Manic Monday Markup Late Edition 6/13/11...

Manic Monday may end up coming in the later part of the day this summer.  Other obligations (and Internet blocking software) may prohibit timelier postings.  Here it goes.  This is sort of GOP Debate edition...sorta.

The Feds:

Rep. Giffords w/ her Mother last month (Facebook)

The office of Gabrielle Giffords has released the first photographs of the congresswomen ahead of her impending release from the TIRR rehabilitation hospital in Houston.  A story in the Arizona Daily Star, the large daily of Tuscon, included an interview with a Giffords staffer that detailed the struggles the congresswoman has had and continues to have.

As we type, the first GOP debate that we can take seriously (that is frontrunner Mitt Romney is there) is underway in New Hampshire.  You read about it live here, here, here or here.  Or any of a million other places detailing how the Republicans will try to out-outrage each other about how that radical commie, America-hating, "other" in the White House is scaring Mom and stealing apple pies cooling on window sills everywhere.  That is unless you are paying attention to something important like game 6 of the Bruins-Canucks.  No, that is not sarcasm.  Oh, and a frightening detail to emerge already, Michele Bachmann has announced she IS running for President.  God, have mercy on all our souls.

The State of Things:

Jury deliberations have begun in the DiMasi trial.

Technically, we could file this under the Feds things since we would not sooner like to forget that Mitt Romney ever had anything to do with our state (except Health Care Reform).  Anyway, among Romney's self-described selling point is his career in business.  Romney was a muckety-muck at Bain Capital, a Boston based Venture Capital Firm before he was governor.  We'll let Stephen Colbert take it from here.

City Slickers:

A federal disaster declaration for the Greater Springfield area is now only a matter of time.  The threshold for such events is $8 million in uninsured losses and recent initial estimates have crossed the $25 million mark.  President Obama is expected to make the declaration within the next few weeks.

Last week's "circus" at the Springfield City Council over the permit for the Internet Cafe (read Slot Parlor) may be headed for more trouble for some of the principal pushers.  WMassP&I has learned that an ethics commission complaint has been filed against Tim Rooke, whose brother was the original lawyer for those seeking the permit.  Additionally, the Attorney General's office has been contacted by residents upset with the council's vote.  Point of clarification: they are more upset that the council disregarded state law on the matter, rather than the permit itself was passed.  Had Amaad Rivera not been absent for the original and hastily called special meeting May 27, the permit would likely have passed without any legal problems.  More details to come in the next few days.

Speaking of Rivera, the city's first openly gay councilor has been among those behind the city's 2011 Gay Pride Week, which began last Wednesday.  Maureen Turner has a piece in the Valley Advocate about he and others brought a "gay" old time to the gay community in Springfield once again.  "Pride" events are often held  nationwide in June in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots in New York.

Twitter Chatter:

Cong. Anthony Weiner's problems are being relegated to this area since the social media tool was at the center of the controversy originally.  Weiner is facing increasing calls to resign, including, now from Pres. Obama, albeit more indirectly.  The congressman has taken a leave of absence to seek professional help, but it seems, increasingly that this will only delay the inevitable.

On the GOP debate: WMassP&I's twitter feed is being bombarded with tweets from journalists and well-wishers on the scene.  Point we have picked up for this posting.  Gingrich is not the only one.  Basically, many of the Republican candidates are doubling down on anti-union rhetoric.  This comes from the recent Boeing dispute with the National Labor Relations Board.  But, if all the stuff in Wisconsin was not about collective bargaining, but budgets (and public sector workers buying their next pay raise), then why go after the organization that enforces people's right to organize?  Oh, right, it's an affront to liberty to be forced to pay union dues because a majority of your coworkers voted to do so.  In other news, I want my share of high school student dues back that I was compelled to pay that went toward senior events I attended.

Catch you on the flip side.