At last year's CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) event, the keynote speaker was Rush "I hope Obama fails" Limbaugh. This year's is Glenn "Obama is a racist" Beck. Who are the real leaders of the conservative movement? Clearly not any of their politicians. This party is turning to hate tv/radio hosts while their fired up listeners and viewers have turned into rabid dogs who no longer fear showing bigotry and hatred. In fact, they seem to be "out and proud." What is in our future when the most angry are the anti-intellectual crowd who are enthused enough to show up and vote? I hope Democrats are paying attention and Independents don't allow themselves to be lulled into a false sense of responsible policy. Don't for one minute buy into Republicans are for smaller government. That is a myth that the Democrats need to start literally proving to the people. Taking the high road in politics will never again be a possibility. Just ask John Kerry.
We got some interesting little tidbits this week from CPAC. I'm going to run down a list of some of the more interesting one's. Former Massachusetts short term governor Mitt Romney claimed among other thing's that the Bush record wasn't all that bad compared to the current president's. "I am convinced that history will judge President Bush far more kindly -- he pulled us from a deepening recession following the attack of 9-11, he overcame teachers unions to test school children and evaluate schools, he took down the Taliban, waged a war against the jihadists and was not afraid to call it what it is -- a war. And he kept us safe." Let's see where I disagree...oh yeah, all of it. I would like some kind of evidence where he pulled us out of a recession after 9/11. Anyone got anything? All "No Child Left Behind" did was force schools to push kids through that weren't necessarily ready. The schools became more concerned with their own evaluations rather than the students. He took down the Taliban? Really? Why hasn't this bombshell been on the news? What does Willard know that the rest of us don't? More nonsense being suggested that Obama doesn't call our military occupations -- war (totally proven to be false) and my very favorite...Bush kept us safe...except for that one really, really big time and a few smaller one's that no one really remembers...at least no one who get's all their information from Fox News.
Tim Pawlenty didn't want to go unnoticed, so on the day Tiger Woods spoke at his apologetic press conference, TimmyPaw remarked, "I think we should take a page out of her [Elin Wood] playbook and take a nine iron and smash a window out of big government in this country." Do these guys ever outgrow junior high humor? They probably fart in public and insinuate it was someone else just for laughs.
Florida wannabe senator Marco Rubio (R)said, "The president couldn’t find anywhere to set up a teleprompter to announce new taxes,” while he was reading off of a teleprompter. This "Obama uses a teleprompter" thing is so friggin' old already. Name the last president or politician who didn't use one. I think the thing that drives me crazy is the dummies who actually think that both Bush's, Reagan, Palin, Bachmann and the rest of their hero's speak off the cuff...well, I guess in Palin's case, it's true.
Erick Erickson, editor-in-chief of the conservative RedState.com blog, offered up some honesty while discussing the right wing's infrastructure when he noted, "We've got Fox News." It's not like it's a secret, but they're now getting brazen enough to admit it.
As Human Events editor Jed Babbin introduced Grover Norquist, he quipped, "And let me just say, I'm really happy to see Grover today. He was getting a little testy in the past couple of weeks. And I was just really, really glad that it was not him identified as flying that airplane into the IRS building." Seriously? They couldn't even wait until the IRS building in Austin stopped smoking? How do you joke about a terrible event sparked by an unstable man which caused several injuries and two fatalities, including the pilot...just one day later to boot? Don't forget, these people call themselves compassionate conservatives. Way to stay classy, conservative movement.
One surprising thing happened at CPAC. When California Young Americans for Freedom’s Ryan Sorba launched into a denunciation of the conference for inviting GOProud, he was roundly booed off the stage. In response to jeers following his initial screed, Sorba said, "the lesbians at Smith College protest better than you do." Way to go Smith College, you've been in the limelight twice this week! This one positive reaction by the crowd does not for a second make me think of amending the title to this blog entry.
The crowd chanted, "Run, Dick Run" when Dick Cheney was introduced by daughter Liz. The pair took turns with their usual anti-Obama rhetoric. You know the one's, he doesn't keep us safe, he's a socialist, he's a one term president, yadda, yadda, yadda. Were these people seriously hibernating from January 2001-January 2009? I have no other explanation as to their rational for wanting to return to the good ol' days of the Bush-Cheney Dictatorship. I'm not on board with everything Obama has done, it's the difference with our side, we don't march lock step. However, to think the current state of affairs is in any way Obama's fault is just plain ridiculous. In my opinion, if Obama would put Elizabeth Warren in charge of everything financially culpable to our government and let her make the decisions without getting in the way, we'd be on our way to a solid long-lasting recovery! She has been the only one consistently making sense out of this whole financial debacle.
Rachel Maddow who was in D.C. for a Library of Congress event decided to take in CPAC while she was in town. She was accosted from a guy who literally got into her face, got somewhat physically threatening and threw literature at her (To Keep Our Honor Clean: We Must Oppose the Homosexual Agenda for the Military). She said, Thank you. Who are you? and he yelled in her face, "We're normal people, what about you?" As Rachel stated on her show, "He did not in fact seem like normal people, but more specifically he was from an organization called Tradition, Family and Property whose booth I sought out later. They say that it would be unclean to have gay people in the military - and they have this neato gold Welsh looking crest." Except for that one creepy individual, Rachel said everyone was very nice to her. I still find it amazing that these people don't understand that gay people are already serving. Removing DADT isn't about allowing gay people to join the military, it's about letting them continue to serve even if someone finds out they're gay! I don't understand how they're missing that fact!
Mr. Everyman, Glenn Beck with trusty chalkboard along side, gave his keynote speech Saturday evening. Among his claims: He said, "The progressives are a cancer to our society." He used some pretty deceptive "historical" information to back up his misinformation. Did you know Herbert Hoover was really a progressive? How can you even spin that claim? He had percentages of various claims all over his trusty chalkboard. This is another case of taking one of the worst president's in history and trying to chain him to our side. The Beckerheads in the audience don't know any better and certainly aren't going to do a fact check. Did you know you have the right to "pursue" happiness, but you do not have a right to health care or housing? In Glenn's world, his pursuit of happiness is complete. He lies for a living and is very well paid for it. The health care opinion didn't surprise me, but the housing one sure did! Funny how he didn't tie any crime statistics to his uneven rhetoric about homelessness on his chalkboard. Did you also know the progressive tax rate is a bad thing? He got a standing ovation and a huge roar from the crowd for that one. He's making $23M per year and they're making a bit less than that! What is wrong with people? They not only vote against their own best interest, they're cheering an entertainer for telling them they're stupid! I guess having a modern infrastructure isn't important to a group of people who look back wistfully on the 50's. Speaking of going back in time, he compared the 20's to now, saying that it was a great time because that's when the middle class was made, failing to mention how they were exploited by their employers. He also failed to mention that in the 20's, African Americans, recent immigrants, farmers and a large part of the working class population lived below the poverty line of $2,000 per year per family. He was correct saying it was the decade of radios, motion pictures and cars becoming more affordable with mass production. However, to combat the exploitation of those same workers, the UAW for example, was eventually founded in May 1935. Manufacturing and "gasp" unions are what actually made the middle class. Conservative Republicans have been methodically destroying them ever since. Furthermore the comparison is void, we still made stuff then, we don't now. We now have unfavorable trade policies and a global economy. He also got a huge cheer for saying he took one class in college before dropping out. After telling everyone he didn't care about their personal story, he told his. We know he was a drunken, drug addict whose first wife left him, blah, blah, blah. I'll give him one thing, the misinformation he hands out to support his point of view doesn't seem to wear on his conscience at all.
Finally, Ann Coulter called Keith Olbermann a girl (amongst several other anti-liberal, anti-Democrat remarks). That's fine, he's just as much a girl as Coulter used to be! Not that there's anything wrong with being a transgender Ann (or is it really Arthur?). I really don't care about that stuff, but this is arguably the most hateful, vile public personality at this time. You reap what you sow.
Showing posts with label maddow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maddow. Show all posts
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
CBS = Conservative Bias Syndrome
Friday night, Rachel Maddow ventured down to New Orleans to celebrate the city and their Super Bowl appearance. Melissa Harris-Lacewell, associate professor of politics and African American studies at Princeton University, spoke with Rachel about the interwhining of race, politics and football in New Orleans.
It's great that all these players are doing some great charity work (especially Saints LB Scott Fujita) and I applaud them all...even Manning. However, I want to speak a little about the CBS ad controversy. I would like to know why CBS will not air an ad from mancrunch.com, a dating service for gay men (want to make a bet we'll see ads for eharmony.com?), but have no problem with hate monger James Dobson's Focus on the Family ads starring former Florida QB and Christian fundamentalist Tim Tebow with his mommy about the evils of abortion. CBS has claimed that they turned down the mancrunch ad because of their policy against advocacy ads yet they're going to allow not just one, but two seperate Tebow ads. Just to keep you informed, in 2004 CBS also turned down an ad by MoveOn.org critical of Bush and his war in Iraq. Apparently the Conservative Broadcasting System (got that from Dave Ziren) is ok with advocacy as long as they agree with it. My understanding from a few sources is that the Tebow ad will not only advocate how well it turned out for the Tebow's, it will encourage other women to fulfill high risk pregnancies against a doctor's orders...as Mrs. Tebow did.
I'm pretty confident mancrunch knew they wouldn't get the deal and just used the opportunity to generate some publicity, but you do have to ask, why the double standard? Remember the Snickers kiss ad that CBS aired during the 2007 Super Bowl? Two mechanics "accidentally" kiss while scarfing down a candy bar. Evidently an accidental kiss is fine (the haha factor for idiots), but the appearance of two guys that might want to kiss...no, no, no! I've read a lot of people saying how the Super Bowl is a family show and parents shouldn't have to explain two men whose hands brush against each other reaching for popcorn (seriously). However, they don't seem to have a problem explaining an unwanted pregancy or half dressed women hawking beer?! What would the ad have looked like if Mrs. Tebow's son had turned out to be a Florida Gaytor instead of a Florida Gator? This Christian fundamentalism....with strong focus on the word mental, is destroying the fabric of everything we as a nation once stood for. By the way, there is a commercial for GoDaddy featuring racer Danica Patrick getting pulled over for speeding in a 1973 Mustang by a female patrol officer. I like Danica, but the commercial is pretty racy (forgive the pun). My point? Another double-standard. Danica, you can do better...and I hope the car didn't get scratched.
I will share with you a video segment of Dave Ziren discussing this with Rachel Thursday. As far as who I hope emerges as the Super Bowl winner; Who Dat! Hmmm...the halfime show is The Who. Is that a sign?
It's great that all these players are doing some great charity work (especially Saints LB Scott Fujita) and I applaud them all...even Manning. However, I want to speak a little about the CBS ad controversy. I would like to know why CBS will not air an ad from mancrunch.com, a dating service for gay men (want to make a bet we'll see ads for eharmony.com?), but have no problem with hate monger James Dobson's Focus on the Family ads starring former Florida QB and Christian fundamentalist Tim Tebow with his mommy about the evils of abortion. CBS has claimed that they turned down the mancrunch ad because of their policy against advocacy ads yet they're going to allow not just one, but two seperate Tebow ads. Just to keep you informed, in 2004 CBS also turned down an ad by MoveOn.org critical of Bush and his war in Iraq. Apparently the Conservative Broadcasting System (got that from Dave Ziren) is ok with advocacy as long as they agree with it. My understanding from a few sources is that the Tebow ad will not only advocate how well it turned out for the Tebow's, it will encourage other women to fulfill high risk pregnancies against a doctor's orders...as Mrs. Tebow did.
I'm pretty confident mancrunch knew they wouldn't get the deal and just used the opportunity to generate some publicity, but you do have to ask, why the double standard? Remember the Snickers kiss ad that CBS aired during the 2007 Super Bowl? Two mechanics "accidentally" kiss while scarfing down a candy bar. Evidently an accidental kiss is fine (the haha factor for idiots), but the appearance of two guys that might want to kiss...no, no, no! I've read a lot of people saying how the Super Bowl is a family show and parents shouldn't have to explain two men whose hands brush against each other reaching for popcorn (seriously). However, they don't seem to have a problem explaining an unwanted pregancy or half dressed women hawking beer?! What would the ad have looked like if Mrs. Tebow's son had turned out to be a Florida Gaytor instead of a Florida Gator? This Christian fundamentalism....with strong focus on the word mental, is destroying the fabric of everything we as a nation once stood for. By the way, there is a commercial for GoDaddy featuring racer Danica Patrick getting pulled over for speeding in a 1973 Mustang by a female patrol officer. I like Danica, but the commercial is pretty racy (forgive the pun). My point? Another double-standard. Danica, you can do better...and I hope the car didn't get scratched.
I will share with you a video segment of Dave Ziren discussing this with Rachel Thursday. As far as who I hope emerges as the Super Bowl winner; Who Dat! Hmmm...the halfime show is The Who. Is that a sign?
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Looking Back at 2009
Winners
Barack Obama: On January 20th, our 44th and first African-American President was sworn in at the age of 47. So much hope, so much energy. We'd never again have to hear nuclear pronounced nucular or wonder if our chi'dren was learnin'. He started quickly out of the box, but got bogged down by the health care reform kerfuffle. Then there were the unfortunate August town halls. Like many observers have noted, no one has ever made a dime betting against this guy. It's nice having a smart guy in the White House again. Let's hope 2010 gives him the bounceback we'd all like to see...well, most of us.
Rachel Maddow: She never shouts. She doesn't talk over guests or down to them. She doesn't ask questions to listen to herself talk. She examines, reports and exhibits a cool calmness while politely dissecting adversaries on both sides of the aisle, often to their faces...then thanks them for being on her show! Her preparation is unmatched. She covers stories no one else wants too. She goes out of her way to explain complex issues, often with humor so her viewers 'get it' without feeling inadequate. Her show has definitely found it's niche and hit it's stride.
Senator Al Franken (D-MN): Franken’s very first piece of legislation was an amendment to the FY2010 Defense Appropriations Bill, prohibiting defense contractors from restricting their employees’ abilities to take workplace discrimination, battery, and sexual assault cases to court. 30 male Republicans voted against it. Then they were shocked by the blowback they received. Apparently, they viewed Jamie Leigh Jones gang rape and the 24 hour lock up in a shipping container, which inspired this amendment as frivolous; "Just boys being boys." Protecting Halliburton/KBR against lawsuits must come first in their neo-con world. I honestly do not understand how any self-respecting woman can vote Republican. This was just another example of their ongoing dismissal of women as equal parts of society.
