Wednesday, September 30, 2009

"She's A Blithering Idiot"


So says one speakers bureau insider, but she's a star in the shrinking Rethuglican cosmos. Figures.

Think Progress has this story of Winky You Betcha's lack of appeal on the lecture circuit. One source in the lecture business says, "what does she have to say? She can't even describe what she reads." No? How about lectures on making moose burgers, or on fancy pageant walking? The last one would really draw the wingnut wankers (are you listening, Rich "Starbursts" Lowry?)

Let's Play "Who's The Nut Job?"


Is it:

(A) The NY Times' Thomas "Moustache" Friedman, for calling out the wingnut fringe's obsession with violent imagery and delegitimatizing President Obama, or

(B) "Tin Man" Steele, who responded to Friedman's op/ed by calling him a "nut job."

I think you know how we'd vote, but in case you have any doubt, we offer this as Exhibit A.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

"The Lie Machine"


Rolling Stone takes on the task the mainstream media won't take on - thoroughly exposing the "lie machine" that was in full operation at the "townbrawls" this summer, and the billion...er...million...er 60,000 wingnut march earlier this month. The dots between the astroturfers and Rethug leaders in Congress are also connected, certainly not to our surprise but welcome nevertheless.

Apparently, the polls are showing that all the manufactured wingnut bluster has had no effect on such issues as support for the public option, which is polling in the 56-65% favorable range.

This Franks Is A True Weenie


Far right-wing nutcase Rep. Trent "Beans &" Franks (Rethug-AZ) appeared at the hatefest called "How to Take Back America" conference, a collection of right-wing malcontents and racist loons who apparently want to "take back" (with guns if necessary) "their country" ( which would exclude blacks and other minorities). Saying that the President was "an enemy of humanity," Beans & Franks went on to demand that the President show his birth certificate, and to declare that Obama's position on abortion (which is moderate, actually) was "insane."

OK, we will acknowledge that Beans & Franks is an expert on insanity, but going the "birther" route? Looking for a date with Orly Taitz, are we? Not with that mug, Beans.

(photo: Beans & Franks learned as a child that kissing a hot stove wasn't the ticket to Hollywood)

Monday, September 28, 2009

Brigitte Bardot is 75 (!?)


Holy Diamond Jubilee, Batman! The original Sex Kitten, Brigitte Bardot, has turned 75!! Looking back half a century, it's ...um... hard to underestimate the influence Bardot had on culture, and especially the culture of sex during the course of her career and beyond. Vive Bardot!

You Won't See This On Network News

That's because Pills Limpballs seems to be off-limits for analysis as an instigator of potential white on black violence. Several days ago, the Drugster featured a story on his hate radio program about a white kid that was roughed up by several black kids in Bellevue, IL. The police stated that race was not involved as a motive in the tussle, but Pills knows better. "We need segregated buses," Pills raged, because this is what whites kids can expect in "Obama's America." Not known is whether Pills was high on Oxycontin or airplane glue at the time of the rant, but he got the attention of some neo-Nazi thugs calling themselves the "National Socialist Movement" who proceeded to organize a march in Bellevue for "white civil rights" and to shout racist slogans.

Pills seems immune from criticism by the "journalists" on CNN and the major networks, who marvel at his audience of dittoheads and figure that he must be on to something in "America's heartland." At a recent appearance on the Leno show, Pills yukked it up with Leno about their diets and general nonsense. Maybe it will take a dittohead's violent action to put the focus on the source of the malevolence, but it hasn't happened yet.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

How Kristol Begat Beck


Lee Siegel discusses how Irving Kristol, revered as the father of neoconservatism and (not so much) of Wee Willie, was actually just a "tummler" (Yiddish for "master of ceremonies," or cavorter) whose interest was not so much in what the outcomes of his thinking were, as how he could ingratiate himself to the powerful. Siegel notes, "Having used intellect to discredit intellect, Kristol threw open the door to pure irrationality," thus the link to the likes of Beck, Limbaugh, and Hannity, who are the nihilistic tummlers of the day.

(Photo: Beck: "You mean Irving Kristol was my daddy?! Now I finally know!")

Saturday, September 26, 2009

65% Support Public Option

In spite of the clownhalls, deathers, and constant drumbeat of doom from Congressional Rethugs ("You lie!"), a public option as part of health care reform is favored by 65% of the American people, according to the most recent NY Times/CBS poll. Can Dems read the polls, or are their heads too far up the insurance industry's ass to see?

And speaking of polls, the Villager media is fond of pushing the meme that the Democrats polling numbers, and contributions, are down. (You'd have to plumb the depths of the WaPo article to find that Dems are still ahead of Rethugs in national committee, and House and Senate campaign war chests; but noting that would undermine the meme, right?). Crooks and Liars asks, will they ever report how abysmal Rethug numbers are? Here's the "scoop" they choose to ignore:

Favorability

Congressional Dems: 38%
Congressional Rethugs: 17%(!)

Democratic Party: 40%
Republican Party: 22%(!!)

