How to Move on From Here?

I have been doing a lot of thinking about all of the problems we face in the United States.  I think of the strong economy and financial surplus that Bill Clinton left as he departed the White House.  Not only is everything gone...  but Bush and Cheney have devastated this country on so many levels, it would be humorous if it wasn't all too true.  Who would have imagined our current state of affairs when Bush was a candidate?

What are the Democrats, who are more likely to win in November, going to do with the horrible mess that the country is faced with after these incompetents leave?  My personal recommendation is for them to grapple with these foreign relations problems forthrightly and tell the country we have hard choices and a monumental struggle before us and over all to tell the one fundamental truth: 

It is ALL the result of Bush, the GOP, and the Neo-Conservative movement that has fought so hard for war in the Middle East, their misguided and mismanaged economic policies, and their dismantling of protections for the poorest and most vulnerable in our society that has this country mired in a worthless war and so damaged at home.

Yes, while that is what I SO desire for a democrat to do in their first major address to the nation, I realize that few politicians will have the strength to do so.  But imagine... after reciting the oath of office, we see the president-elect, acknowledge the failures of the Bush administration -- especially this damnable boondoggle in Iraq (not to mention the attacks on the middle class, attacks on women on many fronts, fantastic increases in corporate ownership especially in the media, degradation of the environment, teaching to the test education, and attacks on health care for poor children).  I would be satisfied with acknowledgement of who caused the war that we are no where close to winning.  Not one damn step. 

Since it is more than apparent -- Bush has admitted that he is leaving the Iraq war mess for the next president -- and GOP tailwaggers such as McCain have claimed that we should be in Iraq for years to come (100 year by McCain's crazy count), then the new president should be honest, direct, and unwilling to let Bush and the GOP lay these problems at the new president's feet as his or her creation!

In this address the new president must acknowledge that many of these problems were not created by him or her and that they are instead the cleaner, the fixer, the person to whom the past administration expected would resolve these problems. 

Think of how much the terrain of discussion about the war in Iraq will shift by such a statement.  Of course, the new president will have to follow up with getting the American military out of Iraq as quickly as is safe for all concerned. 

But now the discussion will open to some kind of combined Middle East/UN military force that will have to be constructed otherwise the entire country will disintegrate (and probably will disintegrate anyway).  But who's fault is that?  Bush, Cheney, and the Neo-Conservatives.  The new president will do well to remember that.  And to remind the rest of the country of that fact.

Paying the Price

To say Andrew Bacevich knows more about military matters and policy than the Kagans would merely be a matter of opinion (very well-based opinion), that he and his family have paid much MORE of a price than the Kagan's would be a plain fact.

In the name of that knowledge, and that sacrifice he addresses the phony, faux screeches of victory, where no victory exists in Iraq -- and the cowards (like the Kagans) it has bequeathed to us in the future:

Look beyond the spin, the wishful thinking, the intellectual bullying and the myth-making. The real legacy of the surge is that it will enable Bush to bequeath the Iraq war to his successor -- no doubt cause for celebration at AEI, although perhaps less so for the families of U.S. troops. Yet the stubborn insistence that the war must continue also ensures that Bush's successor will, upon taking office, discover that the post-9/11 United States is strategically adrift. Washington no longer has a coherent approach to dealing with Islamic radicalism. Certainly, the next president will not find in Iraq a useful template to be applied in Iran or Syria or Pakistan.

According to the war's most fervent proponents, Bush's critics have become so "invested in defeat" that they cannot see the progress being made on the ground. Yet something similar might be said of those who remain so passionately invested in a futile war's perpetuation. They are unable to see that, surge or no surge, the Iraq war remains an egregious strategic blunder that persistence will only compound.

The Kagan's have made tens of thousands, fatten their asses, gotten their false glory and the friendship of the Bill Kristols of the world.

Andrew Bacevich gave his son for George Bush's disaster.

You tell me who is more admirable and who should be listened to.

Just ONE FUCKING YEAR to go!

365 Days left to worry about what war Lumpy Rutherford will unleash next!

Another AWESOME underperformance by Nobody's Mayor

9ui11ani got about 1.911% of the vote in South Carolina. Half of Ron Paul's signage.

On MSNBC at this moment, he literally has THIS many votes.

Rudy Giuliani 9,112 2%

Peeking Behind the Curtain

Last night’s Tucker Carlson show -- isn't this the one that is going to be cancelled soon? -- was  hands down, without a doubt the singularly most disturbing discussion on race in American that I have ever seen on mainstream television and a clear indicator of how much the discussion has shifted to the far right. 

The saving grace was a simply amazing moment when Bill Price, after racist comments, stepped up to the plate at the very end of the show and called Patrick Buchanan a white supremacist.  Wow! Did he just say that?  Yes, yes he did.  And how did the others on the program respond:  laughter. 

In fact, the awkward laughter and silence was mind blowingly incredible and I really believe that Bill Price even surprised himself.  It caught me so off guard that I had to rewind it and watch it five times. 

Luckily for all of us some on the job blogger -- Linkins -- over at the Huffington Post contingent caught it.  The key point in all of this is that if you watch the full segment that at no point does Buchanan ever deny the charge.

Pat Buchanon, white supremacist.  Hey, he himself does not even try to deny it.

Rx for an Ailing Economy

Today on Weekend Edition Saturday Rep. Barney Frank quite rightly scolded Scott Simon for the tone of the story preceding his interview. The theme of the story: go out to J & R Computer on 5th avenue with an economist and have the economist explain how putting $500 bucks in a person's pocket, so they can afford to buy an iPod or some other consumer goods, helps the whole economy. It isn't that it is a bad thing to explain how buying stuff creates a cascade effect throughout the economy, but it is all about tone, and the tone of this one missed the mark. (Sorry, no link as of posting). Frank's response to Scott Simon was on the order of, this really isn't a laughing matter, and the truth is there are a lot of people that can use money to live on, not buy gadgets. Really, the tone of the story was better suited to Fox radio news. Good thing they got called on it.

UGH!

Obama saying bland and easily misconstrued nice words about Reagan may have outraged some Clinton supporters.

But THIS is far more upsetting -- Letting Joe Lieberman keep his Senate Chairmanships after he goes around and endorsing John McCain and enabling one Bush War clusterfuck after another.



I guess this creates a bit of an opening for Obama (but will he take it -- would he really say anything different?) definitely seems something for Edwards to bring up.

The Scariest Words You'll Ever Hear...

... from the Worst President Ever:

"I have a plan."

God help us all.

And by the way, this sentence from the same NYT article was notable for an entirely different reason:

Democrats, in a rare show of Washington bipartisanship, pledged to work with him to enact a plan quickly.