Chesley Sullenberger: How could you not be impressed on January 15th when Captain Sully landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River saving all 155 on board. The plane encountered a double bird strike which crippled both engines. Further adding to his legend was that he walked the aisle of the jet twice looking for passengers before exiting the plane himself. One part of his legend that was too much information was how it increased his "love" life.
Susan Boyle: Who can forget her rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream" on Britain's Got Talent. The sneers, jeers, eye rolls and chuckles the portly, frumpy woman received prior to her song, and the immediate reactions upon launching into it was one of the greatest moments ever on live TV. If ever anyone proved you can't judge a book by it's cover, she sure did.
Shaquille O'Neil: In a nice gesture towards a poor family, NBA star Shaquille O'Neal paid for the funeral of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis whose body was found November 16 in North Carolina on the side of the road. Her mother and another man were charged with multiple offenses. I'm not a basketball or O'Neil fan, but I'll give the guy credit for doing a very nice thing.
Losers
Glenn Beck & Rush Limbaugh: Conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory. Lie after lie. All nonsense, much of it dangerous. They give the teetering fringe the outlets they need to justify radical actions. I'm all for freedom of speech, however when you are able to spread outright lies without consequence, we have a problem.
Dick Cheney: He does everything the above do, but he says it as an ex-VP. That may give him a bit more credibility with a few more people. His constant attacks on Obama are meant to distract people of the true Bush-Cheney record. The 20%ers honestly believe they kept us safe and think Clinton was at fault for 9/11. They think the economy was strong under Bush. It does seem to have effectiveness with the same old segment. Of course Cheney won't appear anywhere but Fox Newz, the right wing propaganda channel. This is another case of repeating the message incessantly until it becomes a perceived truth to as many as possible.
Birthers: So is it that they don't realize Hawaii was a state in 1961? Do they really believe Obama's grandparents posted birth announcements in the Honolulu Advertiser & Star Bulletin in August of 1961 because they knew he'd be president one day? Do they just not care that Kenya didn't become a republic until 1964? Or is it as simple as trying to delegitimize the "exotic" guy for some predisposed opinions? Hmm...
Deathers: The same people as the birthers. They couldn't make that argument stick so they moved on. The new claim, kicked off by Sarah Palin was that Obama was going to have a panel of bureaucrats to decide who lives and who dies. Apparently, in addition to the elderly and down's syndrome babies, there was even an amendment that conservatives get offed first! You know, we could laugh about this, but there's a whole lot of people in this country that actually believe this crap. You know who they are as well as I do. They're the anti-education Christofascists. No surprise that my top pick(s) gave both groups credibility for their message(s).
Sarah Palin: There's not much more that I can add to what I've already written about her. I just find it terribly disturbing that 58,343,671 people willingly voted for a ticket that could've put this empty-headed nitwit one heartbeat from the presidency. In 2009 she proved that she's a liar, she's deceptive, she's manipulative, she's an anti-intellect, she's an opportunist ... and she's becoming a multi-millionaire because she has a huge fan base who thinks she's attractive - and waves the bible.
Peyton Manning: Because it's my blog. I can't stand this guy for a variety of reasons. It started while he was a college "star" and continued as his professional success grew. Somewhat recently, Huffington Post had an article about his commercials that eventually led to a discussion comparing him and Tom Brady. A lot of responses were calling Manning the all-American boy and disparaging Brady because he had a child out of wedlock. Even the fact that it had been a long-term relationship was irrelevant to these flag-waving, bible-thumping clowns. Manning likes to use the God word. Whenever I spoke of Manning's issue, I got scrubbed. Whenever I linked the article, I got scrubbed. Read this linked article if you want to see where my feelings about him begin. It's the story of a female trainer's treatment by not only him, but her employer because of him. I will root against the Indianapolis Colts until he retires. Brother Eli's stunt when the San Diego Chargers drafted him was just one more clue about how cocky these guys are, thanks to their father Archie who was a below average NFL quarterback in the 70's. I'll keep Tom Brady, thank you very much.
The WTF's
Joe Wilson (R-SC): He of the "You lie" fame. Can you imagine had a Democrat yelled "You lie" at Bush when he was making his WMD claims? He/she would've been censured, Republicans would've demanded an apology on the floor and the Republicans would've spent millions on a challenger. How did the Democrats handle it? As usual they did nothing. They once again let the R's have a "win". Is it an important win? Not by itself. Democrats still don't get that these little victories add up in the minds of our simple minded electorate. There's a group that thinks by not responding, it means any of their various nonsense is correct. When will Dems learn?
Michele Bachmann: "I have experience that throughout my political career, being labeled a kook." - "Michael Steele, you be the man. You be the man." - “What we have to do today is make a covenant, to slit our wrists, be blood brothers on this thing." Ok, I just used a few of my favorites although there are dozens more. Gee Michele, given the comment about slitting wrists over HCR, I have no idea why you would be labeled a kook!
Tiger Woods: There's really nothing I can add that you haven't heard or thought yourself. I'm not sure if I've ever witnessed a faster fall from grace. He'll return to golf and he'll win, but he'll never have the marketability that he had before Thanksgiving. His brazenness probably even makes Bill Clinton jealous.
Balloon Boy: You now, the day I got home from work and saw this on tv, while we didn't know officially that it was a hoax, I knew that kid was going to be found hiding in the house. Glad mom and dad are going to jail for a little while. They should also be forced to pay the $42,000 bill they received to reimburse police, the National Guard, and the FAA who were all involved in the search.
Party Crashers: Michaele and Tareq Salahi, managed to slip into a state dinner at the White House even though they were not on the guest list. Reportedly, the Secret Service is looking into its own security procedures. Yeah, that makes sense, let them investigate themselves. Am I the only one who thinks that's ridiculous? Anyone?
Barack Obama: On January 20th, our 44th and first African-American President was sworn in at the age of 47. So much hope, so much energy. We'd never again have to hear nuclear pronounced nucular or wonder if our chi'dren was learnin'. He started quickly out of the box, but got bogged down by the health care reform kerfuffle. Then there were the unfortunate August town halls. Like many observers have noted, no one has ever made a dime betting against this guy. It's nice having a smart guy in the White House again. Let's hope 2010 gives him the bounceback we'd all like to see...well, most of us.
Rachel Maddow: She never shouts. She doesn't talk over guests or down to them. She doesn't ask questions to listen to herself talk. She examines, reports and exhibits a cool calmness while politely dissecting adversaries on both sides of the aisle, often to their faces...then thanks them for being on her show! Her preparation is unmatched. She covers stories no one else wants too. She goes out of her way to explain complex issues, often with humor so her viewers 'get it' without feeling inadequate. Her show has definitely found it's niche and hit it's stride.
Senator Al Franken (D-MN): Franken’s very first piece of legislation was an amendment to the FY2010 Defense Appropriations Bill, prohibiting defense contractors from restricting their employees’ abilities to take workplace discrimination, battery, and sexual assault cases to court. 30 male Republicans voted against it. Then they were shocked by the blowback they received. Apparently, they viewed Jamie Leigh Jones gang rape and the 24 hour lock up in a shipping container, which inspired this amendment as frivolous; "Just boys being boys." Protecting Halliburton/KBR against lawsuits must come first in their neo-con world. I honestly do not understand how any self-respecting woman can vote Republican. This was just another example of their ongoing dismissal of women as equal parts of society.
Chesley Sullenberger: How could you not be impressed on January 15th when Captain Sully landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River saving all 155 on board. The plane encountered a double bird strike which crippled both engines. Further adding to his legend was that he walked the aisle of the jet twice looking for passengers before exiting the plane himself. One part of his legend that was too much information was how it increased his "love" life.
Susan Boyle: Who can forget her rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream" on Britain's Got Talent. The sneers, jeers, eye rolls and chuckles the portly, frumpy woman received prior to her song, and the immediate reactions upon launching into it was one of the greatest moments ever on live TV. If ever anyone proved you can't judge a book by it's cover, she sure did.
Shaquille O'Neil: In a nice gesture towards a poor family, NBA star Shaquille O'Neal paid for the funeral of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis whose body was found November 16 in North Carolina on the side of the road. Her mother and another man were charged with multiple offenses. I'm not a basketball or O'Neil fan, but I'll give the guy credit for doing a very nice thing.
Losers
Glenn Beck & Rush Limbaugh: Conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory. Lie after lie. All nonsense, much of it dangerous. They give the teetering fringe the outlets they need to justify radical actions. I'm all for freedom of speech, however when you are able to spread outright lies without consequence, we have a problem.
Dick Cheney: He does everything the above do, but he says it as an ex-VP. That may give him a bit more credibility with a few more people. His constant attacks on Obama are meant to distract people of the true Bush-Cheney record. The 20%ers honestly believe they kept us safe and think Clinton was at fault for 9/11. They think the economy was strong under Bush. It does seem to have effectiveness with the same old segment. Of course Cheney won't appear anywhere but Fox Newz, the right wing propaganda channel. This is another case of repeating the message incessantly until it becomes a perceived truth to as many as possible.
Birthers: So is it that they don't realize Hawaii was a state in 1961? Do they really believe Obama's grandparents posted birth announcements in the Honolulu Advertiser & Star Bulletin in August of 1961 because they knew he'd be president one day? Do they just not care that Kenya didn't become a republic until 1964? Or is it as simple as trying to delegitimize the "exotic" guy for some predisposed opinions? Hmm...
Deathers: The same people as the birthers. They couldn't make that argument stick so they moved on. The new claim, kicked off by Sarah Palin was that Obama was going to have a panel of bureaucrats to decide who lives and who dies. Apparently, in addition to the elderly and down's syndrome babies, there was even an amendment that conservatives get offed first! You know, we could laugh about this, but there's a whole lot of people in this country that actually believe this crap. You know who they are as well as I do. They're the anti-education Christofascists. No surprise that my top pick(s) gave both groups credibility for their message(s).
Sarah Palin: There's not much more that I can add to what I've already written about her. I just find it terribly disturbing that 58,343,671 people willingly voted for a ticket that could've put this empty-headed nitwit one heartbeat from the presidency. In 2009 she proved that she's a liar, she's deceptive, she's manipulative, she's an anti-intellect, she's an opportunist ... and she's becoming a multi-millionaire because she has a huge fan base who thinks she's attractive - and waves the bible.
Peyton Manning: Because it's my blog. I can't stand this guy for a variety of reasons. It started while he was a college "star" and continued as his professional success grew. Somewhat recently, Huffington Post had an article about his commercials that eventually led to a discussion comparing him and Tom Brady. A lot of responses were calling Manning the all-American boy and disparaging Brady because he had a child out of wedlock. Even the fact that it had been a long-term relationship was irrelevant to these flag-waving, bible-thumping clowns. Manning likes to use the God word. Whenever I spoke of Manning's issue, I got scrubbed. Whenever I linked the article, I got scrubbed. Read this linked article if you want to see where my feelings about him begin. It's the story of a female trainer's treatment by not only him, but her employer because of him. I will root against the Indianapolis Colts until he retires. Brother Eli's stunt when the San Diego Chargers drafted him was just one more clue about how cocky these guys are, thanks to their father Archie who was a below average NFL quarterback in the 70's. I'll keep Tom Brady, thank you very much.
The WTF's
Joe Wilson (R-SC): He of the "You lie" fame. Can you imagine had a Democrat yelled "You lie" at Bush when he was making his WMD claims? He/she would've been censured, Republicans would've demanded an apology on the floor and the Republicans would've spent millions on a challenger. How did the Democrats handle it? As usual they did nothing. They once again let the R's have a "win". Is it an important win? Not by itself. Democrats still don't get that these little victories add up in the minds of our simple minded electorate. There's a group that thinks by not responding, it means any of their various nonsense is correct. When will Dems learn?
Michele Bachmann: "I have experience that throughout my political career, being labeled a kook." - "Michael Steele, you be the man. You be the man." - “What we have to do today is make a covenant, to slit our wrists, be blood brothers on this thing." Ok, I just used a few of my favorites although there are dozens more. Gee Michele, given the comment about slitting wrists over HCR, I have no idea why you would be labeled a kook!
Tiger Woods: There's really nothing I can add that you haven't heard or thought yourself. I'm not sure if I've ever witnessed a faster fall from grace. He'll return to golf and he'll win, but he'll never have the marketability that he had before Thanksgiving. His brazenness probably even makes Bill Clinton jealous.
Balloon Boy: You now, the day I got home from work and saw this on tv, while we didn't know officially that it was a hoax, I knew that kid was going to be found hiding in the house. Glad mom and dad are going to jail for a little while. They should also be forced to pay the $42,000 bill they received to reimburse police, the National Guard, and the FAA who were all involved in the search.
Party Crashers: Michaele and Tareq Salahi, managed to slip into a state dinner at the White House even though they were not on the guest list. Reportedly, the Secret Service is looking into its own security procedures. Yeah, that makes sense, let them investigate themselves. Am I the only one who thinks that's ridiculous? Anyone?
Happy New Year!
Stay safe
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Why Doesn't This Dick Just Go Away To An Undisclosed Location?
I just want to say that while I’m disgusted, I’m not surprised that Republicans are trying to use this terrorist bombing attempt for political gain. Good ol’ Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) has even used this event to try and raise money for his bid to become Michigan Governor. He Sent out an email to supporters Tuesday repeatedly asking for contributions. However, one man that totally makes my skin crawl is Dick Cheney. I loathe that man. He represents everything bad about politics and he’s got supporters. He was named “Conservative of the Year" at some right wing publication called Human Events. In his latest anti-Obama attack, he’s telling the Fox Newz loyalists that Obama “is trying to pretend we are not at war.” He’s upset at the administrations low-key approach, which I actually applauded recently. How smart is it to telegraph your response to the world? Does this fool not understand that it’s not only U.S. citizens who will be seeing it? Just because Obama’s not standing on an aircraft carrier beating his chest, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have counter-measures in action. Oh, by the way, how did that work out? What scares the hell out of me is I think this lunatic is actually running for President 2012 right now! Seriously. We didn’t see him for eight years, now you can’t turn on your tv without seeing that evil bastard. I’m worried that he’s getting traction. He went on to say that, “It doesn't fit with what seems to be the goal of his presidency: social transformation, the restructuring of American society.” Really? What has changed? There's no evidence to support that claim. However, repeat it enough and the sheep will follow. I'm not sure exactly why he felt the need to slip that in there, except...2012.
