News Roundup for 10/18/10

Because the Constitution says whatever the fuck Joe Miller wants it to say

-Headline of the Day-
"Joe Miller's Private Security Force 'Arrests' And Handcuffs Progressive Blogger."

Being a Republican candidate means having the guts to ask the tough questions. However, it does not mean having to answer them. Alaska Dispatch editor Tony Hopfinger found this out the hard way when he decided to pose a few tough questions to Alaska GOP senatorial candidate Joe Miller. Hopfinger posed his questions, Joe Miller decided questions were illegal and had his rent-a-cops "arrest" him. According to the report, he was "handcuffed by the guards and detained in a hallway at Central Middle School until Anchorage police came and told the guards to release Hopfinger." The charge was trespassing, although it was a public event at a public school.

"While Hopfinger was still in handcuffs, the guards attempted to prevent other reporters from talking to him and threatened them too with arrest for trespass," the report continues. "A Daily News reporter interviewed Hopfinger anyway. No other reporters were arrested, though a few shoving matches and chest bumps ensued as the guards attempted to cordon off Hopfinger and block photographs and videos from being taken of the bizarre school scene."

GOP write-in Lisa Murkowski released a statement saying Miller was guilty of "violating the constitutional rights of a United States citizen by illegally detaining him. I find it alarming that Joe feels he needs to hire security forces to protect him from Alaskan voters and members of the press."

Miller has a history of declaring things he doesn't like unconstitutional -- minimum wage, Social Security, Medicare, unemployment benefits, etc. -- but I guess hiring a non-cop goon squad to "arrest" people who ask questions you don't like is just fine. I'm sure it's in the Constitution somewhere, probably right after the part about how we're a Christian nation.

Here's a crazy idea: how about if Joe Miller bothers to read the thing before he starts spouting off BS about what's in it?

Although, I'm pretty sure that'd break some sort of teabagger rule. When it comes to teabagger expertise on matters constitutional, the consensus seems to be "ignorance is bliss." (Think Progress)



-Best healthcare system in the world-
Repeal healthcare reform! A new study [pdf] backs up the claim that everything's just peachy and doesn't need any fixing at all... OK, so it doesn't. In fact, it does pretty much the opposite.

"As of September 23, 2010, the United States ranked forty-ninth for both male and female life expectancy combined," the report, published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Health Affairs, tells us. A 1999 study by the World Health Organization ranked us 24th in the world -- so things are kinda moving in the wrong direction.

But hey, if everyone dies off sooner, we can totally repeal Medicare too. (Raw Story)


-Bonus HotD-
"Angle To Latino Students: 'Some Of You Look A Little More Asian To Me'."

Says, "I've been called the first Asian legislator in our Nevada State Assembly."

Says Las Vegas Sun writer Jon Ralston, "I have no idea what she is talking about."

Says I, "Neither does Sharron Angle." (Talking Points Memo)