Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Fox News is outraged OUTRAGED I TELLS YA'!

That Barack Obama said that their pundits don't have to know anything and can fuck up without impunity.

Good job God-botherer

Bwahahaha, nice:





The only Austerity that works is in their brain

Sadly that fucks up the rest of us even more.
Gov. Scott Walker has repeatedly assured Wisconsinites that his assaults on local democracy, public services, public education and collective bargaining rights would create jobs and prosperity.

In contrast, the governor has argued, the decision of Illinois officials to tackle budget challenges with fair tax policies, respect for public employees and efforts to maintain services would cause doom and gloom for that state.

The Illinois comparison has been a constant in Walker’s speeches, media appearances and press releases since January.
And you can surely guess how that has actually worked out in ...BUM BUM BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH...reality:
The October jobs figures for the United States were just released. Illinois led the nation in job creation, adding 30,000 new jobs.

And what about Wisconsin?

Under Walker, Wisconsin now leads the nation in job losses. In fact, of the states that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics described as experiencing “statistically significant unemployment changes” in October, only one actually lost jobs: Wisconsin.

Wisconsin lost 9,700 jobs in October, almost all of them in the private sector.
Good job you illiterate boob.

Well now we know

The additional conservative strategy for 2012, given their candidates, is to re-run 2008 stories about Obama because they know their readers cannot ever remember what happened yesterday, let alone four years ago.

The real question is when they are going to accuse Obama of lying about his medals while on a Swiftboat in Vietnam?

IOKIYAR Files #infinity

If you are a progressive blogger who is known for their accuracy vis-a-vis the legal violations of various Bush Administration members and you say the word "blowjob" once on television...well your career as a pundit is over.

But if you are a right-wing hit piece machine, who uses the First Amendment's protections to slander and say words like "douchebag" among other things continuously you not only get to appear on every network, but you get to go on another network the same day to talk about what you said on another network.

Somehow this must be the work of Obama & the Clenis.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

I guess he's about to get that book advance

And FoxNews talking head deal.

Must ignore...must ignore

Because more than a few of our media conglomerates have interest in getting more nuclear power plants built some day.


Japan’s science ministry says 8 per cent of the country’s surface area has been contaminated by radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
It says more than 30,000 square kilometres of the country has been blanketed by radioactive cesium.

Repeated Herman Cain affair allegations are passe

When is a second abused former Romney pet dog going to come forward?

His favorite color is "clear"

In a field laden with ignoramuses, functional illiterates, philanderers, super-philanderers and the dork-a-christ, one man stands apart.

Mitt Romney, relatively untainted by scandal or backbone -- George H.W. Bush with a tan. But now Romney is so dull and uncharismatic he is desperate for some color outside of bronzer.  The base wants more craaaaaazzzzzy.   But being Mitt Romney this is the best he could do:
...there is considerable evidence that Romney has a genuine temper.
Well, there's a shocker. What is next? "It appears Romney has a pulse"; "Romney, no sign of gills"; "Mitt Romney denies vestigial tail".  He's already asserted his hair is mousse-free.

This sort of milquetoast douchebaggery cannot stand against the genuine article.

I suggest Mitt take a hint from the Cain campaign and have a second former family dog come forward to allege neglect.

Maybe he should claim his current dog is named "Fenton"?

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Monday, November 28, 2011

The Winner

The Kansas "you suck" tweeting teen has managed to not only refuse to apologize to Governor Brownback, but has seen him apologize.

She has now made herself forever ineligible from a Democratic Leadership position.


Good, because after all, he plainly does suck

Teenager who proclaimed Governor Brownback "sucks" is going to refuse to sign the letter her moronic principal dictated to her at the demands of Governor Suck.

Good for her.

Way to Pick a Winner

Perpetually about-to-be-indicted-asshole Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio is going to endorse Rick Perry. Because he likes the cut of his gibberish. There's nothing stopping the Perry-Train now, other than people actually voting.

Rapture Worthy News

As many tourist visit the Mall of America...as Italy. In fact, I bet it is the first place Amanda Knox visits.

Logic, not their strong suit

Herman Cain was once -- as hard as it is to believe -- was once the front-runner for the GOP nomination. And considering that his biggest accomplishment was dropping hints while conducting job interviews that is quite a fact, in and of itself. But there's a reason he had the right-stuff for the Right-wing and that was his comfort with saying two completely contradictory things in adjoining sentences.
Cain has denied the [sex harassment] accusations and says “nothing has gone wrong” in terms of the campaign’s mechanics. But he tells CNN’s “State of the Union” that some people “are heavily influenced by perception more so than reality.” Cain also says he supports “targeted identification” in weeding out potential terrorists.
So just because there are people saying Herman Cain sexually harassed them it's a perception issue and that's wrong. But if you're of the right brownish hue Herman Cain perceives you might be a terrorist.

And it makes complete sense to the modern Republican brain.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Oh how the world has changed

Or not. Forty years ago the Manchester Union Leader attacked Ed Muskie's ONE (and only) wife as a swearer and drinker and then claimed he cried...effectively ending his Presidential campaign.

Now, a guy on his third marriage and whose current spouse is physically incapable of crying because she'll rust is getting the endorsement of the same paper.

Well, how dare they...

Shockingly, our campaign to rain death from the skies isn't going all that swimmingly again:
The Pakistani government has demanded the U.S. vacate an air base within 15 days that the CIA is suspected of using for unmanned drones. The government issued the demand Saturday after NATO helicopters and jet fighters allegedly attacked two Pakistan army posts along the Afghan border, killing 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Apparently, Pakistan doesn't understand how patently awesome we are -- we're always the good guys.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Like a Python Skit come to life

Oh, I don't know...
Adolf Hitler stayed in Liverpool for five months before World War I in a flat which was destroyed by Luftwaffe bombers in the Second World War 30 years later, according to a new research. The then 23-year-old shared the flat with his married half-brother Alois Hitler Jnr in Toxteth from November 1912 to April 1913.
The really important thing to know -- of course -- was he for Liverpool or Everton?

