More overwhelmingly white people problems

Actually, just the 1%:

“People who don’t have money don’t understand the stress,” said Alan Dlugash, a partner at accounting firm Marks Paneth & Shron LLP in New York who specializes in financial planning for the wealthy. “Could you imagine what it’s like to say I got three kids in private school, I have to think about pulling them out? How do you do that?”

Um, pull them out?

White People Problems

Even this relatively clever Santorum ad seems to admit it:

Buh Bye!

Rupert threw another child under the bus:

James Murdoch Steps Down As Executive Chairman Of News International

It all makes sense now

Via C&L:

Reports are coming in that Santorum lost Mackinac County in Michigan by one vote. 667 for Romney which means....666 for Santorum.

In summary (though with more talent)

Saw this over in a comment thread at Atrios' place, but it works as a summary of the GOP nomination race...only with actually talented people (some, but not all of whom, are Canadian).

Good job Mitt

You continued to barely win poorly attended primaries and caucuses by winning America's largest base...the very well-to-do (especially under Democrats).

Good plan for the general election.

Just so we know his options...

NFL Teams looking for a defensive tackle would like to know Newt's 40-time.

Try Hard

Now that the Republicans are chronologically required to nominate someone who doesn't remember Pearl Harbor, Tom Brokaw is out of his analogy comfort-zone:

[Rick Santorum] is "like a character in a Bruce Willis movie. He just knows how to stay alive. He's running through the jungle, fighting back, shooting from the hip, takes a lot of hits, stays angry the entire time, and he is giving a voice to a lot of people out there whose lives have been completely upended.""

Yeah, nobody kicks hypothetical ass like a guy with a penchant for bodily fluids and sweater-vests.
He meant 'Die Hard' I think, but with Santorum I think the "The Sixth Sense" now works better.

I'm sure Santorum's going to keep on running though, why not? There's still Ohio and he still speaks for some people...especially the people who just want a chance to stick things in pregnant women. And in the GOP that's a big constituency.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Um, what?

Apparently Ernest T. Bass, is asking for the pleasure of saying the N-word with impunity while setting a Koran on fire.

He's the pride of Tennessee.

There are not enough desks for the head to hit sometimes...

In Mitt's defense, he is dealing with Santorum

And also, ewwww:

Carpet Cruncher

Money well spent all those conservatives who plopped down money so Tucker Carlson could hold a job:

Some panty sniffer at the Daily Caller keeps count (via) of the number of times Rachel Maddow says “vagina” or “vaginal” on her show, and his report on the site is accompanied by a loop of Rachel saying those words.

Well, if that happened you should have the cash to pay off a lot of those

Sexual abuse of minor lawsuits...

Cardinal George: We'll Close Every Catholic Hospital Rather Than Provide Birth Control

Cardinal George is a MOST holy guy.

He once called gay activists "Nazis".

Which is pretty ironic considering who his boss is.

Oh dear, dear, dear

To the shock of no one, things are getting worse for Rupert's company.  They paid people off and knew for a long, long, long time, they'd hacked a whole bunch of people.

Elitism for thee, but not for me

Well, Republicans in Michigan and Arizona go to the polls today (and in the Michigan a few independents and democrats will vote too, mostly for santorums and giggles).

I predict...finally...the process of settling for Ol' one percent of the one percent to finally emerge. And the crowd will go mild.

This, of course, will free up Rick Santorum for more vomiting and calling those who favor college education for their children elitist enablers of liberal brainwashing.

Rick and his wife are a fecund pair and have rhythmically produced seven children not residing in a mason jar. Somehow I'm pretty confident all seven of those children are going to be sent to college by Ricky. Good luck Santorum kids, enjoy those effete cigarettes and disowning the triune God. [cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Congratulations

To the following assholes:

Looking at the flip side, which three of the 26 news personalities are America's least favorite, almost half say Rush Limbaugh (46%). Three in ten say Bill O'Reilly (31%) and almost one-quarter say their least favorite is Nancy Grace (23%).

That's a strong, strong, first for giant asshole by Limbaugh. Which is ironic, because the guy is such an asshole it kept him out of 'Nam.

His ego couldn't take it...

Bob Kerry changes his mind, will run for Senate.

America's No. 1 -- of course, I'm rich and was born that way...

He just cannot help himself:

Asked by the AP reporter if he follows NASCAR, Romney responded, "Not as closely as some of the most ardent fans. But I have some great friends who are NASCAR team owners."

So the whole point of last night was...

To show that Viola Davis was not wearing a wig, while Billy Crystal was?

I guess it makes sense

That Kennedy's speech about how a Roman Catholic can still be President would make Rick Santorum vomit.

On the other hand, Santorum likes to rub-one-out to the Zapruder film.

Movies

Boy that one movie sure should have one all sorts of awards over that other movie which was the suck.

Unless you felt differently of course.

Moral Paragons

 

 Well, lookie hear we have yet another middle aged white Republican, male naturally, Roy Blunt, telling us his bill to let employers say what medical coverage their "religion" allows them to pay for is not about lady parts.

Our bill protects health care providers and insurers from being forced to violate their principles to provide products and services under the new health care law, and it ensures that all Americans are protected against discrimination, penalty or exclusion from the health care market for exercising their rights of conscience and following religious beliefs.

Of course if you are a woman, it means you are discriminated against. I guess excluding just over half the population is the kind of discrimination that doesn't matter so much.
It should be noted as well, that Blunt starts out his statement with this:

This weekend, millions of church-going Catholics in St. Louis and across America will hear or read a letter from their bishop making clear that the Obama Administration's Feb. 10 announcement does nothing to change the serious threat to religious liberty created by new government mandates in health care.

