The horrible Ceci strikes again

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/27/AR2009062702232.html?hpid=topnews

This is quite an irritating and snarky article in the wapo about those silly, silly people and organizations that support the public option for health care. It was written by the poisonous Ceci Connolly, who was absolutely insufferable during the 2000 campaign, and promulgated several lies about Al Gore that became the dreaded conventional wisdom that he was a serial exaggerator. She reported that when Gore was talking about the Love Canal, he claimed that he "...was the one that started it all..." She never apologized, but weakly said something along the lines of, Well, may not have accurately quoted him, but it was sort of true, and that the in context was correct. She takes no responsibility in helping usher in eight years of hell, from which we are yet to recover. In this article, she implies, with several anonymous quotes, that pressure from the left is going to doom any chance of health care reform. She says, among other things, that support for the public option goes down if it would mean that health insurance companies would fail, although it doesn't say by how much. As Obama pointed out, if health insurance companies are so great why would a public option cause them to fail? Anyone who has had a serious illness can attest that even if you have health insurance, it can be your life's work to get the benefits one is entitled to. None of the DC conventional wisdom crowd commented on Jay Rockefeller's report on the price fixing of the insurance companies do on the reimbursement rate for people who go out of network. This piece of news is no surprise to anyone who has gone out of network. There is this notion that if you go out of network, you get what you deserve, that it is some sort of effete luxury. Well, few go out of network unless they have to, because it is such a royal pain. The health insurance companies exist to make money and make money they do. So a little competition from other means of providing health care is not a bad thing, maybe they will start behaving better. Hmmm, insurance companies behaving better? I must be loosing it. That is like the thought that Ceci might write a fair article.

The strange sad end of a strange sad man

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/06/autopsy_set_after_michael_jacksons_sudden_death.php?ref=fpb

The orgy of grief has begun. Be prepared for a Princess Di style public breast beating. In this TPM article there is a quote from someone who says that he will remember this the people remember the Kennedy assassination. Although any death is a sad, it is hard to compare the death of Michael Jackson to that of John Kennedy. One most likely died from a drug overdose and the other was brutally gunned down. But one thing I do know is that the Jackass (aka Mark Sanford) owes Jacko big time, and if I was a conspiracy nut, I might wonder about Sanford's connection to the good Doctor who was allegedly looking after Michael J. When I hear that there is going to be a special service at Notre Dame and an event at the Eiffel Tower, I think the world has gone mad. Even if you don't think that to so called King of Pop molested a young male cancer survivor, clearly his attention was inappropriate to say the least. Who thinks it is okay to sleep with little boys in a locked bedroom even if there was nothing overtly sexual going on? I do wonder about the parents and how they could have allowed their son to have sleep overs with the tortured and strange Michael Jackson. They way the press has been reporting the trial is more along the lines of It was so hard on him... I must admit I'll miss his music, but the spectacle of watching him self destruct and mutilate himself, I won't.

Mark Sanford aka Lionel Hutz

I go off the grid for a few hours and look what happens. The last time I blogged, Mark Sanford was due back from hiking on the Appalachian Trail. How things change. Now the story has evolved to his admission of being off seeing his mistress. It reminded me a little of the Simpsons' lawyer Lionel Hutz's quote about a judge he was due to present a case to; I will have to paraphrase here, but it went sort of like this - "Oh, no. Judge Crater. That's not good.... I kind of ran over his dog. Replace kind of with repeatedly and replace dog with son..." In Mark Sanford's case replace Appalachian Trail with Argentinian Mistress and replace hiking with f_king... I watched endless clips of his press conference last night which became more and more bizarre. The setting was strange in that it looked like he was giving his statement on stage with a bunch of school children behind him and each time he opened his mouth he made it worse and worse. The recklessness is breathtaking. Aside from torpedoing any political future, the fact that he would go off the grid to the extent that no one in the State office seemed to know where he was, is astounding. I guess as a governor he has few responsibilities. He makes John Ensign seem almost normal. At least Ensign provided a jobs program for his mistress and family.

Presidential Timber

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/06/report_sanford_seen_in_atlanta_airport.php?ref=fpa

Talking Points Memo is all over the curious case of the missing governor and has all sorts of titillating updates. Gov. Sanford, one of the leading lights of the republican party who was on the veep shortlist for McCain, has gone missing. He has not been seen by wife or other South Carolina polls since last Thursday. He has been heard from and various sightings have been reported, first at the airport in Atlanta, but then his car was found at an airport in South Carolina. The first statement from his staff was that he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail. His wife is reportedly not worried, and I like this touching detail, just focusing "on being a mom." She said that he wanted to get away from his children (on Father's Day no less) to spend some time writing. I wonder how he can hike and write at the same time...The story gets weirder and weirder. What is it with the repugs with presidential ambitions? Are they all insane? I must say the talent pool is pretty dismal. In the old days the dems were the ones with the purportedly strange and dissolute lives, and now amazingly enough, they are the party of family values. The Ensign case is evolving daily, and I am sure this one will as well.

