What’s news today folks?
I’d like to start with this. Say what you want about the man, (and I have) but you must admit, he’s always stuck to his beliefs. He was always a servant of the people, in his medical career and as a Representative. He’s been a strong voice for the pro-life movement, and a good servant of his constituents. He will be missed by many, and remembered by all. I tip my hat to the Gentleman from the great state of Texas.
Via CSPAN, The Ron Paul Farewell Speech
The President finally got around to a press conference with actual questions.
Here’s the transcript, via the NYTimes
“I hear you have some questions for me — (laughter) — but let — let me just make a few remarks at the top and then I’ll open it up.
First of all, I want to reiterate what I said on Friday. Right now our economy is still recovering from a very deep and damaging crisis, so our top priority has to be jobs and growth. We’ve got to build on the progress that we’ve made because this nation succeeds when we’ve got a growing, thriving middle class. And that’s the idea at the core of the plan that I talked about on the campaign trail over the last year — rewarding manufacturers and small businesses that create jobs here, not overseas; providing more Americans the chance to earn (sic) the skills that businesses are looking for right now; keeping this country at the forefront of research, technology and clean energy; putting people back to work rebuilding our roads, our bridges and our schools; and reducing our deficit in a balanced and responsible way.
Now, on this last item, we face a very clear deadline that requires us to make some big decisions on jobs, taxes and deficits by the end of the year. Both parties voted to set this deadline and I believe that both parties can work together to make these decisions in a balanced and responsible way.”
Well, some had actual questions. Others just wanted to kiss up.
From TheHill
“”Thank you, Mr. President,” Parsons said. “And congratulations, by the way.”
Obama then noted Parsons was there “when I was running for state Senate.”
“That’s right, I was,” Parsons replied, adding that she had “never seen you lose. I wasn’t there that one time.”
I wish I knew how to do a gagging smiley face.
Next up, we’ll hear from Mitt Romney, via the NYTimes/CaucusBlog
“Saying that he and his team still felt “troubled” by his loss to President Obama, Mitt Romney on Wednesday attributed his defeat in part to what he called big policy “gifts” that the president had bestowed on loyal Democratic constituencies, including young voters, African-Americans and Hispanics.
In a conference call with fund-raisers and donors to his campaign, Mr. Romney said Wednesday afternoon that the president had followed the “old playbook” of using targeted initiatives to woo specific interest groups — “especially the African-American community, the Hispanic community and young people.”
“In each case, they were very generous in what they gave to those groups,” Mr. Romney said, contrasting Mr. Obama’s strategy to his own of “talking about big issues for the whole country: military strategy, foreign policy, a strong economy, creating jobs and so forth.””
This one? Well, this is just for fun.
Don’t sugar coat it Charles, tell us how you really feel.
Via Newsbusters With a Mild CONTENT WARNING!
“I mean, after all, what she said was absolutely and completely misleading either inadvertently, in which case is complete incompetence, or on purpose in which case it’s deception. And he basically he took the bait on that and said, “Look, that wasn’t her speaking. That was me speaking. If you want to pick on somebody, pick on me.”
Well how can anybody pick on him or even question him if he hasn’t had a press conference in eight months? You know, he clearly hasn’t been out there. He’s been hiding behind inquiries, behind investigations, and now behind Susan Rice.
But now I think he’s out there, and he’s vulnerable on this. I think he may regret having said that.”
Catholic Bishops are vowing to fight on against the HHS requirements.
From the StarTribune
“A top American bishop said Tuesday the Roman Catholic church will not comply with the Obama administration requirement that most employers provide health insurance covering birth control.
New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said church leaders are open to working toward a resolution with federal officials, but will meanwhile press ahead with challenges to the mandate in legislatures and in court.
“The only thing we’re certainly not prepared to do is give in. We’re not violating our consciences,” Dolan told reporters at a national bishops’ meeting. “I would say no door is closed except for the door to capitulation.””
And lastly, does this woman have a point? There does seem to be a tendency toward this.
From TheDailyBeast
“The more things change: one of the world’s most powerful men stepped out on his marriage, yet much of the public attention and opprobrium has focused on the far-less-powerful woman who was drawn to him, media critics and other observers charged Tuesday—with several comparing the coverage of CIA Director David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell to that of President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky.”