Oh those Catholic Bishops, such a fine record and so much understanding of the whole sex thing. Take for example one of their long-time leaders -- a real critic of contraception throughout his career.

Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua ordered aides to shred a 1994 memo that identified 35 Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests suspected of sexually abusing children, according to a new court filing.

I believe there's a place I'd politely tell these folks to place their consciences. Fortunately, it will not require a contraceptive...a suppository on the other hand.

[Cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Flippin' ridiculous

Back-heel goal, from the world's foremost metrosexual Christiano Ronaldo: Just glad Ray Hudson didn't do this game, he'd have stroked out.

Real Jour-na-mal-minimalism

Granted Glenn Beck is not a journalist, he's a loud-mouthed, slack-jawed, dry-drunk, idiot. But what of the quality of a cable news outfit that sends softball questions...IN ADVANCE?

I was curious to see what sorts of things Palin received from Fox News, so I searched on that and came up with this nugget. It's a series of questions for her appearance on Glenn Beck's debut on Fox News, submitted in advance so that she could either object to the question or form an answer ahead of time.

On the other hand, I'm in favor of their taking a position on not taking a position

You go GOP, keep up that sound logic:

“Republicans being against sex is not good,” the G.O.P. strategist Alex Castellanos told me mournfully. “Sex is popular.”

Thank you Judge Smails

Are we really now living in a world where sending your kids to college is a bad idea because President Obama thinks it's a good idea?


 Apparently. So by that logic, if the White House would encourage white racists show up and vote...?

What we learned this week...

If Mitt Romney becomes President, while most of us are not paying attention, he's going to treat the nation's trees like a hedge.

Yeah, it was a nasty visual

For Romney to have about 1,000 people at at place that holds 65,000 plus.

On the other hand, the ratio of people to square footage was pretty normal for Romney at one of his many homes, er, estates.

(Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

Don't fear the Man-Goat

I know all the Republicans now fear Satan and all that.

But we middle-aged nerds and geeks are unafraid.  We long ago learned that while quite powerful, Asmodeus can be taken down by a well-balanced team of characters, some magic weapons and a few natural 20s.

BTW, starting March 15th Satan can again be seen in the darkest, most terrible, timeline.

Good luck with that

The Susan G. Komen foundation fresh off hiring Ari Fleischer to tell them how to piss off the majority of their donors has followed up its insane strategy by hiring Mark Penn, the man who elected Hillary Clinton President (oops) to further craft their PR campaign.

I'll be somewhat surprised if they still exist in 2013.

Funny about that

Republicans are absolutely determined to disenfranchise folks from the traditional Democratic base through spurious vote fraud charges and legislation.

Yet they seem to be the only ones that practice actual vote fraud.

Well that didn't take long

Newt Gingrich criticizes Obama doing exactly the same thing he didn't criticize George W. Bush for, when in reality there is no choice for the government of the United States to apologize for actions of its troops.

I suppose one, of many, reasons Gingrich should not -- and will not -- be President is in such a situation he'd tell a group of people to "go fuck themselves".  It's like he's already married to them.

Waiting for that animated 3-D version of The Fountainhead, I guess

I guess when you have an audience of dozens yet have hours to fill and an order not to "outsmart" Fox & Friends eventually you settle into a theme of stupidity.

Fresh off having one of its squawking heads take on the socialistic evil that is the Muppets, Fox Business retread Lou Dobbs (El Dye-Job Grande) has gotten into the act.

On Tuesday, host Lou Dobbs railed against "The Lorax," along with the Japanese children's film, "The Secret World of Arrietty." "Hollywood is once again trying to indoctrinate our children," he warned. He claimed that the movies were "demonizing the 1% and espousing green energy policies."

Yeah, why can't kids read National Review and beat baby seals with clubs* like real Americans?

The Lorax is, of course, a Dr. Seuss book that was written over 40 years ago, it was made into an animated television special soon thereafter and was aired repeatedly in my childhood. I'm now a middle-aged man, the demo that makes up about 26 of the 42 people that watch Fox Business. So I think the indoctrination argument falls a bit short. Further, the fact they've made this 45-page, large-print, illustrated book into a 90-minute movie primarily in the name of making money is the finest indoctrination into capitalism I can think of.

What exactly humors the "talent" at Fox Business anyway? I'm guessing it starts with nut-shots and ends with an ethnic joke.

*Especially Canadian Americans [cross-posted at Firedoglake]

But hey, the bankers got their money

So far...

Salary cutbacks (called "unified payroll") for contract workers at the public sector set to be finalized today. Cuts to be valid retroactively since november 2011. Expected result: Up to 64,000 people will work without salary this month, or even be asked to return money. Amongst them 21,000 teachers, 13,000 municipal employees and 30,000 civil servants.

Having read this article the Koch Brothers each just got their first erection since Nixon beat Humphrey.

"Let's do this in Wisconsin, call Walker!"

Feel the love...

 The kind of base that gets paid to show up behind somebody....

I admit the story of how the angry teen, the  black guy and  Jedidiah got put together intrigues me.  It's got Farelly Brothers movie plot written all over it.




(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

I'm not Catholic

But half of the odious quartet of GOP Presidential Candidates are (still less than the Supreme Court) so what I want to know is...

Where was the forehead ash last night? It was Ash Wednesday so where was it, especially for such two self-proclaimed devout Catholics?