Still not over it

I have been brooding about the reflexive anti Obama stance of the neo cons and the repugs about Obama's reaction to the situation in Iran. When you hear that we will be treated by liberators if we invade Iran, you know you are about to hear gobbledygook. Listening to the McCain and company talking about the sanctity of the democratic process, they clearly have no idea how our country is perceived by the rest of the world. To the rest of the world, we had a president for eight years who was not freely elected, but selected by cronies of his father, and what a beaut he turned out to be. So when the world hears we are OUTRAGED by the undemocratic actions of Iran in squashing the demonstrators, it has a very hollow ring. I was listening to NPR this afternoon, and I am not sure what program I was listening to, but it was a call in program. They got Abdul from Saudi Arabia on the phone, and he let loose. First he said How can we drone on about democracy when our previous president was not elected. Go Abdul. He went on getting more and more exercised and it was beautiful. I am still haunted by 2000 and wonder what would have happened if people had taken to the streets. Of course I know, we would have been squashed like little bugs.

Tom, what happened to you...you used to be a contender

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/health/policy/21poll.html?bl&ex=1245729600&en=d44716a77315c19c&ei=5087%0A

I worry that changes in the health care system are going to be stymied in the Congress aided by evil republicans and spineless dems. I was happy to hear that despite the hysterical pounding Obama is getting from Republicans aided by the press, that according to this poll, a public health care option is still has a great deal of support. I was sickened yesterday when I heard that Tom Daschle had withdrawn his support for the public option. Of course he had teamed with these luminaries - Bob Dole and James Baker. When you have two corrupt and compromised individuals what do you expect? Who can forget James Baker with a straight face during the 2000 recount droning, "They were counted once, they were counted twice..." His lies helped install that nincompoop George Bush. Bob Dole had the gall to suggest during the 2004 election that maybe there was something to the Swiftboaters charges, after all why would there be a question if there was no truth to what they were saying? All I can say is that Tom Daschle has spent way too much time in DC if he thinks these two have any wisdom to share. I guess if you spend all your time in the Beltway, they seem like reasonable human beings with reasonable ideas.I was initially very disappointed when Daschle had to withdraw his cabinet nomination. No more. I have hear Seibelius on the tube discussing health care, and quite accurately snuffed out the argument about not having choice if you don't have private health care. She answered, "You don't have choice if you do." I wish she had pointed out that even with supposedly great health care, most families are one serious illness away from bankruptcy. Hopefully her experience outside of the miasma of the Beltway will stiffen her spine.

Prince Chunk meet John Ensign

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/gallery/2009/06/chez-hampton-the-swank-vegas-digs-of-the-former-senate-staffers-embroiled-in-ensign-love-triangle.php?img=13

It is a bit fun to gloat over the demise of John Ensign presidential ambitions, although a somewhat guilty pleasure. It would be less fun if he hadn't been such a sanctimonious ass about Bill Clinton and so appalled by Larry Craig's behavior. What incredibly poor judgement it shows, to have an affair with someone on your staff whose husband also works for you. Now their is a discreet affair. It is sort of delicious hearing the pundits discuss who'se behavior is worse - so far Charlie Cook seemed to think Larry Craig soliciting sex in an airport bathroom the winner. Josh Michah Marshall noted that apparently Ensign is an unwitting victim of the home loan crisis. His mistress and hubby overextended themselves on their mortgage and did the logical thing, try to blackmail their former boss/lover. Like Prince Chunk of last summer (for those of you who have forgotten, Prince Chunk was the fifty pound cat who had been tossed out by his/her owners because of a bad mortgage, and oh yes, it turned out that Prince was a Princess), John Ensign may suffer a similar fate. TPM has pictures of the fine home that has caused such mischief. It is astoundingly hideous. It is hard to tell which room is more ugly. One decorator touch that I liked was the In Vino Veritas above one of the kitchen doors. The pictures are worth a look because words do not convey the depth of the poor taste.

