In the forest of the night

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/opinion/20rich.html?em

Frank Rich had a column in the NYT comparing Tiger Wood's bamboozling of the American public into believing his clean image to the fraudulent behavior of Enron and the Bushies pushing of the Iraq war. Sorry, maybe people shouldn't be so celebrity obsessed, but really does it matter Tiger fostered and image of being a squeaky clean family man? I mean, is he to blame for promoting a clean image, after all what celebrity is going to promote an image of being a whore master? Wanting to believe that a sublime golfer had an unblemished personal life is not the same as being lied to about weapons of mass destruction or people being taken for all their money. Newsweek has a cover picture of Tiger with the words, "Why We Can't Look Away." Well I can. Hearing the salacious details of his sex life and the destruction of his personal life are not entertaining to me. I think it is the press who can't look away.

Joe's Lump of Coal for America

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/editorial/ci_14010909
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/258566/december-15-2009/prescott-financial-sells-gold--women---sheep
The Senate was due to debate health care reform this weekend, but a huge snow storm is predicted. And where is Joe Lieberman? Why, despite the weather reports, he went home for the Sabbath. Now, I am respectful of people's religions, but surely there is a congregation in DC. I remember when he ran for VP, he said for important legislation Senate sessions on Saturday would not be a problem. But he isn't exactly someone who remembers or cares about what he says from one minute to the next. The ever brilliant Stephan Colbert noted that on one of the Sunday Gas Bag shows, he said he didn't know what was in the bill about Medicare extension, but he was against. Colbert said, "It takes real courage to oppose a bill when you don't know what's in it." After showing a clip from and interview with the Connecticut Post in September, where Lieberman stated his support for the idea, Colbert said that he was going from Joementum to Joementia, but Joe would be OK because as a sixty five year old, he was eligible for Medicare. It might be a fine time to go and harass him at home, but I think he is so pig headed that it would further his desire to thwart any kind of progress. After all, he decided to oppose the extension of Medicare because liberals like Anthony Weiner liked the idea, so he knew it was bad. What kind of a joke of a human being is he? Gail Collins had a good piece in the NYT, which mentioned that maybe he is really not bright. At least his press is beginning to sour. CBS pointed out that he approved the extension of Medicare benefits a few weeks ago. The Advocate had an editorial asking him to explain himself to the voters of Connecticut, but as a party of one, he feels he owes no one an explanation, but too little too late.

RIP Public Option, Thanks Joe

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/

Ezra Klein has declared the Public Option dead, dead, dead. Sadly, he is right. The health care debate has been a disaster and the final bill deeply disappointing. The Dems come out of this with a terribly flawed bill, looking inept, incompetent and impotent. It looks like Congress spent a good deal of time and energy debating and crafting a bill that will not seemingly make much a difference in people's daily lives. People can understand the importance of the public option, especially those who have unemployed adult children and can relate to the idea of extending Medicare benefits - it is simple idea that makes sense, but the finer points of the bill, like no banning people with a pre-exitisting condition or maxing out on their coverage, because luckily, most people don't have the experience of being turned away from an insurance company or denied major benefits. I am sure that the White House just wants to pass a bill, because what is first and foremost on people's mind is unemployment and the lousy economy. No matter that Lieberman's hypocrisy is unbounded, ie supporting the extension of Medicare to people fifty five and up, the just want this charade and humiliation over. I, for one, would have like to see Senators actually filibustering a bill while the economy continues to languish. It would not have been a pretty sight, and I think the public's patience would wane very quickly, especially since there is public support for some kind of public option. Right now it looks like a great deal of energy was for very little, especially since most of the changes take place years from now.

Joe, How Can You Live With Yourself? part 7,00000000 at least

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/13/lieberman-tells-reid-to-h_n_390416.html
Joe Lieberman has apparently informed Harry Reid that he will filibuster the current health bill that is before the Senate. I'm horrified but not surprised. He seems determined to halt any kind of health care reform no matter what is in the bill, even measures that he previously supported, like the extension of medicare. He has questioned the rush to pass any kind of legislation because of concerns about the deficit, the weather, and no doubt TIGER! A few weeks ago my husband and I went to an interfaith prayer vigil in front of his apartment in Stamford. It was organized by an interfaith group and the SEIU. We first met in the auditorium of Stamford High, ironically Joe's alma mater, and various members of the clergy, as well as Dan Malloy, the outgoing mayor of Stamford. The speeches were moving, particularly one given by a rabbi from West Haven. We then got our candles and walked to Joe's apartment. It was a very orderly crowd - no one jay walked to Joe's apartment which was directly across the street. We had been asked to write a prayer for Joe, which one of the rabbi's attempted to deliver, only to be turned back by the police. One of the residents of the building said she would take the prayers, but the police wouldn't let her bring them into the building. A few days later, my husband found some right wing blog site that talked about the vigil. It said it was a frightening, angry pitchfork carrying mob. Was he referring to the woman in the wheel chair, or the crowd in general? My husband and I are no spring chickens, but we were some of the youngest people there. He talked about the viscous chants. Was he talking about when the crowd chanted, "Take our prayers. Take our prayers!" or was it when we sang, This Little Light of Mine? I don't know what the Democratic leadership can do with him, but since he is basically a Republican, strip him of his committee assignments would be a good start. Since they can't count on his vote for anything, why caucus with him. He is impossible.

