All-purpose news and politics thread

[Puma]

Hypocritical Hoosier of the Day: Indiana state Rep. Phillip Hinkle, a married, anti-gay member of the local GOP, reportedly solicited the “friendship” services of a young man he found through an M4M “Casual Encounters” ad on craigslist.

20-year-old Kameryn Gibson, who listed his age as 18, wrote in his ad “I need a sugga daddy,” to which the 64-year-old Hinkle reportedly responded “Cannot be a long time sugar daddy, but can for tonight. Would you be interested in keeping me company for a while tonight?” Hinke then offered Gibson $80 plus tip “for a really good time.”

The Indianapolis Star, which was forwarded the email exchange between the Republican and his Craigslist companion by Gibson’s sister Megan, reached out to Hinke for a comment. “I am aware of a shakedown taking place,” the Rep., who did not deny authorship of the emails, told the paper.

“I wasn’t shaking him down, at all,” Kameryn Gibson retorted. According to his account, the two went to a hotel where Hinkle showed him his ID. When Gibson realized who Hinkle was, he told him he didn’t want to continue, but Hinkle told him he couldn’t leave “until we do what we need to do.” Gibson says he called his sister who threatened Hinkle with exposure, but Hinkle remained aggressive, removing his clothes and grabbing Gibson’s arm and rear.

Megan arrived to pick up her brother, and threatened Hinkle again. He offered her his iPad, a BlackBerry, and $100 in cash to keep quiet. Later on, Megan says she received a call from a woman claiming to be Hinkle’s wife. She told her “your husband is gay,” which the woman insisted was mistake until Megan provided his email address as proof. There was silence “for a couple seconds,” Megan told the Indy Star, “and the first thing she said was, ‘Please don’t call the police’.”

Megan says she was later offered $10,000 “not to say anything,” and even received a call from Hinkle himself. She told him she had outed him to his wife and family, to which he responded: “You just ruined me.”

Hinkle, who sponsored a measure to add “In God We Trust” to Indiana’s license plates, voted this past spring in favor of a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

[indystar / courierpress.]

[Iangould]

Three hundred personally? I'm not sure if I'm more horrified about the number or him confessing to it, because who the hell would do that unless they were bragging, wanted us to think they're someone who murders 300 people, or killed more and are trying to lie?

I don't know the specifics of this case but really hardcore criminal organizations have been known to include murder in their initiation rites. So Montoya as a senior member may have participated in such murders.

[Iangould]

The personal mandate section of the ACA appears headed for the Supreme Court.

If there was ever any doubt that the long-raging debate over the constitutionality of the federal health-care overhaul, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, would ultimately be settled by the U.S. Supreme Court, that doubt was all but extinguished today.

Two words: Circuit Split. We now have one. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta on Friday struck down the law on constitutional grounds, by a 2-1 vote. The ruling is in direct conflict with a ruling from June from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, upheld the law’s constitutionality, also by a 2-1 vote. Click here for the WSJ story; here for the opinion; here for all previous LB coverage of the health-care challenges.

At least one legal academic and former SC clerk is predicting that when it does, it's likely to be upheld.

[dupersuper]

U.S. HOUSE generic ballot: Democratic candidate 51% / Republican candidate 44% (USA Today/Gallup Poll)

Signs that the public is after all paying attention to their country being sabotaged?

A wopping 51% of them.

[Iangould]

Chinese car maker Chery already exports cars to much of the developing world and has ambitions to export to the major developed markets of Europe, north America and Japan.

They recently launched the J1 sedan in Australia as one of the first first forays into a developed country market.

The big question is whether they can meet the required safety adn quality standards.

So far, you could say the results have been mixed.

[JCAll]

Megan says she was later offered $10,000 “not to say anything,” and even received a call from Hinkle himself. She told him she had outed him to his wife and family, to which he responded: “You just ruined me.”

Hinkle, who sponsored a measure to add “In God We Trust” to Indiana’s license plates, voted this past spring in favor of a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

[indystar / courierpress.]

No, you just ruined yourself.

[the4thpip]

Royal Dutch Shell working to contain oil leak at North Sea platform http://t.co/6f6zuVU

[pariah-1972]

Hypocritical Hoosier of the Day: Indiana state Rep. Phillip Hinkle, a married, anti-gay member of the local GOP, reportedly solicited the “friendship” services of a young man he found through an M4M “Casual Encounters” ad on craigslist.

