Filling The Leadership Void As Trump Pivots On Coronavirus Pandemic

The Washington Post's White House Bureau Chief Phil Rucker pulls no punches in describing Donald "Moron Vector" Trump's abrupt turnaround on the coronavirus pandemic, evidenced in yesterday's briefing:

President Trump for weeks dismissed the danger of the novel coronavirus. He distracted himself by stoking unrelated feuds and nursing grievances. He shared little concrete information about the spreading pandemic, and much of what he did share was false.

Governors and mayors, as well as leaders of businesses large and small, stepped into the leadership vacuum to make difficult decisions affecting their constituents, employees or customers. In the absence of unambiguous guidance from the president for the citizens he was elected to lead, the frustration of governors boiled over.

And then on Monday, nearly eight weeks after the first coronavirus case was reported in the United States, Trump conveyed that he at last recognizes the magnitude of the crisis that is threatening lives across the nation, disrupting the economy and fundamentally upending the daily rhythms of American life.

Regardless, the bumbling was still unabated not long before the briefing:

Trump had whacked a beehive of angst earlier Monday when he convened a conference call with the nation’s governors. He told them that the states should not rely on the federal government to provide respirators, ventilators and other equipment to aid the infected, and that states should work on obtaining their own.

Yes, we will all remember the epigram of this shambolic, reality show "president:"

I don't take responsibility at all.

Meanwhile, Trump's closest, most trusted, and clearly most expert advisers have undergone the same, curiously timed turnaround as Trump, perhaps noting that the stock market is showing no confidence in Trump's bumbling, bluffing attempts to downplay the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic:

For weeks, some of Fox News’s most popular hosts downplayed the threat of the coronavirus, characterizing it as a conspiracy by media organizations and Democrats to undermine President Trump.

Fox News personalities such as Sean Hannity and Laura In­graham accused the news media of whipping up “mass hysteria” and being “panic pushers.” Fox Business host Trish Regan called the alleged media-Democratic alliance “yet another attempt to impeach the president.”

But that was then.

With Trump’s declaration on Friday that the virus constitutes a national emergency, the tone on Fox News has quickly shifted.

On his program on Friday, Hannity — the most watched figure on cable news — lauded the president’s handling of what the host is now, belatedly, referring to as a “crisis.” [snip]

In all, it has been a complicated dance for a network whose hosts are among Trump’s most ardent boosters and defenders — an increasingly challenging position to take as the crisis grew in magnitude. Trump, meanwhile, has long looked to Fox News and its personalities for guidance and approval, a dynamic that may have been pivotal this week after host Tucker Carlson reportedly visited with the president in person to urge him to take the coronavirus seriously. (our emphasis)

You're telling us that frozen food trust fund baby Tucker "Mother*ucker" Carlson may have convinced Trump to change his tune -- not Dr. Anthony Fauci, not the Centers for Disease Control, not the  hospital and medical communities (he refused to meet with hospital leaders begging for help with the pandemic)?  Well, of course, that fits the profile of this epic dolt whose head is so far up his large ass that they're going to have to fit him with a glass belly button so he can continue to watch Fox "News" and get his instructions.

BONUS:  The dolt was also getting "advice" from his callow, pencil- necked son- in- law and writer of catastrophic speeches Prince Jared, that the media was overblowing the crisis.  Someone pop a pacifier in his mouth and send him back to the nursery before we all end up dead.

Monday Reading

As always, please go to the links for the full articles/ op eds.

Unless there is powerful push- back, the "mainstream media" is on track to pull another 2016 on us, using false norms and "both sides" asymmetry to bring progressives down to the level of existential threat Donald "Rump" Trump.  Paul Rosenberg has a good read about how Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is the first example out of the box in the 2020 cycle:

This is precisely what’s happening again with Elizabeth Warren. And it will happen with every single Democratic candidate, which is why they ought to have rushed immediately to her defense in solidarity. What’s especially striking is how this is already playing out against a woman who has arguably been Trump’s leading target in the potential 2020 field ever since the 2016 election, precisely because she is his arch-nemesis: a good-government progressive, a woman and a genuine self-made success. 