Thursday, September 24, 2009

"101st Chairborne," "Wingularity," and More


Balloon Juice's John Cole has his hilarious Balloon Juice Dictionary available for the world's amusement and use. We plan to refer to it often, of course, along with all the other DFH.

Lynch Mob?

The hanging death of a Federal Census worker in Kentucky has raised the question of whether he was the victim of an anti-Government extremist. The word "Fed" was scrawled on Bill Sparkman's chest, according to law enforcement sources, who have told the Census Bureau's regional office that the death is being investigated as a homicide.

If true, and if it is determined that an extremist murdered Mr. Sparkman, blame should go beyond the perpetrator to the poisonous climate created in the past 9 months by the far right -- politicians, pundits, and hate radio personalities alike. In particular, Minnesota Rep. Michelle "I See Commies" Bachmann has been particularly irresponsible and unhinged, saying that she would refuse to fill out her census form and that census data might be used to put Americans in "concentration camps" (no doubt being built by FEMA). She also encouraged her constituents to be "armed and dangerous." It's one of many anti-Government/anti-Obama attacks that the increasingly unhinged right wing has launched since Obama became the 44th President, and it certainly won't be the last.

Kirk For Massachusetts Senate Seat

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has chosen longtime Ted Kennedy aide Paul Kirk to fill the late Senator's seat until a special election can be held in January. Good that the Dems are back to full strength in the Senate, and that they have a man that was close to Sen. Kennedy who will follow his example.

UPDATE
: Surprise! The Massachusetts Rethugs are trying to block the appointment. Just Say No!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

TerrorFirst!


With the takeover of Our America by B. Hussein Omuslin, We Real Americans need to be even more vigilant when it comes to the Muslins, Messicans, and other Suspicious Brown People lurking in our neighborhoods. So, it's with great relief that we see that, as usual, our favorite news network, Fox, is ahead of the curve and has a TerrorFirst! mobile news unit up and running at ground zero (otherwise known as Central Tennessee). Yes, the Murfreesboro affiliate is on the lookout for anyone resembling a nazisocialistdemocommiemuslin (e.g., BHO); according to the logo on the back of the truck, there's no need to call: "Honk if you see terror happening."

(h/t to Germantown bureau chief and terrorist watcher Brian)

The Value-less Summit

Jon Stewart lands some deadly punches on the hypocritical, partisan Rethug, holier-than-thou hacks attending the so-called "Values Voters Summit" in Washington. Stewart has fun poking holes in the American Taliban's paper armor. Remember, this is the group that nurtured the political lives of the Ensigns/Craigs/Foleys/Sanfords, etc. Check out this Daily Show video, and enjoy the skewering of Tom "Bug Man" Delay's gig on "Dancing With The Stars" at the end of Stewart's monologue. As they used to say on In Living Color's Men on Film, two snaps up with a twist.

Easy to see why The Daily Show just won another Emmy for best comedy or variety show.

BONUS: This preacher would have livened up the proceedings. . .

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Ms. Braun Speaks



The Daily Beast's Lloyd Grove has a piece on wingnut harpy Michelle "Stalkin'" Malkin and her latest shitload screed on the awful, corrupt, no-good regime of B. Hussein Omuslin. Unfortunately, the piece isn't as satisfying as it should be, because Grove doesn't rip her a new one. (C'mon Lloyd!)

But, Stalkin' does have a few choice quotes in the piece: "I'm a human being." (Yeah, we'll just wait for the DNA tests to verify that one, "lady.")

"I've been called a Jap, Chink, Gook, Dog-eater." (By your right-wing brethren, of course, dimbulb)

She also discusses the paranoia that led her to move her family from Germantown, MD, to an "undisclosed location" in Colorado. We can attest to Stalkin's paranoia. True story: several years ago, on a trip to the Germantown post office, we were in line to drop some letters in the drive-by mail box. Who was in the silver Benz (or maybe Lexus?) a few cars ahead? None other than the "Eva Braun of Oberlin" (as she was known - must mean her fellow Oberliner, hubby Jesse, is... Hitl... um... B. Hussein Omuslin!). Noticing that I recognized her (and, no, I did not give her the one-fingered salute), she took "evasive action" after leaving the parking lot. Had I been a professional hit man, her laughable attempt to "throw me off the scent" would have resulted in her being dropped about 30 seconds later than she otherwise would have been cast into Hell. As it was, I saw her pulling sheepishly out of a side street and peeling around a corner on two wheels as I proceeded on my way, thinking "Bitch has delusions of importance!"

(Photo: Hey! No stalkin' Stalkin' !!!)

Cartoon of the Day


(Click on cartoon to enlarge)

Of course, "Piggy" Noonan might object to Tom Toles bringing the topic up.

(illustration: Tom Toles in the Washington Post)

Monday, September 21, 2009

Thought We Were Through With McCarthyism?

Then check this out, via Crooks and Liars.

Get Thee to the Fainting Couch!


