The Beltway media has been attempting for several days to see what kind of influence it wields by amplifying the calls for Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign. The incessant noise has now caused House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz to ask Weiner to resign.
It's hard to calculate how many hours have been spent by our moral superiors in the Village media examining every lurid detail of Weinergate. It's certainly far more than any national or international news story, and so far there's no evidence of criminality on Weiner's part, just horrendous judgement and hubris (which is the condition of most members of Congress, and truth be told, the Village media). It's a pity that they were far less interested in questioning the lies that led us into Iraq.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
It's Why We Call Them "Rethugs," Cont.
"The last year has established that the whole premise of manmade global warming is a hoax, and we still have presidential candidates who want to buy into it!" -- Perfesser Rush "Pills" Limpballs on his June 7 radio hate fest, blasting Mittens/ Muff/ Willard Romney for acknowledging the reality of manmade climate change. Pills should know better about manmade global warming, since his daily fact-free hot air blasts make a significant contribution to it.
Cartoon of the Day
(click to enlarge)
Willard "Mittens" Romney's former company, Bain Capital, was involved in buying businesses (using money borrowed against their assets), laying off workers to slash costs, and then selling off the businesses for huge profits. When voters realize that Mittens wasn't in the business of "creating jobs" but just the opposite, maybe they'll decide to send this empty suit to the cleaners.
Willard "Mittens" Romney's former company, Bain Capital, was involved in buying businesses (using money borrowed against their assets), laying off workers to slash costs, and then selling off the businesses for huge profits. When voters realize that Mittens wasn't in the business of "creating jobs" but just the opposite, maybe they'll decide to send this empty suit to the cleaners.
Weekend Twofer
We must cap off "Weiner week" with this classic from The Kinks. (How disappointing when you find out that all is not what it appears to be in a public figure.) But, once again, we couldn't choose between two favorites, so we're offering up our second selection in recognition of the record-breaking heat we've been enduring (not the tongue-in-cheek "heat" in which The Kinks find themselves in snowy London!). Enjoy.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Abandon Ship!
Sound the alarm! Man the lifeboats! The SS Poot is going down.
Rethuglican Presidential candidate Poot Gingrich's campaign manager and six senior advisers resigned en masse today. After a catastrophic campaign roll out, in which Poot accidentally uttered the truth about the "kill Medicare" budget plan of Rep. Paul "Lyin'" Ryan, he's lost the support of most of the far-right base.
To make matters even stranger, Poot was on a two-week Mediterranean cruise when the mutiny broke out, and had to return home. In this case, it appears that Captain Poot should have stayed cruising on the other ship.
(photo: As they left, Poot's staff was heard singing "Yo ho ho, and a bottle of . . .RUN!")
More Rethug Hypocrisy
Rethug politicians can be expected to circle the wagons when one of their own get caught doing something nasty, and to flail the Dems when the shoe is on the other foot. Latest case in point: Rethuglican National Committee Chair Reince "Prepuce" Priebus is demanding Dems call for Rep. Anthony Weiner's resignation following the disclosure of his raunchy correspondence with various women (and lying about it). But when it comes to Rethug politicians going astray, Prepuce is all humna humna humna, let's get back to the Dems, shall we? Think Progress notes that Prepuce wouldn't call for the resignation of disgraced prostitute-soliciting Sen. David "Diapers" Vitter (Change Me- LA), who actually committed the crime of solicitation.
That cynical Rethug opportunists are attempting to turn the spotlight away from their disastrous "kill Medicare" budget bill is to be expected. So too is their embrace of a double standard for their own wayward politicians, and it's important to keep confronting them with it.
(photo: "Send in the clowns, don't bother they're here")
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Quote of the Day
"I'd really like to know how many journalists, pundits and activist types clucking with righteous condemnation of Weiner would be comfortable having that standard applied to them. I strongly suspect the number is very small. . . Millions upon millions of people at some point do what Weiner did. I know that's a shocking revelation that will cause many Good People to clutch their pearls in fragile Victorian horror, but it's nonetheless true." -- Glenn Greenwald in Salon, teeing off on the repressed, superficial journalists/voyeurs who would never allow the scrutiny of their lives that they demand of others.
DHS Giving Right-Wing Terrorists A Pass?
There's a disturbing story in today's Kaplan Daily that indicates the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is shying away from analyzing the threat of homegrown right-wing terrorists due to Rethuglican pressure. In the spring of 2009, the DHS issued a report (commissioned during Dumbya's Presidency) entitled "Rightwing Extremism" that detailed the growing threat from far right militias, secessionists, Sovereign Nation kooks, and assorted racist groups. Apparently, the report struck too close to home for the Rethuglican / New Confederate Party, which denounced the report as an attack on "conservative ideology" (ed. -- if the shoe fits. . .).
