Armed Rebels Massacre Entire Population of Christian Village in Syria

Armed rebels attacked a village in Syria's Western province of Homs and slaughtered all its Christian residents on Monday.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The armed rebels affiliated to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) raided the Christian-populated al-Duvair village in Reef (outskirts of) Homs near the border with Lebanon today and massacred all its civilian residents, including women and children.

Sen. John McCain makes surprise visit to Syria to meet rebels

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) paid a surprise visit to Syria on Monday and spoke with rebel leaders allied with the Free Syrian Army about the ongoing conflict with forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

After wobbling last week, the Dow is surging another 190 points today. HUGE.

Second, consumers are really happy. The latest Consumer Conference Board consumer confidence index just destroyed expectations.

And it's not just that consumer number, all kinds of US numbers are beating lately.

http://www.businessinsider.com/consumer ... ild-2013-5

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) gave President Barack Obama a lesson in "TouchDown Fever" Tuesday.

The politicians reunited to tour the newly reopened New Jersey coast line, which has been closed since Hurricane Sandy caused mass damage there in October 2012.

According to White House pool reports, the duo made an unannounced stop at the Point Pleasant boardwalk where they stopped to play an arcade game called "TouchDown Fever," where players toss a football through a tire to win a prize. Obama threw the ball and missed several times, but Christie got the football through the tire on his first and only try.

TenuredVulture wrote:Charlie Cook may be a little "I watch the games" old school political analysis, but he's the best at it. And Republicans ought to take this article seriously.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/columns/ ... g-20130523

Basically, Republicans are attacking Obama where he is least vulnerable and at a time when they have minimal credibility. It isn’t working. By trying to turn everything into a scandal rather than saying Obama’s policies are wrongheaded—and rather than fixing their own image problems with minority, female, younger, and moderate voters—Republicans are focusing on attacking a guy whose name will never again appear on a ballot.

The current situation is reminding many folks of the impeachment controversy in 1998. Blinded by their hatred for President Clinton, Republicans made irrational decisions then, and they are making the same mistakes today.

Werthless wrote:

TenuredVulture wrote:Charlie Cook may be a little "I watch the games" old school political analysis, but he's the best at it. And Republicans ought to take this article seriously.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/columns/ ... g-20130523

I got around to reading this, and I feel like his argument is some sort of logical fallacy:

Attacks on Obama are bound to be ineffective.
Obama is still popular.
His popularity is evidence that the attacks were bound to be ineffective.

Basically, Republicans are attacking Obama where he is least vulnerable and at a time when they have minimal credibility. It isn’t working. By trying to turn everything into a scandal rather than saying Obama’s policies are wrongheaded—and rather than fixing their own image problems with minority, female, younger, and moderate voters—Republicans are focusing on attacking a guy whose name will never again appear on a ballot.

Where is he least vulnerable? His likability? And it's not an image problem with some politicians; some are just idiots.

The current situation is reminding many folks of the impeachment controversy in 1998. Blinded by their hatred for President Clinton, Republicans made irrational decisions then, and they are making the same mistakes today.

How was attacking Clinton irrational? Didn't it help Republicans in the subsequent election? And what are these "irrational decisions" Republicans are making? I assume he's referring to statements made, and not actual decisions. I figure that an article centered around the irrational decision-making of Republicans would have at least one example of an irrational decision, and not 26 just different polling datapoints (yes, I counted) stating how Obama is retaining his popularity.

td11 wrote:man i missed eric erickson on the Boy Scouts allowing gays to join last week. it started off with him saying his son won't be joining the BSA now. he was going on and on about how being gay is ok but the acts are against christ.

Erick Erickson ‏@EWErickson
Yes, Christ is love, but he is also wrath, vengeance, and redemption. The modern emo Christ is a fiction. Christ could throw a punch.

Would jesus pounch a 12 yr old F A G G O T? prepare for redemption, junior gays

Monkeyboy wrote:That a strange thing for the Free Syrian Army to do. From what I remember and just read, they are mostly ex-military and they aren't supposed to be against other religious or political groups. Their sole purpose is supposed to be to bring about regime change. This act would seem to undermine that goal unless they are just trying to cause instability, though I'd think there was enough of that already. I almost wonder if this was a rogue splinter group or maybe even Hezbollah passing themselves off as FSA.

Erick Erickson ‏@EWErickson
Yes, Christ is love, but he is also wrath, vengeance, and redemption. The modern emo Christ is a fiction. Christ could throw a punch.

TenuredVulture wrote:

Monkeyboy wrote:That a strange thing for the Free Syrian Army to do. From what I remember and just read, they are mostly ex-military and they aren't supposed to be against other religious or political groups. Their sole purpose is supposed to be to bring about regime change. This act would seem to undermine that goal unless they are just trying to cause instability, though I'd think there was enough of that already. I almost wonder if this was a rogue splinter group or maybe even Hezbollah passing themselves off as FSA.

Indeed. Seeing as the rebels seem to want more aid from the US and the west in general, such a massacre seems so counterproductive that it would make sense for the Assad regime to attack. Also, it's probably relevant to note that the link is from what looks to be an official Iranian source.

pacino wrote:not sure i completely agree, but Ezra Klein et al have a way to fix the corporate tax mess we've painted ourselves into:

i dont know, but i think i wonder how this would effect how corporations invest. would they reallocate the money saved by hiring/expanding, or simply give out more dividends??

drsmooth wrote:We've seen the last/
of Batshit Bachmann?