“As with Lewinsky, much of the coverage of Broadwell has focused on her exchange with another women. Even an intelligence community source described emails Broadwell sent to Petraeus family friend Jill Kelley (who’s also the woman whom General Allen reportedly had “inappropriate communication” with over email) as “kind of cat-fight stuff.”
Women have long been unfairly assigned the role of gatekeepers of sexuality morality, a designation that makes them easy to blame when men fall short, said Occidental College professor of politics Caroline Heldman. “The onus should be on Petraeus,” she said. “He has a lot more to lose and he’s a lot more to blame in that breach.”
Instead, said Heldman, media coverage give “the impression that Broadwell’s the bad woman, a (derogatory term), manipulative and conniving, a climber.””
UPDATE
It’s not looking good for Hostess. Time to start hoarding Twinkies.
From MSN
“Hostess Brands Inc. said it will ask a U.S. bankruptcy judge for permission to liquidate if enough striking workers do not return to work by the end of Thursday to let the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread resume normal operations.
Wednesday’s announcement escalates a bitter dispute between the 82-year-old company and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, whose members constitute about one-third of Hostess’ nearly 18,000 employees.
A union spokeswoman said the union would have no immediate comment.”
“Hostess said if it wins permission to liquidate, it will begin to close all operations as soon as November 20, two days before Thanksgiving, and fire all plant workers except those needed to prepare its facilities for sale.”
Wandering Views 
Re the quote from the Prez in the NYT:
Can’t say I disagree with anything in his quote. I hope, for all our sakes, he is successful in helping people get back to work. Rewarding small businesses who create jobs *here* rather than overseas is a no-brainer that Republicans should have embraced years ago. I’m pretty sure we’d have a Republican president right now if they had.
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Debra,
I don’t see it as anything more than rhetoric. Neither side supports sending jobs overseas, but it happens, usually for economic reasons. And it’s kinda funny coming from Obama, especially when you look at how many millions he sent to foreign producers of “green” energy technology, made in foreign countries, by foreign workers. It created temporary construction jobs here, but the plants producing it were not here. I don’t think his actions match his words at all.
And Fisker is an obvious example too.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/fisker-build-electric-cars-us/story?id=16458585
“Fisker received federal funds in part to help purchase a shuttered General Motors plant in Delaware, where it predicted it would one day employ 2,000 auto workers to assemble the clean-burning gas-electric family car, known as the Atlantic.
But company executives began hinting in February that it would reconsider that plan and look for a cheaper place to build the car after the Department of Energy froze the $529 million green-energy loan the company had received, and had been drawing on since 2010.
Fisker used the first $169 million in taxpayer funds to bring to market the Karma, a flashy $100,000 hybrid sports sedan that it assembles in Finland.”
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One of the reasons that some of us consider extreme alternatives is to maintain our idealism. We do not want to become like this writer: http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrezza/2012/11/14/chronicling-the-decline-and-fall-of-entitlement-democracy/
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Here’s some more.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-administration-outsourced-jobs-stimulus-funding
“I want to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs and factories overseas,” Obama said in a speech in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Tuesday.”
““As long as I’m president, I will keep fighting to make sure jobs are located here in the United States of America,” said Obama.
However, Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus spending law–the $787 billion American Recovery and Reivnestment Act–gave millions of federal dollars to foreign companies or funded domestic companies that built factories in foreign countries or bought foreign products.
For example, there is the North Carolina LED manufacturer Cree Inc. Cree was awarded $39 million through a stimulus-funded tax credit program in January 2010. However, half of the company’s employees are in China and the company opened a manufacturing plant in Huizhou City, China in November 2009, according to an article in the industry publication LEDs Magazine.”
Like I said, rhetoric. He’s still campaigning.
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AJ @7:22“Neither side supports sending jobs overseas, but it happens, usually for economic reasons”
Sorry, AJ, but I must certainly disagree with you there. Huntsman was the poster child for sending jobs overseas. And anyway, saying outsourcing and sending jobs overseas ‘just happens’ is a lot like an unwed teenage mom saying her baby ‘just happened’.
First the gal watches as her girlfriend gets pregnant, has a baby and goes on welfare. Then the gal starts hanging out with a guy she doesn’t want to marry– who has 2 other children by 2 different women. Then she goes off the pill. Viola—9 months later a baby ‘just happens’ (and a beautiful baby it is). But a career choice has been made. Those are choices that ought to be made practically unavailable— And so should the lucrative business of outsourcing.. For though the baby is lovely, and we coo over it, still we are all paying for it. And we pay a high price in unemployment for all those cheap imported shirts too.
