News Roundup for 3/20/12

Newt Gingrich

-Headline of the Day-
"Gingrich says actor Robert De Niro’s racially themed first lady joke 'inexcusable.'"

At a New York fundraiser, famed juggler and Marilyn Monroe impersonator Robert De Niro made the introduction for First Lady Michelle Obama. It was a terrible, shocking crime unparalleled in human history. In his introduction, De Niro said, "Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now, do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?" Everyone laughed, because it's all backwards and absurd and what you call your "comedy."

I know! It's awful right?

Anyway, Newt Gingrich caught wind of this and began firing off victim cards. "What DeNiro said last night was inexcusable, and the president should apologize for him," Noodles said. "It was at an Obama fundraiser, it is exactly wrong, it divides the country. If people on the left want to talk about talk show hosts, then everybody in the country should hold the president accountable when someone at his event says something that is as utterly and terribly unacceptable as what Robert De Niro said."

Because, of course, comments like this are what led to the horrors of institutional white slavery, the WASP holocaust, and... I don't know, the Hindenburg or something. White people have it bad enough without everyone going around pointing out the shameful fact that they're white. Call his wife white will you? Why, prepare to defend yourself, sir!

And this is just like what happened with Sandra Fluke and Limbaugh, as Noodles points out. After all, Rush went on a three day rant about how Fluke was a "slut" and a "prostitute," with guys lined up around the block and all the commies were all up in arms. Now De Niro spends two seconds to call his wife white and not a peep. The hypocrisy!

Know ye, Mr. Big Hollywood liberal, that the Righteous Wrath of Noodles is upon thee! Woe be unto thee as ye are smothered beneath a stack of victim cards! And it be unending, with attacks like unto the number of stars in the sky. No, there will be no surcease, ye will find no respite, until that very day that ye croak out thine final utterance: "Forgiveth me, Noodles!"

Or until Newt figures out that this is all unbelievably lame and he's getting zero traction from it. Then this will be the last anyone ever hears of it. (The Hill, with Gingrich rage-gnome video)


-Wall Street business culture-



"Ethics? What's that?" (Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Fat Chicago Cop Chokes Kid Out to Rousing Applause of 'Fox Nation.'"

The conservative base explained: they're all pretty much just assholes. (Wonkette)

News Roundup for 3/15/12

PA Gov. Tom Corbett

-Headline of the Day-
"Dems Hammer PA Governor Over Ultrasound Comments."

Let's go straight to the money shot on this one: "I don’t know how you make anybody watch. You just have to close your eyes."

That's Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, who is both a Republican and a famous Space Cadet. What Cadet Tom is talking about here is Pennsylvania's ultrasound bill, which would force women to undergo an unnecessary procedure (at heir own expense) in order to get an abortion.

See, the thinking behind ultrasound bills is pretty simple: women are stupid. Women get abortions because they have absolutely no idea what's up in there. So, if you show them a picture of it, maybe they won't have an abortion.

"If you’re a woman who opposes mandatory ultrasounds, Republican Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has a suggestion for you: ‘You just have to close your eyes,’" writes the Democratic Governors Association. "‘Close your eyes?’ Does Governor Corbett have no shame?"

He's a Republican. Since when have they known shame? (Talking Points Memo)


-More ultrasound ultra-fun-



Remember ladies, having government poke around in your uterus is liberty! (Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"At NCAA Tournament, Southern Miss Band Chants ‘Where’s Your Green Card?’ At Hispanic Kansas State Player."

Because they're classy like that. (ThinkProgress, with video)

News Roundup for 3/9/12

Mitt Romney

-Headline of the Day-
"Romney woos Southerners: I had some ‘cheesy grits’ at the Hilton, y’all."

Hoo-dangit! That ol' Mitt Romney fella was down there in Pascagoula, Mississippi and danged if he didn't fit right in. Bein' in the south and all, Mittens reckoned this'd be a fine time to start playin' to them stereotypes.

Mitt told a crowd that "strange things are happening to me." He was fixin' to have him a boney fied transformation right up there on that stage! It was riveting. "I am learning to say y’all, and I like grits and things," he told them. Who doesn't like grits and things? Whenever I go out for breakfast, I always tell the waitress, "Have the cook whip me up a big ol' honkin' plate of them grits and things." They always know what you mean.

Then, in Jackson, Romney got downright homey. "Mornin’ y’all," he told the crowd. "Good to be with you."

