Supreme Decision

Now that Justice David Souter has announced his retirement from the Supreme Court, President Obama has some interesting choices. Most are betting that he'll go with one of many highly qualified female jurists, including Judge Sonia Sotomayor (2nd Circuit Court), Judge Diane Wood (7th Circuit Court), and Elena Kagan, Solicitor General and former dean of the Harvard Law School. Whomever the President selects, please make it a fairly young, healthy person.

The only disappointment is that Souter voted with the liberal bloc of the Supreme Court, so Obama's appointment wouldn't alter the Court's 4 liberal, 4 conservative, 1 swing vote makeup. Now if we could arrange the departures of right wingers Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas from the Court, what a day that would be.

More Incomprehensible Babble From Tin Man

The (bong?) hits just keep on comin' from Michael "Tin Man" Steele! Herewith Balloon Juice offers the latest buffoonery from "da Man" (as cosmic dimbulb/ hysterian Bachmann calls him). May we suggest the tin foil chapeau at left for the Tin Man to roll in?

This Should Be Fun To Watch

CNN reports that a number of establishment Rethuglicans are forming a group, called the National Council for a New America, to "rebrand" the Rethuglican Party. Some of the old, familiar faces include Sen. John McSame, former Gov. and smaller shrub, Jeb Bush, former RNC chairman and Mississippi Gov. Haley "Stale-ee" Barbour, and Willard "Mitt/Mousse/Flip" Romney.* How in the world will they change their image, when the operation is guided by the usual suspects, who have been saying that the reason they've been losing is because they haven't gone far enough to the right? Another sign of the comedy ahead is the fact that this "Council" will report to Congressional Rethug leaders -- the three stooges McConnell, Boehner, and Cantor -- who will certainly be agents of change.

Notably absent is the hip-hop, off the hook voice of RNC Chairman Michael "Tin Man" Steele, a further sign that he's been marginalized in just a few months on the job. (You can also add Gov. Winky You Betcha and Poot Gingrich to those apparently out of the loop -- guess "drill, baby, drill" and shutting down the Federal Government didn't made the "idea" list this time).

*WOLCOTTISM: James Wolcott is already dubbing them the "Elite Anti-Charisma Rescue Team." =snicker=

(Illustration: Daily Kos is adopting the "GOPosaur" as the new Rethug logo; we approve!)

The Good, The Bad, And The Joe

One of the key players in convincing Sen. Specter to switch to the Democratic Party (in addition to right wing Pennsylvania Rethugs) was Vice President Joe Biden, a long time friend and fellow Amtrak rider. Specter credited long conversations with Biden over time as helping him to decide to switch to the Dems. Good for Joe.

Then, the Vice President showed up on the Today Show on NBC this morning, and proceeded to mangle the message that the President delivered last night on the swine flu situation. Instead of reiterating that sick Americans needed to stay home and out of school, off of airplanes and subways, Biden said that he'd suggest everyone avoid "confined spaces" altogether, even if they're not sick: airplanes, elevators, trains, subways, buses, etc. Joe, that would probably bring the country to a standstill; not a good plan. The White House had to rush out a press release to "clarify" his statements. Bad for Joe.

Historian Michele Bachmann Speaks

Cosmic dimbulb and Rethug loon Rep. Michele Bachmann wants us to know what caused the Great Depression: FDR and the "Hoot-Smalley Tariffs!" TPM has the hilarious video.

What a "Hoot!"

"Come Back, And Change My Depends!"

We've seen reports that Playboy geriatric Hugh "Senior Discount" Hefner, 83, wants his 29 year-old playmate, Holly "Show Me The Money" Madison back in his loving, but feeble, arms. Calling her the "love of his life" (and what buxom blonde hasn't been?), the elderly horndog wants to rekindle his relationship with Ms. "Money" but apparently she's having none of it. Come on, Senior Discount, give it up. . .you have hemorrhoids older than she is!

(photo: Um, Hef, you need to change into street clothes when you leave your home; jammies ain't appropriate. And the aviator glasses? Mfffp. Who do you think you are, Brad Pitt?)

Tin Man: Keeping It Classy!

Rethuglican National Committee chairman Michael "Tin Man" Steele has had a bad week.* First, after personally campaigning for Tedesco in the NY 20th district House race, and pouring in party funds, his guy lost to Democrat Scott Murphy. Then yesterday, the Rethugs lost 29-year Senate veteran Arlen Specter to the Democrats. Tin Man, looking more and more like a dead man walking, lashed out at Specter, saying that he "flipped the bird" to the Rethugs by switching, indicating that it was good thing because of Specter's "left wing" views (a remark that's not supported by Specter's voting record, but what are mere facts to delusional Rethugs?).