As far as I can see, they never stopped working with him, even when they became the majority back in 2006. Whatever, NYT. Who wants to bet they stick us by making Bush's tax cuts permanent? Yes, I know the article says Bush is not insisting on it as part of the deal, but when has Bush never not lied about anything -- and when have Dems never bent over backwards to accommodate him?

More on Music 2007: Best of Power Pop

Anyone who knows me understands that the great musical love of my life is power pop.  Give me a solid crunchy guitar line, deep bouncy bass, solid feel drumming, an interesting vocal arrangement (being able to sing technically well not always required), add a killer harmony line and some hand claps (real claps none of that computer generated nonsense) and I am your best musical pal in the world!  As Paul Westerberg so eloquently stated:  "I am in love with that song."

What follows is in my opinion, some of the best in Power Pop that was released in 2007 -- now some of this is an extension of some previous thoughts on the music of 2007.  And while the industry is going down the tubes.  Too bad for all of the so-called music executives and the recording association which seems to be in the business of suing fans rather than finding ways to get music to them, bummer for the old business model (is the sarcasm high enough?).

I receive no kickbacks for any of my recommendations (although I am open to the idea of free CDs or MP3s -- come on, who doesn't love to get a free CD in the mail?? -- Ok, I don't mean it) so enjoy these recommendations free from corporate support over the selections and choices:

1.       Everybody Else "Everybody Else" This is an absolute kill you dead debut that will thrill fans of Marvelous 3, The Knack and even that old English power pop chestnut, Squeeze.  I have had this one playing everywhere I've gone since I picked it up early in 2007.  It's an upbeat, melodic, hook-heavy good time without a weak tune to be found anywhere.  This is no jangle rock, its punchy party rock, so what are you waiting for? 

2.       Fountains of Wayne "Traffic and Weather" If I only had enough cash to buy one Fountains of Wayne CD, it would be this one.  Everything this band does is gold but after to listening to all of FOW's albums habitually since they began doing their thing, Traffic and Weather is the most consistently catchy and exciting of them all.  They are so much more than "Stacy's Mom" or the some of the tunes from the Tom Hanks' That Thing You Do.  This CD is packed with great songs, "Someone To Love", "Yolanda Hayes", "This Better Be Good", "Strapped For Cash", "Revolving Dora", "I-95".   Smart and sing-along Power Pop gets no better than this, my friends (there's the McCain moment).

3.       Cartel "Cartel"  I've been as loose with the definition of "What is Power Pop?" as anyone and this album is more emo-pop if it has to be categorized.  But there's something immediately gratifying about listening to this Cartel release.  Naturally, there are plenty of slamming, crunchy power chords to be found but its more entertaining and enjoyable because of the presence of some mid-tempo and different songs that allow this talented group to stretch out and really separate themselves from the emo-pop crowd.

4.       Bleu "Happy Birthday" The super-talented Bleu released Happy Birthday to iTunes (maybe other outlets, too) back in July.  Its an eight-song compilation of tunes that he has apparently written about friends for their birthdays.  As strange of a concept as that seems to be, the proof that it works is evident in a wildly varied collection of winning numbers. My favorites are the lo-fi "Ducky" which is complete with great lines like "he's so cool/he's a Frigidaire" or how about "if I'm a Spock/He's a Captain Kirk/The opposite of suck/That's our Duck".  Next up is "Alex" which is a
Utopia-era Rundgren, keyboard-driven rocker.  If you like Bleu, there's no way that you won't be entertained by Happy Birthday.

5.       Catchpenny "From Where You Are" Minneapolis-based Catchpenny open up their terrific debut with an all-out rocker titled "Tell Me Tomorrow" and it's a great way to set the stage for the hooky choruses and two-part harmonies to be heard all over this one.  There's nothing fancy about Catchpenny.  The songs here are tight and with any justice would be playing all over the airwaves.  From Where You Are is a radio-ready wonder, reminiscent of All-American Rejects, Owsley and American Hi-Fi.

6.       Ed James "In The 21st Century" Thrill to the Power Pop sounds of the 21st Century courtesy of Ed James.  Ed starts our journey with the effortlessly tuneful "Out Of This Town", a crunchy, chugging power-chorded beast.  It's followed by the pretty, Posies-meets-PFR wonder of harmony called "She's The One".  "Girl Gone Bad" is a marvel, it's as if Ed hired Andy Sturmer to front Adrian Belew and The Bears.  "Miss Polly" is massively catchy with it's doot-doot backing vocals and clever, ultra-fun lyrics. Recollections of the '80s come rushing back to us when we hear the Utopia-flavored pop on display when listening to "And When She Smiles". Now...keep in mind, I've only covered the first five tracks!  This is truly a must have release that solidifies Ed James' status as a major Power Pop player.

7.   Holmes-"Stop Go". Singer/Songwriter/Producer Roy Shakked is Holmes and his latest release Stop Go is a refreshing cross-section of musical genres. Holmes serves up punchy Rock, tuneful Power Pop and even smooth R&B with the help of top-notch musicians the likes of Lyle Workman and Brett Simons.  It doesn't get much more fun than the title track, which delivers exactly what its title promises.  The whistle-along melodic treat that is "Another Week" recalls other tune-masters like Bleu and The Argument.  "Five Days A Week" is a smooth Power Pop ride right out of the Joe Jackson songbook.  You've probably heard Holmes already as his music has been featured on many television shows and album compilations.  Chances are you'll be hearing a lot more of him everywhere else very soon.

8.   Rick Altizer-"Scripture Memories - Pop Symphonies".Maybe this is a controversial choice but it's a tuneful one.  Altizer has created a very original collection of Jellyfish/Beatlesque sounding songs that's lyrics reflect Altizer's commitment to his faith.  I recall reading that his goal was to put Bible verses to tunes as a way for others to remember scripture readings.  This may not be everyone's cup of tea because of the decidedly Christian themes throughout, but I happen to believe its fun and beautiful music.

9.   Collective Soul "Afterwords" Collective Soul is a band of survivors. They came to the forefront during the peak of the Grunge era and have been putting out consistently riff-heavy music ever since.  Their new CD Afterwords reinforces this once more.  It is a tightly weaved run through moods and hooks and riffs.  Ed Roland and crew are a tight, polished and talented group; in fact, they're as professional of a rock outfit as there is in the business today.  Check out tracks like "Hollywood", New Vibration" and "All That I Know" for perfect demonstrations of this fact.

10.   Foo Fighters "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" Not much needs to be said about the Foo Fighters other than they are a great mainstream rock band that you don't have to be embarrassed to appreciate.  Their new album is more top-notch, power rock with attitude and energy.  Plus, most of their songs are very melodic listens.  Echoes. is a fast starter, the first five tunes are as strong as anything they've written in a long time.