"I got started right this morning with a biscuit and some cheesy grits, I’ll tell ya. Delicious," he added. "Hilton Garden Inn knows just what to serve me in the morning."

He then went on to praise The Dukes of Hazzard, tell everyone how much he loves chawin' tobbaccy, and played the spoons on his knee. "Y'all love me yet?" he asked. "Because I've got a banjo back on the bus, if that's what it takes." (Raw Story)


-Mitt's road to the nomination-



Paved with greenbacks -- and future kickbacks. (Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Confirmed: Fracking Caused Ohio Earthquakes."

Maybe we shouldn't be doing it then?

Naw... Now is not the time to be rational. (ThinkProgress)

News Roundup for 3/7/12

Romney's latest tax plan

-Headline of the day-
"'It can't be scored.'"

Mitt Romney has a tax plan problem; he keeps coming out with new ones that nobody likes. According to Steve Benen, "For the second time in as many months, Mitt Romney unveiled another tax plan recently, and this one was intended to make his party's far-right base even happier. There's a lot for a conservative to like: major new tax breaks for the wealthy, slashing the corporate tax rate, and eliminating estate taxes altogether."

And the reason that the far-right will like it? It's completely insane and not at all based in anything resembling reality -- which is exactly what the wingnuts like. According to Benen, "The non-partisan Tax Policy Center published a fairly detailed analysis of Romney's new proposal and found that it's not only heavily tilted to benefit the rich, it also would make the deficit much worse -- by nearly a half-trillion dollars in 2015 alone -- because the former governor has made no effort to explain how he'd pay for these unnecessary tax breaks." It's typical Republican mumbo-jumbo; you pass huge tax breaks for bazillionaires and money flies out of your butt to cover the lost revenues. Worked for Bush, right?

Anyway, Romney made the mistake of going on CNBC, where people are serious about money and know things about it. The host of the network's Squawk Box asked Mittens what was up with this crazy, deficit exploding tax idea and Romney laughed it off. You can't score this thing, he answered, because how I pay for it all is, by design, a complete mystery.

No, really.

"I haven't laid out all the details of how we're going to deal with each one of the deductions and exemptions," Mittens said, "so I think it's kind of interesting for the groups who try and score it because, frankly, it can't be scored because those kinds of details are going to have be worked out with Congress."

"A tax plan that can't be scored because it doesn't include sufficient details is not a plan," Ezra Klein's WonkBlog notes. "[Romney] has a statement about what he would like a reformed tax system to include: lower rates for everyone. But that's cake-and-ice-cream stuff. All the hard questions -- which tax breaks to close, for instance -- remain unanswered, and it doesn't appear that he plans to answer them anytime soon."

So all pie-in-the-sky promises and no specifics? The nuts will just eat it up. And if this doesn't work, the next plan can include free unicorn rides. (Maddow Blog)


-The eyes follow you everywhere-



It'd totally work, though... (Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Joe The Plumber May Become Congressman The Plumber."

But more likely he'll remain Loser the Plumber. (Wonkette)

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)

News Roundup for 12/16/11

As trustworthy as she looks

-Headline of the Day-
"Michele Bachmann says 'PolitiFact came out and said that everything I said was true' in last debate."

During the last semi-weekly meeting of The Liar's Club, Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich got into a little tête-à-tête over Newt's influence lobbying with Freddie Mac. This was probably a tactical error on Shelly's part, since no one has a bigger tête than Newt -- in both the physical and metaphorical senses. Seriously, he couldn't find a football helmet that would fit over his melon in high school.

Anyway, Newt said that Shelly's claim that he lobbied for Freddie Mac was "factually not true" -- which is ironic, because it was a rare instance where she was saying something factual. And it was here that she slipped back into her old habit.

"Well, after the debates that we had last week, PolitiFact came out and said that everything that I said was true," she said. "And the evidence is that Speaker Gingrich took $1.6 million. You don't need to be within the technical definition of being a lobbyist to still be influence-peddling with senior Republicans in Washington, D.C., to get them to do your bidding."

To which PolitiFact says:




So, yeah... (PolitiFact)


-Past the 'sell by' date-


Click to embiggen

Precisely. (Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Newt's New Endorser: OWS is a Muslim Brotherhood Plot!"

Bonus fun: it's "Gopher" from Love Boat -- who apparently is a complete lunatic.

No, really. (Mother Jones)

News Roundup for 12/6/11

Ineffective Effective protester

-Headline of the Day-
"Cuomo caves to protesters, will hike taxes on rich New Yorkers."