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One of the reasons the US is doing so well is that its “elite” universities are so unbiased.
http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2012/11/06/31697/
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Ricky,
Not at all surprising is it? Leftists of a feather and all.
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While Hamas and other terrorist organizations attack Israel with seeming impunity, what is our president doing and saying about it?
And U.S. policy about this matter is what?
Joel Rosenberg posts from Israel and asks for prayer. Seems it’s the least we can do:
http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/urgent-prayer-request-hamas-violence-escalating-rapidly-raining-rockets-on-israel-idf-calling-up-reserves-preparing-to-invade-gaza-latest-details/
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But, but, but…….
Al Gore wouldn’t lie, would he?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2217286/Global-warming-stopped-16-years-ago-reveals-Met-Office-report-quietly-released–chart-prove-it.html
“The world stopped getting warmer almost 16 years ago, according to new data released last week.
The figures, which have triggered debate among climate scientists, reveal that from the beginning of 1997 until August 2012, there was no discernible rise in aggregate global temperatures.
This means that the ‘plateau’ or ‘pause’ in global warming has now lasted for about the same time as the previous period when temperatures rose, 1980 to 1996. Before that, temperatures had been stable or declining for about 40 years.”
“The new data, compiled from more than 3,000 measuring points on land and sea, was issued quietly on the internet, without any media fanfare, and, until today, it has not been reported.”
Gee, I wonder why?
🙄
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From MIM’s link:
Jennerfer Griffin, in The Burning Land, tells that this is a Hamas technique. They fire into Israel from locations populated by civilians. The Israelis return fire and civilians are killed. This arouses opposition throughout the world and enhances recruitment for more jihadists. Boldface inserted to show what I’m talking about.
“Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian terror organizations — backed by Iran — are firing rockets, missiles and mortars at innocent civilians in Israel, along the southern border. Each act is a war crime. The Iranian-backed terrorists are also firing from behind innocent civilians in Gaza, often from hospitals, mosques and schools. Thus, each act is actually two war crimes. In just the past several hours, the terrorists have fired more 50 times at Israel. That’s more than 100 war crimes. Since Saturday, they have fired at Israeli civilians more than 200 times. That’s more than 400 war crimes. Yet the world is paying very little attention and doing little to stop the terrorist attacks. Israel, therefore, is moving swiftly to defend herself.”
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You got it Chas.
And again, as is always the way they script it, they whine to the UN about Israeli aggression. The fact that they started it with multiple acts of war is always ignored by these clowns, and their enablers at the UN.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UN_UN_GAZA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-11-14-23-28-17
“Palestinian officials have asked the U.N. Security Council to act to halt Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
In a closed-door meeting of the Council on Wednesday night, U.N. observer Riyad Mansour said Israel was boasting publicly about killing Palestinians after conducting airstrikes that killed Hamas mastermind Ahmed Jabari. In the text of his statement, Mansour said “war crimes are being perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian people.”
“The international community must act to bring to bring an end to Israel’s illegal policies and practices against the Palestinian people” he said.”
And as always, the left will support those poor innocent Hamas terrorists.
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Why should a company not be free to outsource jobs overseas anywhere?
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And right on cue….
The left leaning useful idiots of terrorists chime in, as expected, to bash Israel for defending itself.
Check out the comment section of this NYTimes piece.
“Once again Israel goes over-the-top on a justified but out of proportion attack.”
“My one-time complete sympathy toward Israel and the Jewish people has now eroded considerably partly because of the constant aggression on the part of the Israeli government and military on the Palestinians, and partly because of the constant violation of borders and attempts at peace.”
“If Jabari “had a lot of blood on his hands,” the Israeli government had a thousand times more. Israel always creates the problem of disproportionality–killing and killing, when talking and/or measured response would yield better results.”
“If someone fired at me 130 times and missed, I would not be too worried. What needs to be established is who exactly fired rockets at Israel. Killing Mr. Jabari does not do that.”
“It is just so disappointing to read and hear of these brutal attacks. I see no solution to it. Israel doesn’t act in a way that gives me indication that it wants to live with the people of that region-all the way from Pakistan to Morroco. Does it think it can just blast them away as the solution? And how long in time does it think this will work for it? Seems to me it is a waste of our time, effort and principles to try to help solve it while these mindsets exercise power.”
