Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution

Charles Blow sums up our apprehensions about the wingnut media and pols hyping a right-wing "revolution", in his NY Times op/ed, "Pitchforks and Pistols." We've already noted here and here, that there's an increasingly disturbing tendency of the many psychotics and whooping loons in Rethug ranks to cry "revolution" in response to the Obama administration's plans to get America back on track.

As we've said before, could you imagine the wingnut frenzy that would have accompanied, say, a call from Keith Olbermann for an uprising against former preznit Chimpy? Their Underoos would be in a knot, and they'd be foaming at the mouth calling for peremptory hangings! Why? Because only a reactionary Rethug administration is truly legitimate!

And the "mainstream media?" When do you think they'll wake up and take notice of the violent rhetoric?

UPDATE: There's more insanity of this sort being acted out tragically.

Rethug Police Blotter, Palin Edition

HuffPo has the story and pix of Diana Palin, Gov. Winky's sister-in-law, being booked for burglarizing a home in Wasilla. Palin (Todd's half-sister) was charged with two counts of felony burglary and misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass and theft. With this, the Palins and their one- time- future- in- laws officially constitute a Wasilla crime wave.

Quote of the Week

"Debt payment during an economic crisis is like water conservation during a house fire -- it worsens the condition. When the economy begins to rebound, we can return to paying down the debt." -- Kristie Greco, spokeswoman for Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) commenting on South Carolina Gov. Mark "Junkman" Sanford's comment that the stimulus money provided for education in his state should be used first to pay down the state's debt. On Friday, wannabe Rethug presidential 2012 fodder Sanford was the last governor to back off his previous stand against accepting Federal economic recovery aid.

(Photo: via The Palmetto Scoop)

The Rethug "Road to Recovery" Turns Out to be a Bit Bumpy

Remember that April Fools Day joke House Minority Leader "Man Tan" Boehner sprung on America? You know, the Rethugs' Fudge-it? Looks like not everyone in the House Rethug caucus saw it as the same joke everyone else did. Seems 38 Rethugs saw it as a mortal danger to their reelection and voted against it when it came to the House floor! Mmmm, well played, Boner! (Note to accountant: send royalty check to Germantown correspondent Brian)

Coulter [Falls for] an April Fools Joke

Media Matters has the embarrassing details. What a simpleton, so eager to find something to hate about Obama (or any Democrat/ progressive for that matter), so eager to swallow such a ludicrous story. Although it does make it somewhat easier to understand how/ why she swallowed the whole Rethug cosmology over the past 20 (to be charitable) years. (Heh heh - he said "swallowed." [M]Ann doesn't swallow!)

You da [M]Ann!!

Coordinating Strategery, No Doubt

Item in today's "Reliable Source" (WaPo):

"Hey, Isn't That...?

Rupert Murdoch dining with a flock of House Republicans -- Eric Cantor, Cathy McMorris, Tom Price, Adam Putnam -- at CityZen on Wednesday."

A "flock" of birdbrains. Yes, indeedy.

Bad Numbers For The Party Of No

Research 2000's latest polling has some pretty bad news for the Rethugs (cue the sound of champagne corks popping). The Rethug Party only has a 25 percent positive rating, vs. 49 percent for the Democratic Party. President Obama has a 67 percent favorable rating, compared to Congressional Rethug "leaders" Sen. Mitch "Missy" McConnell (22 ) and Rep. John "Boner" Boehner (16). You can't fool all of the people all of the time.

Yet, as we noted in yesterday's posting, the Beltway media continues to treat the Rethugs as having "serious" ideas that are worth discussing and even enacting. The American public is saying "no sale" and the Rethugs are still rehashing their familiar, failed bromides -- tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, cut or eliminate Medicare and Medicaid, privatize Social Security, and give money to the Pentagon that they haven't even asked for.

Even worse news for the Party of No, the House and Senate have passed President's Obama's FY 2010 budget by solid margins -- with no Rethuglican votes.

Blago Indicted

Former Illinois Gov. Rod "Let's Make A Deal" Blagojevich was indicted yesterday on 16 felony counts, many of which related to running a "criminal enterprise" before and during his reign as Governor. That means LMAD involved his colleagues and family in shaking down people doing business with the State of Illinois, some of whom are apparently turning witness for the prosecution.

LMAD, ironically vacationing in Disney World, continues to maintain his innocence, even though he's on hundreds of hours of taped phone conversations wheeling and dealing, and launching "F-bombs." Brazen it out, Blago! Hours of good entertainment lay ahead!