As for terror attempts, why the double standard? Bush was not subjected to criticisms from either Democrats or the media when he waited six days to respond to Richard Reid's attempted shoe-bombing of an airplane on December 22, 2001. Like Obama now, Bush was also on vacation when that botched terrorist attack occurred. Here’s my worry. While I applaud the Democrats for trying to take the high road, it always bites them in the ass in the end. The Republicans have no shame and will continuously drive their propaganda across no matter how ludicrous it is. It has been a winning formula for them. Democrats need to get tough with their political rivals. Nobody’s talking about the fact that the Bush White House set the guys free who master-minded this attempt, because Dems aren’t pushing it. Also, very few news sources are reporting the similarities to the ‘Shoe Bomber’ and Bush's response – which was nearly identical to Obama's. Karl Rove also chimed in complaining that it took Obama 72 to address the public, yet never mentioned it took Bush twice as long. By the way, did you hear Mr. Sanctity of Marriage is getting divorced for the second time. Another hypocritical piece of trash.
For all the hopes and dreams of Republicans who think this is going to destroy Obama, I think they’re underestimating him. For some reason, something within me is telling me that Obama has a plan. He has proven that he thinks things out. Conservatives are still of the "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality. If Obama finds “it”, and "it's" successful, the Republicans will be done for a long time since the only thing they've got left to run on is the notion they're tougher on national security. He knows that. I hope he successfully takes that silly notion away as well. Many of us like low-key. Give ‘em hell, Prez!
Update: I just want to add this clip from tonight's MSNBC Hardball with Chris Matthews that I just viewed. On a quick glance, I noticed that Salon.com's Joan Walsh was on so I stopped to watch. I always appreciate her take on things. Tonight, I especially enjoyed the part where she blasts former Cheney aide Ron Christie for continuous Republican attempts to delegitimize this President at every opportunity. I even thought Matthews was correct!
As for terror attempts, why the double standard? Bush was not subjected to criticisms from either Democrats or the media when he waited six days to respond to Richard Reid's attempted shoe-bombing of an airplane on December 22, 2001. Like Obama now, Bush was also on vacation when that botched terrorist attack occurred. Here’s my worry. While I applaud the Democrats for trying to take the high road, it always bites them in the ass in the end. The Republicans have no shame and will continuously drive their propaganda across no matter how ludicrous it is. It has been a winning formula for them. Democrats need to get tough with their political rivals. Nobody’s talking about the fact that the Bush White House set the guys free who master-minded this attempt, because Dems aren’t pushing it. Also, very few news sources are reporting the similarities to the ‘Shoe Bomber’ and Bush's response – which was nearly identical to Obama's. Karl Rove also chimed in complaining that it took Obama 72 to address the public, yet never mentioned it took Bush twice as long. By the way, did you hear Mr. Sanctity of Marriage is getting divorced for the second time. Another hypocritical piece of trash.
For all the hopes and dreams of Republicans who think this is going to destroy Obama, I think they’re underestimating him. For some reason, something within me is telling me that Obama has a plan. He has proven that he thinks things out. Conservatives are still of the "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality. If Obama finds “it”, and "it's" successful, the Republicans will be done for a long time since the only thing they've got left to run on is the notion they're tougher on national security. He knows that. I hope he successfully takes that silly notion away as well. Many of us like low-key. Give ‘em hell, Prez!
Update: I just want to add this clip from tonight's MSNBC Hardball with Chris Matthews that I just viewed. On a quick glance, I noticed that Salon.com's Joan Walsh was on so I stopped to watch. I always appreciate her take on things. Tonight, I especially enjoyed the part where she blasts former Cheney aide Ron Christie for continuous Republican attempts to delegitimize this President at every opportunity. I even thought Matthews was correct!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays To All!
I really like this musical holiday light show, but it is no longer available for embed so I've linked it. Enjoy!
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Wizards In Winter (video)
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! - Captain
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Wizards In Winter (video)
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! - Captain
Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow
(via Twitter)
Monday, December 21, 2009
Matthews Creating His Own Sideshow
In keeping with the cantankerous mood I find myself in these days, let’s discuss Chris Matthews. About a month ago Matthews dissed his colleagues at MSNBC by saying that he was the only one on the network inviting opposing opinion. In the case of Keith Olbermann, that may be true. However in Keith’s defense, his show has always been about skewering untruths generally from the other side. Yes, Fox and Limbaugh are often targeted, but it doesn’t mean what he says is less factual. His show is not about debate, it's more about setting the record straight. Rachel Maddow asks conservatives on daily and is often refused because they know their factless rhetoric will not go unchallenged. David Frum, Nancy Pfotenhauer, Tim Phillips and recently Richard Cohen were verbally eviserated trying to use that technique. Granted, it gives other conservatives pause appear, but her aim is true and it’s why she has a growing fan base. That said, former Bush speech writer Mark McKinnon is a frequent guest and I’m confident Colin Powell is among those who would appear again if asked. The lesson is to be honest and not falsify objectives so the debate can continue. Now there’s Ed Schultz who has really seemed to take personal offense to some of Matthews recent comments. He really seems to be a guy 'mad as hell who isn't going to take it anymore' - from anyone! His show is formatted in a very similar way to Chris’, yet once the battle has begun and no one can hear a thing, he shuts them down and redirects as needed. Having opposing opinions all screaming at the same time doesn’t do the viewers a bit of good, but that's what Matthews show promotes. Schultz has just as many "righties" on as Chris. I guess the difference is, that Chris recycles BFF's like Tom DeLay who should be in jail and Nazi Pat Buchanan. It just strikes me a bit odd that Matthews has decided to make a right hand turn and trash his colleagues just as it became evident that the Comcast deal was “on”.
When the Stupak Amendment (yes, that again) passed the House HCR bill in early November, Matthews hosted Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) of co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus. She had circulated a letter which had about 40 signatures of House Democrats who say they will oppose the health care bill if it's used to restrict abortion rights. He badgered, interrupted and was downright rude to her for the entire interview. She had appeared on Rachel’s show the night before so I knew what her goal was, but anyone watching Matthews wouldn’t have heard a thing. Matthews’ conservative Catholic upbringing was on display for all to see. In his world, women do not have the right to decide what happens within their own bodies. He kept talking over her about how taxpayers don’t want their money to go towards abortions. I emailed his show and told him I didn’t want mine going to unjust wars either. Like I always say, “You can’t be pro-life and pro-war”. I find it odd how many people can’t see that.
Last week, this is what Matthews said about the far left as he calls us. You know, those who had the biggest impact on Obama’s election. "I don't consider them Democrats, I consider them Netroots. And if I see they vote in every election, or most elections, then I'll be worried. But I'm not sure they're regular, grown-up Democrats. I think a lot of these people are troublemakers who love to sit in the back seat and complain. They're not interested in governing this country. They never ran for office, they're not interested in working for someone in public office. They get their giggles out of sitting in the back seat and bitching." Daily KOS founder Markos Moulitsas fired back, "In 2003, when Bush landed his plane in the aircraft carrier, and spoke in front of the banner that said, 'Mission Accomplished,' Chris Matthews had an entire show based on that event, and he said everybody knows that we won the war, except a few critics. Well, I was one of those few critics. People like me in the Netroots were some of those critics. And it turns out that we were right and the Beltway conventional wisdom was wrong. And once again, we're in a situation where people like Chris Matthews don't learn from these mistakes. They're trapped in this bubble and they think that they know better. If Chris Matthews is worried about us working, and if he thinks that we're not Democrats, then he really should be worried, because he's got a thing coming."
Markos Moulitsas Slams Chris Matthews on "The Ed Show."
I've never heard him insult or dismiss Dick Armey's Teabaggers. I guess the lack of diversity in those crowds has gone unnoticed by him. To give that group of bigots more credibility than activist organizations like Moveon.org, Democracy Now or even Daily Kos is a tell tale sign of where Matthews true allegiances lie. He didn't mention how Armey's D.C. luncheon was cancelled last week because no one signed up to attend. You can bet had it been a cancelled lucheon for someone on the left, it would've been included in "Sideshow".
When the Stupak Amendment (yes, that again) passed the House HCR bill in early November, Matthews hosted Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) of co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus. She had circulated a letter which had about 40 signatures of House Democrats who say they will oppose the health care bill if it's used to restrict abortion rights. He badgered, interrupted and was downright rude to her for the entire interview. She had appeared on Rachel’s show the night before so I knew what her goal was, but anyone watching Matthews wouldn’t have heard a thing. Matthews’ conservative Catholic upbringing was on display for all to see. In his world, women do not have the right to decide what happens within their own bodies. He kept talking over her about how taxpayers don’t want their money to go towards abortions. I emailed his show and told him I didn’t want mine going to unjust wars either. Like I always say, “You can’t be pro-life and pro-war”. I find it odd how many people can’t see that.
Last week, this is what Matthews said about the far left as he calls us. You know, those who had the biggest impact on Obama’s election. "I don't consider them Democrats, I consider them Netroots. And if I see they vote in every election, or most elections, then I'll be worried. But I'm not sure they're regular, grown-up Democrats. I think a lot of these people are troublemakers who love to sit in the back seat and complain. They're not interested in governing this country. They never ran for office, they're not interested in working for someone in public office. They get their giggles out of sitting in the back seat and bitching." Daily KOS founder Markos Moulitsas fired back, "In 2003, when Bush landed his plane in the aircraft carrier, and spoke in front of the banner that said, 'Mission Accomplished,' Chris Matthews had an entire show based on that event, and he said everybody knows that we won the war, except a few critics. Well, I was one of those few critics. People like me in the Netroots were some of those critics. And it turns out that we were right and the Beltway conventional wisdom was wrong. And once again, we're in a situation where people like Chris Matthews don't learn from these mistakes. They're trapped in this bubble and they think that they know better. If Chris Matthews is worried about us working, and if he thinks that we're not Democrats, then he really should be worried, because he's got a thing coming."
Markos Moulitsas Slams Chris Matthews on "The Ed Show."
I've never heard him insult or dismiss Dick Armey's Teabaggers. I guess the lack of diversity in those crowds has gone unnoticed by him. To give that group of bigots more credibility than activist organizations like Moveon.org, Democracy Now or even Daily Kos is a tell tale sign of where Matthews true allegiances lie. He didn't mention how Armey's D.C. luncheon was cancelled last week because no one signed up to attend. You can bet had it been a cancelled lucheon for someone on the left, it would've been included in "Sideshow".
Friday, December 18, 2009
Has Obama Become "Compromised" Trying to "Compromise" With His Opponents?
Wednesday night, Keith Olbermann kind of stole my thunder with his Special Comment on the latest version of HR-3590, the Senate Health Care Reform bill. It was essentially a big “eff you” to Obama. He was correct on every point. Obama has continuously thumbed his nose at those of us who supported him, preferring to woo the right and conservative Democrats. Everytime the left rises in any kind of opposition to any proposed bill, he sends attack dog Rahm Emanual to tell the "liberals" to shut up. In my opinion he thinks we’ll support him in the end anyways, so he doesn’t care about how we’re feeling about one disappointment after another. This so called “health care reform” has magnified what a weak leader our President is turning out to be. I guess it was kind of silly of me last November 4, 2008 thinking I was voting for Obama/Biden. It turns out I was actually voting for Lieberman/Snowe. It's become painfully obvious over the past several months who holds the real power. It has actually been sickening to watch the alternating coddling the two of them have received from Democrats. I believe this administration is underestimating the degree that we're paying attention. They seem genuinely surprised that we actually expected them to be different. They better start realizing the damage they're doing or they're heading for one and done.
What we are currently looking at is a bill with no cost control. The insurance companies can’t deny you coverage for a pre-existing conditions, but they can charge you what they want. Isn't that great? There's no cap on premiums, but there's a cap on benefits! To top it off, you have to have insurance bought from the "insurance cartel!" So this has turned into a big gift to private insurers by handing them at least 30 million new customers. Way to go Obama, that’s not exactly the “change” we were looking for. The current position is something Obama actually chastised Hillary Clinton for during their respective campaign's. In 2012, I will vote for Obama again if he’s still the Democratic nominee, but only because we can’t leave the chance that Republicans will fill any more Supreme Court vacancies as they become open. It won’t be with excitement next time, unless he works very hard to right the ship. So far, he's been disappointing. Please take time to watch Keith’s outstanding spot on Special Comment:
After all this, we still have to wait for House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to meld the two bills together. The bill in the House at least has a Public Option to compete with private insurance, but it also has the Stupak Amendment, further restricting/obstructing a woman’s right to chose a safe and legal medical procedure. But don’t worry guys, you can still get ED supplements in both bills. The good ol' boys in Washington need be able to perform at a moments’ notice. I can't tell you how angry I am that these guys don’t feel a woman has the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy (it's not accomplished without help), but we better damn well not infringe their rights to have a "drug induced" erection…so when she's ready, you're ready...lasting as long as four hours...if loss of hearing or vision occurs, call a doctor. I do have to ask; Is it really that important guys? The Senate version doesn’t contain anti-abortion language as I write this, but Nebraska Conservadem Ben Nelson is working on it. He claims he won't vote for a bill without it. I'm going to have to put some trust in Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) on this one. She has been adament and consistent with her position that this is supposed to be about affordable health care, not circumventing a woman's right to choose. This should be simple, if you don’t believe in abortion don’t get one. However, making it virtually impossible to obtain a legal procedure because you personally have a problem with it is crossing the lines to women's rights. This country is letting religious beliefs dictate everything we do and I’m sick of it. The Catholic Church meddled in on this debate as well by having secret meetings with members of congress. The Hyde amendment from 1976 already disallows public funding for the procedure, but nooo that wasn’t enough – they added Stupak. What these guys are aiming for, is any insurance company who gets any federal money (which is almost all of them) will not be allowed to offer that service, even if a woman has her own insurance that she paid for. Somewhere along the way, this country began regressing on basic rights and I’m really afraid of where we’re going with the zealots getting louder and wielding more power. Let's start getting seperation of church and state in order. The next time the Catholics or the Mormons get involved in policy, strip them of their tax exempt status, until they see the errors of their ways. Then make them re-apply for it with a very long drawn out process. Let them see what it's like to have something taken away from them. I know -- it's a pipe dream of mine that will never happen.
Quick Thoughts: Thumbs up to MSNBC...mostly. Outstanding coverage from Olbermann and Ed Schultz for attempting to hold Obama accountable to campaign promises on health care. Ed's radio and tv shows have both covered the debate extensively and he's become a strong voice for a strong public option. Schultz was appearing on Morning Joe Thursday morning when he heard both Mika Brezinski's and Joe Scarborough's Blackberry's start ringing. Apparently they were getting complaints from the White House due to Schultz and fellow guest Arianna Huffington's blistering commentary and wanted the hosts to tone it down. I guess this White House expected MSNBC to behave as Fox did through the Bush years, as lapdogs. Also, great news for The Rachel Maddow Show whose overall ratings for the year were up 15% over 2008. While Rachel uses a gentler approach than the guys, she has been hammering the administration on numerous campaign promises since April. Even though the three aforementioned like Obama, they're doing their jobs in a non-partisan way. Chris Matthews continues to be the weak link in the evening line-up. Ever since his "thrill down my leg" comment, he's gone way to the right and insults liberals on a nightly basis. I guess he feels that's the way to redeem himself. I was never a fan, but now he's completely unwatchable....