Reaganing

Apparently, Mitt Romney believes the most important thing he can do is be like his idol and lie about even the little things...like his hair. And on that subject...oh for the love of fuck!

Friday, November 25, 2011

We will not declare victory without taking down Butterball

Apparently the run of success of taking out Al Qaeda leaders is such that the organization is down to two cranks who don't like each other.

So, in essence, Hulk Hogan and his ex-wife.

Black Friday with the Pike family

Somebody wanted that quality "Sanyo" TV.
Authorities say at least 10 people suffered minor injuries inside a crowded Walmart store in Los Angeles after a female shopper used pepper spray during a confrontation.

My Halal-Safe Turkey must have been off

Because I keep wanting to praise this guy.
(pic from here)

Investing in Mars

The credit agencies have been busy with a new round of threats.  Here's one:

Standard & Poor’s said Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s administration hasn’t made progress in tackling the public debt burden, an indication it may be preparing to lower the nation’s sovereign grade.

And another:

Portugal suffered a double blow Thursday after Fitch Ratings downgraded its debt to junk


And yet another:

Moody's Investors Services warns it could downgrade the U.S. government's top credit rating if Congress backs off $1.2 trillion US in automatic deficit cuts scheduled over the next decade.

I do believe the world's credit agencies are readying their escape pods and are preparing to escape the gravity of the Earth they've helped create.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]



Thursday, November 24, 2011

Whoops

New York Times inadvertently a little too factually accurate this morning.




Has been corrected.

Well, I'm hosting Thanksgiving

What do I subject my guests to during the inevitable terrible Thanksgiving Day NFL Game?

1. Arrested Development Marathon
2. Traditional MST3K Turkey Day Marathon (emphasis on Gamera)
3. Community Marathon
4. Actual Human Interation (w/o Centipeding)

BTW, the food (it is Thanksgiving)

a.  Tur-duc-hen (includes stuffing)
b.  Mashed Potatoes/Gravy
c.  Green Bean Casserole (I am after all Minnesotan)
d.  Wild Rice (see (c) above)
e.   A nice grainy bread
f.   Pumpkin Pie -- of course
g.  Spumante/Pinot Noir/White Grape Juice
h.  African/Cinnamon Coffee




Well, ironically, at least they are honest about it...

This is how you roll...IOKIYAR. The Romney Campaign openly embraces lying as a strategy. Oh, and his first name is not Willard.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

This Thanksgiving

We're making a Tur-duc-hen.

I hope not only is it Halil worthy, and/or Kosher but also fit for SATAN himself.

Every major holiday we, like the buzzards returning to Hinckley, can count on the usual cast of rightwing-fucktards to blow a gasket about something so stupid you just have to gawk in wonder.

Well, that figures

Newt Gingrich has adopted as his campaign slogan "Newt Now"*.

Which not only sounds like his self-monologue before he dumps a wife or signs up for a Tiffany's account (probably simultaneously) but is also the slogan of another Republican of the Past.

None other than Tricky Dick.

(*also sounds like badly abridged Shakespeare) 

One of our national nightmares is in abeyance

Good news everyone...there isn't another Republican Presidential Debate for you to follow only through the posting of horrific quotes for more than two weeks. Apparently the candidates will be busy fighting the War on Chanukah ("C" vs. No "C") amongst other things -- although I'm just going to throw it out there and say Rick Santorum will be celebrating Ashura.

But what a paradigm of modern GOP Wingnuttery we had last night as CNN, last seen sponsoring a debate with the "Tea Party", joined forces with the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute on the subject of who will make the rubble in Iran bounce higher Foreign Policy. With such neo-con luminaries as Paul Wolfowitz, David Addington and Danielle Pletka asking questions via obliging former AIPAC employee Wolf Blitzer.

* We learned "Africa is a Country" from Rick Santorum, who must have heard that from Sarah Palin.

* Herman Cain said that despite his fear of mountains, if Israel demands we bomb Iran, well by golly who are we to say no?

* Ron Paul criticized the Patriot Act and the War on Drugs and was never heard from again.

* Willard Mitt Romney explicitly denied his first name was "Willard" (it is, but it is pronounced "Throat Warbler Mangrove") .


* Gingrich indicated he was open to allowing illegal immigrants to be in the U.S. legally. *record scratch*

Well, so long Newt's front runner status, that was almost not intolerant.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

"Sorry 'bout that whole chemical warfare bit..."

Says UC-Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi.

UC Davis Chancellor Apologizes from Joe Boydston on Vimeo.

Not said but implied...
"Unless you little fuckers keep being all offended about it and stake out my free large on-campus house to protest by $400,000 annual salary and threaten my continued employment. Then, it's rubber-bullet time."

Must be getting Roger Ailes media advice again

Republican Milquetoast (Mittoast?) Mitt Romney is soiling his virtual magic underwear again.
The Romney campaign’s very first television ad, released this evening, dishonestly presents a 2008 McCain campaign quote as the words of President Obama. The ad features a voice-over of Obama saying “if we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose.” Then-candidate Obama indeed said those words, perhaps dozens of times during the closing month of the 2008 campaign. The only problem? Obama was actually quoting the words of a strategist from Sen. John McCain’s campaign.

