Reel Horrible

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/us/28judges.html?hp

This article in the NYT is a must read for anyone who has been following the story about the crooked judges in PA, who sent children to a juvenile facility for cash. Apparently, many people knew that they were fishy but felt they couldn't do anything or they feared retribution. One judge was so quick to send kiddies away, he barely listened to anyone, including the DA's on the cases and sent them away for minor offences. He discouraged getting a lawyer and failed to inform the children that they could request one, even after he was warned. How these people could live with themselves is beyond. These were children who lives were incalculably damaged by an excess of greed. In a particularly icky move, one of their cronies whose boat was moored at they luxe condo in FLA, named his boat Reel Justice, I kid you not. After a particularly vivid walk on the dock where large motor boats were docked, a friend of my daughter's uttered the fine phrase, "Oh yes, boat trash." We have spent many wasted hours composing our own boat trash names, which I won't share because they are so stupid and crude, but Reel Justice takes the cake. What would Bernie Madoff's boat trash name be? I am going to have to put some serious thought into this. Who is worse, Bernie who stole from the elderly, widows, non profits, and holocaust survivors, or these fine judges Ciavarella and Conahan who jailed children so they could live the high life? I can't wait for these two fine judges to make their new friends when they hit the big house.

Michelle Che Bachman - the true Revolutionary

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/bachmann-blasts-obamas-economic-marxism-calls-for-revolution-to-save-freedom.php?ref=fp1

I know Michelle Bachman is bat sh_t crazy and people find her so incoherent as to be amusing, but I find her truly terrifying. First, during the campaign she impugns Obama's patriotism, and darkly warns of the enemy within and thinks Congress should look into these matters. Army-McCarthy hearings, anyone? HUAC anyone? Now she is calling for a revolution on the Sean Hannity Show. Can you imagine if a Democrat, lets say Keith Ellison called for a Revolution, what do you think the press response would be... How on earth did she get elected in the first place, and then just recently re-elected. Of course it is the state that elected Jesse Ventura, but it is also the state that elected Paul Wellstone. Go figure.

Group Think

http://www.google.com/hostedAAnews/ap/article/ALeqM5hJPQ7HSsUjq0VNpIHObZAdD6tJLwD974P3SG0

Here is a piece by the odious Ron Fournier, the AP Washington bureau chief and super snark, regurgitating the new meme of the teleprompter dependent Obama. Of course, throughout the campaign Ron wrote nasty things about Obama. He had been recruited to work for McCain, but the AP in its infinite wisdom thought it was ok to appoint him bureau chief. He wrote so called articles that basically spat oout right wing talking points. He is a shameless hack for the GOP. I still don't understand why the teleprompter story keeps rumbling on. It is not as though he is the first president to use one, but I suppose that with Obama's approval ratings holding strong, Republicans and their cronies are getting desperate. And Group Think is so comforting to those with nothing much to say.

The Meme of the Day

http://washingtonindependent.com/35565/another-gaffe-that-wasnt

I don't pay attention to the MSM for a little while and I totally miss a new press meme. Apparently the MSM is all worked up that Obama "relies on a teleprompter." First, what is wrong with using a teleprompter. Don't tell me they think their anchors don't use one. They must after all realize that news people are basically incapable these days of any independent thought. Second, they should be thrilled that we now have a president who can actually read. Third, don't they notice that during his press conference he doesn't use one. However, the meme has become prevalent enough that they now see gaffes where none exist, like on St Patrick's Day the Irish PM by accident started reading Obama's speech, so Obama made joke by pretending to give the Irish PM's speech. Of course, the noise machine took this as proof that Obama is a robotic reader of teleprompters. Does the invention of the internet or the Love Canal have any resonance. Just ask Al Gore if the MSM is able to admit error, and correct misinformation.

Who, Me?

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Stewart_to_Cheney_Shut_fk_up_0319.html

I didn't watch the John King and Dick Cheney love fest - my stomach is not strong enough, but I did see this clip from the Daily Show. Old Dick says something like "...we ended up with two wars and Hurricane Katrina..." He spoke as though the Repugs had no agency towards any of these events. Huh, now who started those two wars? Who was in charge of preparing for Hurricane Katrina and dealing with the aftermath? Oh right, it wasn't Bill Clinton or Barack Obama. Starting two wars was not an act of God and neither was failing to rescue the residents of New Orleans.