11.   Spoon "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" It looks like this new one by Spoon is pretty popular and I'll have to go along with that mindset.  This is definitely the catchiest and poppiest Spoon release to date.  Sometimes the sparseness or "space" within a Spoon tune is a wonder to behold.  This is especially evident in danceable numbers like "Don't You Evah" and "Finer Feelings". "Don't Make Me A Target" and "Rhthm & Soul" are also standouts here.

12.   Ken Andrews "Secrets of the Lost Satellite" The main man behind such fine bands as Failure, On and Year of the Rabbit goes solo with this new collection of mid-tempo, mood heavy music.  Andrews makes some incredible noise, not just on this new release but with everything he does.  The instruments, his vocals, everything; it all really envelops the listener in so many different tones and strange harmonies.  Secrets of the Lost Satellite is another fine example of this.  Again, this is nowhere near Power Pop, but its interesting and rewarding music.

13.   The Ditchflowers "Carried Away" Tampa-based Ditchflowers have mixed sharp melodies, thoughtful lyrics and wonderful production into a pleasing package titled Carried Away.  Ed Woltil and Brian Merrill head up this talented cast of musicians who offer songs of longing, faith and getting older into tuneful tales of intrigue.  The Ditchflowers have excelled here, merging sophisticated pop not unlike Steely Dan and XTC with the straight-ahead rock of artists like The Smithereens and The Kinks.  The songs "Home Away From Home" and "All The Time In The World" feature pretty pop that fit in seamlessly with country-flavored tracks like "Since I Met You" and "Walkin' Back".

14.   Wiretree "Bouldin"  Wiretree is a great new project from singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Peroni.  This full-length winner melds a variety of influences with an acoustically-based sound to form an instantly enjoyable, bright and catchy listening experience.  I've heard Wiretree's sound compared to The Smithereens, Tom Petty and Brendan Benson.
But I also hear Dear 23-era Posies and early (i.e. good) Goo Goo Dolls. This is really an exciting new Indie Pop release.

So, enough, already... go get 'em.

Debate overlooks

Well, is it possible that even the Dems are overlooking some of the deeper problems with Health Care?  Sure.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Diebold

Princeton scientists Hack Diebold Voting Machine Demo

Anyone surprised? 

Mike Huxleybee

(Paraphrase) "Now, will these be non-gay sex robots we build? The way God intended it."
- Dr. Stephen Colbert

I don't know about you...

But I plan on supporting the candidate who is most fatuously demonized!

Yay!

You know, after much wrangling between Edwards and Obama, I chose the latter here in the Iowa Caucuses. But the bottom-line is any of the current Democratic candidates, ANY OF THEM, are so far superior to the alternative I refuse to be angry at any of them.

There are way too many folks supporting one of the candidates, particularly supporting Clinton or Obama (and in that order of prevalence) that operate like the right-wing sleaze merchants we all know and loathe. It's a disservice to both of them.

You can play hardball in politics without being disgusting and sleazy and going too damn far.

Whisker Burn?

That's the question someone needs to ask John McCain when one reviews this Joe Klein hagiographic piece.

The issue that McCain cares most about is Iraq. His I-told-you-so support for the troop surge, his admiration for David Petraeus—McCain never fails to mention that Petraeus should have been Time's Person of the Year—is the climax of every speech.

And from Joe's perspective, that's literally true.

Joe Klein, he's Broder with an Attitude and kneepads!

Posted with little Comment (okay about 8" worth)

From AmericaBlog...JimmyJeff still plying his trade:

How Republican's Think and Talk

Got a problem?  Need a solution?  Does the fix seem intractable or impossible to find?  Aw, don't you worry about it.  Any problem, any issue, any concerns... We can call learn to think and talk like the GOP by simply remembering and saying:  Tax Cuts!

Health care?   Tax Cuts.

Education?   Tax Cuts.

Marital Problems?   Tax Cuts.

Roads and Infrastructure?   Tax Cuts.

Abortion?  Kill the doctor's.  Ok, after Tax cuts.

Price of Gas?  Tax Cuts.

Haircut too expensive.  Tax Cuts.

Prostitutes too expensive?  Tax Cuts.  (that one's for J. Jonah Pantload)

Just remember to sprinkle in some inarticulate and confusing homespun stories and call everyone "my friends."  Hey, there are loosening up the rules, you do not even have to wear a red tie or actually have some meaningful thing to say.

Music 2007

Josh Groban's X-mas album was 2007's top seller?  Is that a sign of the apocalypse? 

Nielsen SoundScan recently released its sales and performance data for 2007. Album sales declined fifteen per cent, compared with 2006. The record business has seen slumps before: revenues fell substantially in the early eighties.

What’s most striking is the fact that the shrinking industry is now almost completely Balkanized. The top ten artists played on radio were seven country acts, two hard-rock bands, and a pop star named Justin Timberlake. The top ten streamed videos were largely for songs by young women who sing R. & B. Eight of the top ten ringtones were hip-hop. Two of the year’s best-selling records offer vivid illustration of how the market has fragmented further while remaining alive.

The Eagles’ “Long Road Out of Eden,” released on their own independent label and available only at Wal-Mart, sold 2.6 million copies. The biggest-selling album of the year was Josh Groban’s “Noël,” which sold 3.7 million copies despite being released in October. SoundScan does not track the popularity of stocking stuffers, but Groban’s album was likely the champ.

Maybe Mike Huckabee can send him a bass line MP3

Yeah, that'll work:

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WLUK) - ...[A]ccording to the bio posted on ny.sportsday.com Eli Manning's favorite television show is "Seinfeld."

WLUK FOX 11 had "Seinfeld" scheduled to run at 5:30 p.m. this Saturday. That's exactly when the Giants' quarterback will be relaxing in his downtown Appleton hotel room getting ready for Sunday's game.

FOX 11 Vice President and General Manager Jay Zollar has pulled the program.

"Why give comfort to the enemy?" asked Zollar. "Green Bay Packers fans do not want any of the New York Giants to get a good night's sleep and FOX 11 will do its part."

Because, apparently, Wisconsin doesn't have the internet or DVD players.

I suggest they present a 24 hour special, "John Madden Masturbates to Brett Favre Highlights".

Doughy Pantload, has his pants rise

Jonah Goldberg has let go of one of the biggest intellectual farts of a gassy age and still manages to get his minions (the man has minions, says it all about modern American doesn't it?) to whine:

What Fresh Hell Was That?! [Mark Hemingway]

I just watched Jonah's interview on The Daily Show and my head is still spinning. What was that? The interview segment began with an apology from Jon Stewart saying that the interview lasted 18 minutes and they had to cut it. What ensued was a choppy mess, largely consisting of Stewart's heated questions and then cutting away from Jonah before he could fully respond. It's bad enough that people reviewing Jonah's book can't be bothered to read it. But inviting him on national TV, attacking the book and then randomly editing the whole thing into incoherence just seems to take things to a whole new level.