What we want to know is where is Tin Man's "off the hook" campaign to carry the Rethugs' winning message the "urban-suburban hip-hop settings"? After all, everyone could use a good laugh right now.
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* UPDATE: Looks like the bad week's not over yet; RNC members are petitioning to restrict Tin Man's control over Rethuglican finances. Must be part of Steele's clever strategy.

(photo: Steele introduces his senior advisor for strategy, Mr. Snausage)

Department of Delusional Thinking

"Losing Specter may help produce greater GOP gains in November 2010, and a brighter Republican future." -- Wee Willie Kristol, commenting on Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party. He extends his perfect record of being wrong on everything.

With only 21% of Americans identifying themselves as "Republicans," the purge of the few remaining moderates from the Party of No can't help but drive those numbers down. . .will they be happy with a "pure" right wing party with 15% or 10% membership? It looks that way, and more power to them.

(photo: Wee Willie was told it was pie eating contest)

Snowe News Is Good News?

Those trying to read the political impact of Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party can add some Greek spices to the soup in the form of Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), who today said she was "devastated" by Specter's move, adding:

"I believe in the traditional tenets of the Republican Party: strong national defense, fiscal responsibility, individual opportunity. I haven't abandoned those principles...I think the Republican Party has abandoned those principles."

Sounds an awful lot like someone preparing to jump.

Clueless Conservatives

Jason Linkins, in HuffPo, reports on an Ohio State study showing that conservatives actually think Stephen Colbert is one of them, blissfully unaware that his political satire is aimed directly at their marble heads. Is this so surprising, though, considering the Rethug base still thinks there was an al-Qaeda/ Saddam Hussein link, or that Dumbya was the bestest Preznit evah, or that Adam and Eve romped with the dinosaurs, or that... well you get the picture.

Arlen Specter leaving the Rethugs lowered their party's average national IQ by 25 points.

Sen. Specter Switching To Dems

Huge political news. News organizations are reporting that Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch parties from Rethuglican to Democratic. Saying that his political philosophy is "more in line with the Democrats than Republicans," Specter becomes the 59th Dem vote -- just one shy of the "supermajority" needed to block a fillibuster -- in the Senate for the Democrats. Now, let's get Al Franken seated and stick it to the Party of No.

Note to Rethugs: bwahahahahahaha!

May We Suggest A New Symbol. . .

. . .for the Party of No?

Think of the physical similarities between our nominated mascot and Poot Gingrich, Pills Limpballs, and other porcine representatives of the Rethug right. And with their recent swinish behavior regarding the economy, torture under Cheney, and the swine flu breakout, it seems like a perfect match.

(photo: our apologies to pigs everywhere for our suggestion; elephants, however, must be delighted)

Sebelius To Be Confirmed

The outbreak of swine flu has apparently shaken loose the stalled nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, which is expected today. Rethugs had been delaying Sebelius' confirmation allegedly because of her pro-choice views. As we noted yesterday, they were also in the forefront of cutting funds for swine flu vaccinations and other Center for Disease Control programs.

So it takes a potential epidemic to get the Party of No to temporarily stop their obstruction. The American people are watching.

Rethugs Gutted Flu Pandemic Funding in Stimulus

When the stimulus bill was being negotiated in the Senate, Rethugs, led by "moderate" (as in "stupid in a moderate way") Sen. Susan "What Swine Flu?" Collins, demanded that $870 million in flu pandemic preparation funds be stripped out of the bill, reports John Nichols in The Blog. Collins and her Rethug colleagues were largely successful in taking out the flu pandemic monies, with an assist by Turdblossom Rove, who was providing talking points to the Senate numbnuts, and agitating against it in all the usual wingnut venues as an example of wasteful government spending.

More Rethug good government values at work for you!

(Photo: Turdblossom demonstrates his technique for warding off the swine flu - oh wait, he's naturally immune since he's a swine...)

An Old Brand Falls

Very sad news that General Motors is dropping the Pontiac brand, due to falling sales. Pontiac was one of GM's oldest brands (1926), and was famous for such models as the Grand Prix, Bonneville, GTO and the Firebird. A white '70 Firebird Esprit was one Hackwhacker's first wheels, and the brand has been part of the family for decades, including a Pontiac dealership. It's too bad they can't survive on the good memories of their customers.