Obama's War On Christmas - Journamalist Edition

Over at the Moonie Washington Times, reprinting a 2013 rumination by reporter and not- the- brightest- light- on- the- Christmas- tree Joseph Curl is becoming something of a holiday tradition (much like Clement Moore's "'Twas The Night Before Christmas," except with more entitlement and Obama Derangement Syndrome in the mix).  It seems President Obama's tradition of leaving for Hawaii before Christmas (and making White House stenographers reporters pay for their own travel!) has turned Curl into a churl.  He longs for the good old Republican family values days when Dumbya took the White House stenographers press corps to the "ranch" at Crawford, Texas, after Christmas and at cut-rate prices:

That was President Bush. And every year for the past five, I've thought about what that meant to me. (By the way, some years, I got holiday duty, which meant I was off to Waco, Texas, the day after Christmas. But once again, the Bush White House had us covered: A press plane flew out with the president, and back then, reporters could pay $100 per family member for the plane ride. So sometimes, the family went along. For the kids, it was an adventure; for me, well, we were all together.) 

All that has changed with President Obama. No more press plane, for one. Reporters are on their own — so taking family is, say, $1,000 a pop. Not likely. And this president would never delay his trip to his island getaway. He's off every year well before Christmas. Hundreds and hundreds head off with him, leaving family behind. 

No Christmas at home. Instead, the Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. Nice, but not exactly home. 

Anyway, that's why I think of George W. Bush every year in the week between Christmas and New Year's. Probably will till I die. Thanks, GWB.

We couldn't top the observations of Charles P. Pierce and Digby on "Curl's Complaint," so here they are, starting with Charles:

It takes a special kind of man to confess that his devotion can be bought on the cheap, let alone one who will reprint the Bill Of Sale every Christmas season. (This column apparently is going to be come a regular holiday treat for the whole family, like that kid who gets his tongue stuck to the flagpole.) Of course, there are some 5000-odd Americans who won't get to be home with their families for Christmas ever again. Thanks, GWB.

Your turn, Digby:

Those awful Obamas force the press corps to go to Hawaii in the middle of the winter. The humanity. And I'd guess they don't feel they could get away with having the taxpayers foot the bill for all the reporters' families to go with them as George W. Bush did. After all, there's no doubt that the Washington Times would dog them mercilessly if they tried it. 

You can be sure "Curl's Complaint" will appear in the Moonie Times every Christmas season through 2016, to be followed by a slightly edited version for President Hillary Clinton's Christmas getaway to some other godforsaken place.

(Photo:  The entitled and sorely miffed Joseph Curl)

Hypocrite of the Day - Posthumous Grifter Edition

Lots of Koreans in the news today.  Turns out the late Rev. Sun Myung Moon, "messiah," funder of right-wing causes, founder of the Unification Church and the "Wingnut Washington Times" has a 47-year-old love child.  Family values!

(Photo:   Messiah been messing!)

Shooting the Moon(ies)

As we noted last Monday, the right wing Moonie Washington Times is starting to resemble Mutiny on the Bounty. HuffPo is reporting that armed guards are now posted in the paper's newsroom. With a circulation less than such papers as the Worcester MA Telegraph & Gazette, and the Allentown PA Morning Call, the paper's not setting the Washington, DC world on fire (unless you include the normal flammable flatulence from the likes of neocon Frank "Gaffer" Gaffney and reliable winger Mona "The Bona" Charen). But armed guards? Then again, when righties panic, their authoritarian side comes to the fore. If things continue sliding, maybe guard towers are next.

The Wisdom of Solomon

With the release of documents relating to the Rove-inspired firings of U.S. Attorneys under the Bush Assministration comes evidence that John "Oink-Oink" Solomon, former Fred Hiatt fair-haired boy at the WaPo and now executive editor at the Moonie Times, was offering advice to the Bushies about containing damage as news of the political nature of the firings leaked out. What business do people like Solomon, Hiatt, and any number of anonymous hacks have being employed as "journalists" you might ask. Why indeed, since their only interest seems to be to serve the holy bottom line and cozy up to the powerful, Rethug-wired special interests that share their cynical view of life inside the Beltway.

(Photo: step away from the trough, Oink-Oink)