Stories to Watch: 8/14/11

Michele Bachmann wins the Iowa Straw Poll, but Tim Pawlenty gets all the headlines today by dropping out of the race. Ron Paul came in second, so expect Paulistas to become especially insufferable. Keep in mind that neither Mitt Romney nor Rick Perry competed in this contest -- their vote totals are from write-ins -- so it really means a whole lot of nothing.


The White House weighs political realities and concludes that next to nothing can be done about the economy. The thing is, if there's one person in the position to change political realities, it's the President of the United States. It's called "leadership."


What will be Rick Perry's biggest liability on the campaign trail? If the press is on the ball, it'll be the fact that he's crooked.


Rep. Jim Clyburn sees the deficit reduction "super-committee" as an opportunity to restore the middle class. Needless to say, this is the worst thing ever.


Shittiest headline of the weekend: "CNN/ORC Poll: Dem support for Obama's re-election fades," from CNN. The poll results show that 70% of Democrats want Obama to be the party's nominee. Golly, but he sure is screwed, huh? Taegan Goddard takes the same story and fixes the headline, "Democratic Base Solidly Behind Obama."


Bachmann can write off the unemployed as potential voters, because they'd have to be fools to vote for her.


Finally, Ron Paul speaks out against abortion -- because using the power of government to force women to give birth against their will is a triumph of fucking liberty.

Related articles

• The Iowa Straw Poll Mystery [218 votes are missing! - no surprise there - share the word! ] (jhaines6.wordpress.com)
• Michele Bachmann wins Iowa straw poll, edging out Ron Paul (csmonitor.com)
• Tim Pawlenty Quits Republican Presidential Nomination Race After Poor Iowa Straw Poll Showing (themoderatevoice.com)
• Michele Bachmann Wins Ames, Iowa Straw Poll (crooksandliars.com)

Stories to Watch: 8/12/11

Spaghetti and meatballs on a stick. This is an actual thing. Now here's the news...


While making a broader point in a NYT piece, Timothy Egan points out that Rick Perry's record of answered prayers sucks. Perry signed three consecutive days of prayer for rain into law and Texas is still drier than the Sahara. It's like I always say, the only difference between prayer and doing nothing is intent. Maybe we might want to look into electing someone who's interested in actually governing, rather than a really lousy sorcerer who's ongoing plan seems to be to keep asking his cosmic buddy for favors that said cosmic buddy never delivers.


And, in other news from the rightwing and batshit crazy; Sen. Jim DeMint believes that most Americans are anti-American.


A conservative circuit court rules that the individual mandate in heathcare reform is unconstitutional. This ruling may not carry a lot of legal weight done the road, because it hinges in part on an extremely stupid argument; that all new programs are automatically unconstitutional.


Tim Pawlenty agrees to come to your house and cook you dinner or mow your lawn. That's info I could've used about an hour earlier.


NYT reports that more and more "well-known economists, financial analysts and corporate leaders, including some Republicans," are speaking out against Republican economic policies as anti-growth and a case of bad prioritizing. Let's hope that more media notice that "Republican economics suck!" is not an opinion, but objective fact.


S&P continues to fault Republicans for the downgrade. The latest; default-denialism -- of the Michele Bachmann variety -- shows that a significant portion of elected officials (i.e., the GOP) can't be trusted to manage the nation's debt.


Another point that's not opinion, but objective fact: last night's GOP debate was an embarrassing panderfest.


Finally, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann are already battling it out to see who will become the King or Queen of the Crazy People.

Related articles

• Analysis: Perry likely Romney's biggest threat (msnbc.msn.com)
• Republican default threats helped prompt S&P downgrade (dailykos.com)
• See Protests Of Rick Perry's Prayer Rally (lezgetreal.com)
• Rick Perry: Curiously Similar to Michele Bachmann on Science (blogs.discovermagazine.com)

Stories to Watch: 7/20/11

Hot. I left some pig iron laying out in the backyard and it melted. True story. Now here's the news...


