Is Mittens Quittens on Us?

It's very doubtful, but there are reports being circulated that Willard "Mousse/Mutt/Flip-flop/Slick Mitt" Romney might be trimming his campaign back for Super Tuesday. His campaign hasn't bought major airtime in the states holding primaries on February 5, and his campaign appears to be in growing disarrary, according to these reports. Saving his moolah to pass on to his five enlistment-eligible sons.

Willard, the most obvious political chameleon of this election cycle, gave a somewhat defensive and lackluster performance in Wednesday's Rethuglican debate at the Ronnie Raygun Center for the Glorification of Ronnie Raygun. His bazillions that he's spent in the quest for the Rethug nomination haven't gotten him too much more than a few "silver medals" in the primaries. Maybe once the Rethugs get around to nominating Walnuts! McCain, once-moderate-now-ultra conservative Willard will experience yet another fundamental change in political philosophy and run on the Communist Party ticket.

Obama for President

Now it's down to two. With the suspension of the campaign of the admirable John Edwards, Democrats have a clear choice. However it's phrased (past vs. future, technocrat vs. visionary, etc.), the differences between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama don't really involve major policy differences. Rather, it's more a style of politics and a generosity of spirit and authenticity of vision that distinguishes the two candidates from each other. We believe that the candidate best able to unite Americans and point them toward a better, more progressive America is Sen. Barack Obama.

To be most successful in politics, and governing, a person must have an ability to inspire as well as challenge us. That's because we need to overcome the fears and division that have been the hallmark of the past 7 years, if not the last 25. It's because we need to begin to rebuild what has been neglected. It's because we need to restore our standing with the world's nations, and our government's standing with its own people. For these and many other reasons, tangible and intangible, Hackwhackers proudly endorses Sen. Barack Obama for President.

28 Down, 171 To Go

Well, with Rep. Tom Davis' (Rethug-VA) announcement yesterday that he won't run for reelection in his increasingly Democratic district, the count stands at 28 Rethug congressmen not running for reelection this fall, out of 199 Rethugs currently serving. By contrast, only 5 Democrats aren't running for reelection (3 because they're running for Senate seats).

Another telling figure: the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has about $33 million in the bank for the upcoming election, whereas the Rethug counterpart has... er...$3 million. Given the way the Rethug rats are deserting the ship, that might be all they need to defend their seat(s) come November.

Battle Stations! 'Stache Bolton Insulted!

Wingnuts are in full meltdown after it was reported that U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Zalmay Khalilzad - - you know, one of those brown people - - failed to defend rabid war-winger John "Porno 'Stache" Bolton (left, in his Sunday best) at a conference in Switzerland. The forum moderator said that Khalilzad had an advantage "of having a name that is not John Bolton." Horrors! Let the bombing of Switzerland begin!

Adding insult to injury, Iranian officials were on the same stage as Ambassador Khalilzad, and we know it's verboten to be seen anywhere near the devilish Iranians. No one dares insult the mighty Porno 'Stache in wingnuttia.

Goodbye, Rudy Tuesday

Who could hang a name on you?
When you change with every new day
Still I'm gonna to miss you.

Well, not really. Anyway, he'll probably endorse Walnuts! for the Rethug nomination.

Sadly, we will miss John Edwards, who spoke on behalf of the millions of Americans who live below the poverty line, and who don't have lobbyists arguing for them. His wife Elizabeth was an inspiration. Let's hope they play a large role in the next (Democratic) administration.

Rock Star Rudy!

From a WaPo item on Giuliani's campaign in the last few days:

". . .Giuliani had the benefit of having a professional actor in his entourage. 'This is great!' [John] Voight said, after taking the stage in St. Petersburg and finding a crowd that would fit in a living room. When an even smaller audience greeted Giuliani in Fort Myers, Voight pronounced: 'This is like the Beatles or something.'"

The "or something" would be a one car parade.

UPDATE: Buh bye, Rudy! We'll miss your creepy self.

A Little Levity

While we're still mourning the loss of our uncle Rich, it might be time to start laughing a little, too. To that end, there were some entries in the latest WaPo's "Style Invitational" that were chuckle-worthy. The contest was to provide mottoes or tourism slogans for countries around the world. Here are some of the best:

China: Come Visit Your Money (Ira Allen, Bethesda)

Denmark: Oh, So Nothing's Rotten in YOUR Country? (Brendan Beary)

Germany: Genocide Free Since 1945! (Cy Gardner, Arlington)

Greenland: Site of the 2060 Summer Olympics (J. Larry Schott, Gainesville, FL; Elwood Fitzner, Valley City, ND)

India: For More Information, Press 1 (Matthew Morris, Rockville)

Iran: World's Largest Non-American Theocracy (Ira Allen)

Mexico: A Little Less Crowded Every Day (Dan Milam, Paducah, KY)

We're sure Uncle Rich's shoulder-rolling laugh can be heard somewhere in the distance...