Alfred Packered

I'm not sure how much I love it when this plan comes together.
[A]ccording to [a] Fairleigh Dickinson University’s latest PublicMind poll...“there is something about watching Fox News that leads people to do worse on these questions than those who don’t watch any news at all”
FoxNews worse than ignorance, it's not just opinion, it's science! But there is more than just that.
"I don't think we have the right to Monday-morning quarterback the police," Bill O'Reilly said tonight, discussing the appalling use of pepper spray by UC Davis police on Friday. ...Megyn Kelly [told] O'Reilly, that pepper spray is "a food product, essentially"
Yeah, that's right, we have no right to question the actions of authorities, not questioning authorities is what makes slogans like "freedom" and "liberty" worth believing.

To question the police is to embrace the socialist notion you shouldn't be pepper-sprayed by them repeatedly, based upon your political orientation.

Besides, pepper-spraying isn't really about the abuse of civil protesters -- particularly the non-FoxNews viewing ones.

It is about seasoning.

(image via fortinbras at flickr.com)

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Monday, November 21, 2011

Yeah, yeah

Lt. Pike is now somewhat well known as the UC-Davis pepper sprayer. But wait until he's promoted and gets Spock to hijack the Enterprise. Beep...beep

Welcome to Iconography Dumbass

From here.

 
The General has a fitting one as well.

The Human Parody

Found at Gizmodo...Arnold Schwarzenegger's commentary track for Total Recall is literally made for blind people who like to be spoken too in Austrian Accents. There's an old SNL skit when Joe Montana -- of all people -- was a guest host where a guy who literally speaks every word he thinks...one can see Arnold doing this.
Arnold: "Ah-lo Mah-ree-ah dis is Ah-nuld. Yes, I am speaking to you on a phone to your ans-ur-ing mah-sheen. I am in a cheap oh-tell with ah Pwos-too-tute right now und she is tah-king mah muh-ney. Und now she is un-buh-toon-ing my belt and it is all vur-ee nice as ah am all ee-rect und mah boh-nur iz thwob-bing..."

Of course they do...

It's the way the system is rigged:
Capital gains are the key ingredient of income disparity in the US-- and the force behind the winner takes all mantra of our economic system. If you want even out earning power in the U.S, you have to raise the 15% capital gains tax. Income and wealth disparities become even more absurd if we look at the top 0.1% of the nation's earners-- rather than the more common 1%. The top 0.1%-- about 315,000 individuals out of 315 million-- are making about half of all capital gains on the sale of shares or property after 1 year; and these capital gains make up 60% of the income made by the Forbes 400.
Fuck everybody else.

So, we are different from third world income disparities how exactly?

A 1,000, no a Million Words

Says it all...
via Digby. And this one too:

Congrats NASCAR fans

For fulfilling every possible stereotype that exists about you...booing the First Lady when she is there for a charity supporting military service-people.

I'm sure many of those folks would have loved to have had a crack at Rosa Parks too.

What happened in Egypt

Is terrible, and the world's political leaders have been quick to respond and condemn.

However, you will note our own political leadership has been noticeably silent about what happened in UC-Davis this weekend.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Yeah, you better take the walk of shame

Because UC-Davis Chancellor Katehi you spent the entire day fucking the Bill of Rights.

And just in case you didn't think it was 1968 all over again

Seven figured pastry-inhaling historian and diamond appraiser Newt Gingrigh's new campaign message is "take a bath hippy".

Oh, and this:
“A country that has been now since 1963 relentlessly in the courts driving God out of public life shouldn’t be surprised at all the problems we have. Because we’ve in fact attempted to create a secular country, which I think is frankly a nightmare.”
Yeah, it has nothing to do with pointless wars, tax cuts to the rich, and ever more aircraft carriers etc.

The Republican Caucuses in Iowa are going to be something Iran's ruling theocrats would enjoy.

You First Amendment on Vacation

Perhaps permanently.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Modern America

"...where at least I know I'm free..."
Today at Occupy Davis, a police officer approached a group of students sitting in a line peacefully on the ground, walked up and down the line and pepper-sprayed them directly in the face—as one would spray pesticide on weeds.

(pic via Atrios)

More here.

Of course they do

Many of the 1 percent of the 1 percent literally pay taxes of just 1 percent.

Hooray!

This may be -- in some way -- the future of intelligent [i.e. non-reality shit] programming.
If you've been feeling coldly toward Netflix recently, this might warm you up: The media-streaming giant has signed an exclusive deal to resurrect acclaimed comedy series "Arrested Development." New episodes will be available only to Netflix streaming subscribers in the U.S. in 2013.
In a few years after people figure out "Hey, I should have watched Community or Party Down before they were cancelled [you still have a chance btw with the former]" this may be the future for a few shows.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Three Men and a Fucking Baby

What a goddamned embarrassment that asshole is, he's not just misty-eyed, he's fucking balling bawling his guts out, it looks like snot is going to come running out of nose if it isn't already. Glenn and Neil Armstrong should have slapped some perspective into that son of a bitch, Buzz Aldrin isn't in the picture but he was up there and I know he is capable of doing so when it is required.

Apparently, she thought she was dismissing Johnny Mathis

And dismissing a person of "dubious" color.
The Arizona Supreme Court Thursday evening reinstated the chairwoman of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, rebuffing Gov. Jan Brewer’s unprecedented action earlier this month. The ruling came less than three hours after the court heard arguments on the case, which revolved around the extent to which the commission is free of outside political interference. The court decided the governor’s Nov. 1 removal letter to Colleen Coyle Mathis did not demonstrate “substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office or inability to discharge the duties of office.”
The stupidity and lack of evidence for the discharge is pretty evident given the time it took an appeals court to make a ruling. I've been practicing for 20 years and the fastest appellate ruling I ever got from any court was about a month. Bench rulings in district court often take more than 3 hours. What a complete power-hungry dope Jan Brewer is, but given her supporters they deserve each other. (via Think Progress)

But of course...