Even Eric Cantor's wealthy donors think the rich should pay more in taxes. Meanwhile, the forecast for a debt limit deal in time gets very, very cloudy.


After holding out for a "grand bargain," the White House now says it's open to a short-term debt deal to avoid default.


Sen. Tom Harkin dares state the obvious; "One of our two parties has morphed into kind of a cult driven by a singular fixation and obsession: preserving tax breaks for the wealthy at all costs."


Al Franken nails Focus on the Family to the wall during a Senate hearing on the Defense Of Marriage Act. Fact-based governance -- what a concept.


Tim Pawlenty makes it pretty obvious he was the one who dropped the Bachmann migraine story.


Rep. Allen West is such an asshole.


If the election were held today and it was between Obama and Romney, it would be tight.


Finally, the AFL-CIO points out that of six Wisconsin primaries against Republican plants running as Democrats and the first general recall election last night, Democrats have not lost a single recall contest so far.

Related articles

• Watch Al Franken destroy testimony of Focus on the Family witness at DOMA repeal hearing (americablog.com)
• The Rants of Allen West (mydd.com)
• Video: Al Franken Exposes Focus on the Family Spokesman As Liar (littlegreenfootballs.com)
• Democrat Retains Wisconsin Senate Seat In Recall (npr.org)

Stories to Watch: 7/19/11

Hot again. Going to grill again. Burgers this time. Damn the torpedoes. Now here's the news...


Michele Bachmann (barely) leads the GOP pack (another poll has her in second). We'll see if today's news has any effect on future polling. Either way, the fact that she was ever in front shows just how far outside the mainstream Republican voters have become.


Hidden inside the Bachmann avalanche; Rick Perry steps away from his crazy sounding "I’ve been called" to run for president statement. Turns out that a Texas governor saying that God wants him to run brings up some unpleasant memories.


The Gang of Six reemerges as a bipartisan force for raising the debt ceiling. Details of their plan -- which President Obama endorses -- are here.


Rupert take a pie to the face.


More Family Values fun with FAMiLY LEADER; this time, it's a riotously funny "faggot" joke. These people are so filled with hate it's probably eaten away their stomach lining.


Bill Clinton's plan to raise the debt ceiling doesn't sound a lot like what President Clinton's plan would've been. Still, I like it.


Finally, the bad polling news keep piling up on top of the GOP. This time, an ABC News/Washington Post poll finds that 59% believe that the party represents Wall Street instead of the middle and lower classes. Only 26% are slow learners who believe otherwise.

Related articles

• Would Migraines Affect Bachmann's Ability to Be President? (usnews.com)
• Bachmann's Surge (andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com)
• PPP: Bachmann leads GOP 2012ers, Palin bid would help Romney (dailykos.com)
• Romney, Bachmann Lead GOP Race In New NBC/WSJ Poll (outsidethebeltway.com)

News Roundup for 7/19/11

Still squirellier than a walnut grove

-Headline of the Day-
"Did team Pawlenty drop the Bachmann is unstable and on meds story?"

By now, you've probably figured out that Michele Bachmann is a lunatic. Well, it also turns out that she suffers "stress-triggered migraines" that sound an awful lot like bouts of even deeper goofiness. Like maybe these aren't migraines at all, but episodes where she's overcome by her own goofiness.

Needless to say, this may have some effect on the Iowa straw poll next month. Sure, Shelly's popular with all the other nuts right now, but what happens when she out-crazies them? Maybe not good things.

All of which has people who aren't fans of Bachmann at all wondering, "What is the deal here?" And the more they look into what is the deal, the more the deal looks like rival crazy Tim Pawlenty. According to Kombiz at AMERICAblog, "The story had two sources who were obviously high level staff members or connected to high level staff members who worked for Michele Bachmann. A third person verified that Michele Bachmann does indeed get migraines. I had a suspicion that the Pawlenty campaign was behind the hit, since they have one of Bachmann's former Chief of Staff, Ron Carey, supporting the campaign. The campaign has used Carey to attack Bachmann in the past. And the fact that Pawlenty's path requires that he beat Bachmann in the Ames straw poll next month."