Warren’s supposed stumbles or difficulties are not actually about anything she has actually done, but rather how the so-called liberal media has been hacked to turn against her. They never effectively recognized or responded to the racist “Pocahontas” slur when Trump first deployed it, or when he doubled down on it, much as they failed to respond to Trump’s tireless promotion of birtherism. Nor did they take much notice of the Boston Globe report that cleared Warren of charges that she used her ancestry claim to gain unfair professional advancement. To top it all off, they badly mischaracterized her follow-up release of her ancestry DNA — a move she clearly saw as routine, following the Globe report. [snip] 

If Warren was guilty of anything, it was failing to recognize how badly the so-called liberal media had been hacked by decades of right-wing ideological warfare. She’s not alone in this, and it can’t be separated from everything else going wrong in America today. It’s exceedingly difficult to grasp just how badly the media’s false balance and other misleading norms have been twisted to produce such high volumes of misleading propaganda, usually without the slightest awareness of what they’re doing. (our emphasis)

Rosenberg goes on to promote Jay Rosen's "citizens agenda" model of campaign journalism, where voters are placed in the role of identifying their issues and forming the questions journalists would be asking candidates, while offering additional thoughts on reforming how elections are covered. (Also: FFS, Anderson Cooper!)

But, it seems, you'll always have Fox "News." Robert Brent Toplin takes the chaotic events of December 20 to illustrate how that Republican media organ responded to the meltdown:

What kind of reporting does the Fox News viewership receive through prime-time reporting and commentary? Consider the lessons viewers learned on Thursday, December 20, 2018, an extraordinary day of troubles for Trump’s presidency. Leading print and television journalists outside of Fox expressed shock that Trump suddenly announced plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and quickly draw down half of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. [snip] 

General Jim Mattis’s decision to resign as Secretary of Defense, also received abundant commentary on December 20. Mattis’s letter of resignation communicated strong disagreement with the direction of U.S. foreign policy. [snip] 

On the home front, President Trump led congressional leaders to believe that a compromise was workable on temporarily funding the government. But Trump suddenly reversed his position, insisting there would be no settlement unless Congress provided $5 billion for a border wall. On December 20 the stock market tanked on this news and other developments. The next day Wall Street closed with its worst week since the financial crisis of 2008. [snip] 

Even though the real “news” on December 20 was about struggles in Congress to keep the government running, Fox’s prime-time programming highlighted stories about an immigrant invasion. Commentators asserted falsely that Democrats advocated “open borders.” They accentuated a report about a violent undocumented immigrant in California. In each program hosts and commentators left viewers with an impression that the big news of the day concerned security threats from aliens. Speakers praised President Trump for his determination to build a wall.

As long as there's a Fox "News" and other right- wing media, their loyal but credulous followers will continue to be gulled into thinking everything is just fine -- except for existence of the damn libs. It seems quaint now to think how, less than two years ago, the ascendance of the sons of Rupert Murdoch at Fox was seen as a moderating turn by suckers in the media =cough= New York Times =cough=.  How's that workin' out for ya?

Paul Krugman compares the tax policies supported by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) with those of the Republican caucus:

Why do Republicans adhere to a tax theory that has no support from nonpartisan economists and is refuted by all available data? Well, ask who benefits from low taxes on the rich, and it’s obvious. 

And because the party’s coffers demand adherence to nonsense economics, the party prefers “economists” who are obvious frauds and can’t even fake their numbers effectively. 

Which brings me back to AOC, and the constant effort to portray her as flaky and ignorant. Well, on the tax issue she’s just saying what good economists say; and she definitely knows more economics than almost everyone in the G.O.P. caucus, not least because she doesn’t “know” things that aren’t true. (our emphasis)

We can't resist Krugman's companion tweets on the subject:

This is a member of Congress who danced in college and recently called for a change in tax policy based on the work of leading economists. Washington considers her a flaky nitwit 2/ pic.twitter.com/7wR4SFcyUz

— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) January 6, 2019

Finally, please check out Infidel 753's comprehensive link round- up. If you can't find something there that's funny, thought- provoking, infuriating or surprising, you may want to check your pulse!

