You know it's getting extra fucked up

When waffling on the "Public Option" stories make it a GOOD day for the White House because it took the media's attention away from Republican crazy lying points.

I believe Mr. Taibbi has a point:

I’ll say this for George Bush: you’d never have caught him frantically negotiating against himself to take the meat out of a signature legislative initiative just because his approval ratings had a bad summer. Can you imagine Bush and Karl Rove allowing themselves to be paraded through Washington on a leash by some dimwit Republican Senator of a state with six people in it the way the Obama White House this summer is allowing Max Baucus (favorite son of the mighty state of Montana) to frog-march them to a one-term presidency?

I disagree with the last sentence, if nothing else crazy is still crazy. But the frustration of constantly negotiating against themselves is fucking maddening. The GOP is NOT going to allow you jackshit, fuck them -- if you want to do so with a smile that's fine -- but one gets the feeling there will be a smile, but as for who is actually being fucked, well...

This is not going to end well

As Josh Marshall said, I'm sure we all remember all those times protesters packed heat outside a Bush rally. Oh right, we don't because it did not happen.

The Associated Press is now reporting that there were actually about a dozen armed people among the protesters in Phoenix

And since, I'm on a Josh Marshall quoting binge, this is fairly trenchant:

In a stunning amount of irony, Mansonite Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was released from prison this week, after 34 years in prison. The gun she pointed at President Ford had no bullet in the firing chamber-- unlike Sarah Jane Moore, she never even pulled the trigger or fired. Presumably, these gun nuts showing up for the health care events have their weapons actually loaded. I repeat, Fromme did *34 years in prison.

But apparently, this is a-okay with Georgia Moron Phil "My Dickisthismall" Gingrey:

En-raptured

Mike Huckabee is in Israel engaging in the kind of foreign policy adventure the GOP pretended Nancy Pelosi was engaged in two years ago when she visited Syria (with some Republican Congressman). He's there to show how AWESOME he thinks it is that Israeli is building even more settlements in the occupied territories. Thereby undermining the expressed foreign policy not only of the Obama Administration, but the last several of both parties.

Yet, it appears that Wolf Blitzer just doesn't care all that much when a Democrat isn't involved.

But there are some protesters in Israel who have figured out the very creepy basis that Mike Huckabee and other Christian fundamentalists are so keen on more settlements as soon as possible:

Protesters chanted "go home" one of the banners they held up said: "Huckabee, we are not pawns in your Armageddon."

Yes, finally, and if only the true basis of the Christian Right's real interest in Isreal is stated. It all helps bring about the rapture -- it isn't about anything else, or anything that isn't disturbing.

(AFP/File/David Furst)

[Cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Not the Onion

I predict competitors' will meet tire irons:

Former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay will join 15 celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sports in kicking up their heels on the new season of “Dancing With the Stars.

Hopefully there will not be too many twirls or that rug will go flying.

Shorter Ross Douchehat

The thing that makes me really upset about the current GOP lying points is the fact that I personally wish to put down as many seniors as possible. I've got a pillow and just enough strength to take out a sleeping 80-year old and yet, one of my few actual skills will be wasted.

Exactly

Tell it like it is Andy Stern:

"Waiting for bipartisanship has been like waiting for Godot," he continues. "And it won't protect them. No one thought stimulus was a bipartisan bill. Getting Grassley and Snowe isn't going to do it."

"I have no sympathy for the congressmen and senators who say they're taking too many hard votes," he continues. "The worst that can happen to them is they lose their jobs. Workers are taking much harder votes every day."

Chuck Grassley, Olympia Snowe, Harry Reid, etc. if they lose their jobs they are going to get a lovely pension the rest of their lives as well.

You this would have more impact

Upon me...

A group of Iranian clerics has issued an anonymous letter calling Iran’s supreme leader a dictator and demanding his removal, the latest and perhaps strongest rhetorical attack on him yet in the country’s post-election turmoil.

While the impact of the clerics’ letter, posted late Saturday on opposition Web sites, may have been diluted by the withholding of their signatures, two Iranian experts vouched for its authenticity. Its publication followed other unusual verbal attacks on the leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in recent days.

Last week a group of former lawmakers issued their own letter calling his qualifications into question. A day earlier, a member of the state body empowered to dismiss Ayatollah Khamenei called for an “emergency meeting” to address criticisms.

...if I didn't hear yet another wanker on talk radio or FoxNews call Barack Obama of all people, a dictator or like Hitler.

Somehow in Iran this is supposedly a big deal, while in the United States its just considered quaint and harmless (unless a liberal does it of course, then it's treason).

I haven't watched the premier of Mad Men last night

So don't tell me if Don Draper found out who killed Laura Palmer.

Harvest of Lame

This morning Howard Kurtz is still wondering how the print media will survive?

I cannot believe that he is missing the business model that the New York Times adopted some time ago and which his own paper is now emulating.