Tiger, Tiger burning bright

My daughter made me promise to start blogging again. I got caught up in the doldrums of the health care wars and became to gloomy to post. The Tiger Woods frenzy has prodded me out of semi retirement. I turned away from the dreaded MSM gasbags and discovered the restful nattering of Sports Center on ESPN. They all care so deeply about such trivial matters, that it is quite peaceful to hear them go on and on. But even that refuge is now lost to me because of TIGER! There is so much hand wringing about the poor, abused state of golf, which might loose some of their corporate sponsors, because no one particularly cares all that much about a tournament that doesn't include Tiger Woods. Without corporate sponsorship, the networks that cover golf loose money, which then has a terrible effect on the economy. So therefore Tiger has single handedly brought the economy to a screeching halt. Jeez, and I thought it was the miserly banks who won't lend money to the poor slobs on Main Street. And people are shocked, shocked that someone who makes a great deal of money in an extremely stressful profession, who travels a lot has sex with many cheese ball women. The conventional wisdom is that he right to slink away and try to patch things up with his wife and not play golf. Some golfer pointed out that his absence from the game might mean that other people might win a few majors, heh heh. Yes, it would be nice for him to salvage his marriage, but slink away from golf? Listen if David The Diaper Vitter and Larry Wide Stance Craig didn't slink away from the Senate, I see no reason for Tiger to pay a penance to anyone but his wife. And if anyone in the news business has any compassion for his wife, they should shut the f_k up and not cover all these women coming forward with all these torrid claims.

Not so nice when it happens to you, is it?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/sports/baseball/08yankees.html?em

I was very happy to watch the 15th inning of the Yankee/Red Sox game. It was wonderful to see A-rod, baseball's most despised player, hitting a game ending home run against the RED SOX. So much for not coming through in the clutch. I was most interested to see the reaction in the press when it was leaked that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez took steriods. There was much whining about how could this leak have taken place, etc. And then the story died - no further word about Big Poppy and Manny. All those journalists who delighted in trashing A-rod were quite muffled about Big P and Manny, who was no model citizen to begin with. Even though I took some grim satisfaction in seeing Big P and Manny twist in the wind, it is really creepy that these so called confidential drug tests keep getting leaked.

In the trenches or on the front lines, I'm not sure which...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/opinion/07krugman.html?ref=global
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/article1025529.ece

Paul Krugman has a good column about the crazies who disrupt the town hall meetings held by Democratic congressmen. My husband and I attended a town hall meeting held by our Congressman Jim Himes. I had gotten an email earlier in the day telling me that there was going to be a town hall meeting about health care that evening. I RSVPed and got linked to a grass roots Obama cite, which I didn't think much about. We got there pretty early, and I got my first taste of lunacy. We weren't supposed to go upstairs until a certain time, but people were pretty much ignoring that directive, so we decided to ignore it too. I slunk on the elevator first, and there was another woman on the elevator. She looked at me and said, "Are you for or against?" I said, mildly, that I was for health care. I asked her if she was for or against the bill, and she answered, "This is a bill that Hitler could have designed, but you won't hear that tonight." And although I had read that one shouldn't debate because these people do not listen to reason, I couldn't help myself and answered, "Because it is not true." Blessedly, we were only going to the second floor, and I took a vow of silence. The invocation of Hitler I find deeply offensive. Talk to any Holocaust survivor or anyone who lost family, and they will tell you just how deeply offensive it is. And I suspect that many of the people making those comparisons have some thinly veiled anti Semitic feelings themselves. Many more people turned up and it was quite a vivid crowd. It turned out that it wasn't a town hall meeting about health care, but a meeting with FAA officials about airplane noise in Fairfield County and that another meeting would be scheduled for health care, but after the noise meeting Himes would stay and discuss health care for a while. We decided to stay. We happened to be sitting in front of two lunatics, and there was one next to me. It is hard to describe the running invective that spewed from their mouths. One was a proud tea bagger and the other was a proud ignoramus, who gave a running commentary about the people at the meeting. His most awful comment was when a noise person said something asking the FAA officials what could they do about the noise, and he shouted out, "Shoot them down!" In my book that is advocating terrorism. The man sitting next to me started appreciatively snickering, and I looked at him with my jaw dropping and eyes rolling, and he knew I wasn't a fellow traveler. Some of the noise people were totally bat sh-t crazy, and several of them went on long prepared rants. The noise people talked more than the FAA officials which was not really the point of the meeting. After more than an hour of noise discussion, the FAA people and the noise people left. Dan Malloy stayed with Himes to hear the health care discussion and after hearing the noise people I was glad to see someone else in the sane column, as well as several police officers. I couldn't tell how many people were in favor of some kind of health reform and how many were against. I know that the anger is being stoked by the republicans and their stooges in the media, but the level of anger emanating from the anti reform people was astounding. I mean us pro reform people are the ones that are feeling currently screwed by the status quo, and I was happy to see that there were several people that supported a single payer system. I said on the way home that I thought that the anger had less to do with health care, but more to do with Obama, and I was happy to see that Krugman had the same thought and guessed that many of them were probably birthers. The angry crowd were white mostly, but not all, working class. My non fellow traveler was in a suit and joined a group of scary suited men who were sitting in a row. Whenever Himes mentioned undocumented aliens, he kept shouting, "Illegals! Illegals!" Himes was quite deft in handling questions, even from the hostiles and there were some sane questions and comments. We kept our mouths shut, except to say let him finish his answer. I was well coached from a piece in TPM who wrote, it is useless to debate, but encourage civility and urging people to let Congressmen finish. I still don't understand why everyone, except those robber barons in the heath insurance industry, are not behind reform. Doctors are getting screwed by the insurance companies, every business is being hurt by health care costs, hospitals are being squeezed by the industry, not to mention patients. Anyone who has ever had to deal with a serious illness has a full understanding of how these companies operate. We fled as soon as it was over. When we got home I read that a town hall meeting in Florida ended in a fist fight. Apparently there were many more confrontations at meetings, and I fear this is going to get uglier and uglier. Honestly, after being at the town hall meeting, it is wonder to me why anyone would want to run for Congress.