The always unintentionally amusing Peggy "Piggy" Noonan, former Ronnie Raygun wordsmith and current op-ed doyenne of the Wall Street Journal, had the vapors during ABC's This Week yesterday in describing President Barack Hussein Osecretmuslim's terrifyingly frequent appearances on TV. Check out Wonkette's coverage of Piggy's strained umbrage, and her exaggerated facial expressions and schoolmarmish "concerned" persona. What a hoot!

Yes, Piggy, Barack Hussein Blackman will be appearing frequently on your TV to remind you that the golden days of yore are no more (how poetic). The fact that your side lost the election big time last November gives him the right to torment "concerned" wingers like you by his frequent appearances. Deal with it.

Bwahahaha!!

(photo: Piggy striking a "thoughtful" pose. Keep pulling your chin, Piggy, it'll make you wise some day. . .)

Big Surprise


Daily Kos has picked up on a nugget in a NY Times story on Wingnuttia's latest hero, James "O Crap" O'Keefe, whose videos have targeted ACORN. Asked why he targeted ACORN, O Crap said it was because ACORN registers minority voters who are likely to vote against Rethuglicans.

It's been a rule of politics for almost 80 years that large voter turnouts favor Democrats, and low turnouts favor Rethuglicans. That's why the Bushit Justice Department was so aggressive in trying to get its U.S. Attorneys to trump up "voter fraud" cases, and why so much Rethug effort is spent in every election to suppress the vote, particularly in minority districts. Spreading lies that voters can vote the day after election, putting up false information about where to vote, intimidation at polling places, and other Rethug fraud are always the games played. O Crap is just the latest in the scurrilous line.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Fux's Fibs

As we noted yesterday, Fux "News" ran a full-page ad in the WaPo claiming that the major networks failed to cover the tea bagger march in Washington that they had feverishly promoted, with their mentally ill star Glenn "Boo Hoo" Beck leading the charge. Today, the networks responded, principally CNN which had its on-air personalities Campbell Brown and Rick Sanchez roundly denounce the Fuxers for their dishonesty.

Apparently, ABC, CBS, NBC, and MSNBC took a less visible route and issued "statements" disputing Fux's account. C'mon, you clowns, you need to forcefully push back on the lying propagandists at Fux. CNN made a good start.

Whither Wee Willie Now?


Now that pater Irving Kristol is dead, what will become of his smirking scion Wee Willie?
TBogg has Wee Willie's amusing March of Merit.

(Photo: Wee Willie Kristol, meriting a meringue)

Not All Nuts Are Acorns


Courageous conservative governors Tim "No Good 'N'" Pawlenty and Bobby "Kenneth" Jindal are fightin' the scourge of ACORN (you know, the nazidemosocialist storm troopers of B. Hussein Omuslim -- and Glenn "Boo-Hoo" Beck's fevered imagination). Seems Paw and Kenneth have issued Orders to their gummints to cease and desist ALL CONTACTS with the nefarious ACORNs! ("Huh? Whazzat? Neither Minnesota nor Louisiana have any contacts, contracts, or other 'intercourse' with the ACORNs?!? Shhh! You're spoiling their dramatic moment! YOU LIE!")

UPDATE: Also joining his voice to the courageous chorus, Gov. Sonny "Chicken" Perdue (Rethug-GA).

(Image: Pawlenty and Jindal, from tiny ACORNS big wingnuts grow)

Friday, September 18, 2009

Happy Birthday, Chi! Happy Anniversary, Too!


Happy Birthday, Sweet Chihiro! Happy Anniversary, Chihiro and Brian! You are two wonderful treasures!!

Now, back to our regularly scheduled bloggin'.

Fake-Boobed Beauty Queen Wows Real Boobs

The so-called "Values Voters" convention has begun in D.C., and the wingnuts heard from California beauty queen Carrie "No Fairies" Prejean today. "I know the Lord has so a much of a bigger crown for me in heaven," predicted the pneumatic beauty to a crowd of adoring nutbags.

Winky You Betcha must be green with envy; she risks losing the "starburst" element of the far-right to "NF". Winky's followers have been naughtily fantasizing about Winky for the better part of a year now, so they now have a choice to make: Winky's "values" or No Fairies "values". May the bigger cup size win!

What If Fux Held A Parade, And Nobody Watched?

We laughed at Fux News Channel's ad in the WaPo today, which asked how the major networks as well as MSNBC and CNN "missed" the awesomely lame wingnut march last weekend in Washington that they promoted to death. The teabagger and town hall "rallies" are simply gatherings of the most extreme losers from last year's Presidential elections, who won't accept the fact that an African-American is President. And Fux News is their beacon of misinformation, with Boo-Hoo Beck and Gauleiter Hannity holding the torches for the sheeple. They even resorted to the most transparently bogus crowd estimates ("1.5 million") to try to put it in the category as the Obama inauguration, when they drew about 5% of that number. The alternate reality that these loons live in is breathtaking. Just so they don't regain power and make us live in it too.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

"O-K-L-A-H- uh - H - uh - I Don't Know"


The most Republican state in the Union, Oklahoma, seems to be well under way in its mission of raising dunces who vote Republican. Need proof? Check this out.