Our Uncle

Our uncle, Richard, passed away this afternoon, about 3 months after his wife of 47 years, Barbara, died. A decorated World War II vet (China-Burma-India theater), artist, conservationist, and crafts teacher for the State of Wisconsin, Uncle Rich was a creative, warm, generous, funny and fun-loving man whom we loved all our lives. He's almost the last relative we have left in the generation of our parents. He will always be remembered and missed.

That Flip, He's One Smart Bidness Man!

Willard "Mousse/ Muff/ Flip" Romney's latest strategy is to puff up his business experience as a credential for fixing the economy. Yes, Willard, if we only had a former bidnessman at the helm of state today, why this econo -- what? Dumbya was an oil man and baseball executive before he was governor of Texas and preznit? How did a sharp guy like you let that one get by you? Oh, you have to take a call from Gov. Schwarzenegger? Go right ahead.

Meanwhile, WaPo's Ruth Marcus ranks the economic stimulus plans of the various Democratic and Rebunglecan candidates. Here's what she had to say about bidnessman Willard's:

"(Grade) D. Romney's plan is way too big ($233 billion) and badly constructed (most of the stimulus goes to business breaks, his individual tax credits don't go to those who need them most, and his huge, long-term tax cuts would harm growth if not paid for). You don't have to be a Harvard Business School grad to understand that encouraging savings is not stimulative."

This Comes As No Surprise

A study by two independent journalism organizations has documented repeated instances where the Bush Assministration made hundreds of false statements - - 935 to be exact - - concerning Iraq as a threat to our national security from September 11, 2001 to the 2003 invasion. The study indicates that the Assministration wanted to build public opinion for an attack on Iraq, and used false information in the process. The study also notes that the major media organizations propagated the false information without any independent checking or verification of the claims being made.

Then there's this little nugget in Newsweek. Was Dumbya's invasion of Iraq based more on the Bush family's well known hatred and fear of Saddam Hussein, and a lot less on national security? Again, comes as no surprise.

Curtains for Foghorn?

The campaign of Fred "Foghorn Leghorn" Thompson seems to be grinding to a halt after another disappointing showing in the Rethug primaries, this time in South Carolina. Once touted as the "Great Right Hope", Foghorn's only been getting in the single or low double digits in voters, with Hucksterbee siphoning off many of the "I hear God's voice" vote. His laid back campaigning style has left Rethugs cold, although it's done wonders for insomniacs. Speculation is that he's going to pull the plug soon, now that he's cancelled his appearance Thursday on the Fux Channel.

UPDATE: Yep, he announced he's pulling out. Now Foghorn and his young wife will be able to spend more quality time together. If he can stay awake.

My Pet Bull

Well, it seems Wall Street hasn't reacted with confidence to Dumbya's floated stimulus package, even after the Fed dropped the prime rate by 3/4 percent this morning. The Fed was hoping to stave off a precipitous NYSE market drop today, following 5 to 7 1/2 percent drops in Asian and European markets on Monday. Apparently, early indications are the boys on Wall Street aren't so sure about Dumbya's months- late- billions- short "flexible" (read: "desperate") $150 billion proposal. Even now, Dumbya's press suckertary, Dana Perino, is denying that we're headed into a recession, saying it's more of a "slowdown." In other words, Dumbya's over in the corner reading "My Pet Bull" to anyone who's still listening.

Photo: Dumbya's 9/11 "My Pet Goat" moment.

The Great Smear Mystery

In 2000, Sen. "Walnuts" McCain was running in the Rethugs' South Carolina primary for the presidential nomination. His only opposition was none other than George "Dumbya" Bush. An anonymous smear campaign was launched against McCain, which alleged that his wife was a drug abuser and his adopted Bangladeshi daughter was an illegitimate African-American baby that McCain fathered. McCain lost the primary.

As Glenn Greenwald points out, the mainstream media has always avoided probing the source of the smears, although it was obvious that the only beneficiary was Dumbya, who was the kind of guy the dopes in the media "wanted to have a beer with." The media never followed the trail of the smear back to its origin in likeable Dumbya's campaign, which was being run by Rove. To this day, they act mystified as to where the smear could have come from. Now, eight years later, during this primary season, they're trying to make amends with some rather fawning press for Walnuts. The more things change, etc.

Recommended Reading

Two op/ed articles in today's WaPo deserve to be read, one by Andrew Bacevich ("Surge to Nowhere") the other by Paul Starr ("Watch it, Democrats. You Could Still Slip Up"). The Bacevich article is a healthy antidote to op/ed vomit from Fred "Surge" Kagan and Michael O'Hanlon also in today's WaPo, counseling "patience" in Iraq. Bacevich's essential point is that, "surge or no surge, the Iraq war remains an egregious strategic blunder that persistence will only compound."

Starr's piece cautions Democrats to back off the racial/ gender politics which will only divide the party and give the Rethugs wedges to use in November, and rather focus on the deteriorating economy and "the manifest failures of conservative Republican leadership."

Quote of the Week - Crackpot Edition

"I'm here to tell you, if either of these two guys get the nomination, it's going to destroy the Republican Party. It's going to change it forever, be the end of it." --Crackpot pill-popper Rush Limbaugh, Jan. 15, referring to McCain and Hucksterbee. One hopes Limpballs, who is never right about anything, is right about this.