I'm liking Al Franken (D-Minn.), more and more. When Lieberman's 10 minutes of yammering were up Thursday, this is what happened next; "I'm sorry. The senator has spoken for ten minutes," Franken the chamber's presiding officer, told Lieberman. "I wonder if I could ask unanimous consent for just an additional moment," Lieberman said. "In my capacity as the senator from Minnesota, I object," said Franken. Good for Al. I've heard enough from Benedict Arnold for a lifetime. To actually state that he didn't want the Medicare buy-in for people 55-64 because "liberals like it too much" said all you needed to know about this prick....
As Sarah's World Turns: The Toronto Sun Reports that Sarah Palin has been booted from Canadian Hospital fundraiser. Apparently the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation received many angry calls and emails from people saying they wouldn't donate to any event in which she has a role. She will come to town raise money for a local children’s charity instead. See what having educated citizens does!...A Salt Lake City Costco where Palin was to attend a book signing removed all tomatos from the shelves to lessen the chance of a copycat tomato throwing incident as happened a couple weeks ago in Minnesota. That was brilliant, really. I wonder if it occured to them to remove the eggs too... While in Salt Lake, the diva's legend grew. Palin's entourage requested local hairdresser Rhonda Halliday do an emergency hair session. Halliday arrived at the hotel and had her car valet parked. After being ushered to a room and given some instructions (don't talk to Palin unless she talks first) she did Palin's hair while the Wasilla quitter chatted with her family. Then, the Queen's party left to get to the book signing at Costco on time. Halliday was the last one out of the room because she had to put her equipment away, then watched as they all drove off without anyone mentioning payment or a tip. When the valet attendant got her car, he said that would be $10. She said she was with the Palin party and assumed they would take care of parking. That was news to him, so she had to fork over the $10. I guess she should've just been honored to be in her majestry's presence, that was payment enough... Palin also annoyed leaders of the Utah Republican Party when she didn't have time for them during her stop in Salt Lake City. I'm sure if they offered her a few bucks, she would've gladly found the time. She sure knows how to win friends and influence people. Yup, she's going to make a fine Presidential hopeful!
Keep the pressure on!
What we are currently looking at is a bill with no cost control. The insurance companies can’t deny you coverage for a pre-existing conditions, but they can charge you what they want. Isn't that great? There's no cap on premiums, but there's a cap on benefits! To top it off, you have to have insurance bought from the "insurance cartel!" So this has turned into a big gift to private insurers by handing them at least 30 million new customers. Way to go Obama, that’s not exactly the “change” we were looking for. The current position is something Obama actually chastised Hillary Clinton for during their respective campaign's. In 2012, I will vote for Obama again if he’s still the Democratic nominee, but only because we can’t leave the chance that Republicans will fill any more Supreme Court vacancies as they become open. It won’t be with excitement next time, unless he works very hard to right the ship. So far, he's been disappointing. Please take time to watch Keith’s outstanding spot on Special Comment:
After all this, we still have to wait for House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to meld the two bills together. The bill in the House at least has a Public Option to compete with private insurance, but it also has the Stupak Amendment, further restricting/obstructing a woman’s right to chose a safe and legal medical procedure. But don’t worry guys, you can still get ED supplements in both bills. The good ol' boys in Washington need be able to perform at a moments’ notice. I can't tell you how angry I am that these guys don’t feel a woman has the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy (it's not accomplished without help), but we better damn well not infringe their rights to have a "drug induced" erection…so when she's ready, you're ready...lasting as long as four hours...if loss of hearing or vision occurs, call a doctor. I do have to ask; Is it really that important guys? The Senate version doesn’t contain anti-abortion language as I write this, but Nebraska Conservadem Ben Nelson is working on it. He claims he won't vote for a bill without it. I'm going to have to put some trust in Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) on this one. She has been adament and consistent with her position that this is supposed to be about affordable health care, not circumventing a woman's right to choose. This should be simple, if you don’t believe in abortion don’t get one. However, making it virtually impossible to obtain a legal procedure because you personally have a problem with it is crossing the lines to women's rights. This country is letting religious beliefs dictate everything we do and I’m sick of it. The Catholic Church meddled in on this debate as well by having secret meetings with members of congress. The Hyde amendment from 1976 already disallows public funding for the procedure, but nooo that wasn’t enough – they added Stupak. What these guys are aiming for, is any insurance company who gets any federal money (which is almost all of them) will not be allowed to offer that service, even if a woman has her own insurance that she paid for. Somewhere along the way, this country began regressing on basic rights and I’m really afraid of where we’re going with the zealots getting louder and wielding more power. Let's start getting seperation of church and state in order. The next time the Catholics or the Mormons get involved in policy, strip them of their tax exempt status, until they see the errors of their ways. Then make them re-apply for it with a very long drawn out process. Let them see what it's like to have something taken away from them. I know -- it's a pipe dream of mine that will never happen.
Quick Thoughts: Thumbs up to MSNBC...mostly. Outstanding coverage from Olbermann and Ed Schultz for attempting to hold Obama accountable to campaign promises on health care. Ed's radio and tv shows have both covered the debate extensively and he's become a strong voice for a strong public option. Schultz was appearing on Morning Joe Thursday morning when he heard both Mika Brezinski's and Joe Scarborough's Blackberry's start ringing. Apparently they were getting complaints from the White House due to Schultz and fellow guest Arianna Huffington's blistering commentary and wanted the hosts to tone it down. I guess this White House expected MSNBC to behave as Fox did through the Bush years, as lapdogs. Also, great news for The Rachel Maddow Show whose overall ratings for the year were up 15% over 2008. While Rachel uses a gentler approach than the guys, she has been hammering the administration on numerous campaign promises since April. Even though the three aforementioned like Obama, they're doing their jobs in a non-partisan way. Chris Matthews continues to be the weak link in the evening line-up. Ever since his "thrill down my leg" comment, he's gone way to the right and insults liberals on a nightly basis. I guess he feels that's the way to redeem himself. I was never a fan, but now he's completely unwatchable....
I'm liking Al Franken (D-Minn.), more and more. When Lieberman's 10 minutes of yammering were up Thursday, this is what happened next; "I'm sorry. The senator has spoken for ten minutes," Franken the chamber's presiding officer, told Lieberman. "I wonder if I could ask unanimous consent for just an additional moment," Lieberman said. "In my capacity as the senator from Minnesota, I object," said Franken. Good for Al. I've heard enough from Benedict Arnold for a lifetime. To actually state that he didn't want the Medicare buy-in for people 55-64 because "liberals like it too much" said all you needed to know about this prick....
As Sarah's World Turns: The Toronto Sun Reports that Sarah Palin has been booted from Canadian Hospital fundraiser. Apparently the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation received many angry calls and emails from people saying they wouldn't donate to any event in which she has a role. She will come to town raise money for a local children’s charity instead. See what having educated citizens does!...A Salt Lake City Costco where Palin was to attend a book signing removed all tomatos from the shelves to lessen the chance of a copycat tomato throwing incident as happened a couple weeks ago in Minnesota. That was brilliant, really. I wonder if it occured to them to remove the eggs too... While in Salt Lake, the diva's legend grew. Palin's entourage requested local hairdresser Rhonda Halliday do an emergency hair session. Halliday arrived at the hotel and had her car valet parked. After being ushered to a room and given some instructions (don't talk to Palin unless she talks first) she did Palin's hair while the Wasilla quitter chatted with her family. Then, the Queen's party left to get to the book signing at Costco on time. Halliday was the last one out of the room because she had to put her equipment away, then watched as they all drove off without anyone mentioning payment or a tip. When the valet attendant got her car, he said that would be $10. She said she was with the Palin party and assumed they would take care of parking. That was news to him, so she had to fork over the $10. I guess she should've just been honored to be in her majestry's presence, that was payment enough... Palin also annoyed leaders of the Utah Republican Party when she didn't have time for them during her stop in Salt Lake City. I'm sure if they offered her a few bucks, she would've gladly found the time. She sure knows how to win friends and influence people. Yup, she's going to make a fine Presidential hopeful!
Keep the pressure on!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Hypocrite for Cash!
As much as I dislike this Sarah Palin, she doesn't go away, but makes writing fun and easy! I will give her one thing; while she's an intellectual idiot, she has some street smarts that I'm now seeing more and more of and it's starting to scare me that she can fool a lot of people with a virtual shell game. The quitter first agreed to debate Al Gore on Climate Change, but had second thoughts. Her excuses became; he wouldn't want to debate someone with a reasonable voice or facts. He wouldn't lower himself "to debate little old Sarah Palin from Wasilla." Then adding that if it was a conventional debate she'd get clobbered. Do you see what she did here? She managed to lower expectations for herself. She managed to convince her fans that she's the reasonable voice (just like them) while painting him as an arrogant elitist. Frankly, she possesses brilliant street smarts abounding with deception. I am honestly trying to figure out her appeal to people as she has no depth of character and says nothing of substance. This woman could shoot Bambi and manage to convince her fans that he had chronic wasting disease anyways so she did what Jesus would've wanted and reunited him with his mom. She won't tell them the part about his head being mounted above her fireplace and the rest of him is actually in her freezer.
I love this too. She has agreed to appear at a Canadian Hospital Fundraiser. I'm not sure what kind of math they used or how they're going to make money because she will be paid $200,000 for one half hour. Organizers hope to sell 1,000 tickets at $200 a plate which is a break even point, but raise more via photos with Palin. Her fans are praising the hospital for seeing her talent, knowledge and perception. Clearly none of them watched Canadian comedian Mary Walsh make a mockery out of her last month when Palin said "Canada needs to dismantle its public health-care system and allow private enterprise to get involved and turn a profit." Just the fact that she's charging a rate like that for a fund raiser should set off some sort of red flag, but not with Paliniacs! It would be nice to see her have the good sense to donate her fee, but I can't imagine she has enough class for that. Something else I would like to mention, St. Peter's Hospital is public, performs abortions, and offers end-of-life decision support. Socialist, pro-choice and death panels!!! Hypocrite for cash! As far as I can see, she has a talent for easily misleading people with a wink and a smile. Rumor has it she was quite a fancy pageant walker and good high school basketball player back in the day. Her knowledge is somewhat limited to hoodwinking her fans out of their hard earned cash with catchy phrases. I'll give her credit, that ability is making her a very wealthy woman. Being the skilled prevaricator without conscience that she is, she doesn't lose any sleep over it. I literally laughed when I saw them citing her perception in a positive manner. The woman didn't know her teenage daughter and her live-in teenage boyfriend were screwing under her own roof! How is that for perception?
Maddow's Uganda Update: As promised, for anyone who care's to know the latest on this story. The people Rachel named throughout her coverage of this story are not too pleased to have been publicized, but she forced public statements from, Pastor Rick Warren who seemed to take particular aim at being exposed prompting an invite from Rachel to her show. Senator Chuck Grassley also made a statement essentially saying that his beliefs haven't changed, but a death sentence is too severe. Rachel pointed out that their statements were not relayed directly to Ugandan authorities, like Senator Feingold's were. She said "Don't tell me, tell someone who can actually do something about it." Still, her coverage has brought a lot of attention to this criminal legislation. Hopefully clear thinking individuals such as Feinstein will be able guide them to see the errors and inhumanity of this legislation. This is how to use a bully pulpit for good not evil, Mr. Beck and Mr. Limbaugh.
Warren finally speaks out against legislation he influenced:
Uganda Be Killing Me - 12/10/2009
American anti-gay activists telling Uganda to create anti-homosexuality laws while disavowing the legislation to Americans audiences:
Uganda Be Killing Me - 12/09/2009
Harper Magazine Editor Jeff Sharlet, author of "The Family" joins Rachel to discuss how The Family influenced Uganda in drafting the anti-homosexual legislation:
Uganda Be Kidding Me II - 12/09/2009
How to condemn a bill a mean it. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) forcefully condemns the proposed Ugandan legislation and reminded them who gives them lots of cash.
Quick Thought: With the Tiger Woods saga in it's 17th day, I wanted to make a couple points. I'm not going to defend Woods for his actions, he clearly has some serious issues he should address and deserves to be taken to the cleaners by his wife. His wreckless actions put her health in danger as well as his own. I understand the pre-nup is being re-written for her benefit. Then again, Elin Woods seems to have some issues of her own in dealing with anger. I understand how hurt and upset she had to have been after allegedly receiving a call from one mistress that he has recently broken up with. Still, reports are that she broke four of his teeth with a cell phone, did $10,000 damage to the inside of the house with a golf club and chased him down the driveway in a golf cart wielding a club smashing at least one window in an $85,000 Cadillac Escalade as he drove it into a fire hydrant and then a tree. To me, here's the really crazy part. After the first woman came forward, a second one who thought she was the only "other" woman got pissed and came forward, as did the next and the next, etc... Ok, so all these women were angry enough to take him down because they weren't the only "other" woman. Where did he find these idiots? Do any of them know how ridiculous they look? Every single one of them knew he was married with kids. How stupid do you have to be to be having an affair with a married person and think they're not also cheating on you or at least have those tendancies? What a world we live in.
Have a great week!
I love this too. She has agreed to appear at a Canadian Hospital Fundraiser. I'm not sure what kind of math they used or how they're going to make money because she will be paid $200,000 for one half hour. Organizers hope to sell 1,000 tickets at $200 a plate which is a break even point, but raise more via photos with Palin. Her fans are praising the hospital for seeing her talent, knowledge and perception. Clearly none of them watched Canadian comedian Mary Walsh make a mockery out of her last month when Palin said "Canada needs to dismantle its public health-care system and allow private enterprise to get involved and turn a profit." Just the fact that she's charging a rate like that for a fund raiser should set off some sort of red flag, but not with Paliniacs! It would be nice to see her have the good sense to donate her fee, but I can't imagine she has enough class for that. Something else I would like to mention, St. Peter's Hospital is public, performs abortions, and offers end-of-life decision support. Socialist, pro-choice and death panels!!! Hypocrite for cash! As far as I can see, she has a talent for easily misleading people with a wink and a smile. Rumor has it she was quite a fancy pageant walker and good high school basketball player back in the day. Her knowledge is somewhat limited to hoodwinking her fans out of their hard earned cash with catchy phrases. I'll give her credit, that ability is making her a very wealthy woman. Being the skilled prevaricator without conscience that she is, she doesn't lose any sleep over it. I literally laughed when I saw them citing her perception in a positive manner. The woman didn't know her teenage daughter and her live-in teenage boyfriend were screwing under her own roof! How is that for perception?