Did they get a dispensation from Bill Donohue?

I'm sure they expect nothing in return

Nice job Kennedy:

USA Today analyzed super PAC donations since Jan. 1, 2011, and found that one out of every four dollars came from just five spectacularly wealthy donors -- Harold Simmons, owner of Contran; Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam; Houston home builder Bob Perry and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. All of the donors donated to Republican-leaning groups.

Colbert was on this from the beginning, but this particular topic just a few weeks ago.

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Nice investment orange-face

Awwwww....

Judge Jeffery White of the District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause in a case brought by Karen Golinski. Golinski, represented by Lambda Legal, “was denied spousal health benefits by her employer, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.” White was appointed to the court by President George W. Bush in 2002. The decision represents a serious setback for House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), whose Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) defended DOMA after the Obama administration announced it would no longer defend the law. Read the full opinion here. (HT: GinnyLaRoe)

Well, well, well

Looks like Obama took down Bin Laden AND Satan in short order.

Rick Santorum on Tuesday stood by comments he made in 2008 about Satan attacking the United States...

Asked whether he still thinks Satan is attacking the United States, Santorum called the inquiry “not relevant to what’s being discussed in America today.”

Patriotism Sugar Daddy Style

Newt Gingrich's main financial "dealer" Sheldon Abramson -- who said he's willing to spend 9 figures helping the GOP this fall -- wishes he'd have worn another country's uniform rather than his own American one.

But it is the Democrats accused of being not patriotic enough...as ever.

We apologize for our offensive practice...we now get back to engaging in our offensive practice

Who could have anticipated?

Anne Frank, the Jewish girl whose diary and death in a Nazi concentration camp made her a symbol of the Holocaust, was allegedly baptized posthumously Saturday by a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to whistleblower Helen Radkey, a former member of the church. The ritual was conducted in a Mormon temple in the Dominican Republic, according to Radkey, a Salt Lake City researcher who investigates such incidents, which violate a 2010 pact between the Mormon Church and Jewish leaders.

Classy Family man, stays classy

Well, come November, hopefully we will not have to hear of Deadbeat Dad Archetype Joe Walsh anymore. But until then...

Opponents of U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh fired back at the conservative Illinois congressmen over the weekend after he said the national debate over birth control coverage is "not about women."

John XXIII ruined everything…

Another day another past revelation from Opus Dick:

When asked if he believed Obama is a "sincere liberal Christian," the former Pennsylvania senator said he didn't believe that sort of ideology exists

Which must make Martin Luther King Day interesting in the Santorum household for more reasons than you may have expected.

But then again, the last few weeks without primaries have pretty much been Rick Santorum demanding we all pay attention to a terrible Sunday School Class.

Well, at least he's all alone out there on the extreme fringe.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Tuesday that President Barack Obama's administration has "fought against religion" and sought to substitute a "secular" agenda for one grounded in faith

A long year is getting longer.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Coming soon

FoxNews newest series (and totally not ripped off from some taxpayer-funded bullshit show):

Good job Anthony Kennedy

Some speech more equal than others.

“They like to trash other people. It’s unfair that I’ve been treated unfair—but it doesn’t stop me. I might give $10 million or $100 million to Gingrich.”

But oh those evil unions and trial lawyers.

George Orwell would have a thing or two to say about it I'm sure.

Priorities

When not comparing having a probe stuck up one's hoo-hah to making sexy-time, Dana Loesch is having SNL's Weekend Update "fact-checked".

Apparently they also inadvertently discovered that Obama really wasn't in that Cosby show parody either.

Tbogg sums this up the best:

It's like a bad sandwich that won't stay down

There's another GOP debate tomorrow. And it just seems like we are a few weeks removed from having them every other day.

Bad times.

Yes Virginia, the 19th Amendment involves the 1st One...

The desire of many Virginia Republicans to treat some women like the popsicles of the damned has run into a major problem...the public.

Of those polled, 55 percent say they oppose the requirement and 36 percent support it ... those surveyed oppose defining life beginning at conception 52-41 percent ...

Looks like they managed to poll more people than Rick Santorum or the Diocese of Richmond. Or for that matter, still for some reason, employed by CNN Dana Loesch:

“Oh what about the Virginia rape? The rapes that, the forced rapes of women who are pregnant?” What? Wait a minute, they had no problem having similar to a trans-vaginal procedure when they engaged in the act that resulted in their pregnancy.

If that is similar to sex, Ms. Loesch, to say the very least, you are doing it wrong. Virginia is apparently for the very worst of lovers.

Still for the moment, the fact that most of the public seems to have become aware as to what the Virginia GOP has done has led to this:

With hundreds protesting outside the Capitol, the House of Delegates delayed multiple contentious bills that appeared poised for final passage today.

Aw, and it was supposed to be such right-wing trifecta of a day:

The chamber pushed back votes on a measure that would require an ultrasound of all women considering an abortion as well as adoption- (ED: targeting gays to prevent such adoptions) and gun-related legislation.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

This may be the GOP's strongest argument

Not Qualified to discuss

Apparently the sex between awful people Dana Loesch and her cross-dressing (oops, sorry, "Cross-Burning") bad rapping Husband is really, really, really bad.

Bias

I cannot help but notice that on this President's Day the site My Daguerrotype Boyfriend which sounds like a cross between Twilight and the awful plot of a Zooey Deschanel movie has put up a post on our hottest Presidents...at a young age.

All Republicans (one not even a President!)...most of them pre-beard.

