News Roundup for 4/23/12

Can't play it this round, Mittens

-Headline of the Day-
"So much for the vast left-wing conspiracy."

Last week Mitt Romney told Breitbart TV that there was going to be a "vast left-wing conspiracy" in the media to wreck his chances of being elected. At least, we think that's what Mittens said -- but it's a Breitbart site, it's video... So who knows? Could be horseshit, because most of what comes out of there is. The best that can be said is that Team Romney hasn't denied it.

Anyway, it turns out that if a conspiracy exists then -- in the word of Steven Benen -- "the conspirators are wildly incompetent."

Pew came out with a study today showing the media "has consistently given more positive coverage to likely Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney compared to President Barack Obama."

Adam Serwer explains, "During the early weeks of 2012, Romney's media coverage was slightly negative -- between January 2 and February 26, 33 percent of the stories about the ex-Massachusetts governor were positive and 37 percent were negative, according to Pew's analysis. But Romney has received mostly positive coverage since then (47 percent positive to 24 percent negative). By contrast, according to the report, President Barack Obama 'did not have a single week in 2012 when positive coverage exceeded negative coverage.'"

Sorry Mittens, but you can't play the victim card this hand. Any failures to connect with voters are your own damned fault. (Maddow Blog)


-NRA to the rescue-



The NRA protects the rights of all Americans*.

*By "all Americans," we mean corporations who sell guns. The rest of you commies are on your own. (McClatchy)


-Bonus HotD-
"Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-The Taliban) Gets No Respect From Afghanistan."

Dana's banned from the whole damned country. I think because he's dumb or something. (Wonkette)

Stories to Watch: 4/21/12

It's the weekend. Go out and have fun. Now here's the news...


An example of the extreme intolerance of the religious right: Mitt Romney's scheduled commencement speech to Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. Seems that as a Mormon, Romney isn't a "true" Christian and has no business addressing "true" Christians. So, for those of you keeping track of these sort of things, either you're a Baptist or you're the enemy.


Which means that the Liberty U cultists will have a lot of enemies in the coming years; Pew finds that one in four people under thirty have no religious affiliation at all.


Ed Kilgore on state level Republicans and activists, Mitt Romney, 2012, and 2016: "[R]ight wing leaders don’t seem particularly invested in winning the presidency — at least not in 2012. Mitt Romney is not their candidate, and Barack Obama is the perfect fundraising and umbrage-inducing foil for right-wing fundraising and base-building for a wide-open contest in 2016."


You know how all this terrible class warfare stuff is supposed to be scaring businesses away from the US? Yeah, about that...


What's it like to get a transvaginal ultrasound? "Vigorously uncomfortable."


Weird. It turns out that Andrew Breitbart was not murdered by an Obama administration afraid of his lame-assed video. The rightwing version of Scooby and the gang will have to find some other mystery to chase around for a while.


Obama fundraising is down. Here's why that's not as much of a problem as everyone will say it is.


Finally, the Lyrid meteor shower peaks tonight and, with a new moon. it should be an excellent night for viewing -- weather permitting.

Related articles

• Mitt Romney Will Give Commencement Speech At Liberty University (towleroad.com)
• Conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart died of heart failure (cnn.com)
• Mitt Romney Decries 'Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy' In Media: Many 'Inclined To Do The President's Bidding' (mediaite.com)
• CNN's Loesch tells 'foreigner' Bashir to 'go back to his own country' (rawstory.com)

Stories to Watch: 3/21/12

Not much going on here. Nice again. Too nice. Now here's the news...


The guy who made the Sarah Palin bio-flop will now be part of the crew heading up Andrew Breitbart's orphaned media sites. So, I guess the odds are they're all going to get extremely boring now.


A conservative "ambush journalist" gets the scoop on Bono -- except, in a hilarious turn of events, he doesn't.


You've got the War on Women, the War on Voting, and the War on the Poor (along with all the other class warfare being waged). With Paul Ryan's budget proposal, we now have the opening shot in the War on the Young.