Today's Reading

Let's start off with what Jill Lawrence said:

There’s no need for Democrats to overthink 2018. It’s very simple: At every decision point, they should ask themselves WWRD — What Would Republicans Do? — and then do it. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is sounding like a born-again believer in compromise, but only out of necessity. His challenges include a tiny 51-49 majority and ominous signs for the upcoming midterm elections. No wonder he said in welcoming two new Democratic senators last week, “I look forward to working with them in the months ahead to make bipartisan progress and to find common ground on behalf of the American people.” 

Where was that man during the Obama administration? [snip] 

There’s no reason to reward McConnell for his two-term blockade of President Obama, especially when it could help him limit damage to congressional Republicans running this fall. So how would this legislative hardball look  in practice? 

Lawrence provides some examples of where Democrats should stand firm and hold out for big wins for their values.  The Republican Party, now more than ever, should not be treated as a serious partner in governance.  That ship sailed and is never returning to port. It's time for the Democratic Party to play the hardball Lawrence recommends and not "overthink" 2018.

Roy Edroso at The Village Voice notes the real interest of Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury":

[T]he book itself, however true and/or entertaining it may be, is politically unimportant, because 1) we already knew Trump was an asshole, and 2) for the 40 percent of Americans who approve of him, being an asshole is clearly a large part of his appeal. [snip]

No, the main interest of the book is as a stimulus for Republicans and rightbloggers to take their sycophancy to the next level and defend Trump from accusations that he acts pretty much like everyone already knows he acts.

Edroso follows with some examples of the Flying Monkey brigades jumping to the defense of their hero, the Very Stable Genius.

On the religious huckster front, there's the latest shakedown/ grift from one of Trump's "spiritual" advisers, Paula White:

Paula White, a prosperity gospel preacher with close ties to President Donald Trump, is calling on followers to send her donations of up to one month’s salary. Those who don’t pay up could face “consequences” from God as he demands the dough as a “first fruits” offering. 

“The reason is God lays claim to all firsts,” White wrote on her website. “So when you keep for yourself something that belongs to God you are desecrating what is to be consecrated to God.” [snip]

While White said these firsts “belong to God and God alone,” she wants them sent to her in the form of offerings to her ministries.  

Hahaha. Well of course she does. It must be like that "pass- through" provision in the Republican wealthfare tax act.

Last but not least, Infidel has his encyclopedic link round- up with something for everyone. Always worth a visit.

Morning Reading

Here are some good reads to start off your Friday (as always, please take the link to the full article):

Dave Roberts at Vox has a deep dive into the right wing's "tribal epistemology" -- seeing only what is good for the "tribe" as true:

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy having to do with how we know things and what it means for something to be true or false, accurate or inaccurate. (Episteme, or ἐπιστήμη, is ancient Greek for knowledge/science/understanding.) 

The US is experiencing a deep epistemic breach, a split not just in what we value or want, but in who we trust, how we come to know things, and what we believe we know — what we believe exists, is true, has happened and is happening. 

The primary source of this breach, to make a long story short, is the US conservative movement’s rejection of the mainstream institutions devoted to gathering and disseminating knowledge (journalism, science, the academy) — the ones society has appointed as referees in matters of factual dispute. 

In their place, the right has created its own parallel set of institutions, most notably its own media ecosystem.  (our emphasis)

Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog nails what Democrats should be talking about to voters:

I keep hearing that Democrats should either talk about economic issues or pitch their message to the emerging, more-diverse electorate -- but I don't understand why this has to be an either/or choice. Democrats who can't figure out how to do both should get the hell out of big-league politics, in favor of people who can walk and chew gum at the same time. Note that the voters surveyed were young and diverse -- and they responded well to an economic message. Enough Midwestern whites responded well to a message about a diverse America in 2008 and 2012 to elect Barack Obama twice. So find a way to get both messages out. 