My epitaph

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/31/recess-harassment-memo/

I called Jim Himes' office last week to find out what his position was on the public option. The woman answering the phones said he hadn't made up his mind. I asked how the calls were running, and she said fifty fifty. I said that I found that hard to believe because he was elected because he was the more liberal candidate from a liberal district. I think I owe her an apology, not that I think that he should sit on the fence, but when I read how organized the opposition is, I realize it is quite possible that Himes' is being hounded by the right wing. However, he still should abide by his campaign literature, which I still have stuck to my refrigerator. There is a fine picture of Himes with Barack, and the quote on the back reads: "With a new president, new energy, and new ideas, together we will bring real change..." Where is his support of Barack now? What is that line about who you go home with? Isn't it the person who brought you to the dance? He never would have been elected if it weren't for Barack. Shays was quite popular in this district, and I confess I once voted for him myself, although wouldn't again. In my defence, I voted for him in his second election, after he had resisted pressure from the republican machine, including Ronnie himself, and voted against aid for the contras. My auntie won't let me forget my one vote for a republican. She swears she is going to put "Once Voted for a Republican" on my tombstone.

Keeping the Peace

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072701907.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

The lovely Eugene Robinson has a must read column about the Gates arrest. I must admit to being stunned at the kerfuffle about what Barack had to say about the reaction to the Cambridge police and their arrest of Henry Louis Gates. I listened to the press conference about health care, and even though the question had nothing to do with the purpose of the presser, I must admit to being pleasantly surprised by Barack's answer to the question about the arrest of Skip Gates. I thought he was blunt, but accurate. I mean, come on, does anyone really think that race had nothing to do with the arrest? Please. Gates may not have been super polite, and maybe he was rude, and mabye he quoted Happy Days. I think it unlikely, but if he did indeed say something about Crowley's mother, who is the professional here? I thought that police had a mission to keep the peace. Does anyone think that what officer Crowley did defused the situation or inflamed the situation? It is his job to diffuse the situation. As the divine Eugene point out "...meeting a a Harvard faculty member who happens to be arrogant is like meeting a basketball player who happens to be tall..." If you, as part of your job, are supposed to keep the peace, what are you doing if you arrest a black cane carrying professor in his own home, who might have irritated you by being angry/superior/who knows what? It is sort of like a shrink bitching about "...all these people, they go on and on about how miserable they are...It is depressing!" ( Sad but true, I had a therapist friend who complained about her patients being so depressed.) Crowley must have known right away that he was not arresting a public menace, but more bringing in someone he found really annoying. If one were to arrest annoying people, that would bring the criminal justice system to a standstill. Crowley should have known better. But at least it appears that he is trying to diffuse the situation somewhat, by going to the White House. But I have read that the Gates flap has caused Barack's poll numbers to slip, and I find that very sad. It seems that it has given the racist right wing cover to unleash the demons of hate.

We need the Dog Whisperer

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25368.html

It is pretty amazing that the repugs are so up front about their real goal, which is according to Gentleman Jim, "breaking him." They offer no alternative, other than the status quo or cutting medicare and medicaid benefits. They want to obstruct any progress because defeating the Dems is more important than anything, including the wishes of their constituents. And they are not concealing their goal, not one little bit. What is more mysterious is the Dems. I just don't get it, here they have a wildly popular president, a strong majority in both houses, the Repugs poll numbers in the toilet, large public support for health care reform, including the public option, and yet many Dems are trembling in their boots about any kind of change. What surprises me, is that it is not just those Dems that were allegedly traumatized by '94, but even newly elected members of Congress. I initially thought that it was the dreaded Beltway syndrome, but there is more than that going on. I was initially encouraged when I heard that Rahmbo was on the case, but so far he has not brought them to their knees. I miss the old Rahm. The claim of the Blue Dogs that their reluctance is about fiscal responsibility rings hollow, because they are quite willing to spend on other things. What they seem to fail to realize is that if health care reform is not passed, they will have a crippled administration and a party that will be a deemed an utter failure. These centrists are so ridiculously self important. I think that if Teddy were well and knocking some sense into these fools, that the progress would be faster. It is such a shame that he is so ill during the fight over an issue that is so important to him. He is so respected Senator on both sides of the aisle that he is sorely missed.

Uncle Walter

I felt sad to hear about Walter Cronkite's death. My mother worked for him for many years, back in the very early days of CBS News, and back when reporters were actual reporters and not corporate tools. She had great respect for him and found him decent, smart and kind. In fact he went to bat for her when her job was threatened. It is galling to hear him celebrated by "reporters" who are everything he wasn't. Although he never revealed his party affiliation he never concealed that he had actual thoughts. He was called the most trusted man in America, but he earned that trust by becoming a truth teller, something that is clearly not a goal of today's network reporters. Reporters today crave access over everything, which creates an imbalance and a sychophantish relationship with those in power. Right before the War in Afghanistan I heard him on the radio saying what a bad idea he thought it was to invade. I don't think you will hear much about that statement in the grief orgy.

Cone...Cohen...?

I must truly be a masochist. The weather has been changeable, so for some reason I thought it would be productive to try to watch or listen to the Sotomayor hearings on and off. Today they have been dull, dull, dull, and I often crack and turn down the volume on my computer, like when they had the ding bat from the NRA testifying. One high point was seeing David Cone testify. He said in essence, that some may call it an exageration that she saved baseball, but she succeeded getting the players out on the field where many others had failed, including Congress, various mediators and the President. The other high point was hearing Jeffrey Beaurgard Sessions welcome "David Cohen." Huh, he must be thinking... well I know he played for New York teams, and he is recommending a wise Latina to become a Supreme, so I must be saying his name right..."Cohen."