Worse, "a Republican who is also suspicious that Pawlenty dropped the bogus story emailed me a link to another two high level staffers who would know about Bachmann's health problems and who are also supporting the Pawlenty campaign."

So, final score: Shelly's probably still a nut and Pawlenty's probably a dick. Once the smoke clears, neither is going to seem like much of a revelation. (AMERICAblog)


-Seems to be working, though-
Pawlenty's dickery seems to have Team Bachmann pretty rattled. As you can imagine, the press thinks this is the best thing ever and they've been trying to get a microphone in Shelly's face. ABC's lead investigative reporter Brian Ross attempted to do just that -- and nearly got his ass kicked by Bachmann goons.

Ross tried to get a comment in person from Bachmann at a rally. He followed her to a parking ramp, where things got ugly. "When Ross made a beeline for the white SUV waiting to carry Bachmann away, two Bachmann men pounced on him, grabbing and pushing him multiple times with what looked to me like unusual force," the report tells us. "In fact, I have never seen a reporter treated so roughly at a campaign event, especially not a presidential one. Ross was finally able to break away and lob his question at Bachmann one more time, but she ignored him again."

"We were videotaping Brian asking questions," says ABC News senior VP Jeffrey That'll probably work out great for the Bachmann '12 team.

Asked if he'd ever been handled so roughly while attempting to ask a question, Ross answered, "A few times. Mostly by mafia people." (Plum Line)


-Bonus HotD-
"Allen West: Obama Supporters Are 'A Threat To The Gene Pool.'"

Yeah, whatever Adolph. Have fun with your Tea Party master race. (ThinkProgress)

Stories to Watch: 6/29/11

Finally got a Griper Blade post up. And the week's only half done. Now here's the news...


Here's a pretty good argument that Michele Bachmann is on the same skyrocket-then-crash trajectory suffered by Donald Trump and Herman Cain.


President Obama tells people attending an LGBT Pride Reception at the White House that certification of the repeal of DADT will be "a matter of weeks, not months."


According to Greg Sargent, Obama "was clearly out to pick a major public fight with Republicans over tax cuts for the rich" with his press conference today. Let's hope Sargent's right.


But this is also a sign that the debt-limit talks with the GOP have collapsed for good. "The best advice I've gotten for assessing the debt-ceiling negotiations was to 'watch for the day when the White House goes public,'" writes Ezra Klein. "As long as the Obama administration was refusing to attack Republicans publicly, my source said, they believed they could cut a deal. And that held true... But today they went public. The negotiations have failed."


The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee wants you to make John Boehner cry. Geez guys, people like a little challenge. The guy cries when his corn flakes get soggy. My suggestion for the next fundraiser; "Make John Boehner Shoot Milk Out of His Nose!"


A three-judge panel finds healthcare reform constitutional -- a major step in establishing it's legality. For those keeping track of the decisions so far, it's not looking good for the antis; MSNBC reports, "This brings to four the number of court decisions upholding the law. Two other courts have declared it unconstitutional on its long march to the Supreme Court."


Trying to pump up his dismal approval ratings, Florida Gov. Rick Scott resorts to robocalls -- because being called by a robot during dinner is just everyone's favorite thing. Nice to see he's put as much thought into this as he has into everything else.


Finally, is Tim Pawlenty secretly pro-choice?

Related articles

• Speaker John Boehner warns the Obama administration - The State Column (news.google.com)
• Republicans attacking Dems on Medicare again; will Dems give them more ammo? (dailykos.com)
• Blocking debt limit increase could jeopardize Social Security checks (dailykos.com)
• Police Officers, Fed Up with Rick Scott, Leave Republican Party En Masse (gunnyg.wordpress.com)

Stories to Watch: 6/15/11

Do I live in Seattle or something? Thermometer's hovering around 60 and the sky is dark and gloomy. Now here's the news...