I shouldn't be surprised that Michele Bachmann is apparently being advised on health care from Sasquatch:
Bachmann: A Seven-Foot Doctor Told Me Obamacare Requires The IRS To Pre-Approve Medical Treatments
Not a surprise really, he was heavily involved in the Bush Administration. (pic via Newscoma)

First in War, First in Peace

Second thing that comes up when you "google" Santorum.   Human Yosemite Sam/Elmer Fudd hybrid Glenn Beck still exists in the realm of literal viral videos, and in his ever stupid proclamations of history he has burped up a real doozie:
If there is one guy out there that is the next George Washington, the only guy that I could think of is Rick Santorum. I would ask that you would take a look at him.
Yes, the parallels are obviously striking. Especially the metaphorical similarities between Washington's Memorial and the personality of Rick Santorum, the frothy of his country.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Please learn how to edit

Either your brain (if you are Franco Harris) or your tweets (if you're misquoting Harris)
I'm just going to guess that "defend child abuse" was not the intended message.

John Boehner finds out

Under his leadership Congress is less popular than Jerry Sandusky.

The Next Conservative on the gravy train

Is this young lady:
After police arrested a man who allegedly shot at the White House, the president of the University of Texas College Republicans tweeted that the idea of killing President Obama was “tempting.” “Y’all as tempting as it may be, don’t shoot Obama,” wrote Lauren Pierce.
Because surely there's no track record of such threats to a President in Texas. So, when does FoxNews sign her up?

So, the usual schtick

Right-wing conservatives can be hypocritics, idiots, torturers and perpetual war-mongers running for higher office just to set themselves up on life's grand buffet tour. But for the Left it always comes down to being dirty fucking hippies, the media -- even those mocking the media -- can portray them no other way. As Digby noted it has usually been that way, May 1970:
"Who do you think was primarily responsible for the deaths of four students at Kent State University?"

Eleven per cent placed responsibility on the National Guard, 31 per cent expressed no opinion, and 58 per cent put the blame on demonstrating students.
If another Kent State happened now FoxNews would make it into the greatest patriotic moment in history then they would move on to decrying whoever in the Islamic world is the protest crushing Monster of the Day.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

It just gets more disgusting

First this morning we learn that Joe Paterno sold his property interest in his house to his wife for $1 this Summer. Seeing as they shared a common interest and whoever died first would get the other's share and Paterno will have medical benefits and a pension of $500,000 a year there is no logical reason I can think of to do this except to avoid any potential judgment liability he would have (the linked article discusses caveats). Maybe I'm wrong, but given his pension and benefits medical costs for him or her would not be a problem.

Second, we find out that contrary to her claim of barely having any connection to Jerry Sandusky or his foundation the Judge who let Sandusky walk for essentially no bail had Sandusky's foundation raise money for her election. Nice political incest to go with the other deviancy involved.

So much for the legacy of delicious lunchroom Catsup!

Republicans say Terry Schiavo can be diagnosed as sentient over video, but Pizza is demonstrably a vegetable.

Nice imaging

Penn State has hired as the person (oh, hell it's a man of course) to look into the Sandusky child-rape allegations the same guy who as CEO of Merck managed to obfuscate his company's responsibility for Vioxx.
Late last week, the university’s trustees announced they would conduct their own “full and complete” investigation into the matter. The probe will be headed, though, by a man with a track record of protecting powerful institutions from the consequences of their inaction: the chairman and CEO of the Merck pharmaceutical company, Kenneth C. Frazier. A Penn State alum and Harvard-trained lawyer, Frazier is best known for his phenomenal success in defending a sordid chapter in Merck’s recent past—its years-long silence about the safety problems of the popular painkiller Vioxx.
Time to make sure we know all those young boys were just being given innocent jockular attention with Jerry Sandusky's clown-penis as far as Penn State observers knew.

Well, he already is unnaturally yellow and relatively chinless

Isn't he pretty much the living embodiment of Homer Simpson?
Glenn Beck wants to make his very own The Simpsons
Oh that should be really clever. I've already found a candidate for Cletus. (when is this video getting auto-tuned?)

Well they know their opponent

Who could have anticipated Republicans on the Super Committee basing their no-compromise position upon past Democratic performance?


Republican co-chair Jeb Hensarling...claimed that if the committee recommended even a dollar of new net tax revenue — the kind of revenue Dems are demanding — it would constitute a step in the wrong direction. He said a GOP plan put forward by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) — one which Republicans claim would raise revenues by nearly $300 billion over 10 years, but would also make the Bush tax cuts permanent — is as far as Republicans are willing to go on revenues. But that’s an offer Democrats flatly rejected as unserious.


Instead the GOP intends to let it all fail and make sure there are never any cuts to the military...much to Leon Panetta's ultimate satisfaction (fine messaging as ever Obama Administration). This leaves Democrats in their familiar position of negotiating with themselves.  Now they alone can be seen as failing to obtain any tax increases on the wealthy while further screwing the poor and middle classes.  Despite having the public ostensibly on their side.

Oh, well played Democrats, well played as ever.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Our Elites Are Corrupt and Decadent

The latest example, courtesy of Mr. Charles P. Pierce, is here.

Shit is Fucked Up and Bullshit

Dear OWS,

Congratulations, you won.

The Constitutional issues notwithstanding, the fact that you can't camp isn't the point. You won. The genie is out of the bottle and you're the one who let it out. Thank you -- a million times thank you -- for that. In two short months you did more to get the word out about just how fucked up and bullshit everything is than any journalist, pundit, politician, academic, or activist has in the last thirty years. I am impressed by, proud of, and rooting for you.