Sotomayor and the Sillies

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/13/AR2009071302605.html

I have following the Sotomayor hearings, sort of - the weather is too beautiful and the speeches and questioning are so dull, not to mention wildly hypocritical. If I hear one more question about a wise Latina by a stupid white guy, I am going to scream. It is amazing how the so called bully is being so patient with these clearly rude and silly people. This piece by Eugene Robinson nails the idiocy that is the Republican's way of questioning Sotomayor. The poor little lambs, they are terrified that immigrants and people of color are going to enslave them. The only normal for them is the conservative white male point of view. They are also desperate to make out that the creepy John Roberts represents American views. It was startling to see his wife and kiddies at his confirmation. They all looked as if they were in costume circa 1958. There is definitely something icky about Roberts, and I sure wouldn't trust him as a scout master. It is pretty ridiculous to hear Jeff Sessions, who not all that long ago thought the KKK was a fine organization until he learned that some of them smoked pot, imply that Sotomayor is a racist and a bigot. I guess that is how he sees the world - any difference inspires hatred and bigotry. Coming from him it ludicrous. Next we will hear Newt lecturing her about the sanctity of marriage. I do wish the Dems would stop talking about her inspirational life, not that it isn't, but look at Clarence T. His life story is pretty inspirational, but he is a warped, bitter and miserable human being. Sotomayor has great academic credential and a long and varied career in the law.

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.

Not sure about the feather in the cap...

After some initial glee about Arlen Specter's "becoming" a Democrat, I am increasingly sour and remembering all the things I do not like about him. I am concerned that the joy expressed by various people is a Beltway phenomenon mostly orchestrated by Joe Biden. Toomey would never have won in a state wide election and the dems have missed an opportunity to elect a progressive candidate. I know that Specter's defection is a real black eye for the repugs, even though they are trumpeting how wonderful it is, but Arlen is all about Arlen and as I think back to his being such a waterboy for the repugs (remember his trashing of Anita Hill, an act which has brought us years of Clarence Thomas presense, or lack there of, on the bench). Arlen also often says many of the right things and then votes the other way. No wonder he and Biden are friends.

Losing my religion

http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/04/30/churchgoers-more-likely-to-back-torture-survey-finds/

I have a friend who told me that her husband invariably finds a song to say what he wants. Clearly, I have been infected, which is probably tactless thing to say in the H1N1 times. This study says that church goers are more likely to think torture is acceptable. Hmmm...I have no idea what this indicates, but it is pretty strange. Lacking the gene for religion and being totally ignorant about religion, I can make no sense of the study.

Still Crazy

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hKVhiJKrlAeZef28sPf4bXuiSRQwD97SSO200
It is hard to know if the repugs were always this crazy or is the press is now more willing to cover their more bizarre statements. It seems as though now the Republican party is now relegated to minor party status, the lunatics are coming out of the woodwork and have become the Republican brand (since when did political parties become brands, like washing detergent). You have the Virginia Foxx, a Congresswoman from North Carolina, saying that the Mathew Shepard murder was a "hoax," you have Michelle Bachman who is always good for some copy, you have Michael Steele who every time he opens his mouth says something ridiculous, the list could go on and on. How these people can have assumed any position of power is beyond me. As the Obama administration continues the rhetoric on the right becomes more and more hyperbolic, as they try different code words to inspire fear, hoping one will stick - Obama the socialist, Leninist, Stalinist, Marxist, Muslim, weak kneed, dictator, etc. These comparisons are from elected officials, so called commentators and the like. The rhetoric from the gun crowd or the secessionists is even more extreme. The repugs watch in a daze as his approval ratings stay pretty much the same.

Ick and Ick and double ick

http://www.babychums.com/?p=2120

Given all that has been going on this is a truly superficial post, and given that I haven't posted for a while, this should surely bring me shame, but I can't help myself. The other day I heard a story wafting across the news about the totally creepy Alphonse D'Amato. I shook my head and thought what I heard could not be true, but sadly it is. At seventy one he is about to have fathered another child and he couldn't be happier. I guess he hasn't read all those gloomy articles about ancient sperm and what problem children it can produce. It isn't just that he is old, nothing wrong with that - I no spring chicken myself, but he was really creepy when he was young and the thought of more of his progeny is deeply disturbing no matter what the age he was when he produced them. I find it truly horrifying that he was in fact a senator from New York State. How on earth did that happen?

Bush enablers

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docid=hsnews-000003098436

Jane Harmon has been a great disappointment for the last eight years, but I must admit to surprise when I read this article. Shocked not so much about her cozy relationship with APAIC or her willingness to intervene of behalf of AIPAC, but her dealings with the Bushies was a little horrific. One detail that jumped out at me in the article was the brief mention that she agreed to pressure the NYT not to release the story about warrant less wiretaps before the 2004 election. I don't really think that the wiretap story would have changed the outcome of the election, after all the repugs are pretty expert at voter suppression, just look at Ohio in '04, and most people don't get too exercised about wiretaps because they don't think anything they say would merit scrutiny. But clearly somebody thought that the story might have some sort of impact otherwise they wouldn't have tried to stop the story. Jane Harmon's support of Bush policies gave repugs cover, and therefore she has to live with the fact that she was a prime Bush enabler. I do think it is one of life's delicious ironies that the information of Harmon's dalliance with AIPAC was heard on a wiretap, although it was legally obtain. And in the Stupidity of Arrogance category, did she think she was immune from wiretaps? Good for Nancy Pelosi denying Harmon the post as head of the intelligence committee, and she didn't even know that Harmon was so dirty.

BOBAMA! BODORABLE!

The luck of the Irish...

