Comments on: Tommy Thompson’s new excuse: he had to go to the potty http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/ Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:23:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Sailorman http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-404179 Mon, 14 May 2007 18:58:23 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-404179 It's a poorly phrased question. The answer should be "depends on the company." I mean, can't I fire someone I hate? Now for me, those happen to be fundamentalist Christians and not gay people. But damn, I don't want to give up that right. I'm self-employed. What if I hire a secretary and she starts going all prolife fundie on me? It's not like I can just get HR to move her to a different department. The national restrictions on discrimination are great at the corporate level. But the fact that they don't apply to tiny businesses isn't obviously a bad thing. It’s a poorly phrased question. The answer should be “depends on the company.”

I mean, can’t I fire someone I hate? Now for me, those happen to be fundamentalist Christians and not gay people. But damn, I don’t want to give up that right.

I’m self-employed. What if I hire a secretary and she starts going all prolife fundie on me? It’s not like I can just get HR to move her to a different department.

The national restrictions on discrimination are great at the corporate level. But the fact that they don’t apply to tiny businesses isn’t obviously a bad thing.

]]> by: Libertarian http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403939 Mon, 14 May 2007 08:44:58 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403939 I'm still trying to figure out why he's backtracking from giving the right answer. I’m still trying to figure out why he’s backtracking from giving the right answer.

]]> by: Samantha Vimes http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403916 Mon, 14 May 2007 01:12:16 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403916 When distracted, appropriate answers: "I'm sorry, I can't continue, my illness is distracting me from this debate. Excuse me." "Please, move to the next candidate, and ask me again when I return; I have to deal with something urgent off stage." "Can you clarify the question?" No one with any sense comes up with a full answer to a question they didn't understand. His excuse makes him look worse. When distracted, appropriate answers:

“I’m sorry, I can’t continue, my illness is distracting me from this debate. Excuse me.”

“Please, move to the next candidate, and ask me again when I return; I have to deal with something urgent off stage.”

“Can you clarify the question?”

No one with any sense comes up with a full answer to a question they didn’t understand. His excuse makes him look worse.

]]> by: Blue Jean http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403879 Sun, 13 May 2007 21:07:33 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403879 Good lord, what is this? A first grade spelling bee? Good lord, what is this? A first grade spelling bee?

]]> by: paul http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403864 Sun, 13 May 2007 20:14:48 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403864 "I had no idea I was going to be on a presidential debate stage, and as a middle-aged man I have no real understanding of my bladder capacity, so the need to urinate just caught me entirely by surprise and utterly destroyed my concentration. But I'd do much better in a real crisis, I assure you." At least he's wasting the money of republican donors (although then again he's enriching republican campaign consultants and media types, so it's probably a wash). “I had no idea I was going to be on a presidential debate stage, and as a middle-aged man I have no real understanding of my bladder capacity, so the need to urinate just caught me entirely by surprise and utterly destroyed my concentration. But I’d do much better in a real crisis, I assure you.”

At least he’s wasting the money of republican donors (although then again he’s enriching republican campaign consultants and media types, so it’s probably a wash).

]]> by: mythago http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403813 Sun, 13 May 2007 16:56:38 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403813 Lester, the original question is right up there in the post. It's a little hard for you to re-write it, given that. Lester, the original question is right up there in the post. It’s a little hard for you to re-write it, given that.

]]> by: hbsweet http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403717 Sun, 13 May 2007 12:24:14 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403717 Guess somebody should have worn his Depends. And didn't GOP Luuv Prexy, Ronald Reagan, always pretend he couldn't hear inconvenient questions, too? Of course, he had the good sense to pretend not to hear them when they were asked--not after he'd already answered them. Guess somebody should have worn his Depends.

And didn’t GOP Luuv Prexy, Ronald Reagan, always pretend he couldn’t hear inconvenient questions, too? Of course, he had the good sense to pretend not to hear them when they were asked–not after he’d already answered them.

]]> by: Alierakieron http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403715 Sun, 13 May 2007 12:21:33 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403715 I was gonna say: does anyone have a link to the Packer's incident? I hear it was high-larious. I was gonna say: does anyone have a link to the Packer’s incident? I hear it was high-larious.

]]> by: Richard http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403713 Sun, 13 May 2007 12:18:07 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403713 Oh, and Lester Hunt: Either way that question is framed, the correct answer for RATIONAL human beings is NOT "Yes." Oh, and Lester Hunt:

Either way that question is framed, the correct answer for RATIONAL human beings is NOT “Yes.”

]]> by: Richard http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403712 Sun, 13 May 2007 12:17:00 +0100 http://pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/05/13/tommy-thompsons-new-excuse-he-had-to-go-to-the-potty/#comment-403712 He started using the hearing aid excuse on Maher's show last week but the potty addition is a new add on. When the first excuse doesn't work, build your excuses with additional add-ons till you reach the appropriate level of totla cr*p-ola. He started using the hearing aid excuse on Maher’s show last week but the potty addition is a new add on. When the first excuse doesn’t work, build your excuses with additional add-ons till you reach the appropriate level of totla cr*p-ola.

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