BIAS!

Amen!

A more than fair question: Where were the bishops when Troy Davis died?

The Catholic Church officially opposes capital punishment. This doctrine is in the same vein as those opposing abortion, birth control, and physician-assisted suicide: church doctrine dictates that life begins at conception and is a gift from God. Consequently, it is beyond the scope of any soul, no matter how high the earthly authority, to terminate a human life. It does not matter if it is legal, and it does not matter if the rationale is to relieve suffering: the taking of life is God's department, not ours. Yet in the middle of September, as opposition to the impending execution of Troy Davis reached a fever pitch and a singular opportunity presented itself for the Church to not just call for an act of mercy, but support a key element of doctrine, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops was silent as the grave.

Of course, they also made themselves somewhat scarce during times when illegal wars are launched and expanded health care rights are debated...also issues concern via the Church's doctrine. But OH MY GAWD SOMEBODY BOUGHT A CONDOM or IS ON THE PILL, those old guys who aren't supposed to have sex are totally on that one and screaming as loud as they can.

Too good not to post again

Many of you may have already seen this...but worth a view.

Going the wrong way...

Fifty-two years ago, John Kennedy faced the real hurdle of his Roman Catholic faith. This was, at the time, a significant impediment that only one major party candidate, Al Smith, had faced before -- to the latter's detriment.

Kennedy had to face the hurdle that Mitt Romney may eventually have to face, assuring the public he will govern as best for this country, not as what is best for his faith. Here is Kennedy in 1960 facing that question.


But one candidate is determined to show just the opposite. Rather than proclaim himself determined NOT to govern solely as his religion's doctrines proclaim Rick Santorum is doing the opposite. He is completely non-secular. The Opus Dei candidate.

Being religious isn't enough -- even mainstream protestants are unfit to govern in Rick Santorum's view.

...this was a Protestant country and the Protestant ethic, mainstream, mainline Protestantism, and of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is in shambles, it is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it.

Two generations of Republicans decrying secular government have given birth to a candidate who can accept only one type of religious doctrine  leading to one type of rule.

To quote James Madison, "Ugh"*.

*(may not be actual James Madison quote)

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Competence!

Your MSNBC Morning news crowd:

OK, so did anybody tell Joe Scarborough that the 900 people at the sold-out Everglades Foundation dinner dance on Friday night were there because they want to save the River of Grass? Or maybe the Teleprompter was fuzzy. The news show host and former Florida congressman, speaking as emcee of the event, said that the Everglades would be around “long after we’re gone,” and that “the Everglades don’t need to be saved; we need to be saved.”

It's always something

I suppose they've made some improvements to Blogger.

But why does it now hiccup and stall so badly when you are trying to delete something?

Just Another Round of Stupidity

When we last left Rick Santorum (okay maybe not when we last left him) he was absolving himself from not correct flat-out bullshit when one of the mouth-breathing base insisted on calling Obama a Muslim. So now he's saying Obama this:

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum challenged President Barack Obama's Christian beliefs on Saturday, saying White House policies were motivated by a "different theology."

But then, of course, to Rick Santorum most Christians are not Christian:

...this was a Protestant country and the Protestant ethic, mainstream, mainline Protestantism, and of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is in shambles, it is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it.

And, of course, same with Veterans:

At the behest of the Roman Catholic Church, and unbeknownst to the [Armed Forces Retirement Home, which is run by the Department of Defense], Santorum slipped an amendment into the 1999 National Defense Authorization Act handcuffing how the home could cash in on those 49 acres. The amendment forced the Home to sell—and not lease—the land to its next-door neighbor, the Catholic University of America. Ultimately, the Catholic Church bought 46 acres of the tract for $22 million. The Home lost the land for good, and by its own estimates, pocketed $27 million less than the land's value and $83 million less than what it could've made under the lease plan. Santorum's amendment sparked an outcry from veterans' groups and fellow US senators, who barraged his office with complaints. Laurence Branch, then the executive director of the Home's board, says Santorum's amendment was "a travesty" and the Church's lobbying for the land a case of "coveting thy neighborhood's goods." To this day, Branch says he blames Santorum for the Home not receiving more money for the 49-acre parcel of land. "I'm convinced Sen. Santorum is no friend of veterans," Branch says. (A spokesman for Catholic University did not respond to a request for comment.)

Just over 50 years ago, John Kennedy had to stupidly, repeatedly state he would not govern by way of the Vatican's theology. Now, apparently, it's the only way Rick Santorum believes one should govern. Which is, of course, quite stupid.

It's a "brown-shirted tradition"

Altogether now...

BUT. OF. COURSE!!! 

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu — who became the face of Arizona border security nationally after he started stridently opposing illegal immigration — threatened his Mexican ex-lover with deportation when the man refused to promise never to disclose their years-long relationship, the former boyfriend and his lawyer tell New Times. 

So he's closeted within another closet?

Oh, wait, he shot to fame appearing with White Supremists, so it's a closet within a closet within a closet.

I know from personal experience, this guy is the Sheriff of a county with a LOT of FoxNews watching retirees who bought this asshole's act hook, line, and burning cross.  So this should be a real bit of fuck-nuttery to watch.


(h/t Balloon Juice)

404 Error

This is kind of a nasty way to change an endorsement:

According to DeWine, Romney has shown an “astounding inability to provide voters with a rationale to support him.” As for Santorum, “People like him — he’s human!” DeWine said.

Romney angrily responded that this changed endorsement placed Will Robinson in danger.