Obnoxiousness

I've never liked the Duke basketball team. It was so annoying listening to Billy Packer gush over just how wonderful they were and the superiority of the ACC conference. Although it is a relief not to hear Billy P, it does seem, yet again that Duke has it easy. I disliked Duke well before my children went to a school with a fine basketball tradition (although this year has been more than painful). I have never been able to stand the venerable Coach KKK - oops I mean Coach K, even before he coached at Duke. It came as no surprise to read he was a hard core Republican. Well the loathsome Coach K was asked about Obama's picks for the tournament, and he couldn't help saying something mean and snarky, and I don't think it was just that Barack didn't pick Duke to win. I think it is fun that Barack takes his picks so seriously, and he gave such a nice interview while he explained his reasoning. Well, the less than charming Coach K said something along the lines of..."He should be thinking about the economy instead of his tournament picks." How obnoxious is that?

The theater of the ridiculous

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/terrorism/first-read-joins-chorus-rapping-robert-gibbs-for-being-mean-to-cheney/

The other day when Chip "the Democrats rear the ugly heads" Reid had the temerity to chastise Robert Gibbs for being disrespectful of former Vice President Cheney, I thought the rest of the press would split their sides laughing. So it is not disrespectful of Cheney to say that Obama has made us less safe and that he has used the economic collapse for political gain by expanding government, but if Gibbs says anything about Cheney it is not OK? Cheney is a war criminal who according to Sy Hersh ran an extra legal assassination squad, who directly approved torture, who had zero respect for the Constitution or any branch of the government other than himself, is deemed worthy of respect. Under the Bushies it was considered unpatriotic to question anything, now these same supine reporters question Gibbs for making an off hand remark joking that Rush might have been busy and that the White House was not about to take economic advice from Dick Cheney. The press echo chamber within the Beltway is in high dudgeon. Ridiculous.

Extremists

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/03/progressive_quiz.html

This is a fun survey that supposedly measures how progressive you are. Although it documents that Americans in general have become more progressive, as far as I am concerned they still have a ways to go. The questions are quite general and not particularly controversial or difficult. For example, no questions about Israel. According to the survey I am "extremely progressive." It almost sounds like criticism, like I am dangerously progressive. Oh well.

How Dare He

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/03/how_dare_you.php

Ari Fleisher was on the Chris Matthew's Show yesterday, in a foolish attempt to rehabilitate his love bucket, W. I didn't recognize him at first - no glasses and something bizarre has happened to the skin on his face - the texture and color looked very strange (please God, let me not find out that he has some horrible disease, so I won't be punished for mocking the afflicted.) He was so obnoxious after a while I had to mute the sound, but I did hear some choice exchanges. Matthew's brought up the economy, asking was the economy better when W left office than when he took office. Ari's non answer? 9/11, no more threat from Sadam, and we weren't attacked. There are so many stupid items in this statement, it is hard to know where to begin. First, that doesn't exactly answer the question about the economy, except in some ways I guess it does. A non answer means the Bushies left the economy in the crapper and have no arguement, except to blame it on Clinton, by alluding to inheriting a so called resession when W took office. So in typical Republican mode, he talks about something different. What threat from Sadam? When Matthew's brought up that we were attacked under Bush's watch, Ari said, "How dare you!" What? 9/11 didn't happen when Bush was president? Matthew's brought up the infamous memo Ben Ladin Determined to Attack Inside the United States, and Ari pooh poohed it, saying in essence, Oh we got thousands of those kinds of memos. And I guess they ignored them all. Ari got pissy with Matthew's saying, "Do you interupt all your guests?" I guess Ari has never watched the show, so this must have come as an ugly surprise (ha ha). As many have pointed out, the Bush years were a terrorists recruiting dream, not to mention, the incalculable damage done to our nation's economy, so the spectacle of Ari talking about the wonderfulness of the Bush years was stomach churningly awful.

