Briefing Book! Oregon Considers 1,900 Percent Tax on Beer

February 18, 2009

by LibertySugar 50

Lawmakers in Oregon are considering a 1,900 percent tax hike on beer to cover budget. — Townhall
New York Post publishes extremely controversial cartoon comparing stimulus author to chimp. — NY Post
Maybe it's time to make taxes easier? Sarah Palin has a tax problem, too. — Wonkette
Stephen Colbert and Conan O'Brien have a late night dance-off. — Huffington Post
Appeals court rules that Turkic Muslims, who are being held wrongfully at Guantanamo Bay, cannot come to the US. — Talking Points Memo
Your official state worker layoff notice! Here's the letter CA workers received yesterday. — SFist
Bristol Palin's baby proves a handful for her and "hands-on" dad Levi. — People

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50 Comments

StolzeMama 4 years 12 weeks

easily connected dots, to interpret that cartoon as racist is childish thinking. As I said before. They didn't think people would take it as racist, since Obama didn't write the stimulus bill, and the cartoon is meant for adults not children. They didn't think that the adults that would be viewing it would think like children. I know it's crazy to think that adults would think like, well, adults

StolzeMama 4 years 12 weeks

easily connected dots, to interpret that cartoon as racist is childish thinking. As I said before. They didn't think people would take it as racist, since Obama didn't <i>write</i> the stimulus bill, and the cartoon is meant for adults not children. They didn't think that the adults that would be viewing it would think like children. I know it's crazy to think that adults would think like, well, <i>adults</i>

organicsugr 4 years 12 weeks

The cartoon wasn't racist. It just doesn't add up. I don't know how you can manufacture so much vitriol over a chimp that obviously doesn't represent Obama based on the text of the cartoon.

Great Sommelier 4 years 12 weeks

Bush was compared to a chimp his entire presidency. There are posters on this very site who call him a chimp.

Great Sommelier 4 years 12 weeks

Bush was compared to a chimp his entire presidency. There are posters on this very site who call him a chimp.

jth 4 years 12 weeks

Maybe this will help you understand where we are coming from Open Letter to the New York Post Dear Editor: I'm trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had for publishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzee that went crazy. I guess you thought it would be funny to suggest that whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged, violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the larger community. Really? Did it occur to you that this suggestion would imply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee? Did it occur to you that our President has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy? Did it occur to you that blacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery? Did you intend to invoke these painful themes when you printed the cartoon? If that's not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectible dots. If it is what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grossly provocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of most reasonable Americans. Either way, you should not have printed this cartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible. I can't imagine what possible justification you have for this. I've read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked. Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunity to attack Rev. Sharpton. This is not about Rev. Sharpton. It's about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive. I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print what you want. But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences. You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and I hope you experience some real consequences for it. I'm personally boycotting your paper and won't do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well. I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well. You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed. I'm well aware of our country's history of racism and violence, but I truly believe we are better than this filth. As we attempt to rise above our difficult past and look toward a better future, we don't need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place. Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new President, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric. Sincerely, John Legend

jth 4 years 12 weeks

Maybe this will help you understand where we are coming fromOpen Letter to the New York PostDear Editor:I'm trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had for publishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzee that went crazy. I guess you thought it would be funny to suggest that whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged, violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the larger community. Really? Did it occur to you that this suggestion would imply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee? Did it occur to you that our President has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy? Did it occur to you that blacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery? Did you intend to invoke these painful themes when you printed the cartoon?If that's not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectible dots. If it is what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grossly provocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of most reasonable Americans. Either way, you should not have printed this cartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible. I can't imagine what possible justification you have for this. I've read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked. Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunity to attack Rev. Sharpton. This is not about Rev. Sharpton. It's about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive.I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print what you want. But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences. You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and I hope you experience some real consequences for it. I'm personally boycotting your paper and won't do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well. I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well.You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed.I'm well aware of our country's history of racism and violence, but I truly believe we are better than this filth. As we attempt to rise above our difficult past and look toward a better future, we don't need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place. Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new President, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric.Sincerely,John Legend

CaterpillarGirl 4 years 12 weeks

that cartoon wasnt racist at all.

stephley 4 years 13 weeks

Sorry Org, wasn't paying attention.

organicsugr 4 years 13 weeks

Haha, it was actually about anyone who thinks the cartoon was racist. So, it's just a general statement from my personal perspective. Stephley knows how I kid.

organicsugr 4 years 13 weeks

Haha, it was actually about anyone who thinks the cartoon was racist. So, it's just a general statement from my personal perspective.Stephley knows how I kid.

hausfrau 4 years 13 weeks

just stir the pot Org! Just stir the pot!

organicsugr 4 years 13 weeks

Comment 29 was about stephley. ;)

hausfrau 4 years 13 weeks

comment 30 was about the symbolism of the chimp

hausfrau 4 years 13 weeks

I think its that the actions of our government re: the stimulus were like an animals - erratic, sudden, unpredictable, and ultimately dangerous.

organicsugr 4 years 13 weeks

Some people look for racism everywhere. It keeps them entertained, I guess. I had the same instinct as GS when I saw it. That chimp was all over the news. And anyway, George W. was drawn with monkey features all the time and no one cried about it. If you see a monkey and think black person, that's your own prejudice showing.

organicsugr 4 years 13 weeks

Some people look for racism everywhere. It keeps them entertained, I guess. I had the same instinct as GS when I saw it. That chimp was all over the news.And anyway, George W. was drawn with monkey features all the time and no one cried about it. If you see a monkey and think black person, that's your own prejudice showing.

Great Sommelier 4 years 13 weeks

I think it was because the damn chimp was crazy! The Rasputin of chimps too. He was stabbed, then shot and still ran off into the woods. That is the symbolism.

StolzeMama 4 years 13 weeks

Call it in bad taste, fine. Most political cartoons are in bad taste. But to call it racist is very juvenile in thinking.

stephley 4 years 13 weeks

Hainan - Haus, that it's symbolic is obvious. But not everything topical is turned into a political cartoon. The assumption is that the political cartoonist used the dead monkey for a reason - but it's very hard to come up with a legitimate but not disgusting justification.

StolzeMama 4 years 13 weeks

Ok whether of not you think the ad is ok I will never change your mind. However, the ad is not saying that they shot reid or pelosi. There was a pet chimp that was shot, I guess maybe some of you don't watch any news. After he was shot because he attacked someone. The officer says, oh no, next time we will have to get someone else to write the stimulus. Saying that a monkey must have written the stimulus because it is crap! I never even said that the monkey was reid or pelosi. Just that shouting "racism" doesn't even jive since Obama didn't write the darn thing. It is the farthest stretch I can possibly imagine.

StolzeMama 4 years 13 weeks

hausfrau 4 years 13 weeks

I think the chimp is symbolic. It doesn't say anyone's name on it.

hausfrau 4 years 13 weeks

No one can pay their taxes! can we just get the fair tax and be done with it???

stephley 4 years 13 weeks

So shooting Reid and Pelosi is okay?