Those Occupy Wall Street commies are never going to accomplish anything, because they don't have a message and they're living outside like hobos and they're screwing around with drum circles and... Oh look, they accomplished something!

According to the report, "After facing repeated protests over his resistance to raising taxes on wealthy New Yorkers, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo relented on Tuesday, striking a deal with legislators that will boost state revenues by $1.9 billion while simultaneously dropping the middle class tax rate to the lowest it has been in 58 years."

"New York citizens earning $20,000 per year or more are currently taxed at a rate of 6.85 percent, as are married couples earning more than $40,000 per year," the report continues. "The new tax brackets would drop tax rates for the lowest incomes to 6.45 percent, while increasing the rates for higher earners. Couples with incomes between $150,000 and $300,000 will pay 6.65 percent; households that earn $300,000 to $2 million will pay 6.85 percent; and incomes over $2 million will be taxed at 8.82 percent..."

That sound you hear is about a thousand empty-headed pundits and corporate apologists eating crow. (Raw Story)


-And a Happy Newt Year-


Click to embiggen

I don't know what they're complaining about, they almost got stuck with Cain. This is actually a step up. (Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Hero Child Explains Gay Rights In Words Bachmann Can Understand."

Eight year old Elijah from Myrtle Beach leaves Shelly Bachmann speechless, becomes hero to the nation. (Wonkette, with video)

News Roundup for 11/30/11

At least Herman still has a way with the ladies

-Headline of the Day-
"Cain: 'Stupid people are ruining America.'"

And, as America's leading stupid person, Herman Cain ought to know.

"Here’s what I need you to do," Cain told a crowd in Dayton today. "Stay informed, know the facts because stupid people are ruining America."

"They are," he went on. "We just have to out-vote them."

And so far, it seems to be working. The more people know about Herman, the less they seem willing to vote for him.

"The former Godfather's Pizza CEO has referred to Uzbekistan as 'Ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan,' didn’t seem to know that China has nuclear weapons, asked Cuban-Americans how to speak 'Cuban,' struggled to remember the U.S. role in ousting Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, worried that the Taliban was forming a new government in Libya, and decided that CNN host Wolf Blitzer’s name was simply 'Blitz,'" the report reminds us.

Herman Cain will be happy to know that Herman Cain is one stupid person who doesn't stand a chance of ruining America. (Raw Story)


-Minor blessings-
Voters react to Herman Cain.


Click to embiggen

Thank goodness for small miracles. (Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Herman Cain's campaign a study in ineptitude."

Won't get any argument from me. (Politico)

News Roundup for 11/1/11

"Ask me about my sex scandal -- please!"

-Headline of the Day-
"Mark Block Won't Talk About the Other Cain Scandal."

Did you know there were not one, but two scandals following the Herman Cain Train around like a black cloud? It's true! First, there's the sexy boom-chaka-wow-wow sexy sexual harassment sexy scandal broken by Politico and then there's some boring old money-laundering scandal broken by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. One's pretty serious and the other's really serious -- like someone could go to jail serious. So all the news networks are following Cain around with microphones, wondering why he won't shut up about the sexy boom-chaka-wow-wow sexy sexual harassment sexy scandal -- because they're smart like that.

Anyway, it turns out that if -- on the off-chance -- someone accidentally asks the Cain Train about the money-laundering scandal, they run into a brick wall. "We've retained independent counsel to look at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story," campaign manager Mark Block told a reporter when asked about it. What's that mean? You guys hire a lawyer or Sherlock Holmes or what? When asked again, Block gave pretty much the same answer.

When asked a third time, he said, "Why don't we talk about the campaign going forward?"

Or, if you don't want to talk about that, he's probably more than happy to talk about the sexy boom-chaka-wow-wow sexy sexual harassment sexy scandal. "Cain's campaign manager was once suspended from election work in Wisconsin because of election law violations," writes Dave Weigel. "He can't or won't talk now about more possible violations. It might be better for the Cain campaign if we all focus on Politico's story."

That's the sexy boom-chaka-wow-wow sexy sexual harassment sexy scandal, BTW. So if you're a journalist, make sure you ask Team Cain all about that one, OK?

I know they'd sure appreciate it. (Weigel)


-Subtle variations make all the difference-


Click to embiggen

(Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Ann Coulter On Herman Cain: Our Blacks Are Better Than Their Blacks."

For future reference, it's probably a bad idea for white people to refer to black people as a group in possessive terms -- given US history and all.

