future one) to bolster its argument that it is empowered to indefinitely detain even U.S. citizens without a trial . . . "

Why I’m Suing Barack Obama | Common Dreams: "The supine and gutless Democratic Party, which would have feigned outrage if George W. Bush had put this (NDAA) into law, appears willing, once again, to grant Obama a pass. But I won’t. What he has done is unforgivable, unconstitutional and exceedingly dangerous."

A Caveman Won't Beat a Salesman - WSJ.com: "You might say the rise of Barack Obama was the triumph of a certain sort of salesman. He didn't know the product, but he was good at selling an image of the product, at least for a while. In time even his salesmanship came to seem hollow. One of the most penetrating criticisms of Mr. Obama came again from Jobs, who supported him but was frustrated by him. He met with the president last year and urged him to move forward on visas for foreign students who earned an engineering degree in the U.S. Mr. Obama blandly replied that this was covered in his comprehensive immigration bill, which Republicans were holding up. Jobs told Mr. Isaacson: "The president is very smart, but he kept explaining to us reasons why things can't get done." He does do that a lot. Nothing is ever shovel-ready with him. But leaders tell us how things will get done, how we can move forward. They can tease a small element out of a large bill, and get it passed."

White House Looks to Shrunken Legislative Agenda - WSJ.com: "President Barack Obama heads into 2012 with a legislative agenda that essentially consists of just a single item—a long-term extension of a payroll tax holiday—deferring a fight over deficit reduction and the Bush-era tax cuts and all but giving up on the remaining components of his jobs bill as he pivots to an election-year strategy of attacking Congress."

Poll: Florida voters prefer Mitt Romney over President Obama - Political Currents - MiamiHerald.com: "Florida voters disapprove of President Barack Obama’s job performance, say he doesn’t deserve to be reelected and narrowly prefer Republican Mitt Romney in a theoretical matchup, according to a new poll."

Ann Coulter - January 11, 2012 - WHO WOULDN'T ENJOY FIRING THESE PEOPLE?: "Wherever there is government, there is malfeasance and criminality -- and government employees who can never be fired."

Tweet    Follow @johnmpoole