Maybe now he can have that philosophical discussion with God about abortion

No judgementalism towards pro-choice politicians intended in the heading here, just thought it would be a good working title. Mario Cuomo, former three-term Democratic Governor of the Empire State - I never liked him politically. I will have to say though he was intelligent, articulate and thoughtful and learned too even if he did pepperize his continuing pro-choice argumentation with bits and pieces of sophistry just for flavor. This came out or evolved out of his thing with the then Archbishop then Cardinal John O'Connor of NY, also the late O'Connor so maybe he can join in the divine discussion too. Cuomo did however impose his personal morality re the death penalty on the state of NY which probably went a long way towards Republican George Pataki taking over the state-helm. At least Cuomo took pains to say he was personally opposed to abortion unlike the son who's like full-bore ahead oil up the abortion machinery. Am I talking about ABORTION too much? Well yeah but my sitemeter's been kinda frozen of late but when I discuss the A-subject every once in a while the commenters who come out of the woodwork who I never heard of before scold me for always talking about The Topic but when I do post on other matters which is most of the time they're nowhere to be found. BB sticks around though. He did do other things as governor besides issue dissertations/philosophical treatises on abortion so gladly discuss. Mario Cuomo 1932-2015 RIP.

Why conservatives should be against the death penalty (but they aren't)

The perverse Jodi Arias jury, deadlocked now and can't decide whether she lives or dies.  Lost track of how many days they've been deliberating her fate, there's been a devastating supercell tornado in an Oklahoma suburb and the blanket media coverage of the aftermath days after and they STILL haven't arrived at a decision.  I was pondering all this on my walk today and I think it's a fair guess to say most conservatives these days like to be known as libertarian to varying degrees, to different shades and their animating principle is of course they're against increasing the Power of the State and don't even like the power it already has.  The State however has the power and authority to imprison you, that's a major power but they also in some cases, in many cases have the power to also put a person to death.  That's an awesome power, a disturbing power.  For me my personal opposition to the death penalty has nothing to do with sympathy for the criminal in most cases but more a disturbing sense of the Power of the State, it bothers and nags for some reason.  Dunno what the official libertarian position on capital punishment is, I mean I know their position on that other kind of capital punishment (ka-ching ka-ching) that Obama represents but where they come down on putting a criminal to death I really don't know or haven't gotten the memo yet.  Yeah you'll say but it's in the Constitution and that's true but I've been wondering too of late should the Constitution be the be-all and the end-all? our Bible especially when it kinda contradicts libertarian tenets at times and while we all revere the wisdom of the Founding Fathers but being human and all and not the demigods we make them out to be they could've been assholes on occasion (see eminent domain).  Yeah I haven't talked about the death penalty all that much here down through the years primarily because people's minds are mostly made up and what's the point but have finally crystallized at least why it bothers me so much.  IMHO it should also bother your average conservative.  Maybe Rand Paul can tweet it:) 

It's a vibe thing

Macabre House on the Right

Since you can remember you were always against abortion, euthanasia and the Playboy philosophy at the root of it all and were looking for a nice place to live in a good neighborhood. You fell in love with the House on the Right and it had a good school district that didn't teach kids they came from apes and how to put on a Trojan and so you settled in. You don't know why you didn't notice it before with your walk with the realtor but there it is when you were chilling one night in the living room, an enlarged and framed photo of Saddam hanging from the gallows, next to that is a psychedelic poster of a huge mushroom cloud. On the coffee table are National Review magazine articles in defense of the late right-wing Chilean strongman Augusto Pinochet, he may have tortured people and violated some human rights but he was more congenial to our national interests than other dictators, like say Saddam. On the bookshelf are bound testimonials published by Judie Brown of the American Life League, testimonials from married couples themselves who have divorced each other because they had sex with each other before the wedding day. You look in the stereo cabinet and see CDs like "Sean Hannity's Greatest Radio Hits", #3 track - Nick Berg screaming during his beheading at the hands of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

And that's only the living room, you haven't checked the attic and the cellar yet.People who masturbate your mind

Better him than Osama

So Saddam is no more. What do you say to a woman when your line of work is executioner? I can at least say I made quiche the other day at work, "oh really? How much heavy cream do you use? How much cheddar to Swiss?"

"I helped kill Saddam."
"Oh"

Death penalty is primitive and barbaric but people's minds are made up so I don't much debate it anymore, it serves their most primal emotional need of revenge which they dress up as retributive justice. They say they filmed it so Saddam's killing will probably wind up on Faces of Death, sure to be a collector's item among the rabid right. Sean better put in for it now while supplies last.People who masturbate your mind