Since the inauguration of the first black President, we've seen decline in the rhetoric of the right-wing: birtherism, disinformation about the President's policies, using crosshairs in political ads, outright racism, etc.. The militant, gun-toting rhetoric from the likes of snowbilly grifter Sarah "Mama Fizzly" Palin and the right-wing media are stoking the imaginations of the unstable and violent elements on the far right. It's time for the DHS to get out of its fetal crouch and deal with the problem before it escalates into violence.
Mid-Week Song
After Mama Fizzly's gaffe-ridden "Magical History Tour" up the east coast last week, this vintage song from the Rolling Stones kept running through our minds. Her grasp of American history is equal to her grasp of reality. As the Stones put it:
"I'm not talking about the way she digs for gold
Look at that stupid girl
Well, I'm talking about the way she grabs and holds
Look at that stupid girl
The way she talks about someone else
That she don't even know herself
She's the sickest thing in this world
Well, look at that stupid girl"
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Hitting the Rethugs' Philosophical Underpinnings
The American Values Network has this spot out drawing attention to the Ayn Rand - New Confederate/Rethuglican Party philosophical bloodlines, hitting the immorality of their "right-wing social engineering" (P. Gingrich). The Democratic Party would be wise to follow this line of attack to illustrate just how far out of the moral mainstream Rethugs and their reactionary proposals are.
Japan's Radiation Leak Underestimated
News that radiation from Japan's tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was worse than originally estimated has raised questions about the government's early handling of the crisis. Government officials now estimate the amount of radiation released by the plant in the first week was roughly double the original estimate, and was between 20% and 40% of the amount released by the Chernobyl disaster. Three of the plant's nuclear reactors suffered a core meltdown in the days following the tsunami and earthquake on March 11.
Again, the people of Japan need assistance and help in overcoming this tragedy. Dealing with both the tsunami's impact and that of the damaged nuclear plant are tremendous burdens for the people. We should give what we can to relief organizations involved in recovery efforts.
Paul Revere's Bell Ringin', Musket Shootin' Ride
On last night's The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert did a number on acclaimed historian Sarah "Mama Fizzly" Palin's ass-backwards version of Paul Revere's ride. It's one of the most hilarious comedic bits he's done. Stick around to the end of the video where Colbert demonstrates how Revere rode a horse while ringing a bell and firing a front-loading musket, per Palin. Golden.
Monday, June 6, 2011
This Weiner Wasn't Kosher
Well, it looks like Dem Congressman Anthony Weiner was lying all along about sending inappropriate texts to women. In a press conference this afternoon, Weiner admitted that he lied last week about Twitter postings that showed him in underwear, and that he had been guilty of "sexting" several females in the past months. While he didn't indicate that he was resigning, he can expect to lose his prominent spokesman position within the Dem House caucus. His "scandal" last week preempted the Dems' successful attack on the "kill Medicare" policy of the Rethuglicans. Worst of all, this has to humiliate his lovely new wife, Huma, a top aide to Sec. Hillary Clinton, and who apparently married beneath her. Sad all around.
(photo: "My integrity went that-a-way.")
Rethug Mischief In Wisconsin
True to form, the Wisconsin Rethuglican Party is trying to disrupt the recall elections of a couple of their endangered state senators by running fake Dems to force a Democratic primary. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, their objective is to slow down the recall process on the Dem side to allow themselves more time to prepare for the recall elections.
In past elections, Rethuglicans have used various tactics to suppress voter turnout, to question voters at the polls, and to generally try to limit the number of voters. That's especially true where Dems have the majority of registered voters or are a significant minority. Here, they've become so unpopular in Wisconsin that they have to use deception to hope to avoid recall. Let's hope that this news convinces Wisconsinites that the Rethugs are unworthy to have the public's trust.
In past elections, Rethuglicans have used various tactics to suppress voter turnout, to question voters at the polls, and to generally try to limit the number of voters. That's especially true where Dems have the majority of registered voters or are a significant minority. Here, they've become so unpopular in Wisconsin that they have to use deception to hope to avoid recall. Let's hope that this news convinces Wisconsinites that the Rethugs are unworthy to have the public's trust.
Ladies and Gentlement, Presenting Your Liberal Media
If you want yet another example of inside-the-Beltway, Rethuglican-wired media, look no further than today's Kaplan Daily front page Sparkle pony puff-piece on Rethuglican wingnuts Michele "Hoot-Smalley" Bachmann and Mama Fizzly. One wonders how writer Sandhya Somashekhar was able to get through the entire love note without ever mentioning any of their dimbulb pronouncements, or their un-electability. Oh, wait... just Google her name and up pops all sorts of (Rethug) love note articles and (Dem/Obama) screeds! (Damn that hippiesocialistobamaloving media!)
(Image: We apologize to any chimpanzees offended by this association with a certain Kaplan Daily "journalist.")
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