You know in television, professionals can manage to make an interview coherent IF they have a coherent subject. But when you have someone who has incoherent ideas apparently formed by watching Gilligan's Island & Star Trek for hours on end and then writes a book claiming Fascists are Liberals you get, well, six minutes of the Doughy Pantload.

I'm willing to bet the full 18 minutes pretty much has the intellectual heft of the Teletubbies without the underlying charm.

Making Jonah, "Doughywinkie".

The one thing Bush learned on his trip overseas

Came on the flight home.


"I gotta show Lump these funny cat pictures with the captions."

(AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)

Now that's a Mash-UP

This guy rx2008 has done many of them, but this is about as technically difficult as any:

The Life History of Jonah's Book and it all comes to this...

100 weeks ago, Cover Art Designed
97 weeks ago 3 weeks of writing completed
3 weeks ago, 94 weeks of editing completed
2 weeks ago, publication

And it all comes down to this:

"Some folks at Bloggingheads are debating how stupid I am"

It's just like the anniversary of Sgt. Pepper

Thirty years ago to date...the greatest moment of entertainment ever occurred.



Often imitated:




Never equaled.

"Egyptian's don't walk like that."

"Ya fuckin' moron."

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

"Rejoice in Your Liberation"

Dear Professor Landsburg,

Tell that to Mr. Evans.

Asshole.

Very truly yours,

res

"I wonder what one with a turtleneck still on it looks like?"

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Lookit me, I won at the Special Olympics for Prezidentin'!

"Suck on it Eunice Kennedy Shriver!"

(AFP/Mandel Ngan)

"First in War, First in Peace, First in the Hearts of his Countrymen"

Compared to 43rd, 43rd, and 43rd.

(AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

So I ask you...

Ignoring his other problems -- what is Hugh Hewitt's biggest problem this morning?

A. Chafing?
B. Lack of clean towels?

Discuss.

America on Wrong Track

Seventy-five percent of Americans surveyed in CBS/NYT poll say that America is on the wrong track.  Way to go Chimpy!

Assessments of the current state of the nation are grim as Americans have begun to choose who will vie to be the country’s next president. 75% of Americans think the country is off on the wrong track - matching the highest number ever recorded in the CBS News/New York Times Poll - and approval of President Bush remains low.

Concern about the direction of the country is accompanied by growing alarm about the condition of the economy - now the country’s most important problem. Perceptions of the condition of the national economy continue to drop, and most Americans think the worst is yet to come.

Three in four Americans think the country is off on the wrong track, matching the highest number recorded in the twenty-five years since CBS News began asking the question. Only 19% say it is headed in the right direction, matching the all-time low reached last June.

Worries about the direction of the country coincide with a low job approval rating for the president. 29% of Americans approve of the way President Bush is handling his job as president. Approval has hovered around 30% for the past year.

What approval is left of the president is fueled mainly by members of the president’s own party. 66% of Republicans still approve of how he is handling his job, while nearly six in 10 Independents and nearly nine in 10 Democrats disapprove.

Celebrity Rehashing

When the media gets a hold of something and promotes it many times it's cheapened because it's driven by the market and not the needs of the audience.  The whole thing about rehab for the masses via these so-called reality shows is disturbing to me.  I did watch Celebrity Rehab, Intervention, Breaking Bonnaduce, and the Sizemore one to see what was happening and was not impressed.   I never watched beyond one episode.

Most folks who suffer from alcoholism and drug addiction are ashamed and hide their disease.  And the detox is never pretty but it is a very private affair.  Almost sacred in fact which I think it still remains.

To have a substance that a person has been addicted to for most of their life and have it wretched out of them is a very private, powerful, and even spiritual discipline. 

What I see on television  is a whole lot of acting out for the cameras.  There is some honesty but for the most part I wonder how much is embellished because you're on a national stage.  I suppose with the writer's strike we can only expect more of this crap.  Way to go for quality television execs!

These programs somehow feel crass, manipulative, and so like unreasonable intrusion to me.  What do you all think?  Is there anyone out there in the blogasphere that wants to defend these shows?

For Music Fans, a Loss

Jon Stoll, who turned a teenage love of rock 'n' roll into one of the largest independent promotion and performance companies in the nation, died Saturday at Good Samaritan Medical Center after an extended illness. He was 54.

While the article mentions Stoll's love of music and his efforts as a music promoter, it does not go into the detail about a concert and music promoter who never cheated the acts that he booked or his efforts on behalf of indie and up-and-coming acts. 

For music fans, this is a loss.

2018?

Well, folks... buckle up.  As you may have seen in the NYT online today (the only way DDD reads it anymore), the Iraq that George W. Bush and his neocon cronies broke may become part of more than a misadventure, it is a generation now!

According to the Iraqi Defense Minister in a statement about the preparedness of Iraqi security:

... said Monday that his nation would not be able to take full responsibility for its internal security until 2012, nor be able on its own to defend Iraq’s borders from external threat until at least 2018.

2018.  Yes, a misadventure might last a few months maybe a year. Of course, even a misadventure has some basis in reality.  Some interest in advancing a credible foreign policy.  We never had anything even remotely close.

This misdirected so-called "war" which was really an effort to finish some bizarre neo-con vision of the Middle East has become more than an embarrassment (premature declaration of "victory"), more than a costly mistake (price of oil), or damn-them-all-to-Hell destruction of lives (death, destruction, etc), environmental damage (spilled oil, destruction of cities, etc), and destabilization of the Middle East (power vacuum that Iran can step into) and truly giving support and recruitment to actual terrorists (tactics that drive young people into the waiting arms of Al Queda) ... may not end for more than a decade!!!

President Bush has never given a date for a military withdrawal from Iraq but has repeatedly said that American forces would stand down as Iraqi forces stand up. Given Mr. Qadir’s assessment of Iraq’s military capabilities on Monday, such a withdrawal appeared to be quite distant, and further away than any American officials have previously stated in public.

And no one is being held accountable for this farce (we passed tragedy a few years ago, if not the very beginning)!  Somehow impeachment feels just inadequate, doesn't it?

That's Smurfy

Well, look who's 50...

Still looking pretty Smurfy, unfortunately Political Boss Smurf is not American and cannot run to unify the scattered remains of the GOP.  My he does look like Bush-lite doesn't he?

But I just got done anticipating the last thing "nobody could have anticipated"?

Another non-shocker from Bush's best buddy in Pakistan:

Pakistan’s premier military intelligence agency has lost control of some of the networks of Pakistani militants it has nurtured since the 1980s, and is now suffering the violent blowback of that policy, two former senior intelligence officials and other officials close to the agency say.

Gee, ya' think?