The White House argues that the War Powers Act doesn't apply to Libya. Congress is unconvinced.


In the unsurprising news bin: Newt Gingrich's support among voters crashes.


By trying to take down Mitt Romney, GOP purists are probably sinking their very best chance at the White House.


From time to time, it pays to remind people that Michele Bachmann is dangerously insane.


Worried that your kid isn't dangerously insane enough? Send them to Tea Party indoctrination camp, where they'll learn that all the historical horseshit that Bachmann and Sarah Palin make up is true, true, true.


Tim Pawlenty's economic plan looks a lot like Bush's economic plan -- magnified to the power of a gajillion.


Finally, let's all laugh at the idea that people should be worried about right wing extremists resorting to terrorism.

Related articles

• Poll: Little Love For Rick Santorum In Home State (alternet.org)
• Mitt Romney At The Top Of The GOP Field (outsidethebeltway.com)
• Romney’s Iowa snub makes clear his centrist path (theglobeandmail.com)
• President Obama To Congress: War Powers Act Doesn't Apply To Libya (outsidethebeltway.com)

Stories to Watch: 6/14/11

Tonight, I dine on bratwurst! Huzzah! Now here's the news...


There's a surprising amount of consensus regarding last night's GOP debate, but the most widely agreed upon opinion seems to be that Tim Pawlenty choked.


John Boehner discovers a dusty old bit of trivia called the "War Powers Act." You've got to wonder where it was hiding when Bush was going all Yosemite Sam.


Meanwhile, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) sics the law on Boehner, filing papers for violating the law in his attempt to defend the Defense of Marriage Act.


David Brooks was dumb again.


Shelly Bachmann is all in for this presidential thing; she won't run for reelection to congress. Let the rejoicing begin. Then again, I wouldn't expect great things from the district that keeps voting for her. We're probably just changing tires on the goofball-mobile here.


Brian Beutler fact-checks the fact-checkers on Medicare and finds them off-base.


Finally, here's your non-surprise of the day: CEOs are four times more likely to be psychopaths than the general population.

Related articles

• DOMA Declared Unconstitutional by Bankruptcy Court (towleroad.com)
• Boehner Gives Obama Until Friday To Justify Libya Mission (outsidethebeltway.com)
• Obama's Relationship With Gay Rights Advocates Thaws In Time For 2012 (huffingtonpost.com)
• Does David Brooks Know Better? I Suspect Not (Ezra Klein Reads David Brooks so We Don't Have to Edition) (delong.typepad.com)

Stories to Watch: 6/7/11

I've been looking for something to watch before I go to bed. There's a dead spot when nothing's on TV. If I start doing something else, I lose track of time and wind up hitting the sack at stupid o'clock. Same with reading. I got hold of some old episodes of Mannix, believe it or not, and that just might fit the bill. Now here's the news...


A new Washington Post poll puts Mittens ahead of President Obama. From a historical perspective at this point in the race (such as it is), this puts Romney in such hallowed company as Walter Mondale, Bob Dole, and George H.W. Bush. It's probably a bad time to start measuring the drapes.


Also from the Post: Glenn Kessler factchecks Obama, so the White House factchecks Kessler.


Tim Pawlenty joins the Paul Ryan school of economics by pulling numbers straight out of his butt. Of course, that's because his real numbers suck.


The GOP accuses Democrats of wanting to destroy Medicare. You read that right.


Finally, 42% of Republicans say they wouldn't vote for Sarah Palin.