It is pretty bizarre to hear the rescue of the captain of the hijacked ship was the first test of Obama's foreign policy. I am very glad he was rescued, but it seems to me this was pretty much a police action, not a triumph of military might of as some gas bags put it, His First Big Test. Not to say there wasn't a tremendous amount of skill that went into the rescue, but a certain amount of luck entered into it, as there was so much that could have gone wrong. I am sure the right wing nut jobs were getting increasing gleeful at the prospect of a humiliated and impotent America held hostage by a bunch of Somali pirates. No doubt at Fox they were fantasizing about headlines reading "Day 10 - America Held Hostage" and are now gnashing their teeth.

Reel Stupid

http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/04/01/2009-04-01_marshals_seize_ponzi_schemer_bernard_mad.html

A few days ago, I tried to think of what Bernie Madoff's boat should be named. After hearing that the contractor who bribed the judges in PA to incarcerate kiddies named his boat Reel Justice, my husband and I tried to come up with a fitting name, but failed. In the you can't make this sh_t up/irony is not dead department, I found out that Bernie actually owns a boat, and the name of the boat? Bull. Now that is a name to ponder. Maybe the feds don't need to do lengthy investigations, and what they really need to do is go down to every harbor and check out sketchy boat names.

Michelle part deux

The Michelle frenzy continues... on NBC news last night, I heard her compared to Jackie O, Princess Di, and surely Mother Theresa is next. Even the dreaded MSM seems to be changing their meme about her, although they floated a trial issue of her breaking protocol and touching the Queen's back. The video of the Queen and Prince Phillip organizing themselves to have a photo with to Obama's is truly something to see. One wonders what the Princeton, Harvard Law educated Michelle O thinks of all the fuss that important issue, her clothing.

Michelle Ma Belle

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033003332_2.html?sid=ST2009033103841

An interesting phenomena is afoot. During the primary and run up to the election, the MSM constantly asked the question was Michelle Obama too angry, too black, not black enough, etc? Guess what, she is incredibly popular. This article in the Wapo makes out that she used to be barely tolerated but now she is loved. I am not sure that she was ever so unpopular, but I do grant that she is extremely well liked, no thanks to the MSM. Remember the flap over whether or not she should wear sleeveless dresses? The end result of that idiotic press meme is that now everybody want Michelle arms. Remember when she was portrayed as an Angela Davis wannabe? Turns out, most people's point of reference is Claire Huxtable not Angela D. Remember when she was excoriated for saying that for the first time she was proud of her country (not the exact quote, but how it was reported)... After having endured eight years of having a buffoon and a master criminal in the White House, those words might have some relevance to many. What I wonder, is has the MSM lost its ability to create a lasting meme? After a fair amount of pounding in the press Barack has high approval ratings, while Congress/Wall Street/Auto Industry see their approval steadily sinking. Poor Al Gore, even though he invented the internets, they came too late to save him.

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

These arms of mine

http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/fashion/2009-02-26-obama-sleeveless_N.htm

The Today show had a segment on Michelle Obama's arms, and is it appropriate for her to wear sleeveless dresses. In particular, she was criticized for wearing a sleeveless dress to the non Stat of the Union, because other women were wearing suits and pant suits. If those women want to dress that way, so be it. But how nice that she doesn't dress like Barbara or Laura Bush, who were exceedingly matronly and seemed to dress alike. I am sure they swapped fashion tips with each other. What complete foolishness - now there is an issue to get steamed up about. There are also suggestions in some articles about how to get arms like Michelle. So maybe this carping has something to do with a little jealousy. Anyway, the last time I checked she wasn't Orthodox, so what is the big deal?

Will wonders never cease

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/opinion/27krugman.html?ref=opinion

This Paul Krugman piece actually has something positive to say about President Obama (gee, that is awfully nice to write). I used to read Krugman's columns religiously, but I got fed up during the primaries and post election when he never seemed to miss an opportunity to say snarky, mean things, so I now read him selectively, although that is childish I know. I don't know why, but usually Krugman always puts the shiv in whenever he writes about anything Obama does, so when I read the words "...very, very good..." in a Krugman column about the budget I am amazed.

A Plea for Divine Intervention

After Obama's non State of the Union, Bobby Jindal had the unenviable task of giving the Republican response. Unenviable for a multitude of reasons, I mean after all, what can the response be if your party is the one that created the disaster that has befallen the country? What do you say when your party is completely bereft of any ideas? What do you say when Obama has such a strong mandate for change? And how do you follow someone who is one of the strongest orater in memory. Some would argue Ronnie's gifts, but frankly I always thought that he seemed like a simple minded, mean, ignornant, lying fool, irespective of his ideology. I clearly never felt the Ronnie magic. When Jindal walked out to give his speech, he looked like death warmed over, and someone on MSNBC, said either "Oh god," or what I heard, which is probably wrong, is "Oh my god." It is hard to figure which is worse. "Oh god" could mean here comes that insufferable bore, and "Oh my god" could mean, jeez he looks awful and we now have to listen to him. Asking for divine intervention to be spared from the speech was probably a good idea. Jindal was awful. Aside from spouting the mantra of the Republicans, taxcutstaxcutstaxcuts, he had the nerve to talk about the rebuilding of New Orleans as a triumph of volunteerism with no government assistance, completely disregarding that Katrina was the calamitous event that lifted the veil for many Americans to see what no government would mean. The sight of the hapless Bush in his helicopter with his stagey look of concern, as he desperately tried to recapture the 9/11 magic, an obscene thought in itself, was deeply disturbing. It was indeed his Oz moment, when he gave that speech in the eirily empty square in New Orleans. The curtain pulled back to reveal the what the Bush administration was all about - the image of caring, while thousands of people were struggling for survival and begging to be rescued in the richest country in the world.