Once again, we gave money to Sunni extremist through Pakistan in the late 1970s and 1980s because they were "to us" a bulwark against the Soviets in Afghanistan and the Shiia in Iran.

And lo and behold that temporary exercise of "superpower" politics came back to bite us in the ass big time.

So, thank goodness, the John McCain's of the world are there to happily proclaim victory for the twelfth or thirteenth time in Iraq when we do EXACTLY the same fucking thing that rat-fucked us the last time.

Which is more dangerous to your health ...

OBL or DHS?

...worrying about terrorism could be taking a toll on the hearts of millions of Americans. The evidence, published last week in the Archives of General Psychiatry, comes from researchers who began tracking the health of a representative sample of more than 2,700 Americans before September 2001. After the attacks of Sept. 11, the scientists monitored people’s fears of terrorism over the next several years and found that the most fearful people were three to five times more likely than the rest to receive diagnoses of new cardiovascular ailments.

Can I just say that I live in NYC (and lived in NYC on 9/11) and I don't know one person who worries about this stuff? At least not out loud. Even my friend Sexy Pixie, who had to run for her life to keep the WTC from literally falling on her head, doesn't worry about it. And no, that doesn't mean that if I saw someone parking a van full of dynamite under a bridge that I wouldn't call the cops. I take the threat of it seriously, but I don't sit around worrying about it. I worry a lot more about how Bush has wrecked the economy, the government, the armed forces, the national infrastructure, and any goodwill we once had for one and other.

Yeah, 45% approval my ass -- YOU SUCK!

I guess they are talking about the temporary bump when he bombs Iran because they equal Nazi Germany in the Bush mind.

Meanwhile, in reality:

Beset by growing economic concerns on top of the long unpopular war in Iraq, President Bush starts the last year of his presidency with the worst approval rating of his career.

Just 32 percent of Americans now approve of the way Bush is handling his job, while 66 percent disapprove...

But after three straight years in the doghouse, Bush is just two months away from Truman's record of 38 months without majority approval -- far beyond any other...

Intensity of sentiment, moreover, remains very heavily against the president. Fifty-one percent strongly disapprove of his work overall, while just 16 percent strongly approve -- strongly negative by better than a 3-1 ratio.

He's absolutely right

I just wish Bob Herbert would have explicitly mentioned Chris Matthews:

The cable news channels revel in stories about women (almost always young and attractive) who come to a gruesome end at the hands of violent men. The stories seldom, if ever, raise the issue of misogyny, which permeates not just the crimes themselves, but the coverage as well...

We’ve become so used to the disrespectful, degrading, contemptuous and even violent treatment of women that we hardly notice it. Staggering amounts of violence are unleashed against women and girls every day. Fashionable ads in mainstream publications play off of that violence, exploiting themes of death and dismemberment, female submissiveness and child pornography.

If we’ve opened the door to the issue of sexism in the presidential campaign, then let’s have at it. It’s a big and important issue that deserves much more than lip service.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some photoshops of K-Lo to make.

In other words it's a thin line to cross...metaphorically.

UPDATE: Meanwhile, as pointed out by Roger Ailes (the good one) this, the "Hillary Clinton Nutcracker" is on sale at the NY Times Website (link at lower right corner)

What's Up?

Over at No Quarter, SusanUnPC apparently doesn't think Obama would make a good leader and that Hillary Clinton is the only answer. Today Susan, in her ongoing diatribe against Obama, is practically frothing at the mouth about Obama's failings. One would think hysterics do not serve candidate Clinton well, though apparently the Clinton machine isn't above fear mongering and veiled racism to cement the dynasty's hold on power. Why is it so difficult for people like Susan to accept that Clinton isn't the only "serious" candidate? I don't want Clinton to be the nominee for many reasons (one being how Susan and others talk about Obama) but I don't consider her candidacy as empty rhetoric the way Clinton and her surrogates treat Obama's candidacy. Just grow up.

Who is "They?"

Andrew Sullivan writes:

Bill Clinton is campaigning for himself as well right now, his own future power. He'll be in a Clinton White House, ready from Day One. And if they get there for a third term, the marital psychodrama they inflicted on us for eight long years will be with us once again. [emphasis mine]

Who is this "They" of which Andrew Sullivan speaks?

The people who inflicted the Clintons' "marital psychodrama" on America were, well, you, Andrew. You and rest of your beloved Conservative "movement" spent six years persecuting, indicting, and finally impeaching Bill Clinton's penis. But that wasn't enough. Hillary Clinton's failure to react to her husband's infidelity with Conservative-approved levels of outrage fanned the ire of your "movement" -- and only your "movement." If you remember, Clinton's approval rating during the impeachment crisis your Conservative "movement" inflicted on America was 60+%.

Last week, momentarily chastened by your comeuppance in New Hampshire, you expresseed concern about "the tone" of your criticism of Hillary Clinton, and promising to be more "temperate" in your criticsm of her. Your use of surrogates, in the form of reader emails, in the interim to continue your intemperate criticism has been too cute by half. ("Histrionics" .. ."Smack the shit out of the Clinton adviser" ...."the Steinems want Big Brother"..."Hillary is slime"...etc.)

The Clintons are famous for using surrogates to do the dirty work of their campaigns. Perhaps your irrational hatred of Hillary and Bill Clinton stems from the fact that you are just like them.

Bwahahaha!!!

Too funny for mere linking. The Powerloins...real sharp thinkers or "thinkerers" in Bush-speak.

Happy Birthday, Maureen Dowd

Your biological clock misses you.*

Meanwhile, I'm sure in your dottage, where you regret not having a man and think all women are also supposed to feel the same regret you feel (though "relief" is probably stenciled across John Tierney's simian brow), you'll be thinking of this:

Tonight in California, Catherine Zeta Jones will be pulling out the trapeze with celebrity sex-addict Michael Douglas.


*mean I know, but c'mon its frickin' Maureen Dowd

Yes, I know it's much more fun to blow up frogs with firecrackers

But at least try to look interested in the local customs you moron.


(AFP/Mandel Ngan)

Just a reminder

The Condi blog remains open.


"They're discussing the George Schultz tattoo I have on my ass. The Boss thinks it is the guy who did "Peanuts"."

REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah

While we've been on the topic

If the New York Times is really going to rat-fuck humanity and pay Bill Kristol to write editorials for them -- at $50K or more a year -- you would think they would expect more than a cut & paste job from a 2004 edition of the Weekly Standard.

NOT LINKING

But what do I know? I think real writers make their pittance through PayPal.

I don't know about you...

But I think yesterday evening's tearful performance by Terrell Owens was clearly pre-planned and makes him completely disqualified from becoming Commander-in-Chief.