Related articles

• 7 eyebrow-raising Sarah Palin tweets (cbsnews.com)
• Katie Couric Talks Sarah Palin Interview: "I Was Really Fascinated To Hear What Shaped Her Worldview" (businessinsider.com)
• Pawlenty proposes tax cuts, ignores fiscal crisis he left in MN (americablog.com)
• 42 Percent Of Republican Voters Say They've 'Ruled Out' Voting For Sarah Palin (mediaite.com)

Stories to Watch: 5/26/11

I'm making shredded BBQ beef tonight. Want the recipe? You take a round steak, stick it in the crockpot, and pull it apart with two forks when it's done. Then you make some BBQ sauce, cut up an onion, and heat it all in a skillet. That's not exactly a "recipe," you say? It's as close to one as I get. Now here's the news...


The GOP's red state dreams for Wisconsin are quickly going down in flames. This time, polling shows that President Obama would trounce any GOP candidate here.


Sarah Palin tries to whip up excitement for Sarah Palin with a pro-Sarah Palin bus tour. Expect excitement to fail to be whipped up.


Savor this moment, because it may be the last time in your life you ever see Sen. Rand Paul do the right thing. Unfortunately, it's for the wrong reasons.


Tim Pawlenty dooms his chance at presidency by praising Paul Ryan's Medicare-slaying. This puts him in the same camp as the ever-popular Dick Cheney.


Vermont has singlepayer healthcare.


Them 'bagger freshmen do love them some pork.


Finally, this may very well be the worst piece of legislation to pass the House of Representatives in your lifetime.

Related articles

• Sarah Palin to tour East Coast, N.H. (politico.com)
• National Polls Show No Clear GOP Frontrunner (politicalwire.com)
• Palin's Opening (andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com)
• Sarah Palin may actually run. So what? (salon.com)

Stories to Watch: 5/19/11

Drinking coffee. Life is good. Now here's the news...


Remember when filibustering a judicial nominee was the worst thing ever? So five minutes ago...


***
Another "wave election" coming? A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds that only 28% of voters think most members of Congress deserve reelection, "tying the low point in the trend set last year."

"The anti-incumbent mood that led to sweeping changes in Congress after the 2010 elections persists, and the accompanying change in House leadership has not fundamentally altered the way Americans view Congress," Gallup reports. "Thus, incumbents remain vulnerable heading into the 2012 election cycle, though perhaps not quite as vulnerable as in 2010, given that voters are now more inclined to say their own member deserves re-election."

It's a long time until election day.


***
President Obama calls for Israel to return to their 1967 borders and give a Palestinian state some breathing room. Needless to say, this was the worst thing ever.


Chuck Grassley is a prick.


California Republican congress critter Devin Nunes thinks another recession -- or even depression -- is something that "could benefit us."


In related news, there is no reality that the determined conservative mind can't dismiss: Dana Milbank introduces us to the "default deniers."


Speaking of deniers, yet another GOP moron tries to tell townhall-goers that oil subsidies do not exist.


A brief moment of rightwing talk radio goodness. Newt to Limbaugh: "And by the way, it was not a reference to Paul Ryan. There was no reference to Paul Ryan in that answer." Limbaugh to Newt: "Well then what did you apologize to him about?" Logic was then taken out and shot.


Tim Pawlenty was an awful Governor of Minnesota.


Finally, be prepared for the zombie apocalypse.

Related articles

• With "Cheerful Persistence," Newt Presses On (swampland.time.com)
• Rush Limbaugh Slams Newt Gingrich On Meet The Press Appearance: 'It's Mind-Boggling' (mediaite.com)
• Another Wave Election Coming? (politicalwire.com)
• Gingrich Addresses Rocky Start To Presidential Campaign (huffingtonpost.com)

News Roundup for 5/6/11

The So-Called "Earth"

-Headline of the day-
"Pawlenty: 'I'm Sorry' I Once Cared About Climate."

Former Republican Governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty was forced to apologize at the first GOP presidential debate. His sin? Accepting reality, which is strictly verboten. Republicans are all visionaries and Utopians now, there is no place for reality within the party.