Strange Bedfellows

I know it is incredibly tasteless to write anything about Travis the chimp, but somehow when I read more about the bizarre relationship between owner and chimp, I can't help myself. The other day I saw a picture of Travis, leaning back with a blanket at his feet. He had a slightly dissipated and louche look, aside from being one ugly chimp. Overweight and seedy looking, perhaps from eating so many lobster dinners and boozing too much has taken a toll on Travis. My husband told me that every night Travis would brush his owners hair before they would would crawl into bed together. I mean, other than Laura Bush, who sleeps with a chimp? Yikes, the damn chimp looks like he is about to light a cigarette.

Another fine example of the liberal bias of press Ha Ha

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/02/20/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4816372.shtml

I think it strange that Rick Santelli is called a reporter. Since when does a "reporter" rabble rouse against government policies? Isn't that called an opinion piece? The whole story is pretty absurd. The sight of him on a trading floor decrying help for people struggling to pay their mortgages. Hmmm hasn't the financial world received the biggest bailout of all? And how much do those traders rake in per year? Now Santelli is being called the Howard Beale of the financial world, a reference to the very overated movie Network. It is strange that he didn't whine about the bailout for the fat cats. I read some piece which I sadly can't find, which talked about the nature of the people that work on the trading floor. The writer had worked on the trading floor, and said that most people were mean spirited, narrow minded, and went to schools like Notre Dame and Seton Hall (these happen to be arch basketball enimies of my children, so these are clearly very flawed people.)

A Post for the Humorless

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7900963.stm

The NY Post cartoon controversy rumbles on. The Post apologized for the offensive cartoon, sort of... Writing "...for those of you (idiots) who were offended, we are sorry..." The subtext is in parentheses. The cartoon is offensive on many levels, first and foremost anyone who doesn't think comparing an African American is not racism is either lying or a fool, although both are possible at the same time. Second, when is it okay to joke about the assassination of a sitting president, especially the first African American president? The standard defense of this is a joke and don't be so sensitive, doesn't quite cut it. Saying that Al Sharpton is a publicity hound is irelavant to the poisonous nature of the cartoon But this kind of racism is endemic to the Murdoch empire.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/19/john-gibson-compares-eric_n_168377.html
To demonstrate the tin ear of their employees, just yesterday John Gibson compared Eric Holder to a monkey with bright blue scrotum. I know, it is hard to imagine how this comparison could possibly come up on the air, but there is video evidence. After all the cartoon controversy you would think that Rupert would encourage his employees to demonstrate a little caution in their metaphors and similes. But I guess they just can't help revealing hemselves, can they.

Satan's handmaidens

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/crime/ny-liinsu196040953feb19,0,4638148.story

I know that Andrew Cuomo is a self aggrandizing, publicity seeking shark, but boy can he pick an issue. First predatory colleges when every parent of a college student feels nickle and dimed after paying huge tuition bills, and now his focus on health insurance companies, is something that many, many people have experienced. Unfortuneatly, my family has had way too much experience with the absurd reimbursement rates for out of network Doctors. The rates have never seemed based on any kind of financial reality, and now several insurance companies have admitted wrong doing. The health insurance industry is completely without scruples. As my husband, who could have devoted his entire life to dealing with getting fair treatment for our family's medical bills, has pointed out, any mistake made by our insurance company is always in their favor. The spectacle of these companies exploiting people at their most vulnerable, makes old Bernie Maddoff stealing from widows and orphans seem tame.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/us/politics/18illinois.html?em

The sad saga of Barack's former Senate seat continues with the latest revelation of Burress, and I paraphrase here: "Oh yes I forgot, I guess I did speak to a relative of Blago's...oh and I guess I forgot, but I did some fund raising, but it is OK because no one coughed up a dime..." Now his initial statements were sworn affidavits, so I fail to understand why he is not up on ethics charges. Here he is, appointed by a corrupt, impeached former governor who was trying to auction off the very seat that Burress is now holding. I read somewhere that this now allows dems thinking of running against him some cover. Why they would need cover defies imagination. I would think that anyone who is considering running against Burress would hardly need cover. The man is a joke, and a bad one at that.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/02/16/2009-02-16_police_pet_chimpanzee_travis_attacks_wom.html

Now this story of mad chimp mauling a neighbor is sure to distract from the important issues of the day - A-rod's upcoming press conference and Michael Phelps descent into reefer madness. This is a pretty gruesome story filled with grisly details and bad ideas, first and foremost being who the hell has a chimp for a pet? Now I happen to know a fair number of people who live on this road and several of them with small children, why a chimp known to be agfressive and who has been clever enough to escape from his owners is beyond me. According to the Daily News, he took the house keys to let himself out, and the owner called her friend to help get him back in the house - another bad idea. Why anyone would give the chimp wine, and out of a stemmed glass no less, is beyond me. My son in law is quite interested in this particular detail. Even though I encouraged him, he is too modest to post so I will quote him:
"So, I am somewhat obsessed with the Chimp story out of North Stamford .... if only because it reinforces that people are bat-shit insane for any number of reasons.

Check out the Hartford Courant's take on the story:

http://www.courant.com/news/local/statewire/hc-ap-ct-chimpanzeeattackfeb16,0,1134122.story

I particularly enjoyed the last para:

"At the time of the 2003 attack, police said the owners told them the chimpanzee was toilet trained, dressed himself, took his own bath, ate at the table and drank wine from a stemmed glass."

Who in the hell has a chimp in their house at all, let alone after it was involved in an attack 6 years ago....beyond that, who in the hell has a chimp that they sit at the dinner table with.....and most of all, who in the hell gives a chimp wine, let alone wine in stemmed glass. Seriously, what the f__k?!?!?!? This story is the weirdest thing ever. You haven't lived until you have seen a drunk chimp stagger out of the Long Ridge Tavern!!!

Also, NBC news in New York reported that the woman who was mauled "had her face literally ripped off".....thank you local news for that description.

