Picture of the Day

This picture at a Willard "Millionaire Mitt" Romney gathering in South Carolina caught our eye. Yes, it's the usual upper-crusty, middle-aged, white audience (o.k., we're middle-aged whites also - nothing inherently wrong with that). But the over-dressed Lady in the Red Hat, what's up with her? Is she in mid-Willardgasm? Her expression cries out alternately "Mitt! Over here! Notice me! Lets grow ... older together!" and "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille!"

(Photo: Richard Ellis/Getty Images)

The Improving Economy

Yesterday's jobs report for December showed some remarkable gains across the board: 200,000 new jobs added in multiple sectors, including manufacturing, health care, technology; the jobless rate dropping from 8.7% to 8.5%, the lowest in 3 years. Felix Salmon breaks down the numbers and tells us why its really good news (for America, not so much for the Rethugs).

Weekend Goodbye Bump Song

Another day's break from politics to remember Bump, who was a good dog (just like "Old Blue"), but the best companion and friend. Uncle Billy misses you!

Our Bump, 1993 - 2012

It was his time. His little body had become frail and it was painful for him to move around with two back legs that didn't function. He moaned and cried more lately, and seemed to be asking why things hurt. Bump was 18 years and seven months old when he passed away today, and he had a good, long healthy life until his age brought him down. He always had the complete devotion of his family.

Words can't capture the happiness that this beloved little dog brought to our family, nor can they describe the void that he leaves in our lives. He will never be forgotten, and will live on in our hearts and cherished memories.

2,500 More Reasons to Despise Li'l Danny Snyder

Washington Redskin owner Li'l Danny Snyder gave $2,500 to the campaign of "Landslide" Willard Romney. The little turd sure knows how to pick winners!

(Image: Li'l Danny, showing Willard the love.)

Freedom-Loving Virginia Rethugs' Loyalty Oath

In order to participate in the March 6 Rethuglican primary in Virginia (and vote for either Ron "Race War" Paul or "Landslide" Willard Romney), prospective voters must first sign a "loyalty oath" promising to vote for whomever is the ultimate Rethuglican nominee in November. Remember, freedom-loving Rethugs, don't accidentally kick the person in front of you as you goose-step into the polling station!

(Image: OldAmericanCentury.org)

On to New Hampshire!

Eugene Robinson in today's Kaplan Daily:

"Mitt Romney and his backers decided that, to win in Iowa, they had to destroy Newt Gingrich’s campaign. Now Gingrich looks eager — and able — to return the favor.

"Romney got his victory, but it doesn’t feel much like one. It’s embarrassing that the supposed Republican front-runner managed to beat Rick Santorum by only eight votes out of about 120,000 cast in Tuesday’s caucuses. It’s troubling that Romney has spent the past five years campaigning in Iowa and could still draw just one-quarter of the vote.

"And it’s downright ominous that Gingrich is threatening to do whatever he can to block Romney’s path to the nomination. If the sneering description of Romney in Gingrich’s post-caucus speech Tuesday is a preview — a 'Massachusetts moderate' who is “pretty good at managing the decay” — this could get ugly."

It doesn't get much better than this.

(Photo: "The Three Stooges" - with apologies to the real Three Stooges!)

Headline of the Day

"Republicans Outraged That Obama Is Obstructing Their Obstruction"

It's the only game the Rethuglicans have, and they're beginning to lose at it.

Mid-Week Post-Iowa Song

This one's for you, Rethugs!

Farewell, Michele!

A Bachmann photo-montage, courtesy of Wonkette:

Iowa Hangover

With Iowa's Rethuglican caucus results in, the good news is that the Rethuglican / New Confederate Party is deeply divided and in turmoil. One-percenter candidate and human weather vane Willard "Mittens" Romney won by a smashing 8 votes over beady-eyed theocon Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum, with Ron "Race War" Paul picking up third place. In a state where Mittens spent an estimated $18 million in TV and radio smear jobs vs. Frothy's couple hundred thousand dollars, the real victor would appear to be the Frothy One, who surged in the last week. Put another way, over 75% of Iowa Rethuglicans don't want "Landslide" Mittens as their nominee. That's trouble for "Landslide" Mittens.

By virtue of his nasty ads aimed at fourth-place finisher Poot Gingrich, Mittens also has gained an implacable, articulate enemy who will go into New Hampshire and South Carolina like an angry mongoose with the purpose of tearing Mittens a new one. Fun viewing, to be sure. Sadly, for entertainment purposes, the caucus results will apparently mean the suspension of Rick "Oops" Perry's and Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann's campaigns, since they finished a poor 5th and 6th respectively. We'll miss Oops' comical debate performances and Crazy Eyes' wild conspiracy theories, but trust that the remaining candidates will fill the lunatic gap quite nicely.

UPDATE I: Crazy Eyes Bachmann quits. Oops Perry remains in, and will campaign in South Carolina (will he attack Ft. Sumter?)

UPDATE II: Driftglass bids farewell to Crazy Eyes thusly: "Farewell to the finest collection of crackpot ideas, bald faced lies and Ninja Romulan ensembles in American presidential politics." LOL.

(image: Your average gun-toting, Bible-thumping Iowa Rethuglican the morning after carefully casting his vote)

Iowa Caucus Cartoon of the Day

(click to enlarge)

(Pat Oliphant via GoComics.com)

Final Iowa Name-Calling Roundup

From the Rethuglican asshats running in tonight's Iowa caucus, these random shots (h/t to Daily Kos for doing my work for me):

-- Vacuum-brained Gov. Rick "Oops" Perry, once again with the Obama/ Hitler analogy.

-- America's answer to the Hindenburg Newt "Poot" Gingrich makes the observation that Willard is a "liar" and fraud. Duh.

-- Willard "Flip-Flop/ Mendacious Millionaire Mitt" Romney plays the Obama derangement syndrome card in a desperate attempt at getting votes from the lizard-brained dimbulbs occupying the base of his party.

-- Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum, projecting again, thinks Rep. Ron "Race War" Paul is "disgusting."

(Image: Typical Iowa Rethuglican voter Claude Hopper trusting in the Lord and the voices in his head to lead him to the right candidate tonight.)

It's Why We Call Them Rethugs, Cont'd.

Beady-eyed Rethug homophobe Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum is pushing hard to get the last bigot and kook to vote for him in the Iowa Rethug cult's caucuses tonight. Yesterday, Mr. Frothy went after another important Rethug demographic when he let his racial freak flag fly with this statement:

"I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them other people's money."

That touches just about every angry white person's stereotype of the lazy, welfare-sucking black buck that there is. And, of course, that's Mr. Frothy's whole point.

(image: Frothy might want to cut back on the tan makeup because it alienates his base)

Mud Wrestling in South Carolina

MSNBC had South Carolina's Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian on this morning to discuss the coming South Carolina Rethuglican primary. Harpootlian, who speaks with a mellow Southern drawl, said that one-percenter Willard "Mittens" Romney had "peeled the bark" off of Poot Gingrich with his negative TV ads in Iowa. When asked what he saw ahead in South Carolina's Rethug primary, the folksy (and politically incorrect) Harpootlian wryly likened it to "midgets having a mud-wrestling contest" and all that emerges is "one midget covered in mud." The MSNBC hostess couldn't talk because she was chuckling so much. The sh*t-eating look on the smug face of the SC Rethug Party Chairman, who was sharing the screen, was priceless.