The least dangerous branch

"Oh what a tangled web we weave...."

2011-04-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

We hate Terra-ists and wish them the worst. They ought to be tortured to find out what they know (or what they will admit to), summarily tried, and harshly punished and all that for their crimes against humanity.Except....... when the terrorist is our former CIA agent. Different rules apply. We won't try them for their terrorist acts (and to be sure, we can't, except as perhaps war crimes

Exhibit A for who should NEVER be allowed to write legislation

2011-04-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

Tennessee seems to think that they got a raw deal back eighty six years ago or so. They're going to reclaim their lost reputation.Most amasing of all from that article is this:Rep. Sheila Butt, R-Columbia, said when she was in high school, “we gave up Aqua Net hair spray” because of fears “it was causing global warming.”“Since then scientists have said that maybe we shouldn’t have given up that

Reading "Madison" in Washington, DC

2011-01-06T17:39:00.000-08:00

The RW foamer contingent has been making big noises about reading the Constitution out loud to start off the 112th Congress. Some have characterised this as a "nod to the Tea Party movement that swept many of the 87 new GOP lawmakers into office" (as the link above puts it). Nice of them to be so accommodating to the incoming Tea Party representatives that would have a hard time actually

How can you tell the Republicans have no clue ... much less a plan for anything?

2010-08-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

Jon Stewart on the top of his game.The Daily Show should be required viewing for any third graders who still are unsure how politics works in the 21st century.

"Birthers Gone Wild!" Videos only $20K

2010-08-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

"Queen of the Birthers" Orly Taitz is a compleat whackjob, and that got her sanctioned $20,000 by the judge that had to put up with her nonsense and disregard for law, reality, and the Newtonian equations of motion.She won't take "F*ck you, now shaddup!" for an answer, though, and has appealed her case to the Supreme Court. Even Clarence Thomas told her to bug off as being too crazy to breathe (

Joke: Q: How do you turn a Republican into a tree-hugging, baby-seal-cuddling, "Save the whales" simpering environmentalist?

2010-06-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

The answer is not to kiss him.A: Wait for one of the world's most massive oil spills to happen on the watch of a Democratic president.But they will quickly return to form; no permanent damage done....

We dodged a bullet

2010-06-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

"Sen." Jess Sessions has repeatedly shown himself to be one of the slimiest Republicans in the U.S. Senate. And we should be glad we dodged a bullet in refusing to give him a judgeship. But he's a legal eedjit as well:Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R-AL) came closest to citing individual cases, though ultimately fell back on a generalization."Perhaps the most activist decision in history, or

Faux Snooze explains it all

2010-05-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

Asking "Democratic pollster" Doug Schoen (on Greta Van Sustern's show), in the aftermath of the primaries today, he told them what they paid him to hear:Specter defeated by Specter? It's the anti-incumbent, "we hate Washington" people speaking up (and of course a horrible loss for Obama). Nothing to do with the fact that people might want an actual Democrat running....Rand Paul's victory in

When libertarians meet racists

2010-04-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

You have to wonder what will happen when the fans of the least gummint possible face their xenophobia and racism.Which will win: The demand for a weak federal gummint and for individual freedom (not to mention a congenital aversion to the requirements for such as carrying ID cards), or the demand that we lock down the borders and keep people (of a certain colour) from going where they want to go

The "I know you are, but what am I?" school of politics

2010-04-30T15:15:00.000-07:00

So in the wake of Arizona's "pass laws" legislation against anyone who the police have a reasonable suspicion of being Latino, Rush Limbaugh and the RW echo chamber are busy charging Obama with being racist for saying that he hopes the groups that supported him in 2008 will continue to support him.And in the wake of Dubya's (mis)handling of Katrina, the RW fans of strong and effective federal

Chickenhawkus americanus

2009-11-28T15:39:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I'm glad I'm not confined to the confines of the Yoo Ess of Effin' Aye!!! Like now, when I have the respite of a Caribbean island 'holiday' (even if such consists mostly of patching up a boat).We have this wonderful offering from Glenn Greenwald. Just go read it.Glennzilla links to Brad, at SadlyNo!, also worth a read. Here's Brad's money line, talking about Howie Fineman's inanity:I

Or maybe we can just wait for Darwinism to be proved....