According to a friend, the four stages of human drunkenness are:

1. I'm rich

2. I'm attractive

3. I'm bulletproof

4. I'm invisible

Which leads me to the four stages of chimp drunkenness:

1. I'm eating a banana

2. I'm swinging from a tree

3. I'm beating my chest in an aggressive fashion

4. I'm ripping the neighbor lady's face off"

According to some local yokel news stations, Travis, the chimp wanted to go for a ride in a car and didn't take it well when the ride wasn't forth coming. His owner gave him a xanax to calm him down, but it had no effect, so as one neighbor so eloquently put it, "He began feasting on the woman's face." Yikes.

Spare me from principled people

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/the-bizarre-burgeoning-legend-of-judd-gregg.php
How I distrust people that boast about themselves as people of principal. Let us take the strange behavior of Judd Gregg. Now, I always thought it was a bizarre appointment - Richardson has to back out, and then a pretty conservative Senator from a pretty tiny state is offered the position. Somehow it doesn't seem like a fair exchange. I have read all sorts of stuff that said that Gregg lobbied hard for the position. I have also read that when he accepted, the Republican party in New Hampshire went ballistic. Republicans excel at venomous attacks, so one can just imagine the hate mail he was getting. The Republicans have apparently decided that their way back to power is to attack and stop anything that Obama wants to do, so Gregg was most likely seen as a traitor to his party. To get back in the good graces of the Repugs he withdraws his acceptance, gives a press conference just as Obama is about to give a speech at a rally. What was different on Thursday than when he had accepted the appointment? Now he is being lauded as a person of PRINCIPLE? Please, give me a break. How about being a person with no spine, like that wacky congressman that went crawling to Rush after he had criticized him. Joe Lieberman thinks of himself as person of great principal, so maybe Joe and Judd can go off and be principled together after their sorry asses are voted out of the Senate.

The New House of Lords

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/11/keep-the-filibuster-say-d_n_166074.html

I understand that the filibuster has been used for good and for ill, but what Barbara Boxer and others ignore, is that the threat of filibuster has crippled Democratic legislative efforts. In other words, when Republicans were in power it was considered obstructionist/non patriotic to threat to block any legislation, but when Democrats are in power they need 60 votes to pass any legislation. This not only creates the soggy middle, but the thought that the Senate, wields so much power is truly terrifying. It is a very undemocratic body, given that some Senators represent states that have tiny populations, and this institution seems to be a most insular and out of touch group. Remember, this is the place where Strom Thurmond the Racist, Jim Bunning the Lunatic and David the Diaper Vitter have been consistently re-elected. Why don't we turn them into an institution like the House of Lords, where they can pontificate for hours, but basically have little power?

Not a Republican virtue

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/coleman-lawyer-were-finding-more-votes.php

I see that an appreciation of irony is not a Republican virtue. Here we have Ben Ginsburg of the Florida recount debacle, arguing that votes in the Minnesota Senate race should be counted once, twice and then some more. Unlike in the Florida 2000 election, the votes have been actually recounted. How do these people live with themselves? Easy, they believe that whatever they do to get power is the right thing to do. Meanwhile, the election haggling goes on and on, which is of course what the Republican's want. The longer it goes on, the more it will seem as though Franken's victory is somehow tainted, and the other important benefit is that there is one less Democratic vote, and a liberal one at that, in the Senate. Where is the ethics probe of Norm and why is it languishing? You would think that a business man funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to Norm through his cheezeball wife would make some news, not to mention his sweet rental deal, but these ethics issues are rarely mentioned by the MSM. Al Franken is generally refered to as former SNL performer, why isn't Norm mentioned as Current Senate Grifter?
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/35932

Everyone has secrets

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/opinion/09glanville.html

I was relieved to read this one article that hasn't compared A-rod to Hitlerstalinpuppykiller. I know he is the player that people seem to love to hate, but I have always had a secret fondness for him, which stems from an incident in Boston a number of years ago. Apparently he was in town for a game and walking down the street. A little boy started to fall into the street and Satan, oh I mean A-rod jumped into the street and pulled the boy back to safety. This instinctive action won him huge points in my book. Not everybody would risk their personal safety to immediately rescue someone. This article also asks why no one is concerned about confidentiality issues, which I have concerned me. Why was his name leaked, or any name for that matter? I think that people might be a little more worried about confidentiality, after all, how would they feel if their therapist spilled the beans. Oh yes, Mr. Blogs told me in many sessions that he liked to put on women's underwear and dance the electric slide. Everyone has secrets that the wish to keep hidden. I am also sick of people feigning horror about Michael Phelps. Why don't they ask about how he could have such crappy friends that would post a picture of him with a bong? People seem to love so called heros and then take delight in castigating them for any faling. I'm not condoning steroid use as some minor indescretion, but it is important to look at the culture of baseball at that time which fostered such rampant steroid use among so many top flight players. You have to wonder why someone so clearly talented would risk his career, not to mention his health, for some perceived gain. Not that I thought that A-rod was some kind of saint, after all he has some sort of relationship that I don't care to examine with the terrifying Madona, and frankly an affair of the mind is more disturbing than the other kind. We all do like to have people we admire, and I must say, I do worry that some boy is going to come forward and say that Sully liked to play co pilot with him. And no doubt somebody has "proof" that A-rod's manager pushed the little boy into the street to garner some good publicity for his client.

Misunderestimation

http://www.americablog.com/2009/02/john-mccain-gop-troll.html

I agree with John Aravosis that the Repugs will always be partisan, but I am not so sure that the current battle is a big loss for Obama. I can't remember who said it, but someone wrote that people underestimate Obama at their peril, just ask the Clinton's. Obama has just begun the public relations offensive. He is a clear speaker, very nimble on his feet and far more intelligent than most or perhaps all of the press, so I will be very interested to see his press conference. He has been clear from the beginning that although he wants bipartisan support for legislation, that doesn't mean that he want to repeat the disastrous policies of the previous administration. The big flaw of the Democrats is avoiding a filibuster. I don't think the Repugs would look all that wonderful arguing against firemen, policemen, children and maybe puppies, who are directly affected by the cuts in state aid.