Samples:

"Q. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?" Seven percent said Barack Obama (clearly, Fox News has more work to do in Oklahoma).

"Q. What are the two major political parties in the U.S.?" Eleven percent said "Communist and Republican" (clearly, though, Fox has been having an impact).

"... where the wind goes sweeping through the ears..."

Welcome the Converted


First there was John Cole ("Balloon Juice"); then Andrew Sullivan (Atlantic's "Daily Dish"). Now comes the co-founder of the mega-wingnut web consortium Pajamas Media, Charles Johnson, into the world of the rational. Johnson, who blogs at the (former wingnut) site "Little Green Footballs", can still be called a conservative on security and foreign policy matters, but his conversion from the dark side has been prompted, some say, by the sheer lunacy at large in the Rethug far right. So, we've added "Little Green Footballs" to our blog roll, as well as Sully's blog -- unless and until they do a 180. (We're sure it's the highlight of their week!)

(Photo: Charles Johnson, LGF)

Goodbye, Mary


Peter, Paul and Mary's Mary Travers passed away yesterday after battling leukemia for years. Mary was the main voice and the anchor for the folk group, which received 5 Grammy awards and was the most popular folk music act of the 1960s. Their support of the Civil Rights movement, including a performance at Martin Luther King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington, was unwavering, as was their more recent activism on behalf of progressive issues. Mary's straight blond, shoulder-length hair worn with bangs set a trend for years to come. Her smoky alto voice was compelling and unique. The group's many hits will stand the test of time -- If I Had A Hammer, Blowin' in the Wind, Puff the Magic Dragon, Leaving on a Jet Plane, among many more. We will miss her voice.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Three, Four, Cha Cha . . .Ouch!


In showbiz news, former Rethug Congressman Tom "Bug Man" Delay has injured his foot while rehearsing for his gig on "Dancing with the Stars" (wait, Delay is considered a star? More like a negatively-charged electron).

Those Cuban heels can be murder, Bug Man.

Bad Max


Sen. Max "Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?" Baucus has finished his health insurance reform bill, after giving the Rethugs cover during the summer to stall and build up their mob of angry and ignorant white folks. So what kind of Rethug, "bipartisan" support did Thank You Sir get? Nada. Zip-o-dee-doo-dah.

Well done, sir! Thank You Sir and the other conservative Dems who think that giving the Rethugs what they want will actually get them to vote for a piece of legislation have been had again. Meanwhile, time was lost, the debate was cast in the wingnuts' terms, and the Senate is no further along than it was in the spring as far as a bipartisan bill.

(photo: "My esteemed Republican colleagues have convinced me to drop the public option for health insurance. It's been a pleasure working with them.")

Debatable Debating

One of our major frustrations has been the relative passivity of the Obama Administration in the face of right-wing smears and disinformation that have escalated in the past few months. The President's poll numbers were a casualty of his Administration's virtual silence during the onslaught of Rethug disinformation on health care throughout the summer, culminating in the manufactured outrage by wingnut activists who showed up at town hall meetings.

Now, according to the WaPo, the Obama Administration is "debating" how to respond to the virulent smears. "Debating"? The fact that they're debating how to respond at this late date is itself an indication that they haven't figured out that the wingers don't, and never will, respond to calls for bipartisanship or civility. The Marquess of Queensbury rules should be discarded when the other side shows up with knives. Americans admire civility, but they also want their leaders to stand up for what they believe and not let falsehoods linger until they become part of the conventional wisdom. Oh, and staying on defense constantly isn't wise either; get out in front of an issue for a change and control the message.

Let's knock off the debate, and get moving.

A Night Out













The Cavalia extravaganza is playing in the Washington, D.C. area and we got an opportunity to see the impressive show last night. It's been described as a combination of Cirque de Soleil and an equestrian show, with the human acrobatics, trick riding, special visual effects and the most beautiful thoroughbred horses -- 68 stallions and geldings -- we've ever seen mixed together in a dramatic 2 hour event. Not surprisingly, one of the founders of Cirque is the creative force behind Cavalia, which has been touring worldwide for about 6 years. Check out their website and video to get a flavor of the show.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

"10 Lessons for Teabaggers"


Over at Crooks and Liars, Jon Perr has a helpful tutorial for the teabaggers and 9/12-ers whose anger is irrational and anti-historical, and thus grossly misdirected. (But since much of it is based on their revulsion at an African-American in the White House, who cares about facts?!) Conveniently, as Perr notes Jon Stewart commenting, they're confusing tyranny with losing an election.

Monday, September 14, 2009

A Blubbering Beck Breakdown?