2009-09-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

TalkingPointsMemo has this whomp-jawed moment today:A Republican candidate for state office in South Carolina threw a "machine gun social" fundraiser Saturday where an AK-47 was given away with 10-minutes of weapons training "so you don't shoot a right-wing radical by mistake."Not sure 10 minutes is going to do the trick....

From the "Problems With Reality" Department

2009-09-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

Our conservative friends at Redstate.com think Obama's the best thing since diced bread:Mr. President, you are the best thing that has happened to Republicans since President Carter caused the Reagan Revolution.<*psssssst! hush!*> Don't anyone tell them differently.More from this scintillating analysis:It has caused Democrat Representatives to be the subject of yelling matches at Town Halls

From the "WTF?" files

2009-08-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

We're trying to deal with everyone's health.What do we do about this kind of stuff?:As ThinkProgress has noted before, conservatives have frequently obscured the fact that Medicare is a government-run single-payer program. Constituents appearing at health care town halls have even demanded that their members of Congress keep their “government hands off of Medicare.” Now, a new Public Policy

"I want my country back!!!"

2009-07-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Your Republican "grass roots" in action.(h/t to TalkingPointsMemo)She sounds like she's on the verge of tears....There's a substantial portion of the population (and a majority of the Republican party) that is just nucking futz....She "wants [her] country back". Sorry it got taken away through that insidious plot of democracy. Maybe if these people didn't have a screw loose, they'd stand a

When morons meet microphones....

2009-07-16T12:55:00.001-07:00

From His Emanence Rush Limbaugh's Tuesday, July 14th show:RUSH: And that's another thing. This precedent business, stare decisis, "Well, I'll go for precedent every time I can except when I won't. Precedent is not locked. Precedent doesn't mean you can never vary. If precedent meant that, we'd still have slavery.Ummmm ... <*sotto voce*> Pssssst, Rush: The Thirteenth Amendment (a

Who voted from Obama?

2009-06-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

Read it and weep.That isn't the first.See here and here and here and here and here and here.That's the final straw. F*ck "centrism".Update:This brilliant thought occurs to me:If Clinton was the first black president, Obama is the second Clinton president.He seems to be thinking of how he can get everyone to go along with him ("centrism" or "triangulation", and/or possibly the venal aspirations

Watch the language....

2009-06-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Today, as we hear of the white supremacist (and Obama "birther") who shot and killed a guard at the National Holocaust museum, we have Sean InsHannity going with his usual language even after reporting the shooting, blissfully unaware of the nuances. Here's two "talking points" phrases that jump out at you:"Conservative Underground"Yes, this is an underground patriotic movement that is bravely

So when do the trials begin?

2009-06-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

Republican Senator and former military Judge Advocate Lindsey Graham:GRAHAM: I am convinced, as an individual senator, as a military lawyer for 25 years, that waterboarding…does violate our war crimes statute and is clearly illegal under domestic and international law. … I don’t think you have to have a lot of knowledge about the law to understand this technique violates Geneva Convention Common

Uhhhh ... <pssst> ... Mr. Dionne....

2009-06-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

E.J. Dionne makes an astute observation (for once):If you doubt that there is a conservative inclination in the media, consider which arguments you hear regularly and which you don't. When Rush Limbaugh sneezes or Newt Gingrich tweets, their views ricochet from the Internet to cable television and into the traditional media. It is remarkable how successful they are in setting what passes for the

Pot callng the kettle black...

2009-05-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal opines that Barack Obama's been stealing the Underpants Gnomes' business plan:Sometimes it takes "South Park" to explain life's deeper mysteries. Like the logic of the Obama administration's policy proposals.Consider the 1998 "Gnomes" episode -- possibly surpassing Milton Friedman's "Free to Choose" as the classic defense of capitalism -- in which the children of South

Cows and barn doors....