Another GOP campaign of lies messaging failure: only a small percentage of Americans believe Pres. Obama is hostile to religion. It should surprise no one to learn that the number is around the usual lunatic 20% who always believe whatever crazy meme is going on out there. This puts it on par with birtherism. Seriously, enemy of religion = 23%, not a citizen = 20%.


Noodles and Ricky glom on to Etch-a-Sketch-gate. Meanwhile, the Romney-shilling Drudge Report doesn't even cover it.


President Obama, this was pretty impressive.


The anti-marriage equality group NOM is totally going to put Starbucks out of business.

Related articles

• Gotcha Interview from a Republican "Journalist" Becomes Gotcha Video Against Republican "Journalist" (slog.thestranger.com)
• Obama staffers seize on 'Etch-a-Sketch' quip (politico.com)
• Newt debuts Etch A Sketch prop (politico.com)

Stories to Watch: 3/10/12

RIP influential french comics artist Jean Giraud (AKA Moebius). He was 74.


***
The latest wingnut outrage-of-the-moment is dying a long and painful death. Breitbart's video of nothing wasn't hidden from the public (wingnnuts just suck at detecting sarcasm). And, was Professor Derrick Bell a "radical?" Not if you ask conservative blogger and UW law Professor Ann Althouse; according to her, Bell was "a highly respected Harvard Law professor." And Obama? "What I see in that video is a great and natural politician, not some hardcore radical," Althouse says.

Can we stop doing this now and move on to something real? Andrew Breitbart goes out with one last failed smear. Seriously, what about that is so surprising?


***
Gingrich puts down speculation that he may drop out if he doesn't do well in Alabama and Mississippi Tuesday.


In case you missed it last night (I posted it pretty late); Limbaugh's three-day misogynistic rant is sending a shockwave through the entire industry and is changing the way advertisers look at programs. Talk radio could be crippled as a result.


***
President Obama calls on congress to invest more in green energy technology. It almost certainly won't happen though, because creating new industries, markets, and technologies -- while becoming more competitive in the world market -- is obviously socialism.

He also calls for an end to oil subsidies -- clearly trying to flank the right on gas prices by tying them to big oil.

***
You have a Facebook buddy request -- from Israeli President Shimon Peres.


Paul Krugman is pleased that Fox News has labelled him a "menace to society."


Finally, Mittens is now the King of Guam.

Related articles

• Prof. Ogletree: I Was Joking About Obama Video Clip (littlegreenfootballs.com)
• Shock! Obama Hugs Derrick Bell! Derrick Bell "Visits" White House! OMG!! (skydancingblog.com)
• 'Smoking Gun' From Breitbart Site Is A Literal Joke Told By Harvard Professor (thinkprogress.org)
• ABC's Jake Tapper Falls for Right Wing Race Baiting on Derrick Bell (my.firedoglake.com)

Stories to Watch: 3/9/12

I'm feeling lazy tonight. Frozen pizza it is. Now here's the news...


This could easily be the stupidest thing Sarah Palin has said in her entire life -- at least, publicly.


The tradition continues after Breitbart's death: Breitbart.com caught editing the context out of video again. I guess because that whole Shirley Sherrod thing worked out so well for them.


Ask yourself this; "What the hell is my tax money doing in Rush Limbaugh's pocket?"


You know, this whole Obama/Bell tape nothingness is making it a lot harder for the right to deny their own racism.


Are your gizmos acting goofy? This could be why.


Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker ain't doing so hot in the promise-keeping department.


What could push gas over $5 a gallon? According to Exxon's CEO, Republicans' crazy rhetoric about Iran.


Meet the Republican Abortion Tax -- because Republicans hate taxes so much.


Finally, bad news for the GOP; the labor market recovery is a real thing. Rooting against America turned out to be a bad call.