Please don't crawl

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_090615.htm

The right wing noise machine is at it again. This time there target is Leon Panetta, who quite accurately stated that Cheney sounds like he wants the US to be struck by terrorists so he will be proved right. Perhaps not the most politic of statements, but certainly had the ring of truth. If you scan down headlines, all strangely from Fox, the read along the lines of McCain thinks Panetta should apologize, Panetta owes Cheney and apology, etc. Why is it that the right can say the most outrageous things, but no one calls them to account. Last night Letterman said that he had heard Mark Sheilds saying on the Jim Leher show that he had made an outrageous joke. Now you have Mistress Sarah saying that Letterman is a pervert and can't be trusted around young girls, but that is OK. But Mark Sheilds can waste time on an evening news program discussing a stupid joke by a late night comic. Just wait, there will be an increasing hue and cry over Panetta, but hopefully he will not crawl

Who is lower?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/13/leno-told-similar-joke-ab_n_215261.html

Apparently, during the campaign Jay Leno made a joke about John Edwards impregnating Bristol Palin. There was no outrage from Mistress Sarah or anyone else for that matter. So why the fury over A-rod? Is it anti Hispanic wrath stirred up by the Sotomayor nomination, or just general anti Hispanic sentiments. In the who is lower category, you have on one side a man who runs as a progressive for president and could have possibly gotten the nomination for president, who at the same time was cheating on his cancer stricken wife vs A-rod. Now A-rod has certainly had a complicated personal and professional life, but in terms of who is more morally bankrupt, there is no contest. Cheater on cancer patient wife with one deceased son and three children old enough to be her father and person who might have torpedeod the dems, thereby helping elect John McNut and Mistress Sarah who would have brought on the end of western civilization trumps anything that A-rod has ever even been accused of doing.

People I don't miss

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/06/13/2009-06-13_anchors_away_takes_leap_of_faith_meade_skydives_with_bush_41.html

What is the matter with the senior Bushes? First, a little while ago I saw George Sr. with a young shapely woman in a bathing suit draped over his lap. He had the Gary Hart like goofy grin of an old geezer with a young floozy. The next day, and I swear this is true (oh, if only my technical skills could cut and paste photos ...I need my tech support) sitting on lounge chair poolside with a muscular young man standing next to her. Honestly, I can't say she was leering at the pool boy but it seemed a pretty bizarre scene. Now I hear the George Sr. jumped out of a plane with a shapely young "news" woman strapped to his back. There are many shots of his descent. He is smiling a strange smile, all the time it looks like the skin on his face has met one of those super hand driers that horrify me when encountered. It doesn't exactly make me feel youthful when I see the skin on my hands being blown into strange ripples. After the jump there was a shot of George Sr. with his boys. W seemed like his usual smirky self and Jeb was stoic.

God bless the mute button

I had the Today show on to find out the weather. I'm not really sure why because they drone on so much that I tune out and never actually find out what the weather is supposed to be like. I was wandering in and out of the kitchen, but it seemed to me that the frightening Sarah P. was on the show for about half an hour. No doubt she was whining about David Letterman being so mean and perhaps a sexual deviant for his joke about her excellent daughter, but I don't know because when I hear her voice my hand automatically hits the mute button. I am not sure why they think she is worthy of so much morning air time, but after all this is the same Matt Lauer who conducted one of my favorite interviews. Matt to a father who's son was attacked by an alligator - When did you realize that your son was in trouble? Dad - Uhh I guess when I saw the alligator eating him. Now that is news. The press is being very tisk tisk about the joke, which is pretty ironic considering they thought it was hilarious when people said horrible things about Chelsea Clinton. I don't condone kid bashing and do feel that politician's children should be left alone, but Mistress Sarah used her children as props throughout the campaign, and it is somewhat disingenous to get so worked up about a tasteless joke. What would you rather be accused of - having sex with A-rod or being the love child of Hillary and Janet Reno?

The anti-christ out in public

It has been a while since I wrote a post, but my day job seems to have intervened. But to show how silly/superficial/etc. this is an A-ROD post. I think is pretty funny that it is an A-rod defense that is getting my fingers moving over the keys again. For some reason, my husband had the ghastly Morning Joe show on this morning. I heard just a snippet, but the gums were flapping about Letterman's Top Ten List about the Palin's. What he found most offensive was the joke about Bristol being impregnated by A-rod in the middle of Yankee Stadium. Joe S. said something along the lines of "Can you imagine...A-rod...eeeshhh" he said it in the way that indicated that the most insulting part of joke was that it was A-rod impregnating her. Now call me crazy, but frankly, there are many more repulsive figures that are deeply disturbing to think about having sex or impregnating someone than Alex Rodriguez, like Joe Scarborough for starters. I was out with my my daughter, son in law and husband this past weekend and was fighting for a table in the basement, yes the basement, of the Shake Shack on the Upper West Side, and who was sitting at a table with a man and his kid, but A-rod himself. We called my daughter and at first she didn't believe us. He didn't emanate I am a star I am a star...look at me. In fact few dinners seem to know who he was. Some geeky boys were trying to find chairs, and actually went up and asked if the could take the extra with no sign of recognition. There was a TV in the basement and they had a clip about the Yankees, with some footage of him, and he just glanced at it but did no room check to see if others had noticed. It is just pretty lame that A-rod continues to be synonymous with the anti-Christ. But I guess he is good company, because many seem to think it could be Barack.