Now tell me what you need me to do.

xxx...res

What Charles Pierce says

The whole thing is a fantastic and powerful piece of writing probably the best thing on the whole disgusting nightmare at Penn State

...a bit of it:
It happens because institutions lie. And today, our major institutions lie because of a culture in which loyalty to "the company," and protection of "the brand" — that noxious business-school shibboleth that turns employees into brainlocked elements of sales and marketing campaigns — trumps conventional morality, traditional ethics, civil liberties, and even adherence to the rule of law. It is better to protect "the brand" than it is to protect free speech, the right to privacy, or even to protect children.

If Mike McQueary had seen a child being raped in a boardroom or a storeroom, he wouldn't have been any more likely to have stopped it, or to have called the cops, than he was as a graduate assistant football coach at Penn State. With unemployment edging toward double digits, and only about 10 percent of the workforce unionized, every American who works for a major company knows the penalty for exercising his personal freedom, or his personal morality, at the expense of "the company." Independent thought is discouraged. Independent action is usually crushed. Nobody wants to damage the brand. Your supervisor might find out, and his primary loyalty is to the company. Which is why he got promoted to be your supervisor in the first place.
 It is not a failure of our institutions so much as it is a window into what they have become — soulless, profit-driven monsters, Darwinian predators with precious little humanity left in them. Penn State is only the most recent example. Too much of this country is too big to fail.

America's Concern Troll

Not that I necessarily disagree with Cohen castigating those who are trying to engage in character assassination towards Cain's sexual harassment accusers.

But, if there is one area you would think EVEN COHEN would know enough to avoid in his perpetual glass house it would be this area.

Hey, at least we'll get posted on Deadspin

Yes, Minnesota that makes the 45-7 loss more bearable.

First Amendwhat?

But of course

How could it possibly be otherwise?
…Defense attorney Joe Amendola, 63, representing Sandusky in the sexual molestation case roiling Penn State and Joe Paterno’s legendary football program, impregnated an under-age teen and later married her, The Daily has learned. According to documents filed with Centre County Courthouse, Amendola served as the attorney for Mary Iavasile’s emancipation petition on Sept. 3, 1996, just weeks before her 17th birthday. Around the same time, Iavasile became pregnant with Amendola’s child, and gave birth before she turned 18, her mother, Janet Iavasile, told The Daily. He was born in 1948 and was around 49 at the time….
Who is giving Sandusky referrals NAMBLA?

Shine on you crazy diamond

Herman Cain and Rick Perry should just play scrabble the next several months...they may be able to finish one game.
"I do not agree with the way [Obama] handled [Libya] for the following reason," Cain started, before cutting himself off. "Nope, that's a different one." Cain shifted in his chair, adjusted his jacket and looked up again. "I got all this stuff twirling around in my head," he added.
Well at least Perry made it to three, Herm, you never made it to one.

In his defense there may have been a woman present and you know how that must have been for him.

The Waterboarding ‘Zombie Lies’ continue

On Saturday at the latest Republican debate a solid majority of candidates embraced the prospect of waterboarding a foreigner. Only the marginalized Paul and ostracized Huntsman disapproved. Carrying on the charade -- but then what else does she have -- Michelle Bachmann stated this in an interview:
“If I were president, I would be willing to use waterboarding,” the Minnesota Republican declared. “It was very effective. It gained information for our country.”
Well, actually no it was not at all effective. It just made sociopaths feel better. And then it was time to drop the other non-historical big one:
“I would go back to president Harry Truman who had to make the horrific decision about dropping an atomic bomb on Japan to end World War II. He said if he had to kill Japanese in order to save one American life, he would.”
This is an old conservative canard glorified by the same old never shamed frauds like Cliff May, who must be passing Bachmann large print cards to read it from. The mass bombings, including the dropping of nuclear bombs is not something to excuse or glorify, but neither is it an excuse to torture. Besides, if waterboarding is suddenly fine and awesome why did this happen:
...in 1947, the United States charged a Japanese officer, Yukio Asano, with war crimes for carrying out another form of waterboarding on a U.S. civilian. The subject was strapped on a stretcher that was tilted so that his feet were in the air and head near the floor, and small amounts of water were poured over his face, leaving him gasping for air until he agreed to talk. "Asano was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor,"
And he wasn't the only one. Who was President in 1947 anyway?

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Monday, November 14, 2011

Huff Po Headlines

Yes, because up until today it was completely pleasant.

You're doing it wrong!!!

Dear TLC,

What the heck...don't you know what you are suppose to do?
The producers and stars of TLC's All-American Muslim, which premieres this Sunday at 10, are taking great pains to insist that their show is nothing unusual. "It's just a natural fit for us," says Alon Ornstein, TLC's vice president of production and development. "We're always all about telling compelling stories about real families."
Unless it is called "19 Virgins down 53 to go"; Terra-rists & Tiaras OR "The Littlest Jihadists" about small people running a small persons' burka shop IT IS NOT TLC PROGRAMMING!!!

Sincerely,

Sarah Palin
TLC Star

Who will be the next Republican Flavor

Who has the benefit of not being Mitt? Now they are starting to recycle...Newt? If this keeps up, future wife #4 better splurge the cash.

But look, we all know when your candidates are named Newt and Mitt, it merely makes a Barack look even better in comparison.

The Republicans have been nothing if not willing to consider new faces to the campaign. So, why not someone newly available?

Why not Joe Paterno?

1. He's old and out of it like Reagan.

2. Every day for the last 13 years has pretty much been the August 6th PDB of ass covering.

3. He knows more black people than Herman Cain.

4. He's not, y'know, all Mormony.

5. He is slightly less creepy, even after all this, than his fellow Pennsylvanian, Santorum.

6. When it came to reporting pederasty he knew the three things you were supposed to do were first, tell the AD; second, tell the witness to keep it down; and three...uh...um...it'll come to him...(Ron Paul: Phone the Police?)...no that's not it...uh...oops.