Maddow's Uganda Update: As promised, for anyone who care's to know the latest on this story. The people Rachel named throughout her coverage of this story are not too pleased to have been publicized, but she forced public statements from, Pastor Rick Warren who seemed to take particular aim at being exposed prompting an invite from Rachel to her show. Senator Chuck Grassley also made a statement essentially saying that his beliefs haven't changed, but a death sentence is too severe. Rachel pointed out that their statements were not relayed directly to Ugandan authorities, like Senator Feingold's were. She said "Don't tell me, tell someone who can actually do something about it." Still, her coverage has brought a lot of attention to this criminal legislation. Hopefully clear thinking individuals such as Feinstein will be able guide them to see the errors and inhumanity of this legislation. This is how to use a bully pulpit for good not evil, Mr. Beck and Mr. Limbaugh.
Warren finally speaks out against legislation he influenced:
Uganda Be Killing Me - 12/10/2009
American anti-gay activists telling Uganda to create anti-homosexuality laws while disavowing the legislation to Americans audiences:
Uganda Be Killing Me - 12/09/2009
Harper Magazine Editor Jeff Sharlet, author of "The Family" joins Rachel to discuss how The Family influenced Uganda in drafting the anti-homosexual legislation:
Uganda Be Kidding Me II - 12/09/2009
How to condemn a bill a mean it. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) forcefully condemns the proposed Ugandan legislation and reminded them who gives them lots of cash.
Quick Thought: With the Tiger Woods saga in it's 17th day, I wanted to make a couple points. I'm not going to defend Woods for his actions, he clearly has some serious issues he should address and deserves to be taken to the cleaners by his wife. His wreckless actions put her health in danger as well as his own. I understand the pre-nup is being re-written for her benefit. Then again, Elin Woods seems to have some issues of her own in dealing with anger. I understand how hurt and upset she had to have been after allegedly receiving a call from one mistress that he has recently broken up with. Still, reports are that she broke four of his teeth with a cell phone, did $10,000 damage to the inside of the house with a golf club and chased him down the driveway in a golf cart wielding a club smashing at least one window in an $85,000 Cadillac Escalade as he drove it into a fire hydrant and then a tree. To me, here's the really crazy part. After the first woman came forward, a second one who thought she was the only "other" woman got pissed and came forward, as did the next and the next, etc... Ok, so all these women were angry enough to take him down because they weren't the only "other" woman. Where did he find these idiots? Do any of them know how ridiculous they look? Every single one of them knew he was married with kids. How stupid do you have to be to be having an affair with a married person and think they're not also cheating on you or at least have those tendancies? What a world we live in.
Have a great week!
Friday, December 4, 2009
18 More Months...at least - Is It Officially The Obama Doctrine Now?
While I applaud Obama for deciding on a date to bring troops home from Afghanistan, I would have preferred there wasn’t an eighteen month escalation preceding it. Of course critics say that the only thing Obama’s 18 month plan does is create a month 19 plan for the terrorists. Well, maybe so, but realistically we can’t capture and kill them all so just how many more American lives need to be wasted as we stumble around looking for a clear path to a perceived victory? How many times in the last eight years has the mission been changed just to keep us there? Even though I never viewed Bush as a legitimate President, I supported his decision after 9/11 to go into Afghanistan with the mission to capture and/or kill Osama bin Laden. I wanted the man responsible for the attack on our country “dead or alive”. On March 13, 2002, the part-time resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue stated in regard to bin Laden, “I am truly not that concerned about him. I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." That was just six months after the worse attack ever on US soil. Clearly, W’s heart wasn’t in it as he discovered they had no oil, so he shifted his attention to Iraq where he forced unfounded ties to Al Qaeda and the Taliban and used them to sell to congress and the American public the need of a pre-emptive war. Of course for the Bush administration, it was a financial windfall to keep the war going and capturing bin Laden was never a priority because it would have destroyed any way of justifying going into Iraq. Cheney’s lifetime ties to Halliburton and the millions he's made from them are rarely included in this sad story either. When Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow bring it up, they're assailed as enemies of "real" America. Who is the real enemy? U.S. Marines allegedly had bin Laden trapped in Tora Bora in December of 2001 and asked for additional support. A decision to not deploy those requested American forces to go after him or block his escape was made by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his top commander, Gen. Tommy Franks. Why would they do that if not to prolong the war and start another one? How many American lives could have been saved.
Wednesday night on The Rachel Maddow Show, Rachel was joined by our U.N. ambassador, Susan Rice. The two had a very respectful back and forth as Rachel believes there’s an undeclared war in Pakistan while Rice denies that is the case and explains the differences in our Middle East involvements. It’s informative to watch two adults talk about U.S. policy. The two parts are about 23 minutes combined:
This interview should be enlightening for those of us truly trying to understand our mission and goals. Unfortunately, we have an electorate that, for the most part, has no real intellectual curiosity and in fact dislikes anyone who does. Surely, 23 minutes of two smart women (gasp) talking about military strategy can not be taken seriously by the "right". They see this type of discussion reserved for conservative white males only and it wouldn't have taken 23 minutes, just six words, "bomb the hell out of them." They much prefer the primal instinct of war over a well reasoned peaceful policy discussion and decision. In their eyes, "fight makes right" and anyone who disagrees is viewed as a traitor or weak. These people agreed with McCain and his 100 year war idea. Most of our low information voters rely on “key” words/topics like; liberal, socialist, fascist, czar, Marxist, Nazi, Hitler along with Kenyan, ACORN, abortion, same-sex marriage, etc…to get them fired up -- no thought needed. These words are delivered on a nightly basis from Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity on Fox and Rush Limbaugh on the radio. The fact that their listeners/viewers repeat these words after hearing them on these shows even though many of the terms are contradictory certainly doesn’t deter them, that’s for sure! They applaud the untrained, unsophisticated views of their hero's. The only one in that group who completed what he started is O'Reilly (Marist College). The people that hang on to their every word, despise Maddow (Stanford & Oxford), Olbermann (Cornell), Ed Schultz (Minnesota State) and Thom Hartmann (Michigan State). I'm not sure when having an education became a bad thing in this country. Except for the occasionally bombastic Schultz, have you also noticed that our commentators have a much calmer demeanor? I'm also not buying that being a "liberal" is the profanity that conservatives have turned it into. By definition, we favor progress and reform, the protection of civil liberties. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded. Those aren't bad things!
Anyhow...
Obviously President Obama has more information about the situation than we do, but I’d love to see our service members come home. I'm just not sure that the goals that Susan Rice explained are realistic. These wars have done nothing positive for our country and there’s so much more we need to focus on. I did not vote for Obama to follow in Bush's footsteps in any manner, including Iraq and Afghanistan. We live in a world of microwave ovens and high-speed internet so we’ve grown accustomed to wanting everything now…if not sooner! Besides the war, President Obama is being criticized a lot for not accomplishing anything in his first year because we can’t see sure evidence. The stimulus appears to be working, yet because unemployment didn’t immediately fall to 5%, conservatives call it a failure. The health care impasse has been caused by "just say no" Republicans and conservative Democrats. Granted, Obama should take a more active role, but with the eight year mess he was handed, there remains only so many hours in a day. George W. Bush was most likely the worst leader (I won’t call him Prez) this country has ever had and his legacy is quite possibly going to destroy Obama’s as well unless giant steps are taken. I think one of the things that has caught him off guard is there is no longer a "no drama Obama." Everything he does is getting ridiculed and scrutinized by the right in ways that they weren't totally prepared for, so they've taken some heat. He came out of the gate strong with broadening stem cell research and passing the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. He appeared to be a strong, quiet, no frills Commander-in-chief when he ordered the Navy Seals to kill three Somali pirates who were holding an American cargo ship captain hostage. Then the health care debate began, Sarah Palin spoke of death panels, the crazed fringe took over informational town hall meetings and all the wonderful momentum and hope we had for this young President came to a screeching halt. I hope he can clean up most of the damage before the 2010 elections. While I don't think the Democrats will lose the majority in the House, it may no longer be a strong majority.
Sarah Palin Update: Since my last post was on Thanksgiving, I wasn't yet aware of The Turkey Trot To Nowhere. Evidently Sarah agreed to run the 5k Kennewick “Turkey Trot.” But she quit 40 minutes in! She wanted to avoid the adoring masses at the finish line. The article is linked above from "The Mudflats." It appears that the infamous Palin bus tour is a hoax. Joe McGinniss reports she's in fact flying around America on a private jet, specifically a luxurious "Gulfstream II 12-passenger jet rented from Universal Jet Aviation of Boca Raton, Florida, at a cost of more than $4,000 per hour." Yes indeed, her fans say she's "just like them!" In addition, camera's and recording devices are being banned from her book signing stops, BUT for a fee, you can get a photo taken of yourself with the former Alaska Governor for the following size/prices: 5x7 $15.99, 8x10 $20.99, 8x12 $23.99, 11x14 $35.99. Has any of her "fans" figured out yet that she's just in this for the money? Speaking of the former Governor, the Minnesota Mall of America announces she wants to be called Governor and wants only English speaking press when she appears there. Why should they call her Governor? Honestly, the way her gaffe filled book signing tour is going, you'd think she'd ban English speaking press so her never ending flow of ignorance wouldn't be reported daily!
Palin has also called on President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen climate conference since she feels the hacked emails from the the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England prove that man-made climate change is a hoax.
Quick Thoughts: On the Tiger Woods' ongoing saga: You know, the story seemed pretty conflicted right from the start, and has unfolded exactly as I expected it too, including my vision of the night in question and how the window of the Escalade was smashed. I am the last person who will condone any form of domestic violence, but as more and more information comes out, don’t you get the feeling that he probably wishes he just stayed in the house and took the beating?... On Thursday, Republican Senators David Vitter (R-La.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla) introduced the gimmick filled "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act". "The idea, broad-brush, is that whatever government option is in the bill, every senator and every representative should be enrolled in it," Vitter told 'The Hill'. "No other possibilities, no other choices." "It's called leadership," Coburn said. "If it's good enough for everybody else, we ought to be leading by example." Funny thing happened though, Democrats called their bluff. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) who tried to become a co-sponsor and was given the cold shouldar, was joined by Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.) in support. These are the kind of Democrats we need -- one’s with a spine! I like Sherrod Brown a little more every time I see him. ... You will love this headline: "Arlington, Tennessee Mayor Russell Wiseman Assails 'Muslim President' For Pre-Empting 'Peanuts": Seriously, this guy believes that President Barack Obama's West Point address, in which he announced his intention to escalate the war in Afghanistan, was intentionally timed to prevent Christians from watching Charlie Brown, stating, “Ok, so, this is total crap, we sit the kids down to watch 'The Charlie Brown Christmas Special' and our muslim [sic] president is there, what a load.....try to convince me that wasn't done on purpose”: The Peanuts Christmas show? Really? Now I could see if it was Rudolph or Frosty, but...These conservative fools weren’t embarrassed by eight years of a court appointed corrupt Presidency with the Bush-Cheney Regime, but they still can’t get over the fact that the young, black Hawaiian (yes Republicans, it was a state in 1961) won. Southerners get upset that they're perceived as uneducated, but they keep electing people like this. In fact, they should be embarrassed that people like Wiseman (ironic, isn't it?) continue to pop up on television and other media and make every southern stereotype be proven true.
Snarky comment of the week from Huffington Post commentator MCISMetal: "I can't comment on the Kyoto Accord as I've only ever seen the Honda" - Sarah Palin
In case you missed it...
News of the "get a life -- and a new iron": Nov. 27 METHUEN, Mass. (AP) -- A Massachusetts woman who recently separated from her husband and had her hours cut at work says an image of Jesus Christ she sees on her iron has reassured her that "life is going to be good." Mary Jo Coady first noticed the image Sunday when she walked into her daughter's room. The brownish residue on the bottom of the iron looks like the face of a man with long hair. The 44-year-old Coady was raised Catholic. She and her two college-age daughters agree that the image looks like Jesus and is proof that "he's listening." Coady tells The Eagle-Tribune she hopes her story will inspire others during the holidays. She says she plans to keep the iron in a closet and buy a new one.
Wednesday night on The Rachel Maddow Show, Rachel was joined by our U.N. ambassador, Susan Rice. The two had a very respectful back and forth as Rachel believes there’s an undeclared war in Pakistan while Rice denies that is the case and explains the differences in our Middle East involvements. It’s informative to watch two adults talk about U.S. policy. The two parts are about 23 minutes combined:
This interview should be enlightening for those of us truly trying to understand our mission and goals. Unfortunately, we have an electorate that, for the most part, has no real intellectual curiosity and in fact dislikes anyone who does. Surely, 23 minutes of two smart women (gasp) talking about military strategy can not be taken seriously by the "right". They see this type of discussion reserved for conservative white males only and it wouldn't have taken 23 minutes, just six words, "bomb the hell out of them." They much prefer the primal instinct of war over a well reasoned peaceful policy discussion and decision. In their eyes, "fight makes right" and anyone who disagrees is viewed as a traitor or weak. These people agreed with McCain and his 100 year war idea. Most of our low information voters rely on “key” words/topics like; liberal, socialist, fascist, czar, Marxist, Nazi, Hitler along with Kenyan, ACORN, abortion, same-sex marriage, etc…to get them fired up -- no thought needed. These words are delivered on a nightly basis from Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity on Fox and Rush Limbaugh on the radio. The fact that their listeners/viewers repeat these words after hearing them on these shows even though many of the terms are contradictory certainly doesn’t deter them, that’s for sure! They applaud the untrained, unsophisticated views of their hero's. The only one in that group who completed what he started is O'Reilly (Marist College). The people that hang on to their every word, despise Maddow (Stanford & Oxford), Olbermann (Cornell), Ed Schultz (Minnesota State) and Thom Hartmann (Michigan State). I'm not sure when having an education became a bad thing in this country. Except for the occasionally bombastic Schultz, have you also noticed that our commentators have a much calmer demeanor? I'm also not buying that being a "liberal" is the profanity that conservatives have turned it into. By definition, we favor progress and reform, the protection of civil liberties. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded. Those aren't bad things!
Anyhow...