First, Heal Thyself

Chicago's Cardinal Francis George is criticizing the University of Notre Dame's decision to invite President Obama to deliver its commencement address, despite overwhelming support from the University's graduating seniors. The complaints, fueled by right-wing politicos like former Rethug Sen. Rick "Sanctimonius" Santorum wanting to score partisan points, are over the President's decision to allow use of embryonic stems cells in research (which otherwise would be discarded by fertility clinics).

We'd suggest the good Cardinal focus on keeping his priests and bishops from seducing their altar boys and parishoners, rather than on using discarded embryos for curing disease, a position which is supported by a wide majority of Americans. Pax vobiscum, Cardinal, sir.

Twittering Into Irrelevancy

James Wolcott's blast at the Beltway media and punditocracy in Vanity Fair is today's reading assignment. The article begins with:

"Washington has always been out of synch with the rest of America, but since Obama's election, pundits seem more stubbornly and stupendously irrelevant than ever. Have three decades of being wired for Republican power blown their jittery, Twittering minds?"

Wolcott has the DC politico/journalist environment nailed, as he swiftly skewers such fixtures as David "Dancin' Dave" Gregory and George "Quill Pen" Will. All issues are seen through the prism of "bipartisanship" (that is, cooperate with obstructionist Rethugs or else) and the daily news cycle idiocy (who won, who lost, who's up, who's down). That the American voter has overwhelmingly chosen Democratic policies in two consecutive elections is lost on the Beltway grandees, who must think this Democratic business is just a passing fad and await the Rethug restoration. . .any decade now.

Schultz + MSNBC = Good Viewing

MSNBC announced last night that Ed Schultz, a progressive radio host and frequent contributor, will have his own show starting April 6 at 6 p.m. Eastern time, appropriately titled "The Ed Show."

We like Schultz's unapologetic championing of progressive policies, his eagerness to mix it up with wingnuts, and his common man persona, topped off with a southern accent and the burly appearance of the former collegiate football player that he was. Good move, MSNBC.

April Fools, Those Rethugs!

Just when you thought the Rethugs were just a bunch of angry, reactionary, nasty, lying, sad sacks of bile, they show they have a sense of humor!

April Fools Day gag #1: The GOP Fudgeit! Gut Medicare and provide a multi-trillion dollar windfall to the wealthiest Americans! Yeah, that's the ticket! Hee-hee!

April Fools Day gag #2: Rethugs win in NY-20! (Except that, Democrat Murphy is leading Rethug Tedisco with absentee ballots yet to be counted.) Maybe the Rethugs can arrange another Brooks Brothers riot (we hear a lot of hedge fund managers are looking for work) to assure "all the [Rethuglican] votes are counted!" Yuk-yuk!

April Fools Day gag #3: "Joe" (not his real name) "the plumber" (he's not a plumber either) talks EFCA! The brain and chief ideas man for the Rethugs, the aforementioned "Joe," ran into some problems trying to 'splain the Employee Free Choice Act, and gets heckled by some real working class people. Faux Joe the Rethug Schmo!

(Image: Rethug minority leader and chief jokester Boehner -- what a clown!)

"Yeah, But It Gets 10 Miles To The Six Pack"

An inventive Newark, Ohio man was arrested on DUI after crashing his barstool-mobile. Did he have a swizzle stick as his turn signal? Was he wearing beer goggles? Did he get help building it from Joe (not his name) the Plumber (not a real plumber)?

Are you watching, Detroit?

My Wink Means "No"

CNN reports that Alaska Gov. Winky You Betcha has been replaced as the keynote speaker at a major Rethuglican fundraising dinner in June. The replacement for Winky? Newt "Poot" Gingrich, a fresh new face in the Rethuglican constellation.

Winky claims that her office wasn't contacted with an invitation; the Rethug pols who invited her say yes, it was. Is there a pattern here? Winky bowed out of a pep talk with Congressional Rethugs in late January claiming she had state business in Alaska, only to show up at the annual Alfalfa Club soiree in D.C. Ouch, dissed by the Snowbilly Queen again!

April Fools

The Rethuglican Congressional "leadership" is expected to unveil their alternative budget today, appropriately on. . . April Fools' Day. It's believed that, this time, there might actually be some numbers in the document, unlike last week's idiotic roll-out of a "blueprint" which contained little more than Rethug talking points and inane balloon charts, and which was met with almost universal derision. It's also believed that the document won't discuss out year deficits, because the Rethugs won't be able to explain how cutting the tax rate of the wealthiest Americans from 36 to 25 percent is going to plug that hole.

UPDATE: Wonkette has an update that's even worse that we thought: deep cuts in Medicare and Medicaid and programs for the poor and elderly, halt the stimulus funding, and freeze domestic spending for 5 years, while cutting corporate taxes and taxes on the wealthy, and eliminating the capital gains tax for a year. Bingo! They've solidified their economic elitist base of 3% of the population!