Related articles

• Howie Kurtz is right and wrong about Rush Limbaugh (americablog.com)
• Prof. Ogletree: I Was Joking About Obama Video Clip (littlegreenfootballs.com)
• ABC's Jake Tapper Falls for Right Wing Race Baiting on Derrick Bell (my.firedoglake.com)
• Will 2012 Be a Reprise of 2010's Summer of Hate? (motherjones.com)

Stories to Watch: 3/7/12

Thinking about making another batch of english muffins. If I get started tomorrow, I'll be out by the time their finished. Now here's the news...


#stopkony


After all the brouhaha, TLC's All-American Muslim is cancelled after one season. It was pulled because it sucked -- turns out they really were just boring, normal midwesterners -- but expect wingnuts to claim some sort of boycott victory.


As big of a jerk in victory as he is in defeat, Newt Gingrich's Super Tuesday Georgia victory speech included an Obama "quote" pulled straight out of Newt's ass.


Andrew Breitbart's swan song continues to be a big pile o'nuthin'. Note to political celebrities: don't make empty threats, because you might die and then your fans will ask to see your cards.


Shelly Bachmann continues to be insane.


An entire ad agency drops Limbaugh.


Warn the neighborhood: STAR WARS IS GAY!! Won't someone please think of the children?


Finally, Newt seems to be writing off Kansas entirely.

Related articles

• Georgia Win Keeps Newt Alive (newser.com)
• Ron Paul Is Night's Big Loser (newser.com)
• Super Tuesday results 2012: Mitt Romney says he feels 'pretty darn good' after 6 wins (dailymail.co.uk)
• TLC cancels 'All-American Muslim' (variety.com)

Stories to Watch: 3/5/12

Pretty dull Monday here. Nothing much to report. Now here's the news...


Sooner or later, we're going to get the media to report that Limbaugh's underlying argument in the Fluke controversy -- that women are demanding "taxpayer-funded" contraceptives -- is a lie.


In the face of rising gas prices, 70 Democrats call for a remedy that would actually do something about it.


A radio station in Hawaii drops Limbaugh over his slut-shaming. Meanwhile, a petition calls for Armed Forces radio to follow suit. Your tax dollars may not actually be going to buy college "sluts" contraceptives, but it is going to Rush Limbaugh. Time to turn off that tap.


As of this writing, advertisers dropping Limbaugh have increased to 12. Meanwhile, Limbaugh himself doesn't know what to shut the fuck up and stop making things worse.


Here's a surprise: Mitt Romney's tax policies would be really good for some guy named "Willard 'Mitt' Romney."


The big winners in the GOP primary so far? Democrats.


The first installment of Andrew Breitbart's last big scoop turns out to be a big old heap o'nuthin'.


Right as he is, Don Imus is probably the very last person who should be talking smack about Rush Limbaugh.


Finally, Romney may put Santorum 2012 to bed in Ohio. Never would've guessed it a week ago.

Related articles

• George Will Finally Admits GOP Leaders are Afraid of Limbaugh (crooksandliars.com)
• Limbaugh's 'Don Imus' Moment (theroot.com)
• Rush Limbaugh Continues to Insatiably Screw Self as 12th Sponsor Flees [Updated] [Rush Limbaugh] (jezebel.com)
• George Will: Republican Leaders Afraid of Rush Limbaugh (themoderatevoice.com)

Stories to Watch: 9/19/11

Making zucchini pancakes to go with some fish. I don't have a recipe, I'm just going to wing it by adapting my sourdough pancake recipe. Wish me luck. Now here's the news...


The best take I've seen on Republican Rep. John Fleming, who barely manages to scratch together an existence on a mere $400k in profit a year, from Scott Lemieux of the blog Lawyers, Guns, and Money: "Again, the central premise of the contemporary Republican Party is that people making $400K+ a year are living a hardscrabble existence, while a teacher or police officer making $50K a year is enjoying a pampered life of unimaginable luxury." The worst part about all this? The morons in the Tea Party or who listen to talk radio believe exactly that.


Greg Sargent sees President Obama turning the "class warfare" charge around and putting it where it belongs -- around Republicans' necks.