Try to keep that in mind, Annie. (Mediaite)

News Roundup for 10/26/11

Mitt Romney, shown listing the many positions he's taken on the issues

-Headline of the day-
"Mitt Romney: Actually, I do support Ohio law."

Oh Mittens, you're so flippity-floppity.

Yesterday, Romney visited a GOP phonebank in Ohio, to boost the spirits of all the temps the state party had hired to pester people about the attempted repeal of a union-busting law by referendum. For the record, the Republican Party would be against the repeal, because then all the temps would probably unionize.

Anyway, while visiting this hive of feverish activity, Mittens was asked what he thought of the law. Romney instinctively sensed that someone was trying to pin him down on a position (a position, BTW, he's already been pinned down on) and pretty much refused to answer the question. Mittens wasn't at a phonebank that was doing get out the vote for the union-busting ballot measure to voice an opinion about it. He wasn't interested in "particular ballot issues," he said. And everyone wondered what the hell he was doing there then.

So this all became a big thing, with people on the right calling him a coward and people on the left calling him a scaredy-pants. Mitt was going to have to put a lid on this right pronto. While in Virginia today, he basically said, "Oh, you mean that ballot issue!"

"What I was referring to is I know there are other ballot questions there in Ohio and I wasn't taking a position on those," he said. "With regard to Question 2, which is the collective bargaining question, I am 110 percent behind Gov. Kasich in support of that."

Which, of course, brings us to this:

Columbus Dispatch:

Issue 2 is getting smashed by 25 points, 57 percent to 32 percent, in Quinnipiac’s latest poll. The survey by the Connecticut university, released two weeks before the election, is the final public poll planned on the controversial law, which is on hold until voters have their say.

Yeah, Romney just came out in favor of the least popular thing since the clap. Way to pick a winner, Mittens! (Politico)


-Competing visions-
Occupy Wall Street's counterpart isn't the Tea Party.


Click to embiggen

It's a much more dangerous bunch of crazies. (Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Washington Post Illustrates Oakland Police Brutality With Cop Petting Kitty."

No, really. (Wonkette)

News Roundup for 10/21/11

Herman Cain

-Headline of the Day-
"Herman Cain Defends 9-9-9 By Dropping One Of The 9s."

Pizza guy Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan -- a 9% corporate income tax, 9% personal income tax, and 9% sales tax -- is the best tax plan ever devised by man. Let's look at the advantages here; it's simple, it's... Ummm... Well, it's simple. No more goofing around with tax forms looking for deductions that would bring your taxes down. It's freakin' awesome!

Still, Cain admitted that people at the low end of the economic scale wouldn't do so well under his awesome plan. So no more 9-9-9 for the dirt poor. For them, it's 9-0-9. No income taxes (just like things are now) and a new sales tax. You still pay more, but not as much more. Now shut up and stop being poor!

Of course, this doesn't address the other problems with the plan -- most notably, if you aren't wealthy, it sucks.

Still, any step away from 9-9-9 is a step in the right direction. (Talking Points Memo)


-#OccupyYourMailbox-
Ever wonder why people sympathize with Occupy Wall Street?


Click to embiggen

Well there ya go then... (Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Michele Bachmann's New Hampshire Staff All Fleeing Like Hell."

The exodus is so big that you could truthfully say that Shelly doesn't actually have a New Hampshire campaign anymore. Bonus fun: a Bachmann appearance in San Francisco fails to attract even protesters.

She's totally gonna be president! (Wonkette)

News Roundup for 10/4/11

"Not gonna happen"

-Headline of the Day-
"Gov. Chris Christie will not run for president."

After media-fueled speculation that Chris Christie may run for president started a rumor that Chris Christie would run for president, Christie himself shot that rumor down today.

"Now is not the time..." the Governor of New Jersey said in a press conference. "New Jersey, whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me." The news comes as Christie-mania hits a fever-pitch, with at least one poll showing that Republican voters didn't care whether he jumped in or not. I'm sure the disappointment will be just as impalpable as the excitement was.

Wait for pundits to say this is the latest sign that Christie is still weighing his options. At least, until they get around to speculating as to whether Mike Huckabee might run. (NJ.com)


-Wall Street protests, explained-


Click to embiggen

It's the modern equivalent of "let them eat cake." (Truthdig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Court turns away lawsuit over Obama eligibility."

Long story short, Alan Keyes is some kind of record-holding sore loser. (AP)

News Roundup for 9/12/11

N. Carolina Senate schedule

-Headline of the Day-
"Senate to begin debate Monday on marriage amendment."