Yes, Republicans it's just like 2008 for the Democrats

Nice try, but I don't remember the Democrats saying this in the late Winter four years ago:

A prominent Republican senator just told me that if Romney can’t win in Michigan, the Republican Party needs to go back to the drawing board and convince somebody new to get into the race. “If Romney cannot win Michigan, we need a new candidate,” said the senator, who has not endorsed anyone and requested anonymity.

Has David Brooks ever been to a sporting event?

I mean what a cretinous idiot -- or more realistically, craven liar:

Jeremy Lin is anomalous in all sorts of ways. He’s a Harvard grad in the N.B.A., an Asian-American man in professional sports. But we shouldn’t neglect the biggest anomaly. He’s a religious person in professional sports.

Perhaps Bobo just thinks black (or Canadian) religious people don't count?

Ta-Nehisi Coates has been deconstructing the stupidity all morning.

Ugh...

I still cannot get over the wretchedness and vileness of Virginia's proposed "let's get a bit Rapey" law.
 

These alternative whacked history movies

About American Presidents are one thing. But how about something like these?

"Martin Van Buren: Competitive Eater"

"Chester A. Arthur: Mutton-Chopper"

"Warren G. Harding: Pimp Daddy"

Finally a place to get historical art

This is starting to get into head meeting desk repeatedly territory:

Pretty much sums up yesterday

TPM pretty much sums up the GOP's "Women? What's their deal?!" day:

So there you have it: modern women being told by Republicans that they’re not qualified to talk about their own sexual health, are dressed like “whores” and probably need birth control because they’re so slutty. And this is just in one day.

If you don’t believe in science or math you’ll tend to double-down

Yesterday's "DE-LIGHT-FUL" one-sided hearing by Darrell Issa on ladies and their sinful lady-parts not only managed to include no ladies, it even excluded women from pronouns:

Issa's opening statements that "a man's conscience" should guide laws in America

Well, and accurately, played Issa. Keep it up.
It is clearly working:

A new Democracy Corps (D) survey finds the Republican brand "is in a state of collapse -- over 50 percent of voters give the Republican Party a cool, negative rating. The presidential race and the congressional battles are interacting with each other to drive down their lead candidate, the party, and perceptions of the congressional Republicans."

And who is leading the sticking of the shivs?
Unmarried women:

(Chart and data from Democracy Corps)

So if you want to lose MASSIVELY keep it up "fellas" -- oh look...you are...you really are. [cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Says it all

And I therefore deduce...

Issa was asked to include a woman on the all-male panel, and refused:

As the hearing is not about reproductive rights and contraception but instead about the Administration's actions as they relate to freedom of religion and conscience, he believes that Ms. Fluke is not an appropriate witness.

...Darrell Issa was just saying that WOMEN have neither freedom, religion, or conscience.

How Republican Darrell Issa runs a hearing on contraception

Those allowed to testify today make up the tables and immediately behind, the rest of the room is made up of those NOT ALLOWED to testify.

Notice any particular "gender" difference?

If NOT the Culture Wars

I imagine that now that the economy is starting to recover it will be time for the Right to say LET'S START A NEW WAR! 

Or better yet, let Israel start it so we can come in through the back door...all Santorum-like.

Meanwhile, what is happening in IMPORTANT JOURNALISM this morning?

So, quality as ever.

Time for another week of ginning up the Culture Wars

Via TPM:

Weekly unemployment applications dropped to 348,000, the AP reports, the lowest level in four years.

Analysts expected about 365,000, Business Insider reports.

I hear that Obama once used a condom in college...it's unsourced and unknown...but I'm sure Daily Caller will say it was with a white woman, no make that two white women...but only one condom.

One thing I'll say about him...

Santorum always does look like he's at the beginning of a 4-hour erection.

(Brian Losness/Reuters) 


It's like Jim Bob Duggar is giving him his prescription extra-strength cialis.

It's probably

Not a good sign when the actress who appeared in Michigan Senate Candidate Pete Hoekstra's racist ad, apologizes:

"I am deeply sorry for any pain that the character I portrayed brought to my communities. As a recent college grad who has spent time working to improve communities and empower those without a voice, this role is not in any way representative of who I am. It was absolutely a mistake on my part and one that, over time, I hope can be forgiven. I feel horrible about my participation and I am determined to resolve my actions."

That one's going to be a little harder for them to dismiss...but I'm sure they'll manage.

Yeah, don't get your hopes up...

I think this is absolutely important and the right thing to do. However, the media has ignored this for generations and one cannot expect the limited talents of Chris Matthews and David Gregory to have the capacity to ask actual questions...

...when it comes to many other Catholic teachings, Santorum, Gingrich and other Catholic conservatives completely ignore the church. Among others, Juan Cole has compiled an excellent list of the “Top Ten Catholic Teachings Santorum Rejects While Obsessing about Birth Control.” Conservative Catholics would be quick to point out that not all 10 teachings Cole lists are as central as the one on birth control, because the latter’s authority lies in the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae, issued in 1968 by Pope Paul VI. But even a cursory survey of papal encyclicals finds numerous holdings that Santorum, Gingrich and other conservative Catholics disagree with.

So what if the Catholic Church is pro-Universal Health Care, anti-poverty, pro-living wage, and anti-War. What really matters is not wearing a rubber or taking the pill.

In an effort to boost his popularity

Mitt Romney would like you to know he's a Vampire Hunter.

Unless, of course, you are a young woman just turning voting age -- in which case he would like you to know he's both sparkly and on Team Jacob.