20-year-old Kameryn Gibson, who listed his age as 18, wrote in his ad “I need a sugga daddy,” to which the 64-year-old Hinkle reportedly responded “Cannot be a long time sugar daddy, but can for tonight. Would you be interested in keeping me company for a while tonight?” Hinke then offered Gibson $80 plus tip “for a really good time.”

The Indianapolis Star, which was forwarded the email exchange between the Republican and his Craigslist companion by Gibson’s sister Megan, reached out to Hinke for a comment. “I am aware of a shakedown taking place,” the Rep., who did not deny authorship of the emails, told the paper.

“I wasn’t shaking him down, at all,” Kameryn Gibson retorted. According to his account, the two went to a hotel where Hinkle showed him his ID. When Gibson realized who Hinkle was, he told him he didn’t want to continue, but Hinkle told him he couldn’t leave “until we do what we need to do.” Gibson says he called his sister who threatened Hinkle with exposure, but Hinkle remained aggressive, removing his clothes and grabbing Gibson’s arm and rear.

Megan arrived to pick up her brother, and threatened Hinkle again. He offered her his iPad, a BlackBerry, and $100 in cash to keep quiet. Later on, Megan says she received a call from a woman claiming to be Hinkle’s wife. She told her “your husband is gay,” which the woman insisted was mistake until Megan provided his email address as proof. There was silence “for a couple seconds,” Megan told the Indy Star, “and the first thing she said was, ‘Please don’t call the police’.”

Megan says she was later offered $10,000 “not to say anything,” and even received a call from Hinkle himself. She told him she had outed him to his wife and family, to which he responded: “You just ruined me.”

Hinkle, who sponsored a measure to add “In God We Trust” to Indiana’s license plates, voted this past spring in favor of a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

[indystar / courierpress.]

Well his career is obviously over but i mean like i said on facebook the story is almost cliche if someone wrote this as a fictional story in csi i would laugh cause its too trite and cliche.

[the4thpip]

Philadelphia police detain dozens after teen curfew goes into effect to prevent flash mobs http://t.co/vlX4NTN

"They shouldn't be able to violate my rights," said Stanton, who came from Mount Laurel to hang out with friends. "If the cops ask me, I'm gonna explain why I have the right to assemble peacefully."

That didn't work out too well for him. By 9:15 p.m., Stanton was in a police van at 5th and South streets waiting to go to the 3rd District station at 11th and Wharton so his parents could pick him up.

If you allow flash mobs, next thing you know you will have those human statues in town. And nobody wants that.

[JCAll]

Philadelphia police detain dozens after teen curfew goes into effect to prevent flash mobs http://t.co/vlX4NTN



If you allow flash mobs, next thing you know you will have those human statues in town. And nobody wants that.

Next thing you know they'll be outlawing mimes!
...
Wait, why are we against this again?

[Iangould]

But it's just a short step from mimes to crusty jugglers.

[the4thpip]

Conservative Economist’s Own Methodology Demonstrates the Success of Stimulus

[Iangould]

The EU is considering issuing "Eurobonds" issued by the European Central Bank, and jointly guaranteed by all Eurozone member states.

The bonds would replace those issued by individual states.

For the stronger states such as Germany to accept this proposal, the individual states would probably have to give up more economic power to the ECB, agreeing to more uniform levels of both taxation and government spending.

[the4thpip]

The EU is considering issuing "Eurobonds" issued by the European Central Bank, and jointly guaranteed by all Eurozone member states.

The bonds would replace those issued by individual states.

For the stronger states such as Germany to accept this proposal, the individual states would probably have to give up more economic power to the ECB, agreeing to more uniform levels of both taxation and government spending.

Higher taxes in Ireland? Gonna be tough to get them to agree to that. Necessary, mind you, but tough.

[Matt Algren]

This is true, and I still contend that Romney's a shoe-in for the nomination, so we'll probably see anemic voting numbers at the polls.

A Romney nomination would be a disastrous blow to the religious right voting bloc. Remember all the people who cited suspicion of Obama not being a 'real' christian as their primary reason not to vote for him? With Romney being a Mormon, you get that times a million.