There’s about 500 more examples as well.
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Why should Hamas be free to produce terrorism with impunity? and why shouldn’t President, Barack Obama, and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton be condemning these terrorist attack with the strongest possible language, up to and including support via US strikes?
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“If someone fired at me 130 times and missed, I would not be too worried.”
Well then, there’s no accounting for stupidity…
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MiM,
To be fair, they have condemned them, but not exactly strongly.
From the NYTimes link above.
“In Washington, the White House issued a carefully worded statement saying President Obama had spoken with both Mr. Netanyahu and President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt, reiterating to both that the United States supports Israel’s right to self-defense from the rocket attacks. The statement said Mr. Obama had urged Mr. Netanyahu to “make every effort to avoid civilian casualties,” and that Mr. Obama and Mr. Morsi “had agreed on the importance of working to de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible.” “
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Solar Pancake: There are some real concerns that should be addressed in outsourcing employment. The one thing that stands out in my mind is national security. Businesses in China are either directly or indirectly funding the Chinese PLA. The PLA has made it very clear their goal is to sink a US Aircraft Carrier. Under the guise of free trade, Bill Clinton transferred super computer technology regulation away from the Department of Defense to another agency, then Loral Aerospace’s CEO Bernie Swartz authorized the transfer of sensitive missile guidance technology to the Chinese under the guise of improving their communication satellite launch capabilities. What happened was the PLA used that technology to perfect their guidance systems for their ICBM’s. Jeffery Emmelt, CEO of GE has been doing business with Iran for years.
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JoeB, the Chinese either bought or stole all the technology they have from us.
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drivesguy: But if you’re introducing Bill Clinton and the Department of Defense and missile technology under the purview of the military, etc., into the discussion, you’re talking outside the scope of the *principle* of free trade (and outsourcing), and questions of the extent of the freedom of that trade with foreign nations. If military technology, intended to be confidential, makes its way to foreign armies under the “guise” of free trade, we’re not discussing free trade anymore; we’re not talking anymore about things like whether a company should be allowed to hire some housewife in India to answer phones. But to hear even many conservatives discuss the matter, companies should face penalties for doing that, if they’re allowed to do it at all. But whatever: we already trade extensively with China (to say nothing of ridiculous things like export subsidies and tarriffs and foolish govt interventions). Should we outlaw that? Should we outlaw outsourcing jobs?
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I see on Drudge that rockets have struck Tel Aviv.
Talking and measured response? Screw that. Seems to me that Israel has done enough of that already….
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There is no need to outlaw the outsourcing of jobs. Just develop a tax policy that discourages it by making it unprofitable. Especially now that our SCOTUS has made it clear that virtually anything can be penalized under the guise of taxation, there can be no constitutional objection to doing that, can there? Tariffs and penalties are tools of economy that have been grossly underused.
…Or we could just continue to listen to the rhetoric of each party as they bat the ball of blame back and forth, while we slowly implode under the weight of our collective hot air.
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Debra: Just develop a tax policy that discourages it by making it unprofitable.
Why?
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Why discourage outsourcing? So we will be encouraged to produce most of the things we consume here in the US—as we once did, so people will be able to find jobs—as they once could. So families can sustain themselves as they are supposed to— without going on the public dole.
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Companies are responding to Obama Care it is not good news for the American workers. Reports are that many companies are going to reduce the hours someone can work, raised prices, cutting jobs. So what will Mr. Obama respond to this?
I expect to see Mr. Obama and his Justice Department to file law suites against these companies forcing them to give people 30 to 40 hours a week, stopping them from cutting jobs. I expect him to try and avoid Congress and try to give one of his Czars the power to control these business and the left will praise him for it.
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Debra: I would think that driving up a company’s cost of doing business would be detrimental to those things.
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solarpancake,
Tariffs drive up the cost of doing business in China. That helps American based employers. who are selling internally.
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Tariffs drive up the cost of paying for things. That hurts people who have to pay for things.
Taxing companies that outsource drives up the cost of doing business. GE can probably afford that. Small companies, not so much.
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I’m considering running for king of a new independent Texas. Since I don’t want to campaign, I plan on pulling a sword from a stone.
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GE benefits mightily from both outsourcing and unreasonable tax deductions. Most small companies are doing business right here in the US without outsourcing their workforce.
Pat Buchanan wrote an article last year that nicely sums up our predicament with regard to outsourcing and tariffs. Just a snippet below–
http://buchanan.org/blog/how-capital-crushed-labor-4861
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Ricky,
When you pull the sword from the stone, depend upon it, I will come pay all due homage to the wisdom and splendor of your kingdom. (If only for a brief pilgrimage.) :–)
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GE benefits mightily from both outsourcing and unreasonable tax deductions. Most small companies are doing business right here in the US without outsourcing their workforce.
Right. Why? Americal loyalty?
There may be a missing sentence here:
We imposed tariffs of up to 40 percent on foreign goods entering our market and used the tariff money to keep taxes low in the United States.
So prices for the imported good remained the same, AND taxes stayed low?
I’m not concerned about funding the federal government. If we really want to keep money local, let people choose among competing goods and keep the sales tax in the local economy.
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Taxing business of any size is stupid.
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Like I said,
The useful idiots of terrorists…
And the Palestinians continue to act for the cameras.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/162130#.UKU4n0bCz8B
“Barely one day into the fighting in Hamas-run Gaza, the locals are hard at work playing the victim for the world’s press.
Footage from the BBC captured by watchdog group Honest Reporting shows a heavy man lying on the ground and being carried away by residents, apparently after being injured by an Israeli attack.
Moments later, that same man again fills the frame, except he is walking about and obviously unhurt.
The widespread staging of such victim situations is a favored tactic of Arabs fighting Israel and has come to be known as “Pallywood.” Because Israel is stronger militarily, the Arabs cling to the underdog image of poor refugees under occupation and siege by evil Israelis, thus eliciting sympathy.”
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The issue between Palestinians and Isreal is Bush’s fault and Bush’s failure to lead.
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Real AJ how soon before Egypt start to send in Tanks to help Hamas out?
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I seldom agreed with Ron Paul but I had some respect for a man of principle. However, he’s now resigned days after being re-elected. Resigning so quickly indicates a lack of commitment prior to the election and thus he should have stepped aside and allow someone else to run.
It appears Romney is adopting the mantra of “takers” vs “makers”. In doing so he’s avoiding any responsible and any honest assessment of what went wrong. He should at the very least admit he was beat by a better ground game. And he might want to think about how his strategy was misled by the right wing echo chamber and its alternate reality.
I was also amused he kept saying “free health care” as he should know its definitely not free. In fact, one the major complaints about “Obamacare” (and Romneycare) is the mandated purchase of insurance. The very thing which led to the supreme court challenge.
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A note to the secessionist amongst you especially Rickyweaver. When states are allowed to secede, counties should be allowed to secede from the state (hence West Virginia). 45% of Texans voted Democrat, most of them in urban areas or along the Mexican border. Would Texas allow approximately a third of the state to secede and allow Dallas and Austin to form city-states?
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HRW, I have never believed that parts of states should be allowed to secede. In fact, I am working to reunify Virginia a la Germany.
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If texas pulled out Mexico would try to move in an claim parts of Texas.
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Debra, I appreciate your attitude. I may make you the Duchess of San Angelo.
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Roynr, They tried that once. My wife says that Mexicans have an innate fear of mean white people. Ever since San Jacinto, Mexicans have considered Texans to be mean white people.
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I would think your position lacks consistency.
I asked the question since its come up in discussion surrounding Quebec separation (a more real position). The Cree who occupy the northern two-thirds of Quebec have promised to secede from Quebec if Quebec declares its independence.
Looking at a county by county map of the election results, the area along the Rio Grande and the urban areas of San Antonio, Dallas, and especially Austin probably don’t share the secessionist sentiments.
As a side note county by county election results are interesting in that they reduce the conception of red and blue states which the winner take all electoral college tends to do.
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The Yankee position also lacks consistency. They pulled West Virgina out of Virginia, yet said we could not pull out of the US.
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If I remember correctly, Texas, in the agreement, has the option of creating five states. That would be a better option. They would get ten senators.
But who would get the Alamo?
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You may think this is all silly talk; but you have to admit that it makes more sense than anything going on across the Potomac right now.
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As a historical note, the Eastern part of West Virginia wanted to withdraw from West Virginia during Reconstruction and rejoin Virginia, but the Yankee government would not allow it.
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Chas, I am glad you are enjoying the D’Souza book. I am going to be curious to hear your thoughts about his conclusion.
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The Yankee position was military expediency.
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