Good job...so you want to do that here?

Surely the best plan possible for getting money out of a country deep in debt is to make sure it makes no money:

"On the current path - which is not sustainable in my view - we may very well see Greek GDP go down 25-30 percent, which would be historically unprecedented. It's a disastrous crisis for them," Dadush, a former senior World Bank official, said.

And in order to make sure banks bail out banks, the people will suffer:

For ordinary Greeks, the outlook is dire. Some civil servants have seen their salaries cut by half. Retirement before the age of 65 is a fading dream for those still in work. Some drugs are now in short supply.

About the only thing collapsing faster than Greece's economy are the popularity ratings of Republican candidates. In fact they are cratering so fast, it may lead to the most renowned of the previously collapsed getting  involved, that's right Sarah Palin says she's ready to answer the call of the wild if it's made at a brokered convention.

Opa! [Cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Part Dues Ex Machina

More non-anticipating:

Greece’s economy, reeling from austerity measures demanded by creditors in exchange for rescue funds, contracted almost a percentage point more last year than the government forecast, according to Bloomberg calculations. Gross domestic product fell 7 percent from a year earlier in the fourth quarter after contracting a revised 5 percent on an annual basis in the previous three months

Somebody should just keep shoveling these to David Gregory, just to discovery the manner in which he ignores them while demanding the poor need to suffer more than he and his tax bracket. (via AmericaBlog)

How's austerity workin' out for ya', part infinitum

And if the Republicans have their way we'll catch up:

For the first time since the Great Recession began in the second quarter of 2008, the UK has a higher unemployment rate than the United States. Data out today shows the UK unemployment rate for the period September to December 2011 was up 0.1 percentage point to 8.4 per cent. By contrast, the latest US jobs figures which were released earlier this month, fell to 8.3 per cent.

Austerity!

The UK had been commended during the Great Recession for keeping levels of job losses comparatively low despite the rapid fall in GDP. Schemes like the Future Jobs Fund, scrapped by the coalition government, appeared to hold off sharp increases in unemployment of the kind suffered by the United States. The latest figures show that this accolade is no longer justified.

But...of...course

Nobody could have anticipated that the world's douchiest hall-monitor in a sweater-vest would run a self-serving sanctimonious charity as a piggy-bank:

Santorum charity for the poor spent most of its money on management, political friends Before it folded in 2007, the foundation raised $2.58 million, with 39 percent of that donated directly to groups helping the needy. By industry standards, such philanthropic groups should be donating nearly twice that, from 75 to 85 percent of their funds. “That’s exceptionally poor,” Ken Berger, president of Charity Navigator, a national organization that rates charitable groups, said of the Santorum group’s giving. “We would tell donors to run with fear from this organization.”

Spillin' Seed

Natually:

Tamara Lowe, a frequent guest on “The 700 Club” and author of the book Get Motivated, and her husband Peter are in the midst of an acrimonious divorce that just got uglier: in court documents, Peter accused Tamara and her new boyfriend of stealing his porn.

The ex-husband did get to keep the old towels.

Yeah, good luck with that...

A whole lot of carts are getting put before the horse in the Romney campaign -- but their aspirations are as uninspiring as their candidate:

Another Romney adviser said the governor would spend just enough time on social issues to dispatch Santorum and then move on.

“He’s going to pivot back,” the adviser said. “He’s not going to go far from the core set of Romney issues, which is economic turnaround, recovery, jobs.”

Mitt wants to get off the pill as soon as possible.
Good luck getting Pandora's box closed (Pandora can't afford contraceptives):

Catholic bishops, energized by a battle over contraception funding, are planning an aggressive campaign to rally Americans against a long list of government measures which they say intrude on religious liberty...they are aiming higher still, lobbying Congress to enact a law that would let any employer opt out of covering any medical treatment he disagreed with as a matter of his personal faith.

Note the story's use of masculine pronouns.

Maybe Obama did give them the inch upon which they'll demand a mile -- but only one candidate is going to be pressured to buy all that nonsense hook, line and "sinking".

Congratulations Willard -- if you make it that far, you get to argue in favor of denying vaccinations and surgery on an employer's religious grounds.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

But of course

How's that anti-birth control thing working out for you Republicans?

Obama has a 21-point lead over both Romney and Santorum among women. The margin is 59-38 percent.

Oh and this little nugget on whether or not a certain kind of voter demographic might be just a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee bit racist:

Among white voters, Obama leads or is tied against Romney in every every section of the country except one: The South, where he trails by 36 points, 29-65.

This section is also seems to be the one that drives our national cable news agendas...so that's comforting.

Oh lord

This is just pathetic:

A panel of conservative religious leaders assembled by Fox News host Sean Hannity Friday night had increasingly apocalyptic responses to President Obama’s new contraception policy, saying they were eager to go to jail or even die before violating their conscious by providing birth control to women. Rich Land of the Southern Baptist Convention hit the two poles of overly emphatic rhetoric in one breath, first invoking the Holocaust by reciting Martin Niemöller famous poem “First they came…,”

Yes, which is why one needs birth control.

Although seeing a panel comprised of Rich Land, Bill Donohue, and Rick Warren pretend they'll give their lives over a law that already exists in most of their states of residence is rather hilarious...not to mention just seeing them and Hannity certainly killed a lot of moods just before Valentine's Day.

Once again, the ability of religious males to lie (and look at the picture at the first link it is ALL middle-aged to old men) is a far far lesser sin than letting ladies control their lady parts. I didn't know an explicitly listed COMMANDMENT took precedence over unsourced appendices -- but there you go.