Those pathetic enough to need a daily dose of mental case Glenn "Boo Hoo" Beck's hate sandwich heard him declare last week that a "Big Thing" would be announced on his crappy program this week. So what was that secret plan that Boo Hoo wants his goofy listeners to follow? Send stink bombs to the 60+ advertisers that have dropped him like a warm turd? Drum roll, please. Quarantine Washington, D.C.!

Boo Hoo wants no one going to D.C. and no legislation out of D.C. until both parties have cleaned up their acts. It's going to be an eternity for the Rethugs to clean themselves up, so Boo Hoo's sheeple will be in for a long siege. Even some wingers are wondering if Boo Hoo is in a manic cycle now, and close to a sobbing, depressive breakdown of epic proportions on national TV. Get the straightjacket ready, Fuxers, you're going to have a problem on your hands.

We Teabaggin'!


Think the 99.9 percent white, middle-aged and senior teabagging "million-man-mob-minus-950,000" that plopped on DC this past Saturday like a Metamucil-induced dookie wasn't nasty, racist, gun-happy and 100 percent deluded? Check out "Teabaggers in their own words", courtesy of Daily Kos.

Now let's see if the Rethugs are able to contain the beast they're feeding.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

"Stealth" McDonnell Lets the F-Bomb Slip


Beeeeeeeoooo- Blam! Virginia Rethug goober-natorial candidate Bob "Stealth" McDonnell accidentally dropped the F-bomb in a live interview on a Washington-area radio station. The Pat Robertson acolyte was discussing whether or not if elected he would raise taxes for transportation projects (especially in Northern Virginia) when the F-bomb was dropped. Apparently, McDonnell wanted to say "funding" but in exquisite Freudian fashion, he let his true intentions be known - he wants to f**k Northern Virginia! (h/t Huffington Post)

(Photo: Stealth gently holds the F-bomb in his chaste hands)

"Squandered Summer"

That's how the NY Times' Frank Rich characterizes the Summer of '09 in his op/ed today. As usual, fine reading. As Rich writes, letting "the hard-core base of a leaderless minority party drive the debate only diminished his [Obama's] stature." Let's hope the White House has learned something.

Sunday Sports Roundup (NCAA Edition)

Wisconsin 34 - Fresno State 31 (2OT): Flu-ridden Badgers pull one out.

Michigan 38 - Notre Dame 34: Hail to the victors valiant!

Maryland 38 - James Madison 35 (OT): Hmmm.... James Madison? WTF!?

Central Michigan 29 - Michigan State 27: Ha-ha.

Southern Cal 18 - Ohio State 15: Also ha-ha.

The Racist Right

In her column today in the New York Times, MoDo is on to something when she says that the undercurrent of much of the opposition to President Obama is racism. "Some people just can't believe a black man is president and will never accept it," MoDo writes.

Not surprisingly, the South Carolina clown who interrupted the President's speech on Wednesday is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and fought to keep the Confederate flag flying over the South Carolina statehouse. He's become typical of the shrinking far right lunatic base of the Rethuglican Party. Just go to any newspaper and check out the signs that were on display in yesterday's wingnut rally in Washington, DC. All that was missing were the white hoods and sheets.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Stay Classy, Wingnuts!


As noted in our earlier post, an assortment of wingnuts assembled in Washington today to vent their rage that a black man is President of the United States; of course, they're ostensibly out protesting against quality health care for all Americans, against tax hikes for the wealthiest Americans, and against motivating students to stay in school and do well. Such is the mentality of today's far right screamers, answering Boo Hoo Beck's psychotic dog whistles.

But the sign that demonstrates the depth of their viciousness and hate is shown above. It is to the Rethuglican Party's everlasting shame that they've encouraged and embraced this slime.

"Old Yeller" and Inchoate Rage


Your Saturday morning reading is a piece by Gail Collins on Rep. Joe Wilson* (Rethug-SeCession) and the "inchoate rage" among the far-right libtards/ teabaggers/ tenthers/ birthers/ wankers, some of whom are in D.C. today as part of a "Taxpayers March." Fun and insightful reading. Next: watch tonight's "mainstream media" coverage of the "March" to see how it's parlayed into "widespread anger and questioning of the Administration's economic and health care policies," rather than as an astroturfed gathering of assorted nuts, sheeple, and mouthbreathers.

*Choose your nickname: "Old Yeller," "You Lie!," "Shit for Brains," etc.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Rethug Police Blotter - Murder/Attempted Suicide Edition

Steve Nunn, a middle-aged former Rethug Kentucky State Representative and failed gubernatorial candidate, was arrested today and charged with violating a protective order after his 29-year old girlfriend was found shot dead. Hours after her body was found, Nunn was found with, some are reporting, a self-inflicted wound.

We're not just imagining that Rethugs are people with all kinds of issues - anger, denial, hypocrisy come to mind immediately -- are we?

Thursday, September 10, 2009

A Weiner Gets Cut


A bris? Only metaphorically. Hate radio's Michael "Savage" Weiner has been cut from his flagship San Francisco station, Talk Radio 910 KNEW. Apparently the station wants to go in a new "ideological" direction, and the "Savage Nation" doesn't fit their plans. Would that more stations would drop this sorry sack of scheiss.