Meanwhile, Obama vows to veto a deficit reduction bill that doesn't balance cuts with tax increases on the wealthy.


More bad press for Rick Perry as the Justice Dept. determines that Texas's redistricting is gerrymandering that violates the Voting Rights Act.


Bill O'Reilly seriously overestimates his own popularity.


Don't Ask, Don't Tell will die tomorrow after a long and pointless battle with reality.


Just in case you missed it, Andrew Breitbart wants to kill you. So stay frosty.


Ed Rollins, Michele Bachmann's former campaign manager and current talking head, says Shelly's got enough resources left to fight in Iowa, then she's done. Expect her to amp the crazy up to eleven, because that's been working so well for her so far.


Finally, Andrew Sullivan looks at polling and finds that Obama's plan to soak the rich looks like it's already really popular.

Related articles

• Tea Party Rep. John Fleming: Only $400,000 Left After 'I Feed My Family' (crooksandliars.com)
• Congressman Spends $200,000 a Year on Food [Video] (gawker.com)
• Feeding your family: almost as bad as paying taxes (themoderatevoice.com)
• Wealthy Republican congressman apparently pays workers less than $11,400 per year (dailykos.com)

News Roundup for 6/6/11

Fighting the scourge of Obamacare

-Headline of the day-
"Santorum: D-Day Troops Fought For Health Care Freedom."

Rick Santorum officially announced that he'd be running for president today. Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania -- where at least one attendee passed out from all the excitement -- Rick said that Obama is basically Mussolini and that soldiers in WWII fought to defend Paul Ryan's Medicare-slaying.

"Average Americans. The very Americans that our government now, and this president, does not trust a to make decision on your health care plan," Santorum said. "Those Americans risked everything so they could make that decision on their health care plan."

That's right, WWII was a battle over big government healthcare -- which I guess Hitler was for. And then all those vets came home and found themselves covered under the big gummint GI Bill and the Veterans Administration.

It must've been a bitter, bitter pill to swallow. (Talking Points Memo)


-Patrioticker than you!-
Republicans love America...


Click to embiggen

...it's just that "democracy" thing they've got a problem with. (McClatchy)


-Bonus HotD-
"Andrew Breitbart of Big Government Hijacks Anthony Weiner Press Conference."

What a tremendous ego this dick has, huh? (Village Voice)

Stories to Watch: 4/17/11

Pot roast tonight. Just chop up some potatoes, onions, etc. and throw it all in a slow-cooker. Easiest meal ever. Now here's the news...


If I had to pick two words to describe Sarah Palin's appearance in Madison, they would have to be "anticlimactic" and "inconsequential." Standing behind a podium draped with a banner from the Koch-funded Americans For Prosperity, Palin was merely a paid celebrity endorser and the "rally" was nothing more than an infomercial. It also did little to dispel the perception that the Koch brother's are behind all this. In fact, it pretty much proved it.

And it also proved what most suspect: Andrew Breitbart is a real asshole. A rich whiner jetting in from California -- or wherever the hell he's living now -- Andy not only stuck his nose in local politics that have jackshit to do with him, but he also used the Koch-supplied PA system to tell middle class Wisconsinites who didn't agree with him to "go to hell." Fuck you, Andy Breitbart. Fuck you very much.


The media and the blogosphere seems to think Palin's infomercial was tremendously important, however. See if they're still talking about it on Tuesday.


When is a racist email not really racist? When you get caught circulating it.


Donald Trump finds a new crazy-assed thing to generate headlines.


Former Bushie Mark McKinnon says Jon Kyl's statement that wasn't meant to be a factual statement was "completely bullshit" -- on national teevee.


Is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker planning to follow Michigan's example by throwing local democracy out the window and declaring "financial martial law?" We know for a fact he wants to raise taxes... Just not on rich people and corporations. So a new way to screw people must be very appealing to Scooter.


Finally, on the off-chance you missed this, check it out: how to veto the living shit out of wingnut legislation.