The plight of the struggling wealthy taunted by their inability to have every luxury and convenience available to the even wealthier. And all this at a time when their local Costco has decided to stop stocking the 64-count Kirkland Brand tiny violins, or so their personal shopper tells them. Those poor suffering wealthy people are going to have to delay replacing that old Trinitron set in the guestroom with their fourth 58" plasma.

Why it's almost as if the editors and upper management of the Times and Post were fixated on their own six-figure salaries and smaller than the normal bonuses of recent years.

Imagine if Fred Hiatt only made in the high-five figures or less and had to worry about paying for his insurance premiums and the increasing tuition at a state school for his kids after he hasn't had a raise in five years?

Who would want to live in such a country where those concerns were common place, let alone report on them? The horror!

Certainly not the management our nation's most prominent newspapers.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Oh the things you see

I was channel surfing around the various sporting events a few minutes ago when I came upon the men's 100m in the World Championships held in Berlin -- the same stadium where Jesse Owen's stuck it to Hitler.

Usain Bolt ran a 9.58!!!!!

That's .11 faster than his Olympic time.

Un-freaking-believable.

At long-last somethings we all could have predicted

Chuck Grassley, liar and idiot.

complimented by...

Lanny Davis, just a liar - a pathetically weasel of a liar that proves just because you have a (D) behind your name doesn't mean that Dick Armey is all alone in his immoral world.

Update:

After a couple tries, the link to the Davis article is fixed.

Exactly

Rick Pearlstein author of the exceptional "Nixonland" actually got a few columns from Fred Hiatt this morning...and he didn't waste it:

The tree of crazy is an ever-present aspect of America's flora. Only now, it's being watered by misguided he-said-she-said reporting and taking over the forest. Latest word is that the enlightened and mild provision in the draft legislation to help elderly people whhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifo want living wills -- the one hysterics turned into the "death panel" canard -- is losing favor, according to the Wall Street Journal, because of "complaints over the provision."

Good thing our leaders weren't so cowardly in 1964, or we would never have passed a civil rights bill -- because of complaints over the provisions in it that would enslave whites.

A-fuckng-MEN!

MATLOCK!!!

Forget the fact that the evidence is clear that the stimulus is aiding in slowly turning around the economic disaster I pretty much ignored and never understood, some guys who I cannot understand said some stuff I cannot understand so I'm writing a column about stuff I cannot understand.

Where's my pudding?

Better late than never

I'm glad that Katie Couric took a moment to denounce the insanity and screaming of the right as they attempt to derail health care.

Watch CBS Videos Online

It would have been even better if CBS and other news outlets would have spoken out sooner when it was just as plain two weeks ago that this was happening.

I almost remember a time

When Chuck Grassley was not a complete tool, full-blown nutter and asshole.

Now he twitters with the spelling and grammar of a FoxNation message board participant (which is sub-RedState) and is a connoisseur of brain porn. And when he's not doing those two things he's puking up lies and condemning colleagues to fictional morbid deaths and making creepy sex jokes.

Doofuses Go International

Over the last two years, I, as a midwestern youngin' raised on all the traditional American sports have started to watch more and more soccer (the original and more aptly named football) on Saturday mornings. Naturally, I'm a complete ignoramus, but nonetheless I've gotten into the English Premier League -- I know enough of it now to know I'm supposed to loathe Manchester United (and laugh at their AIG sponsored shirts before I get angry about the fact I'm subsidizing that bullshit).

But picking a team to root for when you have absolutely no connections to the country other than vague historical ones we all do. That's difficult (stupid and pointless, yes, but still difficult).

So I and a few others had a chat and just picked teams the way stupid people do with only one rule. It cannot be one of the top-four teams in that league that dominate (see, I'm learning -- took two years but I'm learning). The real battle is to choose a lovable loser that won't get relegated (see, learning).

So, one friend chose Tottenham Hotspur because they liked the name and well, I was just happy the friend picked a team even though they really aren't a threat to lose big (learning!). Another friend, our twittering genius DeDurkheim picked Burnley (the mighty Clarets) and I chose Stoke (the Potters).

Feel free to choose one of your own based upon the rules (cannot be Man U., Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool) and as the season starts today we'll see how it ends up in mid-May. And remember, it's not so much about results as it is about picking a team for the most lovable reasons.

And yes, this is incredibly lame.

Liars

It's Pareene again. So very very shrill.

I think I love him.

(Be sure to read all the linkies.)

Meet The Angry Left

Oh, wait ...



I can't wait until that woman's face, wearing that expression, winds up in a campaign commercial next fall.

Thanks for 2010, Republicans!

The Kids Are Alright

Do you remember this budding young reporter from the campaign?



Well, he's still out there, working hard. This time, he met The Big Man.



Way to go, Damon!

Brownshirts

Pareene is shrill.

(And does that Gladney person look the biggest dork in the universe, or what?)