But please, please, please: Make the point that the Republican Party is the problem. The Republican Party has contempt for you if you're non-white or LGBT or if you're unemployed or need health care for a child with chronic illness or live downstream from a chemical plant. The key to changing America is not electing Republicans. [snip] 

Democrats: Be proud of who you are, speak up for yourselves, and talk about what Republicans have done over the past few decades and how their extremism hurts ordinary people. The problem is the Republican Party, stupid.  (our emphasis)

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) outlines two big lies Republicans are using to sell their tax cuts for corporations and the rich:

It’s hard to sell a plan that imposes new taxes on millions of working families while shoveling money to big banks, multinational corporations and wealthy foreign investors. That’s why Republicans are pushing two big lies about their plan instead. 

The first big lie is that the plan will “supercharge” economic growth, creating a rising tide that would lift all boats. Despite Republicans’ wild claims, independent analysts agree: The corporate tax cut at the center of the Republican plan will have a negligible or even a negative impact on economic growth.    

The second big lie is that corporations will pass along their tax giveaways to workers in the form of higher wages. When multinational companies got a huge tax break under President George W. Bush, corporate profits shot up and shareholders grabbed nearly all the gains. When the United Kingdom cut its corporate tax rate by 11 percent, wages went down. Republicans know the facts aren’t with them, which is why Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tried to bury Treasury’s own report showing that wealthy shareholders would be the overwhelming beneficiaries of a massive corporate tax giveaway. 

The corporate tax cuts will go directly into the pockets of shareholders, not workers;  and, down the road a bit, the Republicans will try to pay for the tax giveaway through cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.  But they can be stopped (see Steve M., above).

Why We Can't Have Nice Things -- Obamacare Repeal Edition

 The stupid, it burns:

... GOP legislators know that their base isn’t interested in the mumbo-jumbo of actual health care experts. These voters are not interested in analysis, or extended debate. They don’t care who’s in favor of it or who’s against it, or for what reason. They’ve been told that Obamacare — which they hate — would be repealed, and the Affordable Care Act — which they like — would be improved.

If that sounds strange, remember that a third of all voters and about a quarter of GOP voters don’t realize these are the same things, and that’s the rub. No amount of expert testimony is going to change anyone’s mind about Obamacare. What the most vocal and angry part of the Republican base wants is a repeal of this thing called “Obamacare” because it is a political symbol and because President Trump promised them it would be repealed, totally and completely, on day one of his administration. What that would mean is as much a mystery to those angry voters as it is to many of the senators who supported that repeal. (our emphasis) -- Conservative Republican and former Senate staffer, Tom Nichols.  

Going on half a century of lies, propaganda and appeals to the fears and basest instincts of people, amplified in the last 30 years by a well- funded, ubiquitous right- wing radio and cable media networks, have brought us to where we are today. Of course, it's not just Obamacare (excuse me, the Affordable Care Act). Republicans foster the same malicious, militant ignorance Nichols notes and apply it to every major political issue today, from immigration to climate change to racism to tax policy. It's who they are.

Sic transit gloria, America.

"The Brainwashing Of My Dad"

A propos of the post below, this film by director Jen Senko and producer Matthew Modine released on Friday is a study of the effect of years of right- wing media brainwashing on Ms. Senko's father, turning him from a "Kennedy Democrat" into a hater.  When the film was looking for Kickstarter funds, we previewed a longer trailer in April 2014;  but now the full movie is available for screening in various locations and for sale via You Tube ($3.99) and other media.  Please support the film in any way you can.  In the meantime, here's the official trailer (h/t P.E.C.):

Bomb, Bay

Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog has a good read on this past weekend's opening of director Michael Bay's instant- not- classic "13 Hours", a film about the Benghazi tragedy (more specifically the shoot- 'em- up, blow- 'em- up parts) that right- wingers are desperate to make all about the perfidy of Hillary Clinton and President Obama.  Steve notes that the movie was Bay's worst opening in a decade, and might fail to break even (it tallied a disappointing $16 million and finished fourth in the weekend box office charts).  This, despite heavy flogging by Republicans and a ubiquitous advertising campaign by Paramount Studios.  Here's the once great Washington Post's Bezos Bugle's Ann Hornaday on the Paramount effort to sell the film as innocent, hero- worshiping fun:

... Paramount has insisted that the film is “not political.” That’s a whopper, even for an industry that has so brilliantly perfected the art of relieving itself on consumers and telling them that it’s raining.