Obviously President Obama has more information about the situation than we do, but I’d love to see our service members come home. I'm just not sure that the goals that Susan Rice explained are realistic. These wars have done nothing positive for our country and there’s so much more we need to focus on. I did not vote for Obama to follow in Bush's footsteps in any manner, including Iraq and Afghanistan. We live in a world of microwave ovens and high-speed internet so we’ve grown accustomed to wanting everything now…if not sooner! Besides the war, President Obama is being criticized a lot for not accomplishing anything in his first year because we can’t see sure evidence. The stimulus appears to be working, yet because unemployment didn’t immediately fall to 5%, conservatives call it a failure. The health care impasse has been caused by "just say no" Republicans and conservative Democrats. Granted, Obama should take a more active role, but with the eight year mess he was handed, there remains only so many hours in a day. George W. Bush was most likely the worst leader (I won’t call him Prez) this country has ever had and his legacy is quite possibly going to destroy Obama’s as well unless giant steps are taken. I think one of the things that has caught him off guard is there is no longer a "no drama Obama." Everything he does is getting ridiculed and scrutinized by the right in ways that they weren't totally prepared for, so they've taken some heat. He came out of the gate strong with broadening stem cell research and passing the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. He appeared to be a strong, quiet, no frills Commander-in-chief when he ordered the Navy Seals to kill three Somali pirates who were holding an American cargo ship captain hostage. Then the health care debate began, Sarah Palin spoke of death panels, the crazed fringe took over informational town hall meetings and all the wonderful momentum and hope we had for this young President came to a screeching halt. I hope he can clean up most of the damage before the 2010 elections. While I don't think the Democrats will lose the majority in the House, it may no longer be a strong majority.
Sarah Palin Update: Since my last post was on Thanksgiving, I wasn't yet aware of The Turkey Trot To Nowhere. Evidently Sarah agreed to run the 5k Kennewick “Turkey Trot.” But she quit 40 minutes in! She wanted to avoid the adoring masses at the finish line. The article is linked above from "The Mudflats." It appears that the infamous Palin bus tour is a hoax. Joe McGinniss reports she's in fact flying around America on a private jet, specifically a luxurious "Gulfstream II 12-passenger jet rented from Universal Jet Aviation of Boca Raton, Florida, at a cost of more than $4,000 per hour." Yes indeed, her fans say she's "just like them!" In addition, camera's and recording devices are being banned from her book signing stops, BUT for a fee, you can get a photo taken of yourself with the former Alaska Governor for the following size/prices: 5x7 $15.99, 8x10 $20.99, 8x12 $23.99, 11x14 $35.99. Has any of her "fans" figured out yet that she's just in this for the money? Speaking of the former Governor, the Minnesota Mall of America announces she wants to be called Governor and wants only English speaking press when she appears there. Why should they call her Governor? Honestly, the way her gaffe filled book signing tour is going, you'd think she'd ban English speaking press so her never ending flow of ignorance wouldn't be reported daily!
Palin has also called on President Obama to boycott the Copenhagen climate conference since she feels the hacked emails from the the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England prove that man-made climate change is a hoax.
"Policy decisions require real science and real solutions, not junk science and doomsday scare tactics pushed by an environmental priesthood that capitalizes on the public's worry and makes them feel that owning an SUV is a 'sin' against the planet."In some ways Palin's sudden enthusiasm for science comes as a surprise, since she has suggested evolution is not real and wants creationism taught in schools. Then again this gives her the chance to once again recite "Drill baby, drill."
Quick Thoughts: On the Tiger Woods' ongoing saga: You know, the story seemed pretty conflicted right from the start, and has unfolded exactly as I expected it too, including my vision of the night in question and how the window of the Escalade was smashed. I am the last person who will condone any form of domestic violence, but as more and more information comes out, don’t you get the feeling that he probably wishes he just stayed in the house and took the beating?... On Thursday, Republican Senators David Vitter (R-La.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla) introduced the gimmick filled "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act". "The idea, broad-brush, is that whatever government option is in the bill, every senator and every representative should be enrolled in it," Vitter told 'The Hill'. "No other possibilities, no other choices." "It's called leadership," Coburn said. "If it's good enough for everybody else, we ought to be leading by example." Funny thing happened though, Democrats called their bluff. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) who tried to become a co-sponsor and was given the cold shouldar, was joined by Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.) in support. These are the kind of Democrats we need -- one’s with a spine! I like Sherrod Brown a little more every time I see him. ... You will love this headline: "Arlington, Tennessee Mayor Russell Wiseman Assails 'Muslim President' For Pre-Empting 'Peanuts": Seriously, this guy believes that President Barack Obama's West Point address, in which he announced his intention to escalate the war in Afghanistan, was intentionally timed to prevent Christians from watching Charlie Brown, stating, “Ok, so, this is total crap, we sit the kids down to watch 'The Charlie Brown Christmas Special' and our muslim [sic] president is there, what a load.....try to convince me that wasn't done on purpose”: The Peanuts Christmas show? Really? Now I could see if it was Rudolph or Frosty, but...These conservative fools weren’t embarrassed by eight years of a court appointed corrupt Presidency with the Bush-Cheney Regime, but they still can’t get over the fact that the young, black Hawaiian (yes Republicans, it was a state in 1961) won. Southerners get upset that they're perceived as uneducated, but they keep electing people like this. In fact, they should be embarrassed that people like Wiseman (ironic, isn't it?) continue to pop up on television and other media and make every southern stereotype be proven true.
Snarky comment of the week from Huffington Post commentator MCISMetal: "I can't comment on the Kyoto Accord as I've only ever seen the Honda" - Sarah Palin
In case you missed it...
News of the "get a life -- and a new iron": Nov. 27 METHUEN, Mass. (AP) -- A Massachusetts woman who recently separated from her husband and had her hours cut at work says an image of Jesus Christ she sees on her iron has reassured her that "life is going to be good." Mary Jo Coady first noticed the image Sunday when she walked into her daughter's room. The brownish residue on the bottom of the iron looks like the face of a man with long hair. The 44-year-old Coady was raised Catholic. She and her two college-age daughters agree that the image looks like Jesus and is proof that "he's listening." Coady tells The Eagle-Tribune she hopes her story will inspire others during the holidays. She says she plans to keep the iron in a closet and buy a new one.
The "image of Jesus" that she sees has only reassured me that what's going to be good in her life is not burning down her house. The good news is she's going to put it in the closet and buy a new one. Since it looks like it's very old and well used, this is a good call...although I'll be expecting it to be up for bid on Ebay!
UPDATE 12/6/09: Just did a quick search on Ebay and there already is an iron with Jesus alleged image listed! The reasonable seller zinsanemods (amazingly the same person also has an Ozzy Osbourne iron - what are the odds?!) has allowed a $3000 Buy It Now.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Fox: They Distort, They Decide (that viewers are too dumb to notice)
On Faux Newz, the fairly unbalanced channel, boot-licking, Sean Hannity had a big week ignoring major gaffes by his guests. First came Sarah Palin who was trying to show off her foreign policy knowledge, responding to a question by Hannity on how we should handle the nuclear threat posed by Iran. It didn't take long for it to become abuntantly clear that she doesn‘t know the difference between Iraq and Iran.
Can you believe that there are actually some Americans who think that she‘s qualified to be president? This woman clearly is not ready for national politics. What is clear is that she wants to make a ton of money on her book tour and clearly will on the backs of her lower middle class supporters who believe she's the real deal and will plunk down their hard earned money (please watch video at the end of this paragraph to watch an example of her supporters). The sad thing is, I'm willing to bet most of them won't read anything except the back cover, the inside of the dust jacket and probably look through the 16 pages of color photos. The thing about the video above is Hannity sitting there like the president of her fan club and not at least nudging her that she's got her countries mixed up. If she just misspoke once, I could see him giving her a pass, but after several times in 1:03, he ends up looking just as ignorant as she does. There's several things about her popularity that are disturbing. The fact that she doesn't know the difference between Iraq and Iran makes me think she has no understanding of world events. The fact that she doesn't know the difference between a continent and a country makes me think she flunked geography. Her word salad speaking ability makes me think she flunked english. The fact that she didn't know "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 makes me think she flunked history. The fact that it took her over a year to figure out what she reads makes me think fellow wingnut Dick Armey finally told her what to say. The fact that she had no clue what Charlie Gibson was talking about when he asked her, her opinion of the Bush Doctrine which makes me think McCain's handlers flunked vetting. Scariest of all, many of her supporters are willing to vote for her because they find her attractive or that she's an average person...just like them. On her attractiveness, that's subjective. While I don't find her offensive to look at, the minute she opens her mouth, the ugliness is impossible to ignore. As far as her being "just like them"...what the hell is wrong with these people?! I don't want my president to be average or just like me. We saw what eight years of having a guy who folks thought they could have a beer with got us. I want my president to be way above average, maybe even a Harvard Law School graduate. I don't want to be able to beat our president in a debate about policy!
Then came Hannity's interview with former Press Secretary Dana Perino who President Obama recently nominated to serve on the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent agency responsible for overseeing the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and other non-military broadcasts sponsored by the federal government. What the hell is he thinking? In a discussion on Hannity's show, Perino claimed that President Obama was playing politics by refusing to describe the massacre at Fort Hood as a terrorist attack. "We should call it what it is," she said. "We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bush's term." Is she kidding?
One again, did you notice the lack of correction from Hannity or Stuart Varney? I know the Bush Administration tried to pin 9/11 on Former President Clinton for 7 years and 3 months, but do they actually believe that people don't remember who was sitting in a Florida kindergarten classroom being read "My Pet Goat" by 5 year olds on September 11, 2001? A few months later, five people were killed in the anthrax attacks. Clearly, conservatives want to call the Fort Hood murders, terrorism so that they can claim there was a terrorist attack on Obama's watch and use that for campaigning by saying he's weak on national security/defense. The thing is, by definition, terrorism is the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes. I don't think what Major Nidal Hasan did accomplished any of those things. Even though we know that Hasan had exchanged several emails with a radical Yemeni American cleric, there's also a paper trail of him not wanting to be deployed to kill Muslims. This is a disturbed man who should've been removed from the military two years ago, who snapped and belongs behind bars for the rest of his life. Yet, Perino went on to say "I hope they're not looking at this politically. I do think that we owe it to the American people to call it what it is." So who is actually playing politics with this tragic event? Do the right thing Mr. President, recind that nomination from this spin machine.
Is Fox so sure of it's complete mastering of brainwashing their loyal sheep that they get more brazen as time moves on? In 2004, they actually won a lawsuit by using the defense that they didn't need to use facts as they are an infotainment channel! The "fair and balanced" catch phrase they flash repeatedly has always represented a subliminal message to their weak minded viewers. As time has moved on, the lies have gotten more outrageous, which led to the White House calling them out for what they are. Former White House communications director Anita Dunn said, "Let's not pretend they're a news network, Fox News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party. What I think is fair to say about Fox, and certainly the way we view it, is that it really is more a wing of the Republican Party." And White House senior adviser David Axelrod added that they're "not really a news station", their viewers were outraged, infiltrating left wing blogs while brandishing their ignorance about the fact that their favorite channel doesn't use facts! I saw countless copied Nielson ratings posts about how many viewers were watching them as if to prove that the estimated 3 million angry, undereducated fools determined the pulse of the country. My standard gas on the fire response is, "that's because the Faux sheep need to have their bigotry and ignorance justified on a daily basis. Liberals are confident enough in their beliefs that we don't need daily reassurance." Furthermore, none of them seem to realize that these are not "hard numbers", but an estimate based on 25,000 Nielson homes out of 114,000,000 U.S. homes. Who watches the most tv? Angry, white, middle-aged conservatives. As the saying goes, "You can have your own opinion, but you can't have your own facts." The next comparison is always "MSNBC does it too." Not exactly. MSNBC isn't promoting progressive rallies, like Fox did with several conservative "Teabagger" events. Fox sponsored and sent their nighttime anchors out to multiple locations to cover the "grass roots" events. The closest thing MSNBC has done via Olbermann's Countdown is assist the National Association of Free Clinics in getting donations for free health care clinics to underprivileged areas. Let's see, one station chose to support anti-Obama rallies (let's just be honest here), the other channel chose to help those less fortunate. Indeed, MSNBC has three hours of liberal commentators with Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz, who are increasingly focused on the dual task of holding President Obama to a progressive agenda and criticizing his detractors. MSNBC also has three hours of conservative talk with Joe Scarborough and daily guest, nazi Pat Buchanan, who are focused on criticizing the President and defending his assailants! Chris Matthews is a conservative Democrat, so I laugh when the right calls him liberal. They haven't figured out that not all Democrats are liberal just because all Republicans are conservative. The rest of the MSNBC news line-up is a mixed bag of hopefuls along with Andrea Mitchell (Mrs. Alan Greenspan). Fox counters with supposed liberal Alan Colmes who everyone knows is a joke, except their loyal viewers. Even Colmes is in on it which makes his sellout all the more disgusting. He makes the exact case that Fox wants to promote, that Democrats and/or liberals are weak and he's paid quite handsomely for it. The bottom line is that Fox is right wing propaganda 24/7.
Palin Punked By A Comedian...Again
Once again, I thought the body of my article was complete, but this is too good to not report. Canadian Comedian Mary Walsh is the co-creator and star of "This Hour Has 22 Minutes", a nightly news parody show in the same vein as "The Daily Show." She arrived in character, as conservative Marg Delahunty to the Borders in Columbus, Ohio where Palin was signing books. It's bad enough that Fox favorite pin-up doesn't want to see our health care system improved, now she's venturing into Canada's health care system telling Walsh that "Canada needs to dismantle its public health-care system and allow private enterprise to get involved and turn a profit!" In addition to those comments, Walsh said, she found it equally bizarre that no one was allowed to ask Palin any questions at the book-signing. "It was great fun, but also very strange," Walsh recalled. "We're in a bookstore, at a public event, in a place one would think was a bastion of free speech. And no one was allowed to ask questions. What are they afraid of?"