An Open Letter to the NYT Editorial Board

Dear Purveyors of Right-wing Propaganda,

Yes, that is now how I must address you.  I realize that the old gray lady has been part of the neo-Conservative ascendency for quite some time but recent staff hiring and extremely biased "news" articles and far right blatant blatherings in your editorial pages without liberal (let alone progressive) balance have led me to cancel my subscription.

There once was a time when I enjoyed some of the sparing in your paper's editorials.  Some important investigative journalism was once done in your pages.  There seemed to be some detailed thought or significant ideas in your articles and editorial pages but now it seems that the efforts have become part of a calculated effort to establish as much credibility for the remaining neo-cons and their agenda as possible.  And I simply cannot support such an effort.

So, gentlemen and ladies, I have canceled my subscription effective immediately.  Do not worry about me.  I still have my Atlantic Monthly, New Yorker, The Nation, Esquire, In These Times, and several regional and local newspapers and magazines to keep me company.

And, yes, I can always read the Sunday literary sections at my library without giving support to the right-wing junta that have taken over the NYT.  And there is always free access to much of what I would read online.  Should you change your minds about this right-wing crusade, I will be waiting.

Good luck to you on your jihad, may you fail miserably.

Former subscriber, -DDD

The Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy works its magic

Willard Romney is surging in Michigan like a caged-dog! I blame the Great Orange Satan and his Grey-Turtlenecked Henchman.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeee-haw!

The pot has not yet ceased to call the kettle-black.

President Bush said Sunday that Iran is threatening the security of the world, and that the United States and Arab allies must join together to confront the danger "before it's too late."...

I'm sorry, but Pelosi said Impeachment is off the table.

Bush spoke at the Emirates Palace, at an opulent, gold-trimmed hotel where a suite goes for $2,450 a night. Built at a cost of $3 billion, the hotel is a kilometer long from end to end and has a 1.3 kilometer white sand beach — every grain of it imported from Algeria, according to Steven Pike, a spokesman at the U.S. Embassy here.

But he "unnerstanz" the little guy.

They'll publish anybody in the Post

I better start writing about the time Carla Bruni wanted to marry me (you know we need more political figures with a nude portfolio. Like Fred Thompson for example, woof woof).

What?

But I digress, the Doughy Pantload arrives in the Washington Post today with apparently one purpose. To drop as many NRO writers into a column as possible. I'd say "Name Dropper" except who the fuck cares? David Frum is no one you want to have lunch with.

It's like a bad infomercial. I expect to see Jonah & K-Lo host a commercial for "Xtend" any day now.

I am sure she will be fair

(of course I am fair...)

New book about the Clinton's to be released in 2010.  When we think of Tina Brown, isn't evenhanded the first word that comes to mind?  (shall we all fall over laughing now...  Ok, how about now...)

Another Sign of Death

I remember over twenty years ago when I could not wait for Rolling Stone to arrive in my mailbox.  The reviews and lengthy interviews with musicians which gave me a deep sense of the music and the people making it.

But that was a long time ago.  That was when Rolling Stone mattered when they cared about music rather than what they have become which is a joke.   How long has it been since RS mattered?  Now RS profiles the latest fad, latest so-called "star," and has strived to be whatever the polling and demographic research told them they should be.  Heck, there are more ads than discussion of music.

So, we have this sign of death over at Rolling Stone.   How long has it been when a mainstream music magazine actually promoted music for its own sake instead of some sense of the magazine's own importance?  There are a few music mags that offer some great coverage of music... No Depression, Paste, a few others. Blender is one of them.

Joe Levy is defecting from Rolling Stone magazine, where he is executive editor, to take over as editor in chief at rival music mag Blender early next month.

What music magazines do you believe actually celebrate music?  Does anyone enjoy music coverage in Rolling Stone?

Conservative Blood in the Water

Cooper vs. Ailes -- couldn't be happier about this.  Hopefully we will see a great deal about the behind the scenes stabbing and lie creation at Faux News.

Former Fox News architect Dan Cooper is lashing out at old bossman Roger Ailes – “a man I knew to be a schoolyard bully” – in a scathing … website post. In what’s said to be the beginnings of a book, Naked Launch, Cooper’s item story-tells how he’s gone from member of the inner circle in the 1990s to corporate outsider, and now is as intent on destroying Ailes as Ailes is on destroying Cooper. Touche!

Fair to Compare

Yes, it really is fair to compare 'em. Saw "Blood" today. P.T. Anderson could stop making movies today and be remembered for one great ("Blood"), two really good ("Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia") and two good ("Hard Eight" and "Punch Drunk Love") movies. But I hope he doesn't.

It's Not Fair

Another endorsement of Hillary and another opportunity for Bill to complain about how unfair life is:

Obama continues picking up key Senate endorsements this week. This time, it's the conservative leaning Senator from Nebraska, Ben Nelson. From the Omaha World-Herald:

The endorsement may serve to highlight the Illinois senator's message that he would change the tone in Washington and work with people in both parties.

Nelson, who has the most conservative voting record among Senate Democrats, has worked with Republicans on tax cuts, homeland security and judicial nominations.

As of today, Obama's January endorsements include:

# Senator John Kerry
# Senator Bill Bradley
# Senator Tim Johnson
# Representative George Miller
# Arizona Governor Janet Napolatino
# SEIU Nevada
# Culinary Workers Union Nevada
# Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin
# Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle

Like when he complained about unfair press coverage I'm expecting Bill to complain that even the Democrats don't give her a fair shake. I don't know why I expect him to act the least bit above it, you know, like a guy who used to be President.

Oh, no wankery here

Goldberg: ‘Conservative Groups’ Don’t Try To Dictate What Sexual ‘Positions You Can Be In’

Apprently this does not apply to slanderous claims of finger-fucking.

BTW, if there can ever be a Pulitzer/Peabody/Huminitas Award for Outstanding Snarkary it should be awarded to Sadly, No for the public service they provide on this topic.

The War on Context

Thank goodness for McClatchy:

The U.S. military dropped 40,000 pounds of explosives southeast of Baghdad on Thursday in a series of airstrikes that underscored the tenuousness of U.S. progress against Islamic extremists in Iraq.

The targets were near the town of Arab Jabour, a Sunni Muslim-dominated district on Baghdad's outskirts that American officials recently held up as a security success and an example of how local Sunni tribesmen known as "concerned local citizens" had turned against al Qaida in Iraq.

Yeah, about that...

Dan Balz in the Washington Post:

Edwards has offended many Democrats with his candidacy.

Um, who exactly has John Edwards offended that calls themselves a Democrat?

Nice reporting, David Broder write that line for ya'?

Keep you there and spend BILLIONS, "FINE WITH ME"!

Mighty big o' him:

Facing another decision about U.S. troop levels in Iraq by spring, President Bush said Saturday it's "fine with me" if generals recommend no more reductions than those already planned to take the force posture down to about 130,000.