(Photo: The Weiner, cut)

"Southern Chivalry"


South Carolina Rethug Joe "Shit For Brains" Wilson's outburst at President Obama's speech last night was the most recent in a long line of breaches of decorum by South Carolina political thugs. This 1856 lithograph by James Magee illustrates the attack by South Carolina racist Congressman Preston Brooks on emancipationist Sen. Charles Sumner in the Senate chamber. Some things never change.

The Speech's Aftermath


The immediate upshot of President Obama's speech on health insurance reform was to reverse the trend of Americans supporting his plan: a post-speech poll by CNN indicates that 67% now favor the plan the President outlined, a gain of 14% in one day. Clearly, he hit a home run with his calm, but passionate, case for acting on reform legislation now. And it drove the Rethugs crazy. Paul Begala has his take on the greatness of the hard-hitting speech: we're going to call out the liars and push back hard on the special interests who profit from the system's dysfunction. The image of the angry Rethuglicans sitting on their hands, or contemptuously fiddling with their Blackberrys, or voicing their anger was in stark contrast to Obama's seriousness and calm. Said Tom Shales in the WaPo:
"The contrast worked to Obama's advantage; he looked and sounded calm and rational, though certainly assertive, while moblike voices railed defiantly against him."
In one now notorious example of Rethuglican thuggery, South Carolina Rep. Joe "Shit For Brains" Wilson shouted "you lie" as the President called out the Rethugs and their allies for spreading lies about the Dems health care reform legislation. Even his own Rethug colleagues were embarrassed by "SFB"'s juvenile taunt. "SFB" later apologized, but it appears that his tantrum has resulted in a significant fundraising boost for his opponent, former Marine and Iraq War vet Rob Miller. Couldn't have happened to a more worthy wingnut.

(photo: Obama telling the Rethugs something they don't want to hear: the truth)

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Across the Universe




New images from the Hubble Space Telescope: Carina Nebula (top) and The Butterfly (bottom). The Carina Nebula photos are infrared (top half) and visible images. The Butterfly's "wings" are gases heated to 36,000 degrees F.

Rethug Sex Blotter - Open Mic Edition


We know some politicians are "in bed" with lobbyists; it's just that Assemblyman Michael "Splooge" Duvall (Rethug-Orange County) is taking it literally. Wonkette has the audio/visual evidence on the family values champion. We believe Ass. Duvall will have some 'splainin' to do when he gets home to his wife and children.

The one unanswered question America wants to know: were you teabaggin'?

(A belated h/t to Brian, our diligent Germantown bureau chief)
Breaking wind news: Ass. Duvall resigned today.

(Photo: Ass. Michael Duvall, working his ass off for his constituents)

Some Pre-Speech Reading

Here are a few recommended commentaries in advance of President Obama's speech tonight to a Joint Session of Congress on health care reform:

WaPo's Steven Perlstein;

Slate's Timothy Noah; and

NY Times' MoDo.

A common theme, explicit or not: please show some truck nutz tonight, Mr. President, and don't be afraid to take on your enemies (the Rethugs) as well as your putative "friends" (the Blue Dogs).

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Ever-Vigilant


Former (Vice) President The Dick would like everyone to believe that he held back the al Qaeda hordes by leading us into a diversionary war in Iraq and by pushing torture methods. The evidence remains that no actionable intelligence was obtained through torture, as stated by the CIA Inspector General and FBI interrogation specialists -- and the practices actually helped al Qaeda in their recruitment and propaganda efforts. Nice work, The Dick.

It now appears that The Dick almost sabotaged Britain's efforts to round up the terrorists that were plotting to blow up airliners over the Atlantic. The Dick ordered the arrest of Rashid Rauf, a key operative in the plot, before British law enforcement had a chance to collect necessary evidence against his co-conspirators. "It hampered our evidence gathering and placed us in Britain under intolerable pressure," according to Andy Hayman, Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police for Special Operations. Again, nice work, The Dick.

(photo: The Dick in deep thought during an anti-terrorist briefing)

Advice from Bubba on Health Care Reform


Former President Bill Clinton has some advice for President Obama on the health care reform battle:
"I wouldn't even worry about the Republicans. I'd worry about executing."

He goes on to say in this Esquire interview that the Rethugs are "in la-la land." We think they passed throught la-la land months ago and are now in Batshitcrazy Land.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Column of the Day

"Time for the loons to shut up and listen," is the way the New York Daily News' Mike Lupica puts it, speaking about the wingnut reaction to the Obama school address. We also like the way he calls out Obama hater and WaPo resident crackpot Charles Kraphammer. Well done, Mike!