Holy Misdirection

Maybe there's a reason America's Catholic Bishops are desperate to be up in arms about something, anything, they can get there hands on domestically. It distracts from this:

...leaked letters by an archbishop who was transferred after he blew the whistle on what he saw as a web of corruption and cronyism, to a leaked poison pen memo which puts a number of cardinals in a bad light, to new suspicions about its bank, Vatican spokesmen have had their work cut out responding.

And why not get in hysterics over the provision of prophylactics when you have scenarios right out of the Borgia playbook?

Last week, an Italian newspaper that has published some of the leaks ran a bizarre internal Vatican memo that involved one cardinal complaining about another cardinal who spoke about a possible assassination attempt against the pope within 12 months and openly speculated on who the next pope should be.

I'm not theologian but the prohibition on that one right in the Ten Commandments...as opposed to birth control which was at best is found in an unsourced appendix.

And, then there's this.

No wonder they need to lash out against the one group that have nothing to do with their self-inflicted wounds -- Women. [cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Iowa's shame

When the GOP lets Steve King lead them around, you get idiocy like this:

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) likened birth control to abortion Friday on MSNBC and said he isn’t convinced contraception helps prevent pregnancies.

But then again, King also believes, Mary got pregnant without having sex (because otherwise God got a little rapey).

*rim shot*
(which, by the way, DOES prevent pregnancy)

And they say it cannot speak to the present

Like many a person who does not know who the fuck is at the Grammys, I watched 'Downton Abbey' last night. And while the soap opera-ish life of the former 1% is like syrupy and lavish crack, it did contain a perfect description of Andrew Breitbart -- for which I must pay tribute to writer Julian Fellows:

“The nameless offshoot of a drudge.”

And it is put forth as an alternative to 'bastard' so it is even more appropriate.

Touche!

BTW -- here are your Downton Valentine's Cards.

One thing that is clear

"Get the government out of my medicare!" might as well be our new National Motto as far as the GOP base is concerned.

As the Europeans impose even more austerity upon the Greeks (oh, good idea!) the Greek people -- who suffer while those who benefited survive relatively unscathed are not at all happy.

For example:

Source: @mmgeissler / via: @Alex_Ogle This might be one of the few Starbucks where their coffee tasting incredibly burnt makes sense.

The Have Nots must have less

It isn't just contraceptives the Republicans want to take away:

A little-noted provision in the House Republicans' controversial energy and transportation bill would strip several thousand workers within the rail-industry of their federal minimum-wage and overtime protections, potentially making low-wage jobs pay even less...

And then they can pay hundreds every year for contraceptives or there will be more mouths to feed -- because abortion isn't an option. Or perhaps the Republicans will just make sex among the poor -- married or not -- illegal?

But Mitt Romney's taxes could be even lower, so obviously it will all end up being fair and balanced. [cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Yuck!

OM-effing-Gawd!!!

 ABC’s This Week: Rick Santorum.  Then, White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew. Also, House Budget Committee Chair Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). Roundtable: George Will, Donna Brazile, Liz Cheney, David Ignatius.

OM-effing-Gawdier!!!!

 NBC’s Meet the Press: Rick Santorum.  Then, White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew. Roundtable: Head of the Super PAC supporting Pres. Obama, Bill Burton; Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan; Washington Post’s EJ Dionne, and MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough.

It almost makes me miss John McCain...that is a heavy-heavy-concentration of assholery.

Feel the lack of enthusiasm

Oh that base sure is enthused:

Out of Maine's 258,000 registered Republicans, nearly 5,600 cast ballots in the weeklong contest. But questions about Romney's durability as the party's presumed front-runner persist. Fully 61 percent of Maine voters selected another candidate than Romney in a state practically in his back yard. And Romney's showing was down considerably from 2008, when he won 51 percent of the vote.

One week to get 5,600 total voters?

The Huffington Post story alone has 2,000 more comments on the caucus than the caucus had participants.

There's a word most college students know for College Republicans...

And that word is "Douchebags".

For example.

"I don't think my dad would let me move back home," said a male student from Catholic University.

"Oh, mine either," said his friend. "He'd say, 'Oh, that's why you went to school.' But I'll absolutely have a plan senior year. I want to do lobbying."

"I'm going to go to grad school," said another.

A single student admitted to having lived in the basement at his parents' house in high school. "The basement was very nice, though," he assured me. "It was very comfortable."

Rebecca, the only senior in the Palm Beach Atlantic group, said she would go back home after graduation—but not to a basement. She would definitely not be living in a basement.

"I'm from Orlando, so I'm gonna go back to Orlando," she explained. "My major's marketing, so I'd like to work in advertising with my dad, either with the Disney cruise line or Universal Studios.


"He has work connections," she added.

Rebecca will get back to you though, she has to attend the seminar on the evils of 'affirmative action' right now.

So, look in the mirror much?

Today's Tom Friedman lecture "for the ages":

"Watching the Republican Party struggling to agree on a presidential candidate, one wonders whether the G.O.P. shouldn't just sit this election out -- just give 2012 a pass."

Aren't they pretty much doing that already?

And now the balls...

...maybe the best thing would be for it to get crushed in this election and forced into a fundamental rethink

Why would being plainly, spectacularly WRONG force them to do that...did "Suck on this" do anything other than get you a raise? It certainly did not force a fundamental rethink about of Tom Friedman.

