Trouble Brewing In Arizona

Rethuglicans are becoming well known for trying to tilt the playing field in their favor through voter suppression of likely Democratic voters and redistricting Democratic office holders out of existence. By requiring state-issued drivers licenses to vote (e.g., what about urban minority members that don't have cars?), Rethuglican officials in Wisconsin, Texas and other states have looked at demographics to try to marginalize or eliminate as many Democratic voters as possible.

Now, in Arizona, Rethug Gov. Jan "Witch's" Brewer has upped the ante by launching impeachment proceedings against the chair of Arizona's Independent Redistricting Commission, which had the temerity to come up with a balanced Congressional redistricting proposal that went against Witch's Brewer's desires. The governor and her Rethug state legislature wanted the playing field tilted to the Rethugs, of course. The obvious fact is that Rethugs can't win on a truthful presentation of their policies, so they have to resort to manipulation of low-information voters with bogus wedge "issues" and, when that isn't enough, engaging in voter suppression and redistricting games.

(photo: Brewer-ing election poison)

"Herb" Cain Cartoon of the Week

(Dan Wasserman, via gocomics.com)

Some Koch Sucking Up

Wingnuts are gathering in Washington, DC for a meeting of the Koch brothers' front group "Americans for [Koch] Prosperity," the financial engine behind the teabagger movement. Perfectly lubricated weathervane Willard "Mittens/Flip/Mousse" Romney will be there, pretending to be one of the teabaggers (maybe he'll show up in colonial garb). Current frontrunner and ladies' man Herman "Herb" Cain set the tone for the supplicant Rethuglican politicians by declaring (true quote): "I am the Koch brothers' brother from another mother." His "campaign"/book tour was funded by "Americans for [Koch] Prosperity," and Herb makes no secret about his long-standing connections with the far-right plutocratic brothers, who expect their candidates to return favors once in office in the form of gutting regulations and cutting their taxes.

Weekend Songs

It's Art Garfunkel's 70th (!) birthday on Saturday, so here are two songs from the extraordinary "Bookends" album. So this weekend, no fakin' it America!

Quote of the Day

"Democratic blacks coast along in a party that represents their interests. Republican blacks, they deal with people who fly Confederate flags and restrict voting rights. Do you have any idea how much character that builds?" -- The Daily Show's John Oliver, in a satire responding to the Adam's apple-sporting banshee (M)Ann Coulter who said on the Fux Channel that "our blacks" (meaning right wingers) were better than "their blacks" (meaning progressives). At least (M)Ann is a full disclosure racist.

Here's the full segment.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Conservative Minorities vs. Liberal Minorities
www.thedailyshow.com
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Previewing Flip-Flop's "Major Speech"

Charles Pierce previews Willard "Muff/ Mittens/ Flip Flop Mitt" Romney's "major policy speech" coming up this Friday (like a half-digested sausage) at a gathering of the teatard, Koch-sired "Americans for Prosperity" (theirs, not yours):

"Let the grovelling commence!

There's nothing quite like the anticipation of a 'major policy speech' from Mitt Romney, the darling of an ironclad one-quarter of his political party. Which former firmly held position on which issue will go overboard this time? How profoundly will he demonstrate that he doesn't even remember how little he once knew about anything? How deeply will our boy bow and scrape? How hard will he tug his forelock? How well-tailored will be his sackcloth, how perfumed his ashes? It truly is like that breathless moment under the Mexican circus tent right before they bring out the monkey who can suck his own dick.

This one looks like it's going to be about the economy, given the sponsoring entity and the various corporate reptiles behind it. Which means we're going to hear about all those taxes President Obama didn't raise, and all the job-killing regulations that he didn't impose, and all the knuckling of the Wall Street crowd that he never quite got around to. Mitt will then go into his well-practiced — if utterly unmoored from historical reality — razzle-dazzle over health care in which he pretends that what he did in Massachuetts happened to another person in another lifetime in a galaxy far, far away. It's possible that someone in attendance may toss a dinner roll at him at this point, which will be all that keeps me watching, I assure you."

Read the rest here.

Cartoon of the Day

(click to enlarge)

"Herb" Cain Goes Non-Nuclear On China

Maybe cardboard pizza man and Rethuglican front-runner Herman "Herb" Cain is just preoccupied with spinning his version of the sexual harassment story, or how he managed to violate campaign finance laws. But he should know that China has had nuclear weapons for almost 50 years for God's sake. Here's some of his recent wisdom on the subject:

"I do view China as a potential military threat to the United States. [...] They've indicated that they're trying to develop nuclear capability and they want to develop more aircraft carriers like we have. So yes, we have to consider them a military threat."