After all, doesn't affect him one fuckin' iota.

In fact, he was giddy -- as opposed to being driven to tears.

I guess that makes him "totally qualified".

The White House Advance Team

Always prepared for Bush's inevitably repeated question.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Friday Afternoon Nonsense

Going down memory lane.

Dr. Seuss Candidate Game

(pic from USA Today)

Ok, which of these candidates are not like the others?

Which one just isn't the same?

(readings from right to left): Red tie, red tie, red tie, red tie, whoops, and whoopsiest!

One More Deal for the Writers

The Weinstein Company -- I thought they were just brothers, oh well -- has reached an agreement with the Writer's Guild so that they could resume production.  This follow the deal that United Artists made with the Guild earlier this week.  And one made by Worldwide Pants -- gotta love Letterman's humor.

Since Writers make nothing.  Zip. Nada.  The big no.  Zero on Internet streaming and other forms of new distribution of content, shouldn't the television and other companies be less greedy and give the writer's a small portion of what they make... 

The Condi Blog Continues...

Bow Down Bitches!

And so does Dear Leader's blog.

And yes, "After Dark" still lives and captured a moment in history. Well, maybe "TWO" moments.

Ron Paul Fan Club HQ

With the weekend coming up, anyone here with a bit of time might do well to check in (and register, log in and comment) in the multiple threads at reddit.com, until now known as "Ron Paul Fan Club HQ."

Seems that Cap'n Ron's racism, sexism, and just all around lunacy is getting to his supporters and especially the college kids who seem to think he is -- as they are so oft-repeating: "the real deal."  Does that make Paul the new Howie Mandel?

Not only the TNR piece, but also Dave Neiwert's excellent posts are really getting a lot of attention.  There are several sane redditors working valiantly to underline the facts, but they could use reinforcement.

Here are a couple of comment threads you may want to
jump into:
http://politics.reddit.com/info/655c5/comments/
http://politics.reddit.com/info/6568i/comments/

Remind them that denial is just a stage before acceptance...

"So, the Sea of Gallilee where Jesus said, 'Blessed are the Peacemakers'?"

"Well, fuck that shit! I'm the Decider!"

REUTERS/David Furst/Pool (ISRAEL)

"Man, we're fucked!"

The enthusiasm of South Carolina Republicans is palpable.

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

We have the transcript!!!!

"Beardy. Beardy. Beardy. Nice to meet you, Beardy. Beardy. Beardy. See I call you Beardy, because you have a Beard. Beardy. Beardy. Beardy. Nice to see ya', Beardy. Beardy. With all these beards around it's like when you leave the Republican Cloak Room. Beardy. Beardy."

REUTERS/Larry Downing (WEST BANK)

Meanwhile, folks in Darfur tapped their feet waiting

Not when there are bombs to drop on Iraqis...

President Bush had tears in his eyes during an hour-long tour of Israel's Holocaust memorial Friday and told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the U.S. should have bombed Auschwitz to halt the killing, the memorial's chairman said.

Hip Hip HOORAY!

The GOP Loves it when a Plan Comes Together:

Consumer confidence fell to an all-time low as worries about jobs, energy bills and home foreclosures darkened people's feelings about the country's economic health and their own financial well-being.

According to the RBC Cash Index, confidence tumbled to a mark of 56.3 in early January. That compares with a reading of 65.9 in December — and a benchmark of 100 — and was the worst since the index began in 2002.

"People are anxious because everything sounds pretty awful these days," said Bill Cheney, chief economist at John Hancock Financial Services Group.

Thank goodness Republicans feel this calls for doing more of the same, EXXXXXXXXXXXXTREME style!

The Love Affair Continues

White (baking) Chocolate just cannot he'p himself:

Romney had less screen time tonight, but each time he answered he was poised and eloquent...

Oh, Christ on a Wheat Thin!

You cannot make up some of the bullshit NRO clowns spew:

Rudy's Right [Kate O'Beirne]

Local NYC authorities reported criminal aliens to overwhelmed federal authorities and they were unable to cope. His policy was workable and humane.

01/10 10:37 PM

Wow!

Abner Louima, Haitian immigrant.








Amadou Diallo, Immigrant from Guinea.







Patrick Dorismond, another Haitian immigrant.

Pop Quiz!

Who wrote the following:

Hillary's feckless, loutish brothers (who are kept at arm's length by her operation) took the brunt of [father] Hugh Rodham's abuse in their genteel but claustrophobic home. Hillary is the barracuda who fought for dominance at their expense. Flashes of that ruthless old family drama have come out repeatedly in this campaign, as when Hillary could barely conceal her sneers at her fellow debaters onstage -- the wimpy, cringing brothers at the dinner table.

Hillary's willingness to tolerate Bill's compulsive philandering is a function of her general contempt for men. She distrusts them and feels morally superior to them. Following the pattern of her long-suffering mother, she thinks it is her mission to endure every insult and personal degradation for a higher cause -- which, unlike her self-sacrificing mother, she identifies with her near-messianic personal ambition.

Choose the best answer:

(a) Yellow-haired Nantucket-dwelling proto-pundit and inveterate Hillary hater Chris Matthews.
(b) Hatchet-faced third-rate university tenured professor and inveterate Hillary hater Camille Paglia.
(c) Probable anorexia nervosa and borderline personality disorder sufferer and inveterate Hillary hater Ann Coulter.
(d) Demented class-tormented and Obama-obsessed manchild and inveterate Hillary hater Andrew Sullivan.
(e) No obvious answer. It's so over the top, it's got to be parody.

Beware the C.o.C.

Excerpt:

"We plan to build a grass-roots business organization so strong that when it bites you in the butt, you bleed ... we have to demonstrate who it is in this society that creates jobs, wealth and benefits -- and who it is that eats them."
--President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce 

[The Chamber of Commerce] will seek to punish candidates who target business interests with their rhetoric or policy proposals, including congressional and state-level candidates.

Surprise-a-meter:  0

And how much for this?

"Dear little baby Jesus, who's sittin' in his crib watchin the Baby Einstein videos, learnin' 'bout shapes and colors. I would like to thank you for bringin' me and my moma together, and also that my kids no longer sound like retarded gang-bangers."

REUTERS/Larry Downing (WEST BANK)

Huzzah!!

Retail sales sucked!

An already weak holiday shopping season turned out to be even worse than expected for many of the nation's retailers, who reported Thursday they had disappointing sales results for December. The poor performance raised more concerns about consumer spending, and in turn, the health of the economy...

"It's weaker than expected," said Jharonne Martis, a retail analyst at Thomson Financial. "There's definitely a consumer spending slowdown."

The sound you hear...