Not to be too ironic about it

But Santorum is really coming up on Romney from behind:

If Romney loses one of his adopted states -- well, he's in it deep.

And again, there is no double-entendre too hard with Santorum... ...see?

The Brain-Trust

Who needs actual celebrities when the Republicans have Pat Sajak and Chuck Woolery.

Bachmann, while doing radio interviews on "radio row" at CPAC, met up with Chuck Woolery, the former TV game show host, most notably of the "Love Connection," and they shared a warm embrace as Bachmann giddily called out, "Chuck! Chuck!"

Woolery is promoting "Reset Congress," a project that he outlines on his web site, Save Us Chuck Woolery. He, too, slammed the Prop 8 ruling, and said gays don’t need civil rights. In fact, he believes African-Americans need no civil rights.

That, according to Chuck is because they have "God-Given" natural rights in the Constitution.

That's right he managed to conflate the two of them like a true moron.

I'm sorry that's wrong, he's only 3/5ths of the way to a Moron...not being capable of reading the 13th, 14th or 15th Amendments.

So this is "the Face" of the anti-contraception forces?

Bring it on!

His "holiness" Arch-Bishop Fuckface* doesn't look at ALL like a guy who would might poo-poo the cover up of pederasty but have a conniption over whether a woman gets to use a diaphragm.

Oh, and his faux-outrage face is VERY appropriate:

Hours after President Obama phoned to share his decision with Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, who is president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the bishops’ headquarters in Washington posted on its Web site a video of Archbishop Dolan, which had been recorded the day before.

(pic via Seth Wenig/Associated Press)

* Sorry for the inappropriate name-calling...in a few days he shall be known as Cardinal Fuckface.   We regret the error.

What Howie Klein says

You know Republicans, at least Alf Landon wasn't an incredible douche.

Another Republican Dream Candidate

Currently losing "re-match" polling by 20% has a plan for regaining popularity... ...impersonating people with Parkinsons.

Governor John Kasich Imitates A Patient With Parkinsons

Oh well, I'm sure Rush Limbaugh thought it was hilarious.

Some Perry Como and baby oil ought to do it...

That's right...

THE HUMAN MITTIPEDE!

What the Village Scribes have taught me...

I don't claim special insight into the human condition, but I think I am somewhat informed. But I admit I did learn something new from Politico yesterday.

In an article entitled "High-profile Catholic Dems bail on Obama on contraceptives" comes this quote:

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), an Orthodox Jew, tweeted Wednesday that he opposed the administration’s mandate.

So Orthodox Jews, are they part of the Franciscans, Dominicans, Benedictines, Carmelites, or some new branch of Catholicism?

The other notable aspect of the article is its slavish devotion only to the words of D.C. insiders exclusively -- while simultaneously having this graphic at the top of the article -- which is never, ever, discussed.

It is truly the ultimate Politico article...ignoring the truth before its eyes to create a narrative of insider fiction.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

So it is about punishing ALL WOMEN

It is decidedly NOT about religion, it is about banning contraception coverage in ALL insurance plans for ALL women.

Anthony Picarello, general counsel for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "There has been a lot of talk in the last couple days about compromise, but it sounds to us like a way to turn down the heat, to placate people without doing anything in particular," Picarello said. "We're not going to do anything until this is fixed."

That means removing the provision from the health care law altogether, he said, not simply changing it for Catholic employers and their insurers. He cited the problem that would create for "good Catholic business people who can't in good conscience cooperate with this."

"If I quit this job and opened a Taco Bell, I'd be covered by the mandate," Picarello said.

Meanwhile, no fucking problem at all with Viagra being covered.

Other than USA Today will this fucking nutjob of a demand get any press coverage?

It was undoubtedly from a canker-sore

RIP

As I've said before...the world's douchiest hall monitor

What Rick Santorum sends out for Hanukkah:

That's right, "Happy Hanukkah, too bad you're goin' to Hell".

Classy.

Oh how I wish this would actually happen

From the Onion:
In The Know Panel Analyzes Obama's Furious, Profanity-Filled Rant At Nation

MAN OF THE PEOPLE!

This should help the ol' public perception:

Your self-proclaimed supreme moral arbiters

On the subject of lady parts and the things women should have available to them.

In 2002, at the height of the outcry over the sexual abuse of minors by Roman Catholic priests, the Archbishop of New York, Edward M. Egan...offered an apology about the church’s handling of sex-abuse cases in New York and in Bridgeport, Conn., where he was previously posted.

And now this most influential leader of Catholic Bishops has a new special message...PSYCHE!

Now, 10 years later and in retirement, Cardinal Egan has taken back his apology...“I never should have said that,” and added, “I don’t think we did anything wrong.”

Here's a succinct summary of what happened under Egan's watch which he now states NEVER happened.

The Bridgeport diocese has paid out nearly $38 million to settle abuse claims over the years involving allegations by more than 60 people who said they had been molested by priests. In court documents unsealed in 2009, Egan expressed skepticism over sexual abuse allegations and said he found it "marvelous" that so few priests had been accused over the years.

"Marvelous"...wow, that is not the word most people would choose. And of course...

Cardinal Egan said yesterday it "would be truly tragic" if lawmakers pass women's health care legislation that does not allow church-related employers to refuse to provide insurance coverage for birth control and fertility treatments.

That was 2001...the legislation became law.

And that was...Marvelous!

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

What she said

Maddow on the contraceptive insurance requirement is dead on.

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Hey look Mitt Romney is raising money

Greatest advert I've seen today: