Balta1701

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 3, 2010 -> 08:30 AM) Now the fun discussions can begin - what happens next? The government shuts down next summer when it can't pass basic spending bills.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Nov 3, 2010 -> 01:06 AM) This is my favorite ESPN NBA commercial since the Shaqtus. Well, that explains why he's always hurt i guess.

QUOTE (Tex @ Nov 3, 2010 -> 08:06 AM) If Perry can somehow avoid a total budget meltdown in 2011, I"ve seen projections as high as a $28 million deficit, he'll be in a good position for a national run. Texas will have to tap our rainy day fund, but will probably chug past the problem. Maybe not as Prez, maybe VP, but I'm convinced he'll run, and run well on a national stage. And he'll carry Texas, unlike Gore who failed to carry his home state when he ran. On the bright side Kap, we've sent our rejects to Washington before and it wasn't all bad. A $28 million deficit? That might be the smallest deficit in the country.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Nov 3, 2010 -> 12:40 AM) Don't so much need "clarity" as we need the Democrats to actually bother trying to deliver that message... before everything has gone to s*** and they are down 15 points in the polls IMO, "Messaging" has jack squat to do with anything except the defeats of the crazies at the margins. Getting your message out doesn't make 9.6% unemployment acceptable, and it won't make 10% unemployment acceptable in 2012 after the government goes for spending cuts.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Nov 3, 2010 -> 12:29 AM) NV called for Reid on FOX I paid no attention to the news last night. I take it this means the Tea Party candidates kept the Dems in control of the Senate?

QUOTE (Tex @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 07:48 PM) I am against any paper receipt that leaves with the voter. That would be the end to a private ballot. No one wants a paper receipt left with the voter Tex. That's obviously flawed since it allows for vote buying. The point of a paper receipt is that it removes the "Black box" counting method and gives the voter a chance to verify that his or her vote was recorded correctly. You don't take the paper receipt with you, you drop it in a box on the way out. Thus, in the event of a computer malfunction or a recount, there is a second record of votes other than just what is stored on the hard drive. Removing that material from a polling place ought to be a crime.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 07:19 PM) LOL, says an official within the Maharashtra regional government. I'm sure its very expensive, but that sounds absurdly high to me. Frankly, I wouldn't doubt it. The security costs have probably exploded in the last decade, and things like the transportation budget (i.e. the air force) was on the order of $100 million/trip a decade ago. Plus overtime costs for the people that must travel with, operating costs for all of the stuff that has to go with the President, and on and on.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 07:04 PM) I see your point. But I think they'll be definitely moving people this offseason. I just think Arte wants to dip into the FA market this year and Scioscia has always had a fondness for Konerko. They really want to add offense in the offseason from what I've read. Totally agree adding offense seems like the move for them, but 1b/DH just isn't the position. They'd be crazy to trade Morales in order to sign Konerko, and teams aren't going to want $9 million on Abreu as a DH next year (he really doesn't belong in the OF any more) with a $9 million vesting option if he gets about 440 PA's next year. I think they'll be in the game on Adrian Beltre. Plus, they need bullpen help.

QUOTE (bschmaranz @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 06:28 PM) He must like it here because after the year he just had he very well could've gotten more elsewhere. Really? I doubt that. This is pretty close to his value.

(You'll note I haven't specified the side here even if you know which side I happen to be on. The logic is the same for both sides. If my side doesn't go 100% all out, then the other side gets the advantage. That's the game from now on. If my side doesn't filibuster everything, the other side wins because it gets policy wins. If my side doesn't accuse the other side of voter fraud, the other side is going to accuse my side of voter intimidation and use that as a means to get out their vote and intimidate voters on my side, but if I accuse them of voter fraud, I can use that as a GOTV mechanism for my side.) Call it MAD applied to politics in the 21st century. If I give an inch, the other side isn't going to reciprocate, so why should I give that inch?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 06:09 PM) Because s***ty, broken politics has gotten us to where we are now? And if my side stops with the s***ty broken politics, the other side is going to use that as an advantage and it's going to help them get votes. So why should my side let up?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 06:01 PM) Yes, it could have been done intentionally by someone at the FD to give them plausible deniability while still getting across a political message. But, I still think that the voter was a little over-sensitive. Partisans on both sides are looking for reasons to cry "election fraud!" Why shouldn't they? The other side is going to cry it.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 05:49 PM) if the Repubs go right back to business-as-usual when they get power again, they will lose it for a long, long time. At least IMO...that long, long time = the time it takes for a Democrat to get back in office for them to rally around.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 05:36 PM) Might have been true 3 years ago. The Sox were reluctant to give Johnny Damon $6 million last off-season. Jim Thome got less than $1.75 million to hit like he was in his prime. The Sox were reluctant to give that money to Damon because Damon's agent was stringing the Sox along and seemingly had no real interest in having his client in Chicago, only extracting a higher bid from Detroit. Jim Thome got that much because the team that let him go made a moronic decision.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 05:45 PM) That's why I keep saying Halos Who goes to the bench next year, Abreu or Morales?

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 05:41 PM) I'm certain he was kidding. (why i put it in brackets).

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 05:21 PM) Great, the Blackhawks were there Monday night. At least I'll know whats up if they come out a bit tired and out of breath tommorrow night (Asbestos-related health problems really don't work that way, FWIW).

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 04:46 PM) He'll be on the DL with Jose Gullien and their Flintstone vitamins. Either way...Paulie's not signing there thinking "I'm going to be Todd Helton's backup and he's going to get hurt".

Brewers reportedly hire Angels Bench Coach Ron Roenicke as their manager.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 03:20 PM) I don't see PK returning. He's gonna go west and likely to the NL. I'd say he'll sign for 2/$20M with COL. Where will "Signed through 2013" Todd Helton play?

161 more games of DH slots to fill.

A mob doctor?

Breaking news!

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 02:11 PM) Wasn't even talking about Scal. Rose, Watson, Bogans, Brewer, Korver, Deng, JJ, Boozer, Taj, Noah, Asik Worth noting right now is that the 2 guard spot isn't really performing that well right now. That said...a while back someone (KC?) wrote "The era of the undersized and scrappy Bulls is over". I think that's already proving fair. Not enough minutes to go around in the frontcourt...I'm not sure I'm going to complain. I still feel like the frontcourt logjam may provide the makings of a trade come Feb.

QUOTE (Tex @ Nov 2, 2010 -> 02:12 PM) Let's have a rotating 1B situation. Isn't that exactly what the idea was last year?