News Roundup for 5/1/12

Mitt Romney

-Headline of the Day-
"Has Team Romney forgotten that the Bush years were terrible?"

They sure seem to have.

According to Ezra Klein, "Last week, when CNN asked House Speaker John Boehner whom Mitt Romney, the likely GOP presidential nominee, should choose as his vice presidential running mate, he named Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Daniels and Portman served as budget directors in the Bush White House. Perhaps more surprising, a variety of big-name Republicans have openly yearned for Jeb Bush to get the nod — and before that, to run for the nomination itself.

"Meanwhile, Romney’s campaign staff is thick with Bush administration veterans. Two of his economic advisers — N. Greg Mankiw and Glenn Hubbard — served as chief economists for Bush. His policy director, Lanhee Chen, worked on health policy in the Bush White House."

Yeah, let's get Bush economic advisers back in the White House, because that worked out so awesome the last time.

Still, this should finally end the question as to whether Mittens is a "real" conservative. And not just because he seems to be running for Dubya's third term. See, when a real conservative starts talking about change, they mean they want to change things back to the way they used to be when they sucked -- e.g., the War on Women that would send women's rights back to the fifties.

On that score, Romney seems to be as real a conservative as possible. (Washington Post)


-Listen to the lady-



She's right on the money. (McClatchy)


-Bonus HotD-
"Romney’s Openly-Gay Spokesperson Resigns After Facing Pressure From Anti-Gay Right Wing."

More evidence that Mitt's a real conservative -- he's way too responsive to bigots. (ThinkProgress)

News Roundup for 2/1/12

Helpless victims

-Headline of the Day-
"Obama's Enemies List."

David and Charles Koch have it so bad. Here they are, innocently trying to buy states like Wisconsin and using their vast fortunes to whip up 'bagger frenzies, and all they get for their trouble is misery.

OK, so not misery so much as well-earned criticism.

But never mind that. Dave and Chuck have taken to the pages of the Wall Street Journal to decry the White House's shameless prejudice against meddling gazillionaires.

OK, so not them personally, but their lawyer. Things like speaking to the public -- even through the filter of print -- are entirely beneath them. But this so-called "President" Obama has been talking smack about them and they're not going to stand for it. Enough is enough. They're just people like everyone else -- except when they get a bug up their collective ass, they can hire former Solicitor General Theodore Olson to write them an op-ed in the freakin' Wall Street Journal. I'm sure their butlers hold the page up for them to read it, so they don't get newsprint ink on their hands. Otherwise, they're just folks.

Of course, some people don't see them that way. Some people insist on being distracted by reality.

"On issues ranging from climate change to health reform to tax policy to corporate regulation, in venues far and wide from Congress to state legislatures to Tea Party rallies to every foot of nearly every campaign trail, the Kochs have become an omnipresent force in right-wing politics, and a big factor in the polarization of the country," writes Ed Kilgore. "With the collapse of campaign finance rules, their ability to wield influence with little or no accountability is becoming almost unlimited. Even if you agree with them on every conceivable issue, the idea that they are cowering victims of the big-bad-bullies in the White House has to make you just burst out in derisive laughter. If I, God forbid, were a Koch Brother I’d fire Olson instantly for making me look so weak and feckless."

Olson begins his piece with a question. And it's a question I'm more than willing to answer.

"How would you feel if aides to the president of the United States singled you out by name for attack, and if you were featured prominently in the president's re-election campaign as an enemy of the people?" he asks, in all apparent seriousness.

Is this for the bonus round? Because it's way too easy: I'd feel like George Soros or every goddam Hollywood liberal or celebrity who spoke out against the invasion of Iraq.

Victim card rejected. (Wall Street Journal)


-The trouble with Februaries in years divisible by four-



But there's also the Summer Olympics this year, so it's all good. (TruthDig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Gay Activists Glitter Bomb Romney, He Calls It 'Confetti' To Celebrate Florida Victory."

Hey, when life gives you lemons, you lie about it and say it's lemonade, right? (ThinkProgress)