2009-05-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

In the N.Y. Times article linked in my last post, we have this interesting tidbit:The F.B.I. director, Robert S. Mueller III, said Wednesday that moving detainees to American prisons would bring with it risks including “the potential for individuals undertaking attacks in the United States.”Like wow.... You know, part of that sentence sounds vaguely familiar for some reason. Do we really have

Certain words just jump right off the page at you....

2009-05-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Dan Froomkin's White House Watch column today has this little tidbit:Sheryl Gay Stolberg writes in the New York Times:President Obama told human rights advocates at the White House on Wednesday that he was mulling the need for a "preventive detention" system that would establish a legal basis for the United States to incarcerate terrorism suspects who are deemed a threat to national security but

The latest conservative star in the N.Y. Times firmament

2009-04-28T13:13:00.001-07:00

Heeeeeerrrrreeeee's Ross Douthat!:At the very least, a Cheney-Obama contest would have clarified conservatism’s present political predicament....Perhaps. Let's see:...In the wake of two straight drubbings at the polls, much of the American right has comforted itself with the idea that conservatives lost the country primarily because the Bush-era Republican Party spent too much money on social

Putting the horse before the cart

2009-04-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

The "Dean" of Beltway Journalism, David Broder, explains:But having vowed to end the practices [of torture], Obama should use all the influence of his office to stop the retroactive search for scapegoats.Yes, indeed. Searches for scapegoats should always be proactive. How else to stop them before they can embarrass you? And if we're to stop such insidious attacks, we'll need the proper tool...

Why does this need to be said?

2009-04-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Glenn Greenwald, in today's excellent (and devastating) post, makes this unremarkable statement:People like John McCain argue that only "banana republics" prosecute former political leaders, but the reality is exactly the opposite.Indeed. Why doesn't the so-called "liberal media" point this out? It is only in a country where the rule of law doesn't hold that "former political leaders" are given

Extra! Extra! Pot calls the china cup black!

2009-04-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

Over at Talking Points Memo, Josh Marshall is amased:I must be mistaken. But I think Foxies Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly are on TV whipping each other up into a sudsy lather over NBC's alleged lack of news credibility because of its corporate ownership by GE.Two words: "Rupert Murdoch".Josh still hasn't come to terms with the depths of the Rethuglican psychosis. The pathology is sufficient for

Clarence Thomas opens up....

2009-04-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Cthulhu save us!From the N.Y. Times:“Sometimes, when I get a little down,” Justice Thomas said wearily, he goes online. “I look up wonderful speeches, like speeches by Douglas MacArthur, to hear him give without a note that speech at West Point — ‘duty, honor, country.’ How can you not hear those words and not feel strongly about what we have?”OK, so now everyone's in the military, eh?....He

Deep thought....

2009-03-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

Listening to Michele Bachmann (R-LuluLand) on Sean InsHannity's radio show today, the question occurred to me:Why do all the Rethuglican Congresscritters sound just like John Birch Society members?

Happy Birthday!!!

2009-03-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning and I missed it. Not there in the paper. No note of this wonderful anniversary. I'd plumb forgot, and no one was going to remind me. But ThinkProgress was nice enough to mark the auspicious sixth birthday of our Iraq adventure ... as well as the deafening silence from the M$M ... that owes so much to this adventure, and who should be passing on their "best wishes" for

Richard Cohen: Clueless to the Nth degree

2009-03-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

Richard Cohen doesn't like Jon Stewart's legendary dumping on Jim Cramer.In a Washington Post article, he writes:What Jon Stewart needs is Jon Stewart. He could use a droll comedian to temper his ferocity and correct him when he's wrong, as he was about the financial media, particularly CNBC and its excitable analyst Jim Cramer. They didn't cover up the story of financial shenanigans. They didn't