Jeez, Herb, could you even find China on a map? Doubtful. Who's advising you on foreign policy, Sarah Palin?

This is your modern Rethuglican / New Confederate Party leadership, ladies and gentlemen.

Mid-Week Song

Our mid-week song selection is from The Verve Pipe, a Michigan-based band that had this hit in 1996. It's good enough to still make the rounds on progressive / alternative radio.

Hair's Tipsy Performance

With cardboard pizza man and Rethuglican Presidential hopeful Herman "Herb" Cain flailing against charges of sexual harassment and campaign finance shenanigans, we don't want to neglect the other nuttiness that constitutes the Rethug candidate lineup. Last Friday, secessionist Texas Gov. Rick "Hair" Perry delivered what can only be described as a bizarre speech in Manchester, NH. Check out not only his flippant delivery, but his theatrical facial expressions. Either he just came from the dentist's office where he got a dose of nitrous oxide, or he was overserved at the event's open bar. Here's the evidence:



Yeehaw, y'all. Set up another round! I feel like punchin' somebody!! Where's my gun?

Graphic of the Day

(click to enlarge)

h/t to Crooks & Liars blog

The Hits Keep Comin'

Fresh off of evidence that creepy Rethuglican candidate Herman "Herb" Cain was sexually harassing women during his tenure at the National Restaurant Association, there are new reports that Herb's campaign has been the beneficiary of $40,000 in illegal contributions from a private corporation, Prosperity USA. Not coincidentally, one of the heads of Prosperity USA was Herb's Chief of Staff, ciggie smoke-blowing Mark "Cancerman" Block. Interesting that these revelations are coming out when Herb is neck-and-neck with Mittens in the polls, and when Hair Perry is sinking. Hmmm, what do you say, Mittens? Hair, what do you say? Is this your opposition research paying off? Esquire's excellent Charles Pierce thinks so:

"You might argue that someone has acted on principle, that someone thought that the nation needed this information in order to make an informed decision. If that's the case, then why didn't anyone try to strangle the whole campaign in its crib by releasing this a month or two ago? The only way this makes sense is as something that someone kept in their pocket until they needed it. And, in dealing with a party in which Karl Rove is a power, I choose not to believe in coincidence."

We'd say a bad day for Herb all around.

Your Rethug Bumper Sticker: "Don't Confuse Us With The Facts!"

"Our team wants someone authentic, creative, fresh, bold and likeable. And we don’t have much tolerance for too many facts or too much information. In politics, a bumper sticker always beats an essay." (emphasis added) -- Rethug strategist "Mr." Ed Rogers, in an uncharacteristic fit of honesty in yesterday's Kaplan Daily. When their own strategists tell you their base is fact- and information-averse, what does that say about the New Confederate/ Kook/ Rethug Party and their lowest common denominator politics?

Someone's Been Naughty

There is a new report that pizza pusher and Rethuglican Presidential candidate Herman "Herb" Cain may have been involved in sexually suggestive behavior with two women while working at the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. The women later took financial settlements and left the Association. The report was published in Politico, and picked up by the New York Times.

Herb already has some 'splainin' to do to fundamentalist wingers, who were very unhappy with his seemingly pro-choice position that he voiced on a Christian broadcast channel a few days ago. If this story has legs, Herb has the option of pulling a "Jimmy Swaggart" and crying his way out, or a "Clarence Thomas" and claiming a high-tech lynching.

(photo: Now we have a better idea of what's behind that slow, creepy smile)

Observations On The "Occupy" Movement

Laurence Lewis has a timely and perceptive post at the Daily Kos on the importance of the "Occupy" / 99% movement employing non-violent, civil disobedience tactics going forward. Here's a key passage:

"There is strength in resistance, but the greatest strength is in non-violent resistance. There also is the greatest opportunity for long-range success. At this stage, it's very much about perceptions. For this movement to have any chance at long-range success, this movement must progressively draw in more and more of the non-activist middle Americans who are for now mostly observing. And that means continuing to present to those mostly observing an ethos of determination, responsibility and non-violence. Let the tactics of those opposed to the Occupy movement reveal them. Let there be a clear contrast. This cannot be but a passing moment or a passing phase. It will take time and determination. And more."

The hallmark of the civil rights movement was in non-violent civil disobedience, even when faced with racist sheriffs departments employing fire hoses and clubs. The contrast in behavior was stark, and eventually aroused America's sympathy and support. The movement can't afford to be pictured as a series of anti-World Trade Organization-type riots by nihilists and vandals, which is what the one-percenters are trying to achieve.