Reason #291: GTFO

Lots of fun stuff this week, so I thought it was time for a grab bag.

Na-na-naa-na, etc. - Michelle Bachmann has decided not to run for reelection next year. Because of the Congressional investigation into the finances of her presidential campaign last year? Nope. Because of the FBI investigation? Nope. Because she only won her last reelection by one percent? Nope. You see, she just feels like she's done enough, you know? America will have to get by without her assistance from now on. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Weed to go - Colorado, having already decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana last fall, has now become the first state to explicitly decriminalize recreational use of said small amounts, in defiance of existing federal law. The new measures are restrictive to be sure--my favorite part is that businesses aren't allowed to sell it for use on the premises, but they can sell it to go--but the important thing is they're going to tax the hell out of it, which is just the first in a long series of steps on the road to weed being a legitimate part of American commerce.

You see, they can be reasonable - Early polling is starting to come in on the state of Obama's presidency (and, incidentally, Hillary Clinton's prospects) in the wake of this month's Scandalpalooza, and it's looking like people don't overly give a shit--at least not as compared to the economy, which actually appears to be doing well. It's unclear whether Obama's favorability has actually gone up, but at the very least it's held steady, and lots of people seem willing to not hold the scandals against him personally as long as they can still find a job.

There definitely needs to be some manner of reckoning here, and the IRS thing in particular is seen as easily the most damning--an overwhelming majority wants to see a special prosecutor appointed to lead the investigation--but it's good news that at the very least, people aren't jumping straight into Fox News Witch Hunt mode and calling for Obama's head. Ask Bill Clinton how that worked out last time.


Further Reading

Reading Between the Lines of Michele Bachmann's Retirement Speech

Colorado governor signs recreational marijuana regulations into law

Obama’s poll numbers hold up despite the storm of scandal

Poll: Americans want special prosecutor for IRS scandal