In North Carolina, like every place else, the issue of the days is jobs, jobs, jobs. And in North Carolina, like every other state dominated by Republicans, jobs can wait. Now is the time to get the really important things done: like banning gay marriage in a state where it isn't allowed anyway.

Of course, the problem here is that the general, unwashed public has a misplaced sense of priorities and would rather not have Republicans screwing around with support-bait for the crazies. They seem to think that people should be worrying about jobs and the economy -- which is why the NC GOP has come up with a cunning plan. Keep it a secret.

In public notices of the schedule of the Judiciary committee, voters are being told that the committee will consider "H61, 'Speaker/Pro Tem Term Limits' -- a proposal to limit the numbers of years House and Senate members can serve as leaders of their chambers." In other words, a procedural yawner no one cares about -- move along, nothing to see here.

"But a new version[pdf] of the bill leaked to WRAL Friday night shows the bill the committee will take up Monday has absolutely nothing to do with term limits. The new H61 is an amended version of the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage," the report says. "You can try to look it up at the legislature's website, but you won't find it there."

So, is the committee going to be voting on this term limit boring thing or the gay marriage ban? Well, quite frankly, the answer to that question is yes. "[W]hy tell the public you're talking about term limits Monday, when you're really planning to debate the marriage amendment?" the report asks.

"Well, that's the name of the bill," says a GOP spokesperson. That's right, they actually gave the bill a misleading name to get it under the radar.

And I thought the GOP in my state was shameless. (WRAL)


-A rare (and imagined) moment of honesty-
Rick Perry clarifies his stance on Social Security.


Click to embiggen

I hope that clears up any questions you might have. (TruthDig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Fred Malek: 'Too Late' for Palin to Run; GOP Nominee Will Be Perry or Romney."

That sound you just heard was the timer going off on Palin's 15 minutes of fame. (ABC)

News Roundup for 9/1/11

Turns out this is illegal

-Headline of the Day-
"Justice Department Tougher On Abortion Protesters."

People who yell at ladies outside women's health clinics are shocked to discover the President Barack HUSSEIN Obama isn't as willing to look the other way as the Oh-so-Christian GWB was. See, it seems there's a law against that sort of thing and people have been breaking it -- a lot. According to the report, "Under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act, the Justice Department's civil rights division has filed eight civil cases since the start of the Obama administration. That's a big increase over the George W. Bush years, when one case was filed in eight years."

The FACE basically makes it illegal to keep people from entering a clinic, but it also includes penalties for trespassing. Clinics have used the trespassing provision to create a "buffer zone" to keep the nuts away, but the Bush administration had a bad habit of not giving a fuck. Now the free ride is over.

"There's been a substantial difference between this administration and the one immediately prior," says Ellen Gertzog, director of security for Planned Parenthood. "From where we sit, there's currently much greater willingness to carefully assess incidents when they occur and to proceed with legal action when appropriate."

Now would seem to be a good time to point out another news story of the day: the US ranks 41st in the world in terms of infant mortality, which -- for the record -- is just awful.

Want to save some babies in real numbers? Put down the aborted fetus signs, quit the Republican Party, and become activists for real healthcare reform.

Just sayin'. (NPR)


-Moammar and the monster-
Qadaffi gets some really solid advice from a fellow human rights violator.


Click to embiggen

Actually, that doesn't really seem to be working for Dick. (Truthdig)


-BonusHotD-
"Arizona GOP Fundraiser Remembers Giffords Shooting With Glock Raffle."

Pure class... (Wonkette)

News Roundup for 8/26/11

Our political press

-Headline of the Day-
"Why Political Coverage is Broken"

If you've read more than one post I've written, you probably get the impression that I'm of the opinion that our news media sucks. But there's a reason for that; our news media sucks.

Press critic Jay Rosen has a good idea as to why: reporters try to pretend they have the inside scoop all the time, by pretending they're actually part of the stories they're covering.

And you've seen this yourself; reporters spend one hell of a lot more time talking about campaigning than they do about issues. And if the subject isn't elections, they spend more time on the palace intrigue of getting legislation passed than they do on what the legislation actually does. And then, after the bill passes or doesn't pass, the first question they ask isn't, "What does this mean for Americans?" No, it's, "What does this mean for Democrats/Republicans/President Obama?"

Result, straight up suckage on a massive scale and glossing over the important meat to concentrate on the minor details.