See, not only did T-Paw once sweat this "global warming" mumbo jumbo, he actually endorsed a solution to it -- the horrible, untried communist plot that is known as "cap and trade."

"I've said I was wrong. It was a mistake, and I'm sorry," Pawlenty said of his dalliance with the real world. "You're going to have a few clunkers in your record, and we all do, and that's one of mine. I just admit it. I don't try to duck it, bob it, weave it, try to explain it away. I'm just telling you, I made a mistake."

So how did everyone else do? Not very well. Some big names skipped out on the debate, leaving only the desperate and the overly-insane candidates. They couldn't even get Trump to show -- even after making it lear there'd be cameras. "As we all know, there are numerous other candidates that are looking at [seeking the nomination]," said RNC Chair Reince Priebus, "and thank God." (Mother Jones)


-Public health alert-
A new symptom has been discovered indicating Obama Derangement Syndrome...




...hysterical blindness. (Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Tim Pawlenty: I'm Not Going To Be The Loudest, Most Extreme Or Craziest Person In Race."

Translation: "I intend to lose." (Mediaite)

Stories to Watch: 4/30/11

The burgers were great. Glad I grilled yesterday, because there's no way I'd be able to today -- too windy and I've got a charcoal grill. The briquettes would burn away in no time and it'd be way too hot. Now here's the news...


Americans For Prosperity (read "the Koch brothers") hosted a forum for GOP '12 candidates. It went about as well as you'd expect. Tim Pawlenty apologized for having -- in a moment of sanity -- accepted that climate change is real. And Mittens seems to have a real problem with thinking on his feet.


My God, is Texas Gov. Rick Perry ever a petulant asshole.


Is Facebook shutting down pages of UK activist groups? It sure looks that way.


If you pay any attention to the "news" Andy Breitbart "breaks," you're a fool.


Anonymous releases 1.2 gigs of secret documents from the Chamber of Commerce. What may be more important than the documents or what may or may not be in them -- at least, in a lasting sense -- is that it's Anonymous, not Wikileaks. Cries of "shut down Wikileaks!" just got a lot more pointless.


Adventures in insane hyperbole: Michele Bachmann compares the deficit to the Holocaust.


Finally, the death toll from storms in the south rise to 350.

Stories to Watch: 4/15/11

How about that new Statue of Liberty stamp, huh? You'd think someone would've actually looked at the photo. Seems completely obvious to me. Now here's the news...


House dems painted the GOP into a corner today, essentially forcing them to vote against what would've been a conservative wet dream. Hilarity ensued.


That was fun. But Paul Ryan's marginally less insane budget proposal passed anyway.


President Obama is caught on a hot mic ripping on Republicans.


Tim Pawlenty seems to believe he can win the White House by embracing an alternate reality.


Incumbent Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser is one step closer to victory, but Kloppenburg's close enough to get a free recount.


But not as alternate a reality as Tennessee state Rep. Frank Nicely, who seems to believe that Albert Einstein was a Christian fundamentalist.


Finally, DCCC Chairman Steve Israel says the vote to pass Ryan's Medicare-scrapping budget will cost Republicans the House.

News Roundup for 4/6/11

A win is a win

-Headline of the day-
"Kloppenburg declares victory over Prosser in Supreme Court race."

The race that came to be seen as a proxy war between Gov. Scott Walker and pretty much everyone else has produced a winner. JoAnne Kloppenburg defeated incumbent Justice David Prosser in a stunning come-from-behind victory with a decisive landslide of... 204 votes. The next time someone tells you that every vote counts, nod knowingly, 'cause it's so true.

The race went all freakin' night -- back and forth, back and forth, until everyone was tired of it -- as districts overwhelmed by high turnout struggled to get a vote count out while it was still election night. Three failed. Two Milwaukee County districts and one Jefferson County district were left when I checked this morning. While the Jefferson County vote had been leaning strongly toward Prosser, when the remaining district finally came in it reflected the rest of the state -- Prosser closed the gap by only two votes. With only Milwaukee County left, it was all but hopeless.