7. His thick lenses will make Bachmann-like pie-eyed moments seem like he's something adorable out of Japanese anime.
8. THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION!
9. He hasn't been charged with a crime, merely morally implicated in it...there can be no greater modern Republican symbol than that.

Oh, how disappointing

Apparently Bill O'Reilly cannot even write factually accurate things about well-known historical events.

That'll teach him to blame the Lincoln assassination on well-known time-traveling-socialistic-civil rights-supporting-Muslim-Obama-lover John Wilkes Clenis.

On the other hand, commentor JKP1000 at Salon appears to have read the book and pulls out what is surely an excerpt:

Lincoln decides he wants to go out for the evening, alright? He asks Mary if there are good movies playing in town. Mary says, "Movies? What?". Lincoln says, "Fuck it! We'll do it live! Let's go over to The Gerald Ford Theatre."

A couple hours later, Lincoln and Mary are sitting in the balcony at the GFT, not bothering anyone, alright? Just as Lincoln starts to relax, some hippie liberal comes bursting in the room behind him waving a pistol saying, "I hate America! I want to tax the rich!". Lincoln says, "Fuck it!" and turns around pulling a derringer from his vest. He aims and fires at the hippie liberal saying, "Take that, pinhead!"



Ooh Ooh lemme guess...

100,000 'Atlas Shrugged' DVDs Released With HUGE Mistake
So they included the movie? *rimshot*

I cannot get enough of this video

First of all I love the show...and it helps to know a bit about 'Community' to get it, but when the Canadian Geese fly in the background I laugh everytime.

So indulge me...






And on the Seventh Day He invented the Rimshot

Thank goodness the GOP is rife with candidates claiming a direct line to the Almighty.
Herman Cain, whose campaign could use some redemption in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal, told a crowd of young Republicans on Saturday that God convinced him to run for president
I believe the conversation involved God asking, "You want a job, don't you?" But this seems somewhat familiar...
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., says that she prayed to God about whether or not to run for political office and that those prayers provided her with a "sense from God" of "assurance about the direction" she was taking.
Oh and this guy,
Perry told a group of businessmen and women, "At 27 years old, I knew that I had been called to the ministry. I've just always been really stunned by how big a pulpit I was gonna have. I still am. I truly believe with all my heart that God has put me in this place at this time to do his will."
Obviously, Perry would tell you he's endorsed by the Father, Son and uh...um...ah.... Or as God would tell you, "Oops".

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Sunday, November 13, 2011

I suppose she's angry because

That's always been a job she undertakes personally:
Bachmann: CBS Tried To Marginalize Me In Debate

But of course...

How could it not be so?
Roy Greenslade Tells Media Matters Radio: "Every Single Member Of The Parliamentary Committee Investigating [Phone Hacking] Were Followed By Private Eyes And/Or Members Of [News of the World] Staff"

It's funny how that lyin'

Just becomes as natural as eating breathing:
RUSH: I gotta tell you: Rick Perry, to me, is funny. During the debate when he decided to go after Mitt Romney for hiring illegals? When he stood up there and said (impression), "And, Mitt, you have lost all your standing with me, 'cause you, on your own property..." I just started laughing. He's a funny guy -- and Letterman! Letterman brought him on last night; I'm sure Letterman wanted him to bomb. I'll guarantee you they wanted him to come on there and forget his lines as he did the top ten list. Letterman was not happy. Perry was funny. This is a montage of Perry cracking people up on Letterman last night.
Funny how that TELEPROMPTER thing only seems to exist for Obama in Rush's little fictional world.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Rut-Roh

James Murdoch soon to be arrested? Is Rupert having a Paterno-like dottage (without the previous good reputation of course?) Oh, and Silvio Berlusconi too.

Look out Rupert...

You aren't in America where your inkwell keeps you immune by bullying...
Police investigating phone-hacking at the News of the World have recovered a series of ‘bombshell’ emails which they believe takes the inquiry to ‘a new level’. The emails were among tens of thousands held by the newspaper at a data storage facility in India. Police are believed to want to question News International chief James Murdoch and former Sun and News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks about their contents. Discussions have taken place with the Crown Prosecution Service about whether Mr Murdoch should be arrested and interviewed under caution.
I think Avarosis sums it up best.
This story still doesn't seem to be getting much play here in the states. Odd, considering who's involved. Imagine if George Soros were the entrepreneur involved in all of this, instead of Rupert Murdoch. Bet Fox News would find the story newsworthy then.

It says a lot

About the bigoted complicity of both the modern Republican Party and the media that this guy isn't being publicly shamed and ruined as a politician ...
In the interview, which took place on Veterans Day, Womick told ThinkProgress that “I don’t trust one Muslim in our military” and “if they truly are a devout Muslims, and follow the Quran and the Sunnah, then I feel threatened because they’re commanded to kill me.” When asked if Muslims should be forced out of the military, Womick responded “Absolutely, yeah.”
But he won't be.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Unbelievable

It looks like Paterno and company may have been letting Jerry Sandusky recruit for Penn State right up until he was arrested. ...or not.

The 4th Greatest Juvenile skit after the Black Knight Skit, the Hair Gel Skit and uh...um...the EPA?