Twittering on Twitter

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20090207/NEWS02/302079944

In the can't make this stuff up department, let us look at the case of Peter Hoekstra and his secret trip to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of a Republican delegation. Seems the ranking Republican on the Intelligence committee decided to post his itinerary on Twitter. Now, I am no techy but even I could figure out that posting a secret trip taken with my colleagues was not a particularly good idea. It would be bad enough, but the fact that he serves on the Intelligence committee makes his posting even more inexplicable, unless he not so secretly hopes for the demise of his Republican friends. I must admit if I had to travel with the reptilian John Boehner, I migh harbor a wicked thought or two.

Important matters

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/02/62471161/1

The economy is in the toilet, we are involved in two disastrous wars, a new president in office, and what is a key concern of the former Chief of Staff whose former boss was the architect of this debacle? OH MY GOD!!! Obama doesn't always wear a shirt and tie or demand that other do in the Oval Office. Dan Bartlett was quoted as saying that he went to the White House one Saturday, not wearing a tie, and Bush screamed at him for fifteen minutes and wouldn't let him in the sacred Oval Office. How psycho is that? At least Barack actually is doing some work, attempting to clean up the mess left by the previous occupant, who insisted on all people, I guess other than him assuming the photos of a jacket Bush playing at President are not photoshopped. He has such tremendous respect for the office of President, he shredded the Constitution and ruined the country, and destroyed our reputation abroad. Who knew that such a small man could make such a huge mess.

More foolishness in Beltway Bubble Land

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/05/AR2009020501622_2.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2009020600080&s_pos=

It is pretty horrible to watch the Senate pontificate and see the so called moderates try to cut the size of the bill down. Many economist, including Paul Krugman, are not only saying that the economic situation is dire, but that the bill is too small, and yet people in Bubble Land are trying to cut out things they deem unworthy, like Head Start, aid to states for Special Education, money for Amtrak, aid to states to fund teachers, policemen and firefighters, and more. Have any of them spoken to the governors of their state's lately? I think not. Ben Nelson of NE and the faintly creepy Evan Bayh are part of this group, and I am sure that the dreaded Lieberman will soon be raising his sanctimonious head. This is the time for arm twisting on the part of the Democratic leadership and tell them, Come on folks, stop thinking you actually have ideas and fall in line.

The Gum Flappers are baaaaack

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/stimulus/2009/02/04/bipartisan-group-of-governors-announce-support-of-obamas-stimulus.html

If you listen to the flapping gums on the Networks, you would think that perhaps only Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi support the stimulus bill. However, many governors, even Republican governors like Charlie Crist the once maybe Republican VP nominee, support the bill. Even my governor, Jodi Rell has come out in favor. Those in the trenches of day to day governing realize how dire the economy is and what effect it is having on the general public. Those in Bubble Land (the Inside the Beltway crowd, which includes the Washington press corps) think it is all strategy/politics/scoring point all the time. I was glad the Barck reminded everyone that the Republican idea (can't say ideas , can I) of taxcutstaxcutstaxcuts coupled with governmentbadgovernmentbadgovernmentbad as an over riding philosophy has been tried and proved to be a dismal failure.

The bliss of local news

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/the-early-word-on-daschles-exit/?ref=opinion

This piece in the Times has some reactions to the Daschle debacle. Some are gloomy, saying that this is a total victory for Republicans, others less so. I thought he was toast when it was revealed that he hadn't informed the Obama team about his tax issues when first being considered for the job. Not understand, I like Tom Daschle, but I have to wonder what planet is he on that he didn't think that it was going to be a BIG issues? Has he been hanging out with the delusional set - John Edwards and Eliot Spitzer, to name a few? He should have never accepted the appointment and the harm he has caused is not insignificant. This is going to delay any kind of health care reform for a long time, and the focus on health care has been diminishing because of the disastrous economic situation. Daschle was picked for his friends on both sides of the aisle and his knowledge of Congressional politics and it hard to think of someone with his credentials. It is also horrible because this is a complete distraction from passing the stimulus package, and it is also is giving gleeful Republicans another excuse for their extremely distructive behavior. The press is in heaven - scandal, scandal, scandal, politics as usual, politics as usual (too bad no sex was involved...). I find the local yokel news a relief, so far all snow
coverage all the time.

Johnny One Notes

I am not at work today - a blissful snow day. I have unfortunately been watching too many hours of MSNBC and have seen an endless stream of ghastly Republican House members whining about the stimulus package. They say there are not enough taxcutstaxcutstaxcuts. That is apparently all they have to say about anything. They stand in a gaggle, a rather repulsive collection of aging white guys, each one coming up to the camera to say his piece, to be then substituted for another aging white guy saying exactly the same thing. Yeah, and weren't tax cuts that predominately helped the rich a terrific idea and did our economy loads of good. Don't they realize that they are small in numbers and rapidly disappearing? Why on earth is MSNBC taking them remotely seriously? To quote W, something I never thought I would do, Who cares what you think?

Panic

http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2009/jan/26/0126_wings/

There is some panic in the food world about the impending shortage of chicken wings, which are in high demand for next weekend's Superbowl. This is a strange but apparently true story. When did chicken wings become so key to the Superbowl experience? I guess I am grumpy because the Superbore fields two teams that no one in my family cares about, except I am sure that my son in law hates one team more (he is very passionate in his sports beliefs), but I am not sure which one.