Then Milwaukee County finally came in and, yeah, it was hopeless. With nothing left to count, Kloppenburg took the prize.

For now. The Prosser campaign says they'll file for a recount, which they can have done at state expense, since the vote total is so close. So who knows, really?

Still, round one goes to Kloppenburg. And the people of Wisconsin. (Wisconsin State Journal)


-Not good, not good...-
Apparently, GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty's campaign staff is dedicated. While everyone else is asleep, they're still out there pounding the pavement and knocking on doors -- which is weird because, as I said, everyone else is asleep.

According to the report, "A 15-year-old [Iowa] girl found a campaign worker from Alabama banging on her Ankeny family's back door early Wednesday morning" -- "early" being three in the morning. Apparently, the T-Paw worker, Benjamin Foster, was doing some sort of creepy Night of the Living Dead impression. At least, that's what I got out of the girl's description of it.

"His arm was in my back door, trying to get in and I screamed and went upstairs to my parents room and I continued screaming," she said.

Cops were called and Foster was taken in for "public intoxication and trespassing." No word on what the fuck he thought he was doing.

For his part, Pawlenty says he's "extremely disappointed" in Foster and fired his sorry ass on the...

Oops! Misread that. Pawlenty has place him "on a two-week unpaid suspension."

That'll learn him. (KCCI, with video)


-Bonus HotD-
"Bachmann: Why I'm qualified to be president."

"As you know, when Abraham Lincoln founded this country in 317 BC, he had the help of Jesus, Superman, and a bag of magic beans..." (The Hill)

Stories to Watch: 2/11/11

It's snowing. Again. As it is, we're guaranteed spring flooding. And every flake guarantees that flooding will be even worse. Now here's the news...


In case you missed it (what, do you live under a rock?), that Mubarak guy quit in Egypt. Dancing in the streets. Jake Tapper reports that he got a little shove from Obama, but influential wingnut blogger John Hinderaker apparently didn't get that memo.


Presumed GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty basically says birthers are nuts. Not surprisingly, the nuts are displeased.


House Republicans are having a big fight over whether to cut $100 billion in spending or less -- because they're totally focused on jobs.


The US Chamber has all the ethics of a con artist.


Good news on the housing front.


Finally, GOP claims about healthcare reform are fact-checked yet again and, yet again, proven to be untrue.

Stories to Watch: 1/24/11

Finally broke down and decided to try my hand at sourdough. All the instructions for starter I'd found sounded like a lot of work. And then I found this. Turns out you can force yeast into dormancy by refrigerating it. You can even freeze the starter and wake it up later when you need it. Yeast are hardy little critters. Now here's the news...


RIP Jack LaLanne.


Rahm Emanuel is ordered off the mayoral ballot in Chicago by an appellate court for not meeting the residency requirements. It's actually kind of a bullshit decision -- and that opinion comes from someone who doesn't think much of him.


President Obama's polling bounce is putting possible opponents off their game.


Republicans take credit for job numbers they had nothing to do with.


Hopelessly insane blogger and paid CNN pundit Erick Erickson says "mass bloodshed" may be necessary if something isn't done about Roe v. Wade. Funny how the religious nuts always forget the "pro-life" part of being "pro-life," isn't it?


Michele Bachmann's presidential maybe-campaign is off to a marvelous start as she declaring the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence wonderful, then going on to say "the very founders that wrote those documents worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States." No Shelly, they didn't.


There may be a coming revolt among the 'baggers if Republicans insist screwing with Social Security. In related news, Republicans are eager to screw with Social Security.


Texas Governor Rick Perry is an empty suit.


Finally, Tim Pawlenty has released a campaign ad for his as-yet unannounced presidential bid. It goes way over the top in trying to make the boring Minnesota guy seem inspiring and winds up leaving us wondering it an asteroid is about to collide with the Earth.