Stupid policies make expensive decisions costing a stupid people

The cost of over-reach, and imperial assholery:
As lawmakers on Congress’ deficit reduction super committee look for places to cut the federal budget ahead of their upcoming deadline, they may want to look at the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The facility is “arguably the most expensive prison on earth,” according to a new report from the Miami Herald. With a budget of $139 million last year to house just 171 detainees, it costs more than $800,000 to keep each prisoner for a year — more than 30 times the average cost of a traditional prison.
We have a President who is too meek to close it...but at least wants to, against a Party that wants to expand it while demanding the middle class and poor have a virtual Gitmo of poverty built around them while they call it a gated community.

Takes one to know one

Rich "Starbursts" Lowry:
The National Review’s Rich Lowry weighed in on Perry’s gaffe on Wednesday night, posting “That might be the most uncomfortable moment I’ve ever witnessed in presidential politics.”
And that's from a guy who pretty much posted his masturbation play-by-play during Sarah Palin's incredibly wretched 2008 debate performance.

These Mustache Rides are Unendorsed

Oh of all the afflictions to come upon Herman Cain, truly this is the one that hits closest to home:
In a devastating blow to businessman Herman Cain's presidential ambitions, the American Mustache Institute...announced it was rescinding its official endorsement of the GOP field's only mustachioed candidate.
Suddenly, John Bolton and his bold economic plan of bombing Iran so hard it makes the loose change bounce out of America's cushions may be back in the race.

But fear not Herman, Erick Erickson is ready to be interviewed over dinner anytime. Plus, while your campaign may be sinking, your ability to pilfer gullible wallets on your last-ditch vanity tour remains impressive.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Glad your priorities are in order

"Dear America,

Sorry about not giving a shit about income disparity or taking part in protests about it.

I had to defend the millionaire football coach who did the bare minimum legally required as a guy continued to rape children for nearly another decade.

You see, my entire life has been spent in a nation that clearly has its priorities in order.

Sincerely,

Penn State Undergraduate"

Those sterling Texas A&M credentials come through

Is Rick Perry doing an old Python skin...our chief weapons are fear, surprise and ...oops. And via TPM it just gets worse...
Top Perry Fundraiser Calls Perry Campaign 'Over' The “Perry campaign is over. Time for him to go home and refocus on being Gov of TX,” said a top fundraiser for Rick Perry to Washington Post blogger Aaron Blake.
Hey, if we Iowans don't have to see one of his commercials every five minutes that'll be good in our book.

You stay classy GOP

In the wake of Herman Cain spending his post-sexual harassment denials referring to "Princess Nancy" Pelosi, other GOP flacks are adding their two classy cents:

The Circle of Wank

In the mid 1960’s the conservative magazine National Review was known for statements like this:
"For years now, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and his associates have been deliberately undermining the foundations of internal order in this country. With their rabble-rousing demagoguery, they have been cracking the “cake of custom” that holds us together.
But oh how they have progressed over at the National Review, as demonstrated by this column from just yesterday where Victor Davis Hanson applies the reverse paper bag test:
Black authenticity, as defined by Southern mannerisms and darker complexion, amplified by conservatism or traditionalism, earns liberal unease....[Cain’s] speech and manner are as genuine as Obama's are forced and often phony.... Cain is authentically African-American and of an age to remember the Jim Crow South
 AKA, "The Good Old Days".

Times change, the approach skews a bit, but at its vestigial-heart National Review remains the go-to source for the same ol’ racist claptrap.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Uh, yeah, you go with that one

Why did Joe Walsh go ballistic at a constituent for "blaming the banks" yesterday?

According to him, because of this...
he was “working on an empty stomach and had a quicker fuse than normal.”
And now Gillian Jacobs does an impression of Joe Walsh if Herman Cain had suddenly walked in the door.

Frothied that one up

But of course:
Then Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum thought enough of Jerry Sandusky nine years ago to sponsor the former Penn State defense coordinator for a “Congressional Angels in Adoption” award, citing his work with a non-profit group he founded to provide care for foster children. “Its philosophy is simple: it is easier to develop a child than to rehabilitate an adult,” read the citation from Santorum in the awards dinner program from Sept. 24, 2002.

And it is not Peggy Noonan

Not that she wouldn't dream of it rutting and splaying out on the ol' casket when it was displayed at the Capitol (closed thankfully).

But enough of that...on with the EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

Grab a bucket:
Hollywood actress Piper Laurie, 79, says in a new memoir "Learning To Live Out Loud" that she lost her virginity to Ronald Reagan when, at age 18, she played his 16-year-old daughter in the 1950 movie "Louisa." Um ... eww. According to the Daily Mail in London, she wrote that Reagan — who was 21 years her senior — was dating his future second wife Nancy Davis at the time. Prior to her uh, passing the audition, he allegedly wined and dined Laurie at his home. Laurie write that he talked about his performance afterward, in particular how long it had lasted. He was "ardent" for 40 minutes, he reminded her. And he mentioned the price of the condom he used.
Okay, which is worse?
*40 year old man sleeping with an 18 year-old virgin?

*Said virgin plays 16-year old daughter in movie they are making together.

*After he apparently got her inebriated.

*He brags about lasting 40 minutes...because we all know that kind of thing is REALLY enjoyable to women after 40 minutes of friction.

*He mentions the price of the condom (birth control, how non-modern GOP)
Yes, the SAINTED REPUBLICAN RONALD REAGAN, not quite a statutory rapist, but kind of enjoyed pretending to be one. I guess that's my favorite new slogan about the man.

(fez tip Tengrain)

Speaking of Awesome

Presidential Candidates as D&D Characters:


Finally, SERIOUS JOURNALISM

From Tucker Carlson's stroke rag (for Tucker Carlson only)

Is Richard Cohen editing the Paper now?

Because I haven't noticed his column lately and you'd think he'd have something meaningful to say about sex harassment and Herman Cain.

