The McClatchy headline tells the story: Obama aides to meet with atheists on White House grounds

The president isn’t expected to make an appearance at the meeting with the Secular Coalition for America or to unveil any new policy as a result of it.

Instead, several administration officials will sit down quietly for a morning meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus with about 60 workhorses from the coalition’s 10 member groups, including the American Atheists and the Council for Secular Humanism. Tina Tchen, the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and representatives from the Justice and Health and Human Services departments will participate.

Somehow I don’t think PZ Myers is going to be impressed with this bit of outreach. If you have the time to waste with the Republican Congressional leaders, you should have the time to talk to the homeless in Lafayette Park, or even atheists. It’s not like Obama has gotten any support from religious leaders.

I have no idea why the writer used the term “workhorses” in this article. That is simply weird.

McClatchy reports that Rubio’s charges to GOP credit card included $134 haircut.

When will they learn? Everyone knows that an expensive haircut is the kiss of death for a politician. Forget about all of the seemingly bogus charges on the credit card, the haircut proves that Marco is a latté swilling elitist. For that kind of money you are talking “salon” and “stylist”, not a barbershop. 😈

Actually I think the repairs to his minivan are a bigger deal, but that’s just me. I don’t think the tea party crowd are going to be thrilled with the credit card charges. There are a lot of Republican donors already PO over the way the ROPF was spending their donations.

Speaker of the Florida House is becoming the title you have before you end up with a number on a prison uniform.

We have seen a brutal drop in foreign tourists along the Gulf Coast since they changed all of the rules after 9/11. It became too expensive, and too traumatic to consider dealing with the US border for a vacation. It’s almost to the point that if you hear someone speaking a foreign language around here, it’s safe to assume that they’re undocumented, because they are the only ones who have figured out the new system.

So, now the “powers that be” have noticed and decided to do something about it: Bill for U.S. travel promotion organization headed to president’s desk

A $10 fee charged to visitors from countries included in the Visa Waiver Program who don’t have to apply and pay for visas will partially fund the public-private organization. These visitors will pay the fee every two years when they register online using the Department of Homeland Security’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

That’s right, make the people who want to come pay for ads begging them to come.

It is a giant PITA to come to the US from the civilized world, and they don’t want to address any of the problems of the system, but they want those willing to put up with the aggravation to pay for advertising.

A news flash – everything is not a marketing problem with a marketing solution.

When it comes to infringing on the Fourth Amendment’s rights: The PATRIOT Act was extended by a voice vote in the Senate on Wednesday, and by the House on Thursday, without any changes to address privacy concerns.

It’s just bills that address the problems of the people of the United States that they can’t pass.

Lap Warmer

You need a bigger lap.

[Editor: Sox is a very welcome addition as the weather has again turned cold down here. It would be nice if he were smaller or lighter, but he is definitely warm.]

Friday Ark