What Paramount only pretends not to have known all along is that, of course, “13 Hours” is political, even if it isn’t explicitly partisan. Despite its dog-whistle marketing, the content of the film might disappoint the most rabid Hillary haters. Secretary Clinton is never invoked by name in the film, and the president is only mentioned in passing, when a character says that “POTUS has been briefed.” Rather than a red-meat attack on the Obama administration, “13 Hours” engages in a kind of diffuse, all-purpose cynicism about Washington as a familiar metonym for incompetence, corruption and bureaucratic inertia.  [snip]

“It feels like it was hard for people to buy a ticket if they were more liberal leaning,” Rob Moore, Paramount’s vice-chairman, told Variety on Sunday. “It’s sad that this gets turned into a political debate as opposed to a conversation about who did the right thing and who was heroic.”

Of course, that’s what happens when you court a narrow market for your movies: The audiences you neglect don’t come...

The disingenuous Mr. Moore knew perfectly well this subject was a "political debate" (and soon, a failed Republican talking point) from the second the film was green lighted.  (He's a "devout Christian" who brought the Biblical epic "Noah" to the silver screen in 2014.  We suspect we know what his political leanings are.)  His company just made a very bad business decision thinking it could ride a wave of misdirected wingnut rage into box office gold. 

Finally, we couldn't help but notice in Steve's read where he quotes Gawker's Christopher Hooks' accounts of certain "13 Hours" film goers, including this psychopath:

... “Oh yeah. I’d shoot Hillary Clinton in the fuckin’ head. I don’t like the bitch at all,” said Len Toomey, who identified himself as a veteran of Desert Storm and Somalia. He’d seen the movie with some VFW friends. “Choke her. She should be in the pisser and I should be pissin’ on her every night.”

Let's hope the U.S. Secret Service pays this jamoke a visit soon.

Time To Show Some Love

Paul Farhi, someone you can really call a journalist at the once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle, has a hard- hitting front page article today on The Mussolini of Manhattan, Donald "Rump" Trump and his relationship to all the unhinged dimwits in the protozoan media swamps of the right.  Please take a few moments to read his piece and you'll understand how unusual it is that something this honest shows up on the news page of this once great newspaper.

We understand from Paul he's getting a lot of hate mail from the usual suspects.  As of about a half hour ago, this was his count:

"9/11 conspiracists: 17
Media-bias complainers: 12
Miscellaneous kooks: 125"

We would humbly ask any and all of you, after you've seen the article, to drop Paul an email at paul.farhi@washpost.com (he's definitely looking at his inbox) to let him know how you feel about the article.  Thanks from the Hackwhackers.

BONUS:  Bob Somerby at Daily Howler has a similar take.

The Origins And Dangers Of Right- Wing "Anti-Knowledge"

Here's a good read this morning over at Washington Monthly:  Nancy LeTourneau talks about the origins and dangers of the Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid Party's embrace of anti- knowledge (stemming from right- wing Christian fundamentalism) bolstered by 

... the tendency of conservative media to attract viewers/listeners by appealing to their feelings about what must be true rather than the facts. When facts intrude on our “garage logic” it makes us uncomfortable because it creates what we call cognitive dissonance. We are comforted by the alternative of simply blaming the elites and rejecting the facts.

That’s why I’d suggest that the root cause of an attraction to anti-knowledge was the creation of Fox News. What Murdoch managed to do with that network was to pose the proposition that facts were merely the liberal media at work. So on one side of the “debate” you have the conservative garage logic and on the other you have liberal facts. The rest of the media - in an attempt to prove they weren’t liberal - accepted this frame, giving credence to anti-knowledge as a legitimate position. That traps us into things like having to argue over whether the science of human’s contribution to climate change is real because denialism is given credence as the opposing conservative view.

