Today's Empty Platitude Shaming Tweet

Empty Platitude Shaming is not Prayer Shaming.

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) December 4, 2015

As we noted in the aftermath of the San Bernardino shootings,  N.R.A.- paid- for right- wing pols were getting push back on their rote "thoughts and prayers" reaction to the frequent manifestations of gun violence in America, the same pols who continue to block even the most modest gun control measures, even after San Bernardino. The usual Republican hacks have tried to turn this into "prayer shaming," occasionally joined by embedded Republicans and "both siderists" in the "mainstream media."  Fugelsang's tweet is the most direct and accurate response to their false public piety and to those who would try to make this an issue of "prayer shaming."

BONUS:  Nice long read at Disaffected And It Feels So Good.

Guess Which Republican Ron Fournier Is Working For Now

The National Journal's resident not- so- crypto- Republican Ron "Leadership!" Fournier once famously sent an email to Bush assministration political "whiz" Karl "Turdblossom" Rove, encouraging Rove to "keep up the fight."  Last February, he gave little brother Bush a thoroughgoing tongue-bath following a speech "J.E.B." made at the Detroit Economic Club.

Yesterday, Fournier writes a blistering piece on recent Republican clown car entrant Mike "Huckster" Huckabee, calling him a, well, "huckster," and a lot more.  (He scores added Republican mole points for getting in some shots of the Clintons, of course.)  We won't be surprised if, in between future salvos at the Clintons and more Bush ass-kissing, Fournier gets in some shots at "J.E.B."'s other Republican rivals -- not that we mind if he does.

We realize we gave it away right at the top when we dropped the names Bush and Rove, but could it be any more obvious that this ostensibly neutral, professional political "analyst" has more than a rooting interest in a particular candidate and a particular party?  (To be fair, Fournier also seems to have a stiffie for Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio, too;  poor man doesn't seem to know to whom to give his heart.)

BONUS:  This kinda bolsters (if it were needed) an observation/ acorn found by Politic-ho "media" blind squirrel Dylan Byers:

[T]he national media have never been more primed to take down Hillary Clinton (and, by the same token, elevate a Republican candidate). Even before she announced her presidential bid, The New York Times alone had published more than 40 articles related to her private email account, spurring other stories across the national print, digital and television media. Since announcing her bid, the national media have spent the bulk of their time investigating potential lines of influence between Clinton Foundation donations/speaking fees and Clinton's actions as secretary of state. The Times, The Washington Post and others even struck deals for early access to anti-Clinton research. (our emphasis)

"Liberal media," our asses.

(Photo:  We're thinking "eight ball, side pocket.")

Our Broken Media, Cont'd.

As the U.S. economy continues its robust recovery and unemployment drops, President Obama is enjoying increasingly good job approval numbers.  But for Republican hack "journalists" like Ron "Fourniercate"Fournier, the President hasn't "delivered."  Appearing on Fuxlite, Fourniercate didn't seem to recall years of Rethuglican obstruction of nearly every piece of legislation proposed by the President, for the 2009 stimulus package (which received exactly 0 Republican votes) to the landmark Affordable Care Act which was aggressively fought (and is to this day) by Rethugs who are fine with denying affordable health insurance to millions of working Americans.

Fourniercate was the hack that sent admiring notes to Turdblossom Rove, urging him to "keep up the fight," and who disparaged each of the Democratic candidates for the Presidency in 2008 while providing positive coverage to Republican candidate Sen. John McNasty.  Indeed, his loyalty to McNasty was rewarded by a job offer from his campaign, which Fourniercate declined.  So, keep in mind that when you read Fourniercate's deep thoughts about Obama's "leadership" failings, or that the President hasn't "delivered" in the face of Rethug obstruction, you're reading the work of a Republican hack.