Quick Thoughts: The best line of the week from an unknown commentator on Huffington Post, “If Sarah Palin ever wins the presidency, Canada will have to build a wall on it’s southern border.”... “The Wrap’s” Dylan Stableford quotes a Fox News insider as saying Bill O'Reilly had a "hissyfit" over the fact that Hannity's interview with Palin would air first, so he released a teaser of his Palin interview on his YouTube channel, a move Stableford characterized as "going rogue" and a "pre-emptive strike. You know, with the Republicans eating their own, it really is fitting that the egomaniacs at Faux would follow suit. Get the popcorn, this could be fun!... Bat shit crazy Michele Bachmann and Palin will be speaking at the National Tea Party Convention in Tennessee in February. "Press will be allowed in a designated section of the lobby of the convention only and will not be allowed inside the convention, there will be no media allowed for the banquet with Sarah Palin." I don't know about you, but it makes me wonder what they're hiding... Howard Dean thinks that Joe Lieberman should give up his chairmanship of Senate Homeland Security Committee if he can't bring himself to oppose a Republican filibuster of health care reform legislation. Never mind letting him give it up, Harry Reid needs to issue an ultimatum and stick with it. "You caucus with the Democrats, you're with us or you're not. Here's the price"... Speaking of Joe, after ignoring several requests from Rachel Maddow to appear on her show after stating he'd welcome a serious policy debate, I love that blogger Mike Stark found him in person and asked him to debate Rachel and his response was, "No, no, she's got a point of view". Does he not understand that a debate is a discussion of opposing views? Sitting around with his like minded pals on Fox Sunday isn't a debate. Heck, she even offered him a shake and a cookie!... Rush Limbaugh and Glenn "he's a hoot" Beck (twice) called Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu a prostitute and hooker for allowing discussion of the health care reform bill. So Christian of them. This sexist attitude is one of the reasons why the GOP should continue to struggle to attract a majority of female voters. Imagine had Olbermann called Palin or Bachmann one of those things. The right would've organized a campaign to get him fired. While Keith has his fun with those two with their ineptness politically, he's never stepped over that line. The cons don't think their side has a line. So Sarah, Michele or Carrie Prejean, where's your outrage? Where's that double-standard?... Lou Dobbs is considering a Senate run in New Jersey. How big does your ego have to be to think being an opinion commentator makes you qualified for office? The police refuted his claims of gun shots at his house. They've determined that the gunshots were from hunters nearby and not an attack on he and his wife. Lou figured it was a great way to get publicity and maybe some sympathy. Right wingers never want to hear facts. They get in the way of a perfectly good lie... A funny thing happened as I was finishing this up on this Thanksgiving evening, Beck put to rest any rumors of one possible "dream team" ticket. On his radio show today, Beck said he was absolutely ruling out the possibility of running for office with Saracuda at the top of the ticket. It also appears that his true opinion of the former governor was expressed. BECK: I don't think things are hoots. I don't. I don't think it's a hoot. I would never use the word hoot, and I respectfully ask that every time my name is brought up she would stop using the word 'hoot.' No, no I'm just saying -- Beck-Palin, I'll consider. But Palin-Beck -- can you imagine, can you imagine what an administration with the two of us would be like? What? Come on! She'd be yapping or something, and I'd say, "I'm sorry, why am I hearing your voice? I'm not in the kitchen." ...ouch...
If you want to listen in entirety, here's the clip: Beck Turns Down Ticket With Palin, Makes Sexist Remark
Until the next time...
Can you believe that there are actually some Americans who think that she‘s qualified to be president? This woman clearly is not ready for national politics. What is clear is that she wants to make a ton of money on her book tour and clearly will on the backs of her lower middle class supporters who believe she's the real deal and will plunk down their hard earned money (please watch video at the end of this paragraph to watch an example of her supporters). The sad thing is, I'm willing to bet most of them won't read anything except the back cover, the inside of the dust jacket and probably look through the 16 pages of color photos. The thing about the video above is Hannity sitting there like the president of her fan club and not at least nudging her that she's got her countries mixed up. If she just misspoke once, I could see him giving her a pass, but after several times in 1:03, he ends up looking just as ignorant as she does. There's several things about her popularity that are disturbing. The fact that she doesn't know the difference between Iraq and Iran makes me think she has no understanding of world events. The fact that she doesn't know the difference between a continent and a country makes me think she flunked geography. Her word salad speaking ability makes me think she flunked english. The fact that she didn't know "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 makes me think she flunked history. The fact that it took her over a year to figure out what she reads makes me think fellow wingnut Dick Armey finally told her what to say. The fact that she had no clue what Charlie Gibson was talking about when he asked her, her opinion of the Bush Doctrine which makes me think McCain's handlers flunked vetting. Scariest of all, many of her supporters are willing to vote for her because they find her attractive or that she's an average person...just like them. On her attractiveness, that's subjective. While I don't find her offensive to look at, the minute she opens her mouth, the ugliness is impossible to ignore. As far as her being "just like them"...what the hell is wrong with these people?! I don't want my president to be average or just like me. We saw what eight years of having a guy who folks thought they could have a beer with got us. I want my president to be way above average, maybe even a Harvard Law School graduate. I don't want to be able to beat our president in a debate about policy!
Then came Hannity's interview with former Press Secretary Dana Perino who President Obama recently nominated to serve on the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent agency responsible for overseeing the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and other non-military broadcasts sponsored by the federal government. What the hell is he thinking? In a discussion on Hannity's show, Perino claimed that President Obama was playing politics by refusing to describe the massacre at Fort Hood as a terrorist attack. "We should call it what it is," she said. "We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bush's term." Is she kidding?
One again, did you notice the lack of correction from Hannity or Stuart Varney? I know the Bush Administration tried to pin 9/11 on Former President Clinton for 7 years and 3 months, but do they actually believe that people don't remember who was sitting in a Florida kindergarten classroom being read "My Pet Goat" by 5 year olds on September 11, 2001? A few months later, five people were killed in the anthrax attacks. Clearly, conservatives want to call the Fort Hood murders, terrorism so that they can claim there was a terrorist attack on Obama's watch and use that for campaigning by saying he's weak on national security/defense. The thing is, by definition, terrorism is the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes. I don't think what Major Nidal Hasan did accomplished any of those things. Even though we know that Hasan had exchanged several emails with a radical Yemeni American cleric, there's also a paper trail of him not wanting to be deployed to kill Muslims. This is a disturbed man who should've been removed from the military two years ago, who snapped and belongs behind bars for the rest of his life. Yet, Perino went on to say "I hope they're not looking at this politically. I do think that we owe it to the American people to call it what it is." So who is actually playing politics with this tragic event? Do the right thing Mr. President, recind that nomination from this spin machine.
Is Fox so sure of it's complete mastering of brainwashing their loyal sheep that they get more brazen as time moves on? In 2004, they actually won a lawsuit by using the defense that they didn't need to use facts as they are an infotainment channel! The "fair and balanced" catch phrase they flash repeatedly has always represented a subliminal message to their weak minded viewers. As time has moved on, the lies have gotten more outrageous, which led to the White House calling them out for what they are. Former White House communications director Anita Dunn said, "Let's not pretend they're a news network, Fox News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party. What I think is fair to say about Fox, and certainly the way we view it, is that it really is more a wing of the Republican Party." And White House senior adviser David Axelrod added that they're "not really a news station", their viewers were outraged, infiltrating left wing blogs while brandishing their ignorance about the fact that their favorite channel doesn't use facts! I saw countless copied Nielson ratings posts about how many viewers were watching them as if to prove that the estimated 3 million angry, undereducated fools determined the pulse of the country. My standard gas on the fire response is, "that's because the Faux sheep need to have their bigotry and ignorance justified on a daily basis. Liberals are confident enough in their beliefs that we don't need daily reassurance." Furthermore, none of them seem to realize that these are not "hard numbers", but an estimate based on 25,000 Nielson homes out of 114,000,000 U.S. homes. Who watches the most tv? Angry, white, middle-aged conservatives. As the saying goes, "You can have your own opinion, but you can't have your own facts." The next comparison is always "MSNBC does it too." Not exactly. MSNBC isn't promoting progressive rallies, like Fox did with several conservative "Teabagger" events. Fox sponsored and sent their nighttime anchors out to multiple locations to cover the "grass roots" events. The closest thing MSNBC has done via Olbermann's Countdown is assist the National Association of Free Clinics in getting donations for free health care clinics to underprivileged areas. Let's see, one station chose to support anti-Obama rallies (let's just be honest here), the other channel chose to help those less fortunate. Indeed, MSNBC has three hours of liberal commentators with Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz, who are increasingly focused on the dual task of holding President Obama to a progressive agenda and criticizing his detractors. MSNBC also has three hours of conservative talk with Joe Scarborough and daily guest, nazi Pat Buchanan, who are focused on criticizing the President and defending his assailants! Chris Matthews is a conservative Democrat, so I laugh when the right calls him liberal. They haven't figured out that not all Democrats are liberal just because all Republicans are conservative. The rest of the MSNBC news line-up is a mixed bag of hopefuls along with Andrea Mitchell (Mrs. Alan Greenspan). Fox counters with supposed liberal Alan Colmes who everyone knows is a joke, except their loyal viewers. Even Colmes is in on it which makes his sellout all the more disgusting. He makes the exact case that Fox wants to promote, that Democrats and/or liberals are weak and he's paid quite handsomely for it. The bottom line is that Fox is right wing propaganda 24/7.
Palin Punked By A Comedian...Again
Once again, I thought the body of my article was complete, but this is too good to not report. Canadian Comedian Mary Walsh is the co-creator and star of "This Hour Has 22 Minutes", a nightly news parody show in the same vein as "The Daily Show." She arrived in character, as conservative Marg Delahunty to the Borders in Columbus, Ohio where Palin was signing books. It's bad enough that Fox favorite pin-up doesn't want to see our health care system improved, now she's venturing into Canada's health care system telling Walsh that "Canada needs to dismantle its public health-care system and allow private enterprise to get involved and turn a profit!" In addition to those comments, Walsh said, she found it equally bizarre that no one was allowed to ask Palin any questions at the book-signing. "It was great fun, but also very strange," Walsh recalled. "We're in a bookstore, at a public event, in a place one would think was a bastion of free speech. And no one was allowed to ask questions. What are they afraid of?"
Quick Thoughts: The best line of the week from an unknown commentator on Huffington Post, “If Sarah Palin ever wins the presidency, Canada will have to build a wall on it’s southern border.”... “The Wrap’s” Dylan Stableford quotes a Fox News insider as saying Bill O'Reilly had a "hissyfit" over the fact that Hannity's interview with Palin would air first, so he released a teaser of his Palin interview on his YouTube channel, a move Stableford characterized as "going rogue" and a "pre-emptive strike. You know, with the Republicans eating their own, it really is fitting that the egomaniacs at Faux would follow suit. Get the popcorn, this could be fun!... Bat shit crazy Michele Bachmann and Palin will be speaking at the National Tea Party Convention in Tennessee in February. "Press will be allowed in a designated section of the lobby of the convention only and will not be allowed inside the convention, there will be no media allowed for the banquet with Sarah Palin." I don't know about you, but it makes me wonder what they're hiding... Howard Dean thinks that Joe Lieberman should give up his chairmanship of Senate Homeland Security Committee if he can't bring himself to oppose a Republican filibuster of health care reform legislation. Never mind letting him give it up, Harry Reid needs to issue an ultimatum and stick with it. "You caucus with the Democrats, you're with us or you're not. Here's the price"... Speaking of Joe, after ignoring several requests from Rachel Maddow to appear on her show after stating he'd welcome a serious policy debate, I love that blogger Mike Stark found him in person and asked him to debate Rachel and his response was, "No, no, she's got a point of view". Does he not understand that a debate is a discussion of opposing views? Sitting around with his like minded pals on Fox Sunday isn't a debate. Heck, she even offered him a shake and a cookie!... Rush Limbaugh and Glenn "he's a hoot" Beck (twice) called Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu a prostitute and hooker for allowing discussion of the health care reform bill. So Christian of them. This sexist attitude is one of the reasons why the GOP should continue to struggle to attract a majority of female voters. Imagine had Olbermann called Palin or Bachmann one of those things. The right would've organized a campaign to get him fired. While Keith has his fun with those two with their ineptness politically, he's never stepped over that line. The cons don't think their side has a line. So Sarah, Michele or Carrie Prejean, where's your outrage? Where's that double-standard?... Lou Dobbs is considering a Senate run in New Jersey. How big does your ego have to be to think being an opinion commentator makes you qualified for office? The police refuted his claims of gun shots at his house. They've determined that the gunshots were from hunters nearby and not an attack on he and his wife. Lou figured it was a great way to get publicity and maybe some sympathy. Right wingers never want to hear facts. They get in the way of a perfectly good lie... A funny thing happened as I was finishing this up on this Thanksgiving evening, Beck put to rest any rumors of one possible "dream team" ticket. On his radio show today, Beck said he was absolutely ruling out the possibility of running for office with Saracuda at the top of the ticket. It also appears that his true opinion of the former governor was expressed. BECK: I don't think things are hoots. I don't. I don't think it's a hoot. I would never use the word hoot, and I respectfully ask that every time my name is brought up she would stop using the word 'hoot.' No, no I'm just saying -- Beck-Palin, I'll consider. But Palin-Beck -- can you imagine, can you imagine what an administration with the two of us would be like? What? Come on! She'd be yapping or something, and I'd say, "I'm sorry, why am I hearing your voice? I'm not in the kitchen." ...ouch...
If you want to listen in entirety, here's the clip: Beck Turns Down Ticket With Palin, Makes Sexist Remark
Until the next time...
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Theocracy Unleashed (Thanks John)
An American Fable - 17 November 2009
With the release of theocrat Sarah Palin's ghost written book Tuesday, and the sheer excitement from the right, it has made me think about the differences in how liberals versus conservatives value women. Liberals view women as an equal part of society. Conservatives think women are baby making machines destined to be subservient to men. Look at the women the left appreciates compared to the right; On the left we admire MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. On the right, they adore unemployed serial quitter Sarah Palin, unemployed breast implant recipient Carrie Prejean, and fictional writer Ann Coulter(?). Why does the left respect their women? Maddow was a Rhodes Scholar who earned a PhD from Oxford in Political Science, Pelosi is the first female Speaker of the House and Schultz easily won re-election last November while quietly fighting breast cancer. Why does the right enjoy their women? Palin despises women and once won a beauty contest, Prejean despises gays and once won a beauty contest, and Coulter despises liberals and wishes he won a beauty contest. It feels like the country is really at a crossroads. Conservatives want to go back to the days when men were men and women knew their place. They want Christianity taught in schools to force their beliefs on all children. Liberals want to move forward when men can love men and women know their place is as Speaker of the House. Liberals believe your spirituality should remain a private matter, to be taught freely within one’s own home if so desired. The discrepancy between the left and the right is obvious. The left is methodical, open minded, very accepting of equality, change and look forward to the future without fear. The right are reactionary, afraid of change, feel aversion against anything that doesn't look or act like them, clinging to the status quo (and guns & religion) while looking back wistfully at the past. As a progressive woman, I can not relate to people like Palin. How can any woman, especially one with daughters punish a woman who's been the victim of rape? In just one example of her leadership, as Mayor of Wasilla, she directly shifted the cost of the rape kits from the police department to the victims. Sarah Palin represents everything opposite of what I believe in. The fact that blow up dolls with her likeness were being manufactured during the election, and possibly still are, told me all I needed to know about why men were voting for her, but the women? I'm still confused. Some women who supported Hillary Rodham Clinton instead of Barack Obama actually switched alliances to Palin which sickened me. I'm sorry, I hope a day comes when I see a woman President elected, but I will not vote for any candidate without regard to their politics just because they urinate while sitting. That's irresponsible, ignorant and a whole new type of profiling.