This instinctual reaction to any challenge to right- wing shibboleths and mythic candidates is most recently illustrated by the wagon- circling going on to protect the fast- dissolving, fluffed up life story of former Fox "News" contributor Dr. Ben "On Meds?" Carson.  Ignore the man behind the curtain!  It's the "liberal media" at work!  Attack!

Now what we're seeing, thanks to the large, chaotic field of sociopaths vying for the Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid Party presidential nomination, is anti- knowledge colliding with anti- knowledge, as different spheres within the right- wing anti- knowledge bubble clash over cherished lies and myths.  We also have a fresh example of that in the right- wing media (see the exchange between Fox "News" hacks noted in the post below).

As LeTourneau says, progressives have the enervating chore of arguing against the right- wing deniers -- of man- made climate change, evolution, observable reality, etc. -- whose outlandish arguments are deemed legitimate simply because the puerile corporate media deems theirs an "opposing view."   Welcome to 19th 21st Century America!

(Image:  Young Republican)

Today's Cartoon - Plutocrat Pity Party

(click to enlarge)

(Jack Ohman, The Sacramento Bee)

Note the Republican elephant bust and the portrait of St. Ronnie Reagan - lol.

Yes, we have plutocrats crying in their Chateau Lafite Rothschilds about the abuse they're getting! Wah!  Also, wah!  Right-wing media to the rescue!

Flaky Is What Flaky Does

Little-rich-kid-with-a-trust-fund Tucker "Mothertucker" Carlson, whose Swanson Foods money from mommy keeps him flush, thinks that the "60 Minutes" recent Benghazi!  BENGHAZI!! face plant might not have been the con job that it actually was.  Mothertucker explains his "reasoning" to, of all people, Howie Kurtz on Fux:

"Yeah, well, you know as well as I, some of the best stories have flaky sources unfortunately."

Which fully explains Mothertucker's philosophy of journalism in the service of political hackery (see, Mothertucker's phony story linking Dem Sen. Robert Menendez to Dominican Republic prostitutes).

(photo:  Mr. Flaky Source himself)

Conversation on Race, Wingnut Style, Cont.

Following up on our earlier post today, Stephen Colbert has "The Word" on how the right wants to conduct a conversation on race (watch full screen):

Right-Wing Media Follies

Among the primary reasons political discourse in this country has been reduced to the dissemination of lies --  very loudly -- is the ubiquitous right-wing Rethuglican media and its handmaidens in the "both sides do it" / President Grampypants McCain  Rethuglican - wired press.  We want to show you just three recent examples of the way the right-wing media works to amplify its false and destructive messaging.

If they can't hear you, they can't hear you:  Fox "News'" Roger Ailes doesn't like it when one of his hired hands gets off-message.  They love to be absolutist on the Second Amendment, but on the First?  Not so much.

Go ahead and smear, the truth will never catch up:  Obama Derangement Syndrome sufferer and frothing sociopath Charles "Kraphammer" Krauthammer would like you to know that the Kenyan Usurper has ordered his minions to deliver maximum sequester pain to John Q. Public, except, uh, not so much.

Don't worry about innocent people when you have a political ax to grind:   Fox "News" contributor and right-wing hate radio bimbo Andrea "Assy" Tantaros thinks it's appropriate to drag Malia Obama into the Plan B contraception issue - with a bonus bank shot on the Obama girls' recent Spring break vacation.  Stay classy, Assy!

And we're not even going into the miasma of lies, distortions and slander that the right is pumping out of its media orifices concerning gun control.

The inbred courtier Beltway media?  Good luck with those dumbasses.

Is it surprising, then, that so many Americans who get their hate-fix from these nasty people think it's perfectly reasonable to contemplate armed rebellion against the elected government of the United States?