Quote of the Day

"One Party has no shame, the other Party acts like it has something to be ashamed of." -- Attaturk on the Rising Hegemon blog. And if that doesn't change, we're in for a dismal future.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Fuxed Up


Digby over at Hullabaloo has a take on the resignation of White House green jobs advisor Van Jones, formerly the head of Color of Change, an African-American organization which had the temerity to organize a successful boycott of mental case Glenn "Boo Hoo" Beck's hideous program on the Fux Channel. To date, 57 advertisers have withdrawn their advertising from Boo Hoo's hate fest -- but not from the Fux Channel. Boo Hoo's far right screamers launched their own aggressive smear campaign to force Jones from his job. The Obama Administration appears to have caved to the pressure, and Jones resigned yesterday.

Bipartisanship/reaching out/reasoned discussion can't occur with the right wing, which effectively controls not only the Rethuglican Party, but significant chunks of the media. They seek the destruction of the Obama Administration, and whether it's tea baggers, birthers, gun-toting thugs at town hall meetings, or the wingnut parents objecting to Obama speaking to school kids, they won't compromise, and they can't be reasoned with. Most, frankly, are racists who can't abide the thought of a black man as President. The White House's strategy is apparently to "play dead" and let the thugs roll, rather than to push back hard. That strategy will lead to defeats in 2010 and 2012.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Bachmann Turns Up Over-Fried


Wingnut extraordinaire Michelle "The Loon" Bachmann (Wingnut-MN) has delusions that the Dems are "after her" because she. . .*cough cough snicker snicker*. . .might become President one day.
"They want to make sure no woman becomes President before a Democrat [sic] woman. They're doing everything they can to sabotage women like Sarah Palin, perhaps women like myself. . ."

Of course, we can't think of two more highly qualified Rethugs than The Loon and Winky You Betcha, and we'd love to see them on the national Rethug ticket together, especially for the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates. The Loon could debate the "Hoot Smalley" bill -- or "Poot Smelly" bill, or. . .nevermind -- and her idea of investigating Congressional Democrats to see how "pro-American" they are, while Winky could talk about her achievements as Governor of Alaska. Ten seconds should be enough time.

School Daze


Tristero, over at Hullabaloo, wonders why Dems aren't unloading at the crackpots making an issue out of Obama's upcoming school address ("work hard, stay in school," etc.). Given the Democrats' disorganized, deer-in-the-headlights non-response to rampant Rethug fear-mongering and hysteria this summer, one wonders why anyone would be surprised at the relative lack of forceful push-back on the latest craziness. This is how it starts: letting a virus into the body politic. It follows then that this is how you end up losing the debate; this is how you lose elections.

(Maybe they should hire Bill Moyers to spine 'em up.) (h/t Democratic Underground)

(Image: Democrats' Deer Leader)

Friday, September 4, 2009

Quote of the Day

"What it shows you is there are a lot of cynical people who try to fan controversy and, let's face it, in a country of 300 million people there are a lot of stupid people too, because if you believe that it's somehow unhealthy for kids for the President to say 'work hard and stay in school,' you're stupid! I'm not sure those parents are smart enough to raise those kids." -- MSNBC's John Harwood today on the "controversy" about a video from President Obama that is to be shown in schools, on a voluntary basis. Wingnuts are peppering their school districts demanding that the video not be shown, or are threatening to keep their children home on the day it is shown. Subject? As Harwood notes, "work hard and stay in school." Why that's Socialistic propaganda!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Macaca!


The lead of Rethug candidate for Virginia Governor Bob "Stealth" McDonnell has dropped in recent polling by half (down to 7 percent over Democrat Creigh Deeds). One reason to hope this "New Nixon"-type candidate will continue to plummet is a master's/law thesis he wrote 20 years ago, when he was a mere lad of...34. Seems the thesis, which McDonnell brought up himself to reporters, is full-bore American Taliban. (McDonnell, a long-time social right-winger who attended Pat Robertson's Regent "University", has been trying to tack to the center in the hopes of convincing enough inattentive voters that he's no threat to them.)

As Ruth Marcus points out, the "93-page, 176-footnote 'macaca' moment" presents all the ugly Christian right ideology made famous by Robertson and Jerry Falwell: anti-woman, anti-gay, anti-working poor. The thesis itself is a plan which McDonnell lays out for Republicans to use government to "strengthen the family." Hopefully, the Democrats will take this and run with it, ironically (as Marcus points out) using social wedge issues against a person and party that have long done the same. Turnabout is fair play, and all.

(Photo: "Stealth" McDonnell)

Tin Man's Shameful Behavior


Having followed Rethug National Committee chair Michael "Tin Man" Steele's political career for a few years, we're not surprised at his soulless, cynical opportunism -- after all, when running for the Senate in Maryland in 2006, he deceitfully tried to palm himself off as a Democrat to gullible voters. When Tin Man appeared at mostly black Howard University, he had to bus in a couple of dozen young white Rethugs to clap when he waved his arms during his "dialogue" on health care. When a young student told her story of her mother's losing battle with cancer, Tin Man mocked her and suggested she just wanted to appear on TV.