But in a day when -- across the nation -- the Conservatives took it on the chin (Maine inference again?) and in the groin, this is how the WaPo reported election day:
Virginia elections may be a warning sign for Obama

Ah, the good old days

When we just had to deal with peepholes and leaked video...I hope Erin Andrews is collecting a good paycheck.
Keith Clinkscales, a former ESPN executive, is fighting allegations that he once masturbated next to network correspondent Erin Andrews on a plane.

It's really just performance art by now

When does Herman Cain start urinating on stage?

Truly, they are keeping it both hilariously not-classy and uproariously not honest.

Well, a pretty good night

So, last night:

1. The "unholy alliance" of dirty fucking hippies unions and the middle class sent Pundit/Governor John Kasich down to crushing defeat in Ohio...overwhelmingly.
"It's clear the people have spoken," the humbled Republican leader said from the Statehouse... " And as a result of that, it requires me to take a deep breath and to spend some time to reflect on what happened here."
You sir are a Republican, "spending time to reflect" is not in your nature. Cutting & pasting FoxNews talking points and genuflecting to the Koch brothers yes, looking in mirror, no.

2. Despite the best efforts of Mississippi's vaunted educational system, personhood at the moment of conception went down to substantial defeat. Many people can still read GOP, you must do better, like electing this guy Governor -- who by his own description now rules over Hell.

3. In Maine same-day registration -- a measure which actually makes participatory democracy EASIER -- was passed by referendum, again overwhelmingly. Despite the fact conservatives opposed it because same day registration is "gaaaaaaaaaaaaaayeeee".

4. In Arizona, the spiritual leader of Governor Jan Brewer's virulent anti-immigration law was very much recalled and hopefully escorted into the political and second banana after-life by Theodore Bilbo the Very Very White.

5. And in Iowa, Republican efforts to gain control of the State Senate so they can repeal gay marriage also went down to rather substantial defeat when Democrats retained a seat in spite of (or perhaps assisted by) the robocalls of one Conservative group...
...the rhetoric turned ugly in the final days of the campaign when a group known as “Citizens for Honesty and Sound Marriage in Iowa” used robocalls to instruct voters to ask Mathis [the Democrat] which gay sex acts she endorses.
The answer is, she endorses voting, which as they say in Maine is the gayest act of all.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

It's no smoking guy but it isn't bad

Oh wait, this isn't a Herman Cain campaign ad? Are we sure?

Nice Division Naming Big 10 (with 12 members)

RED STATE NEWZ!

"Well sure the last one was premie and almost killed me but I've got a complete football team to field -- offense and defense"...(although considering her age and the complications we can just move on to special (ed) teams).

Human Termite Queen Michelle Duggar is pregnant with strong SIDS candidate No. 20.

Finally, a Jism Bob is possibly sort of berthed.

Oh, the nerve of them

Sarkozy and Obama being critical (and accurately so) of the person Mitt Romney wants to run American Foreign Policy.

Have to admit, it's a topical bumper sticker

From here.

Poor K-Lo

All these Herman Cain harassment stories and she doesn't even have a good story of Mitt Romney grabbing her hand to stop her dishing up fourth-sies at the Old Country Buffet out of concern.

Looks like you picked the wrong horse.

Thank goodness

Sean Hannity has fully exonerated Herman Cain under the little known "you can grope anyone who doesn't work for you" doctrine and it's all cool.  That -- of course -- applies solely to Republicans.

YCGAWDWOY -- IYAR.



Golly, why would anyone want to leave Bank of America?

It's hard to believe that nearly 700,000 people have opened accounts with credit unions over large banks in the last several weeks with stories like this:
A federal judge on Monday gave final approval to a $410 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit affecting more than 13 million Bank of America customers who had debit card overdrafts during the past decade.
Sounds pretty good right, things should of happened, bank making amends. Well, not exactly.
Barry Himmelstein, an attorney for customers who objected to the deal, said he calculated that the bank actually raked in $4.5 billion through the overdraft fees and was repaying less than 10 percent.
So the bank wrongfully took your money, but to let bygones be bygones they'll return less than a dime on every dollar they took. Nice way to profit over wrongful conduct. It's almost as if they have a Party representing them exclusively...and by that I mean both.

Monday, November 07, 2011

Howie Kurtz is flabbergasted by the miscegenation of it all!

Y'know Herman Cain was just accused of grabbing a woman and pulling her toward his crotch, but to Howard Kurtz the thing that really makes it bad and noticeable is that she's white.

If only Cain was accused of sexually harassing black women it would not be such a problem to ol' Howie apparently. I'm sure that's a great comfort to women no matter their complexion.

What somebody who wrote to Digby said

Truly does sum it up perfectly:

From FDR to Reagan--We hire you, you work hard, we prosper, you prosper.

From Reagan to present--we hire you, you work hard, we prosper.



You know 5 and 6 records may not get you fired after all these years

But what happened at previously benighted Penn State is worse, yes, worse, than anything that ever happened at SMU or Oklahoma during the last years of Barry Switzer...hell it's worse than most of the history of the SEC.   It is up there with what happened to the basketball program at Baylor.  And the manner in which they are now circling the wagons is making it worse.

Joe Paterno has been an institution, but how he handled the allegations by "kicking it upstairs" when he is pretty much the most powerful man on campus is the worst kind of abdication. A kid was raped by an assistant coach and the response was to tell the rapist to keep that stuff off-campus.

Dip...

Ruh-roh, it looks like the pixie-dust has been groped off Herman Cain.
The poll showed the percentage of Republicans who view Cain favorably dropped 9 percentage points, to 57 percent from 66 percent a week ago. Among all registered voters, Cain's favorability declined 5 percentage points, to 32 percent from 37 percent.
Better hand out more free crazy-bread.