The Douche Luvs Him Some Paul Ryan

Media Matters has a funny clip of "Fux and Friends" nimrod Steve "The Douche" Doocy positively gushing over Rethug VP pick Paul "Brown Noser" Ryan's bod. This is par for the course at Fux, where they've pulled out all stops in praising Brown Noser to their wingnut audience. The Douche just has one of the more obvious and silly man crushes.

It reminds us of their treatment of the 2008 pick of snowbilly grifter Sarah "Mama Fizzly" Palin, who gave some right wing fanboys "starbursts." We know how that brilliant choice...er, fizzled with the general public, and now the Rethug apparatus has excluded her from their Convention later this month.

(photo: If marriage equality were law, maybe The Douche could get his man)

"What Jon Stewart Missed"

We did notice one clinker in the otherwise sublime "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear," and Taylor Marsh nails it. In watching Jon Stewart conflate the fact-free, vicious rantings of Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh, et al, with the occasionally over-the-top (but truth-based) rants of Olbermann and Schultz, we're reminded of Robert Frost's (!) description of a liberal:

"A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel."

These are times when one should not be fearful about pushing back against and calling out the lies and liars of the fringe Right. There simply isn't an equivalence between what's going on in the Rethuglican/ tea party/ Fux New Nutwork/ hate radio noise machine and the push back on the left. There isn't. And Jon Stewart should be aware enough to know it.

Worth 1,000 Words

Click on image for full size.

(Image courtesy of distributorcapNY.blogspot.com)

Politico Plays Softball With The Dick

"Politico" stenographers Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei (former Kaplan Daily "reporters," whoda thunk it?!) have conducted a double knob job, er, interview with former VP Dick "Dick" Cheney, subject: Barack Hussein Hitler Obama and his failed Afghanistan policy (yet to be announced). You have two options: check out Kos' take, or check out Wonkette's. Better yet, check them both out! Unfortunately, the transcription does not provide the slurping and sucking sounds emanating from the stenographers as they "take" "dick"- tation (pardon the lame puns). Way to do your jobs, "men!"

(Photo: "Are you two finished yet? C'mon hurry it up - I don't have all day!")

John Harris: The 7 Stories Matt Drudge Wants Me to Push

"Politico" and political hack John Harris has "7 Stories Obama Doesn't Want Told" (helpfully spread like the contents of a used diaper by the yahoos at Yahoo). Harris, long identified as a Rethug-wired stooge enamored of RNC press release cut-and-paste "journalism," regurgitates the same lame Rethug talking points from the last year (the big spender/ not one of us/ narcissist, etc. memes). Enjoy the flashbacks! (h/t to Rising Hegemon for the Harris career recap)

(Image: John Harris, transcribing "his" "story" from The Drudge Report)

Wingnut Media Takes Hits

Times are tough for two wingnut media outlets, the Moonie Times and the NY Post.

Seems there's a major shakeup going on at the Moonie Times (circulation about 60,000 -- hee hee). Right-wing hack executive editor John "Not the Wise One" Solomon is thought to be on his way out after a Sunday purge of three other executives at Rev. Moon's shitty rag. We're sure Fred "Sir Wanksalot" Hiatt will be able to find a job for Solomon at the Kaplan Daily if necessary. Or Tippy Tapper could help a guy from a "sister organization."

The news at Rupert Murdoch's NY Post is worse: a 30% drop in circulation in the past 2.5 years, much more than comparable newspapers. That puts the Post, which once was the #3 newspaper in the city, back at #4 (What?! It beats the Village Voice?!).

(Image: John Solomon, polishing up his resume.)

"Lie, Terrify, Win, Repeat"

Check out Media Matters' latest compilation of the lies and distortions emanating from the right-wing noise machine, led by Fux News.

After 10 months of increasingly unhinged and deceitful attacks against the Obama Administration, the wingnut Wurlitzer is enjoying cover from the Beltway Media villagers, who exchanged their press credentials for pom-poms during the run up to the invasion of Iraq and who now can't see that their "sister news organization" (as ABC's Jake "Tippy" Tapper put it) is a Republican-operative-run political operation geared at bringing down the President and his agenda.