REUTERS/Larry Downing (WEST BANK)

Is Joe Lieberman plotzing.

It's becoming a trend:

Beautiful

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

"Hooray!"

This is yet another sign of the success of Bush's policies (sadly, it probably is ... sucks for you, but great for his real fans):

U.S. consumers will pay record prices for gasoline this spring, with national monthly pump costs peaking near $3.50 per gallon when the busy driving season begins, the government's top energy forecasting agency said Tuesday.

God bless the U.S.A. Bitches!

The Bush Administration Blogs

Continue to inform and give insight into what has made them so popular and successful.

Here's Bush.

Here's Condi.

A Most Valuable Endorsement

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, Rusty Limbaugh has a new love

There was one candidate who did not display any moderateness or liberalism or have any of his past forays into those areas displayed, and that candidate was Fred Thompson.

How'd that endorsement work out?

John McCain........88,447 votes, 38%
Williard Romney....75,202 votes, 32%
Mike Huckabee......26,760 votes, 11%
9udy 11ilani.......20,383 votes, 9.11%
Ron Paul...........18,245 votes, 8%
Grandpa Fred........2,884 votes, 1%
Duncan Hunter.......1,220 votes, 1%

Wondering...

This morning on Scarborough, Chris Matthews said:

"Let’s not forget and I’ll be brutal, the reason [Hillary Clinton] is a U.S. Senator, the reason she’s a candidate for president, the reason she may be a frontrunner is her husband messed around. That’s how she became Senator from New York. She didn’t win there on the merits."

My question: could Chris Matthews get away with saying the same thing about his colleague, Mrs. Greenspan? About any of his female co-workers? Would he say it about his daughter? His wife? His sister? His mother?

Could you get away with saying something like this about a female colleague?

Just wondering.

Oh more bloggers, awesome!

Oy!

Everybody's doing it, so why not the White House? President Bush's team is joining the blogosphere, planning regular postings during his Mideast trip.

Condi's blog is certainly authentic.

Oh lord, somebody is writing Bush's blog for him.

Iron My Shirt

I saw these ridiculous and offensive signs in New Hampshire (from TPM).

TPM Reader DB ...

Based on what I was feeling, there were two turning points for Clinton in the past week. One was a report that people were chanting "Iron my shirt" at her during a rally. The other was John Edwards' idiotic statements about Clinton tearing up at an event. Mix that in with the subtle media digs at Clinton's gender in recent months (descrptions of what she's wearing, how she "emasculates" men, etc.), and I think you had a tremendous push back from women, and men, who are tired of the misogyny underlying this campaign. It swayed me toward Clinton the past few days, even as I cheered for an Obama coronation.

Who in the world thought this was an acceptable form of discourse? I cannot fathom Edwards or Obama supporters, or Richardson for that matter. Huckabee, Romney, McCain, I can imagine. So what was that about? And if they were Republicans, could they be so subversive that they wanted to drive Hillary's support based on sympathy? Has Rove gotten in the race?

What? No Pictures?

Where are the visuals to go with this story about my hometown, a/k/a "The Most Glamorous Place on Earth?"

Even for the once-notorious Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, it may have been a first: Two men were arrested on Tuesday after pushing a corpse, seated in an office chair, along the sidewalk to a check-cashing store to cash the dead man’s Social Security check, the police said.

Gives new meaning to the term "Survivor Benefit."

Chris Matthews pontificates

Nah, it's an impersonator, too sane.

"Man, you Jews have shitty prostitutes"

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Asshole

Because I'm lollygagging at home instead of hustling into the borg I've just been treated to following words of wisdom from one our most important pundits, Chris Matthews.

1. Obama lost NH because NH voters are racists. They told the pollsters they'd vote for a black man, but in the booth, they were suddenly transformed into a state full of Archie Bunkers. (In other words, we will continue to employ our crappy pollsters, because the voters are liars.) Update: To be clear, I have no idea if the NH primary voters are racists or if the pollsters are crappy. What I object to is rejecting the latter possibility out of hand, which is what Matthews has done. There is certainly evidence that people say one thing and do another, but how does Matthews know that that is what happened here? He doesn't. Not six hours after it allegedly happened, certainly.)

2. "Let’s not forget and I’ll be brutal, the reason [Hillary Clinton] is a U.S. Senator, the reason she’s a candidate for president, the reason she may be a frontrunner is her husband messed around. That’s how she became Senator from New York. She didn’t win there on the merits." (Never mind that her opponent was this schmuck.) (Video here.)

Should have gone in early.

Why Not Clinton?

Kos says it:

Oh, and MSNBC has Terry McAuliffe on. Good job, he just convinced me to cast my California absentee ballot for Barack Obama. I like Hillary, it's the people around her I can't stand.

So true. Come to think of it , I'm a little tired of having Bill lecture me.

Hugh Hewitt's Virtual Reach-a-round

Ever becoming more and more Mitt Romney's smilin' Bob. Hugh just can't ladle up the homoerotic love enough.

Romney confidently asserted to me that he has all the resources and organization he needs to go as long as it takes, and if you look at the fact that his base in new Hampshire did not crumble after Iowa, you see that he has a bedrock vote that won't be leaving him anytime soon. Call it the Club for Growth vote plus the win-in-November plus the illegal immigration activist vote.

Romney also leads in total votes received in the combined Iowa and New Hampshire votes, and of course the delegate hunt. He still has to be considered the front-runner by anyone who will let go of the old "momentum" model leading to a quickly concluded nomination. Pundits told ourselves that a front-loaded campaign meant a quick decision.

Though in Hugh-world it is inconceivable, I have a feeling Mitt will be able to go cruising with Hugh this Summer. Seriously.

Hugh is so white, when he finishes he cleans up by looking for the darker splotches on his belly.

(Just made myself real sick, you?)

The Tweety Variations

Saturday: "Look at Hillary, acting like the cold, calculating, harsh, controlling bitch she's always been in the debate when she lashed out at Obama. The bitch is losing it."

Monday: "Oh, look at the cry baby cry. She's so emotional and out of control. She's crying because she knows she has lost here. The bitch is toast."

Wednesday: "Hillary's calculated and controlling passive-aggressive fake crying jag manipulated people to vote for her. The bitch is back."

Ironic picture of the day

Yesterday, Ana Marie Cox posted this picture of a McCain speech writer allegedly at work. This must have been just before the ass-fucking began (because metaphorically the speech was shite-laden). Next time try unfiltered ciggys dude. I don't find it hard to believe well-paid writers put out that shitty speech (well, yes I do), but man, John hire yourself an editor and lay off the 3x5s). Criminy.

I'll go back later today to LAUGH MY ASS OFF at Joe Klein's Hugh Hewitt-like praise of Romney's weekend debate performance and implications he would pull off the upset over McCain.