But that's not the big problem. By pretending to be political insiders, reporters fool news consumers into theink they're insiders too -- to become "cognoscenti of their own bamboozlement," which is the most awesome phrase I've read all day. In other words, it makes it awfully easy for politicians to play the media by pretending to provide the "inside scoop." As a result, the media basically reports on what amounts to advertising, not substance. And then reporters go off and report what's the message and how the message is being put out and what the message means to whom and who's polling the message... Who should really even give a fuck? What's in the damned bill or what does the candidate stand for!?!

"In campaign coverage, nothing is more common than a good lesson in candidate strategy: how Mitt Romney plans to capture the nomination by skipping the Iowa caucuses," Rosen says. "That's what fascinates the pros, the insiders. But think about it for moment: should we give our votes to the candidate with the best strategy for capturing our votes?"

Because you should, that's why. Now shut up and eat your fluff. You're a super-savvy political insider now! (PressThink)


-Fashion forward-
Moammar Q or K or G or whatever was always a leader in dictatorial fashions. What's he wearing these days?


Click to embiggen
Best I've seen him looking in years. (TruthDig)


-Bonus HotD-
"International Law Expert Chuck Norris Is (Shockingly) Wrong About UN Arms Treaty."

You know, if wingnuts stopped freaking out about things that aren't actually happening, they'd find themselves with one helluva lot of time on their hands. (Talking Points Memo)

News Roundup for 8/15/11

The Issa approach to governance

-Headline of the Day-
"A Businessman in Congress Helps His District and Himself."

While other stories are getting a lot of attention, one NYT story that deserves more is getting little. And that story is that fabulously well-to-do Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is using his chairmanship of the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to make himself fabulously well-to-doer. The committee is in a position to hand out pork and Issa's more than happy to hand it out to himself. And I don't mean his district, I mean himself.

"He has secured millions of dollars in Congressional earmarks for road work and public works projects that promise improved traffic and other benefits to the many commercial properties he owns here north of San Diego," the report tells us. "In one case, more than $800,000 in earmarks he arranged will help widen a busy thoroughfare in front of a medical plaza he bought for $10.3 million." From Wall Street oversight to automobile regulations, Issa has always taken positions that -- completely coincidentally, mind you -- seem to funnel money into his pocket.

Here's the first fun part; Issa's office says the report is "riddled with factual errors and careless assertions" -- except they don't bother to point out what those errors or careless assertions are. Here's Wisco's First Rule of Spotting Bullshit: look for declarations without facts. If Issa's office really had facts contrary to the article, they'd put them out there. Instead, they declare the whole thing BS without bothering to even try to prove anything.

Now here's the second fun part; Darrell Issa now gets to STFU about how federal spending is bad for the private sector. (New York Times)


-This is how you do it-
Looting in the UK?


Click to embiggen

Pfft! Go big or go home. (TruthDig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Bill Clinton: Rick Perry is a 'Good-Looking Rascal,' But His Platform 'Is Crazy.'"

Geez Bill, you make him sound like Bugs Bunny. (PolitickerNY)

News Roundup for 8/2/11

Jonah Goldberg reacts to news that hippie-commie Nazi Marxist America-hating terrorist-sympathizers are calling conservatives names

-Headline of the Day-
"To Hell with You People."

Jonah Goldberg had a "leave Britney alone!" moment today, when he'd had just about enough of everyone comparing Tea Party Republicans to terrorists. Just because a bunch of ideological zealots took the American economy hostage and threatened to blow it up if their demands weren't met, people keep making that comparison. It's just so unfair!

You know what's fun here? Goldberg is the author of Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning, which -- as you might imagine from the title -- says some not very nice (or even true) things about the left.

One reviewer said that Liberal Fascism was "a howl of rage disguised as intellectual history" that could be boiled down to one simple argument: "I know you are, but what am I?" And what can you expect of a book that argues that Hitler's vegetarianism is proof that all hippies are Nazis?

So, yeah Jonah, you go ahead and whine about how people are being so mean to conservatives. You tell everyone in the media to go to hell. Then you go cry yourself to sleep, tucked under the covers of your own shameless hypocrisy. (National Review)


-And now the good news-
It's not like it's all bad news.


Click to embiggen

Chin up! (TruthDig)


-Bonus HotD-
"Debt Ceiling Delay Cost Taxpayers $1.7 Billion In The Last Two Weeks."

And it's all deficit spending. Huzzah for conservative fiscal responsibility! (ThinkProgress)

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)