Stories to Watch: 8/28/11

Hurricane Irene downgrades to a tropical storm. The American death toll at this moment seems to be ten. Flooding, power outages, downed trees widespread. Just because it's been downgraded, don't think you're out of the woods if you're in the path. It's still a very dangerous storm. Stay inside until authorities tell you it's safe to come out. Lots of live power lines laying around out there. Now here's [the rest of] the news...

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The most brainless headline of the day: "Do We Really Need a National Weather Service?" -- from Fox News, of course. The money shot: "It issues severe weather advisories and hijacks local radio and television stations to get the message out. It presumes that citizens do not pay attention to the weather and so it must force important, perhaps lifesaving, information upon them."

Steve Benen feels the need to clarify, "This is not, by the way, a parody."

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It's come to this; the right is now criticizing President Obama for competently handling Hurricane Irene. We also learn that Vice President Joe Biden was out golfing when he should've been stopping the hurricane. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.


Rick Perry is quickly learning how difficult it is to have things both ways.


What would Martin Luther King jr. think of Republican voter ID/disenfranchisement laws? I think we all know the answer to that. But just in case you can't guess, civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis verifies that he'd be against it -- strongly.


American Family Association's Bryan Fischer was a dumbass again.


Finally, never, ever, ever, ever visit Drudge Report. I never do and I'm able to find news stories just fine. In the latest example of worthlessness, DR puts up a headline decrying Hurricane Irene as a "phony hurricane." If you want to make yourself stupid, just drink. It's more fun.

Related articles

• Hurricane Irene: The View from Richmond, VA (harpins.wordpress.com)
• Hurricane Irene: August 28 as it happened (telegraph.co.uk)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dedication Postponed By Hurricane Irene (huffingtonpost.com)
• Obama Tells East Coast Residents to Prepare for Hurricane Irene (businessweek.com)

Stories to Watch: 6/6/11

Went to a street fair yesterday and got a bit of sun. You can probably read in the dark from red glow put off by my forearms. Had a lot of fun though. Now here's the news...


Anthony Weiner comes clean; the photo is him, he sent it and, no, he will not resign -- although, I doubt anyone on the left will ask him to.


Although Nancy Pelosi is calling for an ethics investigation.


The right wing is trying to (literally) rewrite history to cover Sarah Palin's ass. People who know what they're talking about aren't buying it. He didn't warn the British, he didn't ring any bells. What little Palin got right about the story seems to be a matter of luck. Be glad she didn't get mixed up and say that Revere the silversmith was a "silverfish."


The Wisconsin Supreme Court takes up Gov. Walker's union-busting bill. At issue, violation of Wisconsin's open meetings law. I'll point out, as I always do, that Republicans could get around this easily by rescheduling a vote and passing the thing the right way. I'll also point out that the fact that they aren't suggests (extremely strongly) that the votes are no longer there.


And as long as Republicans are going down in recall elections, Wisconsin Democrats figure they might as well take Paul Ryan down with them.


As Minnesotans prepare to vote on an amendment banning same sex marriage, 70 ministers in that state vow to perform those marriages anyway. First amendment fight on the way?


Finally, Home Depot to the American Family Association: screw off.

Related articles

• Wisconsin activists create Walkerville to taunt governor, tout change (cnn.com)
• James Carville: If Sarah Palin Doesn't Like Answering Questions 'Then Stay In Alaska' (mediaite.com)
• Wisconsin Republicans panicked. (chasinthenews.wordpress.com)
• Letters confirm GOP backing fake Democratic candidates in Wisconsin recall elections (dailykos.com)

Stories to Watch: 3/24/11

I'm stuck on how to open here. It's 32 degrees outside. Thirty-freakin'-two degrees Fahren-freakin'-heit. I'm speechless. Now here's the news...


The Obama administration is studiously avoiding calling military action in Libya "war." While most are painting this a political stance, others see it as a legal one.


One thing that no one is asking -- surprisingly, I think -- is how this whole "non-war" is going. If Juan Cole is to be believed -- and I think he is -- it's going gangbusters.


Just reminder: John Stossel is a lunatic.


Is Trump's possible presidential run a PR bluff to grab headlines (and ratings)?


The GOP's ongoing war on workers goes federal, with a bill that would cut off food stamps for families where a worker goes on strike. Want to fight for a fairer wage, better working conditions, or better benefits? Fine. Then the baby starves.


I'm tired of following every stupid, hate-filled, un-American thing the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer says on a nearly daily basis. Seriously, the guy is just an awful, awful human being. We have all the proof of that we'll ever need.


Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants to drug-test state employees. The problem is, it's already been ruled unconstitutional and drug-addled state employees haven't actually been a problem. So why would he want this? Did I mention Scott owns a string of clinics that do employee drug screenings? I probably should have.


Finally, remember when Gov. Scott Walker told a guy he thought was David Koch that he'd thought about hiring some "troublemakers" to make pro-worker protesters look bad? An Indiana prosecutor took that idea a step farther and emailed Walker to suggest he get some stooge to take a potshot at him. Seriously, stage an assassination attempt. Not surprisingly, Carlos Lam is not an Indiana prosecutor any longer, although he probably has a great career ahead of him as the next Karl Rove.