I want the old Rahm back

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/opinion/09mon1.html?ref=opinion

This editorial in the NYT is pretty scary. I had no idea, but god knows I should have, that the Repugs were holding up Obama's judicial appointments, asking that he appoint all the Bush neanderthals that hadn't been confirmed. Their breathtaking hypocrisy is once again at work. Normie's 225 loss - must have a redo (anyone remeber Bush v Gore); obstructing legislation during a time of national catasrophe - no problem for them; judicial appointments - if we don't like 'em we will filibuster. Can you imagine if the Demies had behaved this way if the ghastly McNut had won? I want Rahm to get out his knife - I am ready for some DEAD, DEAD, DEAD action.

How can they live with themselves part 30000000000000etc.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/40800697.html?elr=KArks8c7PaP3E77K_3c::D3aDhUec7PaP3E77K_0c::D3aDhUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

The Minnesota Senate race is still lingering on. Normie is calling for a do over because the vote was so close, which brings new meaning to the word chutzpah. The Governor is that weasely Tim Pawlenty, which gives one pause and doesn't inspire confidence. I think the Repugs in the Senate are so unhinged that they will threaten to filibuster when Franken is finally declared the winner, which he will be after all court business is over. But when? Coleman only won the seat after grotesque distortions were bandied about in the press about the unseemly behaviour of the Democrats at the memorial service for Paul Welstone. It is almost unthinkable that the sleezy, corupt Coleman has Welstone's former seat.

Landmark Study

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20090303_Karen_Heller__From_the_right__torrents_of_vitriol.html

After spending too much time listening to the hate filled Rush, I read this article which asks yet again, why are conservative/republicans so angry. They act as though they have been an abused minority party for years and years, and that they are the most highly taxed entities on the planet. I offer this study as perhaps an explanation.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20060326/ai_n16174533
In this landmark study done by the esteemed psychologist Jack Block (actually I never heard of him before or after this study) who did a longitudinal study of children from nursery school to adulthood, found that whiny children grew up to be conservative, whereas the cheerful, curious, well adjusted children grew up to be liberals. When I have cited this study people doubt its existence and then ask me where it was done. Strangely, when I say UC Berkeley, they laugh, but I say a study is a study, no matter where it was done. So these whiny, dissatisfied kids grow up to be whiny, dissatisfied adults, which should be of no surprise to anyone. And I do love the image of Karl Rove/Rush Limbaugh trolling through nursery schools looking for the most obnoxious children to recruit to the cause.

Who let the dogs out

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/28/rush-limbaugh-at-cpac-dou_n_170792.html

I have had a blissful snow day today and have frittered much too much time away watching MSNBC. How many times do I have to watch the clip of Boil Boy (a snide reference to his excuse for avoiding serving in Nam) Rush. For those of you have been spared, or are smart enough to avoid it, Rush has been trumpeting his desire to see the Obama presidency fail. Rush is looking particularly porcine these days, even in his black threads. It is sort of fun watching the cat fight between Rush and the hapless Michael Steele, both claiming to be Top Dog. Top Dog of what, the Republican Party? I mean it really isn't something that anyone should boast about.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/03/steeles_re-education_already_complete.php

In the short time I was writing the previous post, Michael Steele has groveled to Rush, saying he didn't mean anything negative thing he said about Rush, thereby proving Rahm Emanuel's point that he made on MTP, when he said in essence, any Republican politician crosses Rush at their peril. I guess we know who is Top Dog, not that there was much doubt.

The Birth of the Cool (sorry Miles)

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/19/steele-gop-needs-hip-hop-makeover/?page=2

The nation is be treated to quite an absurd spectacle - the GOP trying to reinvent itself as the party of the hip. Michael Steele discussed how Repugs had failed, ending with "My bad..." Hearing Michael Steele talk Valley Girl talk, is quite bizarre. The other fine moment was Michelle Bachman, who wanted to reinstate HUAC, saying to Michael Steele, "You be da man..." What was she going to follow with: "and I be da woman." One look at John Boehner or the CPAC conventionwould disabuse anyone of any Republican coolness. And as the NYT points out, the Repugs have lost a generation of supporters. It is really hard to market yourself as the hip hop party (and who would want to), if you are the party of aging white men, with a few lunatics of color.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/weekinreview/01connelly.html?hp