Of course, Tin Man's routine consists of telling audiences that everyone should have health care, but strangely never gets around to telling people what the Rethugs' proposals are that would curb costs and cover everyone. That's because the health insurance giants, in whose pockets Tin Man resides, don't want anything approaching reform, and will pay Tin Man's party handsomely to keep it that way.

Mom of the Year? Probably Not


Levi Johnston, ex-fiance of Winky You Betcha's daughter Bristol, is giving everyone some interesting views into life in Winkyville. Johnston, in an article in the current Vanity Fair, says that Winky and husband Todd the Secessionist bicker often and sleep in separate bedrooms; that Winky has the kids do all the housework and sends them out for her food (Taco Bell seems to be a favorite); that Winky never reads a newspaper; and that -- horrors for Winky's fanbase! -- Winky doesn't know how to shoot. Hard to believe, but Johnston also says Winky has referred to her Downs syndrome son as "the retarded one." Mom of the Year.

(photo: Winky respecting the flag, and ready to run away from her responsibilities)

Our Broken Media and Health Insurance Reform

Writing in the WaPo this morning (no link), E.J. Dionne explodes the myth, propagated by the ambulance-chasing media, that the rage at last month's town hall meetings was a reflection of America's dissatisfaction with health insurance reform:
"There is an overwhelming case that the electronic media went out of their way to cover the noise and ignored the calmer (and from television's point of view 'boring') encounters between elected representatives and their constituents. It's also clear that the anger that got so much attention largely reflects a fringe right-wing view opposed to all sorts of government programs most Americans support."
Dionne has it right. He tells of one North Carolina town hall meeting where a TV representative said if the meeting didn't "blow up" it wouldn't be covered. Nice journalism standards.

Next time when you hear a TV talking head commenting that the Administration is losing the battle for health insurance reform, remember whose side the mainstream media were on.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Rethug Sex Blotter - South Carolina Edition


No, not Mark Sanford. This time it's his appointed head of the State of South Carolina Board of Education, Kristin Maguire (she's since resigned for, you guessed it, "personal reasons"). Seems the "evangelical Christian" Maguire has been authoring hard core porn on various Internet chat rooms under the name "Bridget Keeney" (if you were making this stuff up, you'd want her to be "Ayneeda Weenie" or "Juwanna Dumey"). She's quite the busy hypocrite, since she also home-schools (!) her 4 kids, and serves as Executive committeewoman of the State Republican Party.

(Photo: Kristin "Bridget Keeney" Maguire)

"No Public Option, No Support"


That's what the rallying cry for all progressives should be who are concerned about Democrats negotiating (with themselves) the public option away. As it happens, it was voiced by Rich Trumka, the soon-to-be head of the AFL-CIO. Unfortunately, the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party doesn't seem to be in charge at the White House or in large swaths of Congress. The latest bullshit from an "unidentified Administration source" (Rahmbo?) is that the White House might want to screw progressives, just to show "independents" that Obama can buck his own party "to get things done." What makes us think of Rahmbo you ask? Isn't this the same kind of triangulation the Clintonistas thought they were so clever about -- abandoning traditional Democratic principles in the process? How'd that work out for ya?

Now if that isn't the most asinine, self-defeating "strategery" we've ever heard, not to mention a gratuitous slap at the folks who brung you to the dance, we don't know what is. One can only hope these are trial balloons, in this case filled with someone's fiddle farts, because if this turns out to be the "thinking" going on, the predictions of some wingnuts that the Obama Administration will most closely resemble Carter's might not be so far off.

(Photo: Rich Trumka, AFL-CIO)

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Quote of the Day

"What we have to do today is to make a covenant, to slit our wrists. Be blood brothers on this thing." -- Lunatic wingnut Rep. Michelle "The Loon" Bachmann, speaking to a Colorado audience about defeating health care reform.

Please, you go first Ms. Loon.

Lizard's Loquaciouness


WaPo media critic Tom Shales has a good take on the hijacking of last Sunday's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" by The Dick's daughter, Lizard "Liz" Cheney. Lizard is in full screech mode on the program, refusing to shut up so that others can introduce inconvenient facts into the discussion. Shales notes that Lizard -- a "rising purple pundit of the right" -- continuously talked over other guests who were disagreeing with her dishonest statements concerning torture and terrorists. Shales writes:
"Cheney has a way onf continuing to talk, charging forward in single-minded determination, when someone else has the floor, even if that 'someone' might be moderator Stepahanopoulos. . .It may not matter to Cheney that her own argument can't be understood as she continues on her course of rudeness as rhetoric. . .this is 'discussion' as obfuscation, the use of language not to communicate but to obliterate."
Lizard's technique is not new; it's the standard technique of Rethugs and righties when "debating" progressives or simply answering questions. They've been to their "media school" and taught to talk and talk until the time is used up and their questioner can't follow up or pose more questions, or their progressive counterpart has no time to respond. It's also symbolic of their anti-democratic, authoritarian mindset which they used in the past eight years to stifle discussion, smear Dems and shout down the opposition. Letting them near the levers of power again would be very dangerous to our liberty.