Fact Checks - Oh My!
Immediately upon release of her book Tuesday, Facebook politician Palin started complaining about the AP doing fact checks on her book.
Future...and Past, Unknown
The fact that this woman attended 5 different colleges to get a degree makes me think that she had to move on to easier schools each time. The conservative base thinks that, that means, she’s really, really smart! And considering she got her degree in journalism, you’d think she could have written her own book! Instead she chose to tell her fable to far right Evangelical Lynn Vincent to spin the book towards Palin's favor. I challenge any of the Palinites to explain any policy that Palin has spoke of with authority. I mean policy, not opinion. We know how she feels about Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, ACORN, that she’s wants to rule the country with Christianity, she hates gays and thinks women are second class citizens. I dare any of her cult followers to tell me where she stands on issues of national security, world policies, how to improve trade equality, how to create jobs, etc… She has NO ideas and no clue. Conservatives have deemed anyone with an education, an "elitist". When did being educated become a bad thing? If Palin ever did get into the White House, make no mistake, the likes of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney would be running the show with their “pretty little thing” keeping a low profile. Conservative leadership has mastered mass manipulation and discourages individual thought. It seems that if conservatives hear something enough times, it becomes the truth (fair and balanced, fair and balanced). The leadership feels that by keeping the electorate ignorant, excessively reporting distortions of truth from the "left", they will thrive and return to power since undereducated voters are very primal in their beliefs. This is why educating young people is so important. They need to be able to assess a situation themselves instead of being brainwashed by a certain network that only Republicans and conservatives are good Americans. Other countries are racing past us in every facet of life, we must not elect politicians based on false fears or a candidate's alleged "hotness", nor let religion dictate our future or we are doomed to failure. This particular candidate falls into every single one of those categories. We need to think about policy!
Backlash from the Queendom!
I thought I was done writing for this week, but the former Miss Wasilla didn’t let me down! Twittering quitter Palin left a Noblesville, Indiana book signing with many angry (ex)fans who stood outside in a cold rain for several hours to meet their idol. In what shouldn’t have been a surprise, Palin got tired and quit, disappointing hundreds that spent about 3 hours getting wristbands and another 3 hours waiting in line to get their book signed. Some people took the day off from work and walked away empty handed! Borders bookstore had announced that they would give out 1,000 wristbands (1 per book, 2 maximum per person) which would guarantee them getting their books signed and many didn’t even get one signed. The cold, wet, angry crown gathered outside the nice warm tour bus that Palin retreated to, chanting "Sign Our Books! Sign Our Books!" They also shouted "Quitting on the job! Quitting on the job”. This is one way to anger and lose your base. If she can't run a book tour, how can she run a country? I'm sure by Sunday, it will be someone else's fault.
Quick Thoughts: In the spirit of my usual article ender, I thought I’d share some of Huffington Post’s unofficial “Going Rogue” index (because Palin’s book was literally rushed out without one) along with my take, since anybody reading my blog isn’t any more likely to read this dollar store drivel than I am. Here's a few examples: 4 pages (384-388) dedicated to common sense conservatives which I would say is an oxymoron; 10 pages dedicated to smearing Couric (255-256, 271-279), psst Sarah, we have video now and you can keep it on file to view repeatedly!; Creationism vs. evolution (217-219), You betcha The Flinstones were based on a real life family; Debate preparation (281-289) Why prepare when you “weren’t necessarily going to answer the questions asked”?; Election night speech and faceoff with McCain camp (332-337) No VP loser has ever been allowed to speak, but then again, SHE was the reason people voted for that ticket; Ethics attacks, loss of reputation (372-375), that bias liberal media found out what she did and that just wasn’t right. Only Democrats are to be investigated; Getting a D in college once (112), Just once? Really?; Charlie Gibson interview: (270-271) In what regard Charlie? And also too, how was she actually supposed to know what the Bush Doctrine was therefore?; Joe the Plumber, Tito the Builder (305-308) What?! No Rosie the Riveter?; Lobbyist who gave rides to Willow and her basketball team (137) Nothing good can come of me commenting; Obama's mistakes (388-394) 6 pages, 10 months in. Dubyas mistakes would require another book; Pregnant and the birth of Track (50-54)-Track, almost naming him "Zamboni"(53). Early on I joked that she chose her kids' names out of a “snow machine” parts catalog. Who's buying the first round?; Trig, pregnancy results - "Holy geez!"(171-174), Is that folksy enough for you?; Trig, water breaking and delivery (191-196) Everybody knows the best thing to do is get on a 3000 mile, 8 hour plane ride when your water breaks so you can call the kid a native Alaskan.
Take a deep breathe, count your blessings and keep in mind that this woman was 8,538,559 popular votes away from becoming the Vice President to a 72 year old, three time cancer survivor!
Have a great week and keep looking forward!
With the release of theocrat Sarah Palin's ghost written book Tuesday, and the sheer excitement from the right, it has made me think about the differences in how liberals versus conservatives value women. Liberals view women as an equal part of society. Conservatives think women are baby making machines destined to be subservient to men. Look at the women the left appreciates compared to the right; On the left we admire MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. On the right, they adore unemployed serial quitter Sarah Palin, unemployed breast implant recipient Carrie Prejean, and fictional writer Ann Coulter(?). Why does the left respect their women? Maddow was a Rhodes Scholar who earned a PhD from Oxford in Political Science, Pelosi is the first female Speaker of the House and Schultz easily won re-election last November while quietly fighting breast cancer. Why does the right enjoy their women? Palin despises women and once won a beauty contest, Prejean despises gays and once won a beauty contest, and Coulter despises liberals and wishes he won a beauty contest. It feels like the country is really at a crossroads. Conservatives want to go back to the days when men were men and women knew their place. They want Christianity taught in schools to force their beliefs on all children. Liberals want to move forward when men can love men and women know their place is as Speaker of the House. Liberals believe your spirituality should remain a private matter, to be taught freely within one’s own home if so desired. The discrepancy between the left and the right is obvious. The left is methodical, open minded, very accepting of equality, change and look forward to the future without fear. The right are reactionary, afraid of change, feel aversion against anything that doesn't look or act like them, clinging to the status quo (and guns & religion) while looking back wistfully at the past. As a progressive woman, I can not relate to people like Palin. How can any woman, especially one with daughters punish a woman who's been the victim of rape? In just one example of her leadership, as Mayor of Wasilla, she directly shifted the cost of the rape kits from the police department to the victims. Sarah Palin represents everything opposite of what I believe in. The fact that blow up dolls with her likeness were being manufactured during the election, and possibly still are, told me all I needed to know about why men were voting for her, but the women? I'm still confused. Some women who supported Hillary Rodham Clinton instead of Barack Obama actually switched alliances to Palin which sickened me. I'm sorry, I hope a day comes when I see a woman President elected, but I will not vote for any candidate without regard to their politics just because they urinate while sitting. That's irresponsible, ignorant and a whole new type of profiling.
Fact Checks - Oh My!
Immediately upon release of her book Tuesday, Facebook politician Palin started complaining about the AP doing fact checks on her book.
"Imagine that," she declared, "11 AP reporters dedicating time and resources to tearing up the book, instead of using the time and resources to 'fact check' what's going on with Sheik Mohammed's trial, Pelosi's health care takeover costs, Hasan's associations, etc. Amazing.”I guess Sarah doesn’t realize that the AP employs over 4100 journalists. So instead of setting the record straight and clearing up any “misinformation”, she chose deflection and her dedicated supporters never even noticed that she didn’t dispute that the book is full of lies, just that she was incensed that it was being reported! Palin relies on the fact that her fans unwavering worship isn’t based on intellectual capacity, it’s based on the presentation. She is going to make a lot of money while laughing behind the backs of her most ardent supporters. Furthermore, if she wrote a truthful memoir, why would she care about a fact check being done? In fact, it’s not just the AP; the McCain campaign staff has virtually and unanimously stated that the book is a complete work of fiction. In fact, former McCain campaign senior adviser Nicolle Wallace told “The Rachel Maddow Show” that Sarah Palin's book "Going Rogue is "based on fabrications," and that the basis for Palin’s depictions of her and former McCain campaign director Steve Schmidt as villains "took place entirely in her imagination.” My take from the excerpts I’ve read, the interviews she’s done and the statements from everyone not Palin is that the ghost written book is how she wants the public to remember her version of what happened/didn’t happen, not as they actually happened. And gosh darn it, if it’s printed, it must be true. I laughed out loud when I read that she did the Katie Couric interviews out of sympathy for supposedly low self esteem Katie. I was never a Couric fan until those interviews, but she’s been on the “tv machine” for a very long time. Sarah, not so much…although it feels like it. I will say though, her fans…they don’t get any more loyal. The fact that the woman is being defended by her followers as if she parted the sea is a true phenomenon of the human condition. I really want to know what she’s done to deserve this admiration. Obama was beat up for his ties to Pastor Jeremiah Wright, but Palin got a free ride over a visitor from Kiambu, Kenya (ironic isn’t it?) named Thomas Muthee. Muthee's popularity took him to Wasilla Assembly of God in May, 2005, where he prayed over Palin and called upon Jesus to propel her into the governor's mansion and beyond. Muthee also begged Jesus to protect Palin from "the spirit of witchcraft." Can you even imagine if Obama had even been in a building with this taking place?! Palin Gets Protection From Witches (Palin "prayer" at about 7:00)
Future...and Past, Unknown
The fact that this woman attended 5 different colleges to get a degree makes me think that she had to move on to easier schools each time. The conservative base thinks that, that means, she’s really, really smart! And considering she got her degree in journalism, you’d think she could have written her own book! Instead she chose to tell her fable to far right Evangelical Lynn Vincent to spin the book towards Palin's favor. I challenge any of the Palinites to explain any policy that Palin has spoke of with authority. I mean policy, not opinion. We know how she feels about Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, ACORN, that she’s wants to rule the country with Christianity, she hates gays and thinks women are second class citizens. I dare any of her cult followers to tell me where she stands on issues of national security, world policies, how to improve trade equality, how to create jobs, etc… She has NO ideas and no clue. Conservatives have deemed anyone with an education, an "elitist". When did being educated become a bad thing? If Palin ever did get into the White House, make no mistake, the likes of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney would be running the show with their “pretty little thing” keeping a low profile. Conservative leadership has mastered mass manipulation and discourages individual thought. It seems that if conservatives hear something enough times, it becomes the truth (fair and balanced, fair and balanced). The leadership feels that by keeping the electorate ignorant, excessively reporting distortions of truth from the "left", they will thrive and return to power since undereducated voters are very primal in their beliefs. This is why educating young people is so important. They need to be able to assess a situation themselves instead of being brainwashed by a certain network that only Republicans and conservatives are good Americans. Other countries are racing past us in every facet of life, we must not elect politicians based on false fears or a candidate's alleged "hotness", nor let religion dictate our future or we are doomed to failure. This particular candidate falls into every single one of those categories. We need to think about policy!
Backlash from the Queendom!
I thought I was done writing for this week, but the former Miss Wasilla didn’t let me down! Twittering quitter Palin left a Noblesville, Indiana book signing with many angry (ex)fans who stood outside in a cold rain for several hours to meet their idol. In what shouldn’t have been a surprise, Palin got tired and quit, disappointing hundreds that spent about 3 hours getting wristbands and another 3 hours waiting in line to get their book signed. Some people took the day off from work and walked away empty handed! Borders bookstore had announced that they would give out 1,000 wristbands (1 per book, 2 maximum per person) which would guarantee them getting their books signed and many didn’t even get one signed. The cold, wet, angry crown gathered outside the nice warm tour bus that Palin retreated to, chanting "Sign Our Books! Sign Our Books!" They also shouted "Quitting on the job! Quitting on the job”. This is one way to anger and lose your base. If she can't run a book tour, how can she run a country? I'm sure by Sunday, it will be someone else's fault.
Quick Thoughts: In the spirit of my usual article ender, I thought I’d share some of Huffington Post’s unofficial “Going Rogue” index (because Palin’s book was literally rushed out without one) along with my take, since anybody reading my blog isn’t any more likely to read this dollar store drivel than I am. Here's a few examples: 4 pages (384-388) dedicated to common sense conservatives which I would say is an oxymoron; 10 pages dedicated to smearing Couric (255-256, 271-279), psst Sarah, we have video now and you can keep it on file to view repeatedly!; Creationism vs. evolution (217-219), You betcha The Flinstones were based on a real life family; Debate preparation (281-289) Why prepare when you “weren’t necessarily going to answer the questions asked”?; Election night speech and faceoff with McCain camp (332-337) No VP loser has ever been allowed to speak, but then again, SHE was the reason people voted for that ticket; Ethics attacks, loss of reputation (372-375), that bias liberal media found out what she did and that just wasn’t right. Only Democrats are to be investigated; Getting a D in college once (112), Just once? Really?; Charlie Gibson interview: (270-271) In what regard Charlie? And also too, how was she actually supposed to know what the Bush Doctrine was therefore?; Joe the Plumber, Tito the Builder (305-308) What?! No Rosie the Riveter?; Lobbyist who gave rides to Willow and her basketball team (137) Nothing good can come of me commenting; Obama's mistakes (388-394) 6 pages, 10 months in. Dubyas mistakes would require another book; Pregnant and the birth of Track (50-54)-Track, almost naming him "Zamboni"(53). Early on I joked that she chose her kids' names out of a “snow machine” parts catalog. Who's buying the first round?; Trig, pregnancy results - "Holy geez!"(171-174), Is that folksy enough for you?; Trig, water breaking and delivery (191-196) Everybody knows the best thing to do is get on a 3000 mile, 8 hour plane ride when your water breaks so you can call the kid a native Alaskan.
Take a deep breathe, count your blessings and keep in mind that this woman was 8,538,559 popular votes away from becoming the Vice President to a 72 year old, three time cancer survivor!
Have a great week and keep looking forward!
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