Defending the indefencible

2009-03-09T09:05:00.001-07:00

From a Christian Science Monitor article defending the misnamed USA-PATRIOT Act:By Nathan A. SalesARLINGTON, VA. - Remember when the USA Patriot Act was seen as a common-sense counterterrorism tool? Congress enacted the law shortly after the 9/11 attacks by large bipartisan majorities. It wasn't even close.And for good reason: The Patriot Act made relatively modest changes to the law as it stood

John Galt's conundrum

2009-03-06T11:31:00.000-08:00

The Republican flacks for the health insurance industry are saying just a tad more than they should have:Five senior Republican senators, including Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the senior Republican on the Finance Committee, and the minority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, warned the president on Thursday that the public option would face opposition from many in their party.In a

CA Prop. 8 oral argument post-mortem

2009-03-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

There's plenty of note in the arguments, but here's a few of the early highlights (from this S.F. Chronicle article):In defending the removal of a previously recognised right via "amendment", here's Ken Starr for the respondents:"Rights are in the power of the people," said Starr, law dean at Pepperdine University and formerly the special prosecutor in the impeachment of former President Bill

New strategies for the Republican caucus

2009-02-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

Today we have this gem courtesy of ThinkProgress:In an interview with Hotline, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) said the Republican party will have to be come an “insurgency” to counter Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, and added that the Taliban can serve as “a model”:“Insurgency, we understand perhaps a little bit more because of the Taliban,” Sessions said during a meeting yesterday with

"A stopped watch" and all that....

2009-02-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

Joe the Plumber (a/k/a Joe the guy who can't get a plumber's license a/k/a/ Joe the guy who can't bother to pay taxes a/k/a Joe the moron who thinks that he's worth $250K when he doens't have two dimes to rub together) -- after his illustrious career in newscasting -- has decided to take on the even-more-intellectually-challenging job of Republican party poobah and media star.But a stopped watch

Limbaugh does the Republican Party a service

2009-01-29T12:56:00.000-08:00

His Emanence Rush Limbaugh is acting as the de facto head of the Rethuglican Party (while they wait to see what racist/xenophobe/homophobe/CRW exemplar will get the RNC chair nod). Others disagree on terms (but I suspect not on substance); as the S.F. Chronicle puts it:But while an Oval Office shout-out may temporarily elevate a man who refers to himself as El Rushbo, it doesn't make Limbaugh

Negotiating with Republicans

2009-01-29T09:25:00.001-08:00

D: "OK, we've won the last two Congressional elections convincingly, we have the presidency, but let's not let the past trouble us. We want to work for the good of the country, and we're willing to listen to your ideas and let you sit at the table and work together with us...."R: <*snarl*> <*growl*> "Ayers." "Barack the Magic Negro." "You want us to bend over..."D: "No, really. We want to

BPMA

2009-01-28T16:36:00.000-08:00

That is to say, "bipartisanship, my a$$".The Rethuglicans have no desire to be "bipartisan". They care about party power above nation, about personal slights and vendettas above honour, and about themselves and their hallucinatory ideals of the 'perfect nation' above all else, everyone else be damned.His Emanence Rush Limbaugh has said it plainly (regarding Obama): "I hope he fails." But that

A warm welcome...

2009-01-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

... to the U.S. Department of Justice. Under new and better management, I hear. And thanks for stopping by. Feel free to look around, and I welcome any comments. Let me know too if I can be of help, or you're looking for anything in particular. Can I recommend some of my favourite posts (assuming you didn't just come for the pretty pictures): Torture can be just the ticket ... just keep it

Justice Oprah

2009-01-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

And in the "some losers are too stoopid to breathe" department, we have this pathetic "appeal to higher authority":01/19/09: PRESS RELEASE - Berg sends 2nd letter to Oprah, stressing that she is one that can have Obama withdraw his name to avoid damage to racial relations in the U.S. for years to come because when the truth comes out that Obama does “not” meet the “qualifications” for President

They were right!!!

2009-01-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

The RW foamers were screaming "beware! beware!"; that (now) President Obama was a hard-core leftie.Watching him sign the nominations for his cabinet, I see that they were right. They are indeed right. And Obama's definitely a leftie.

"Just so you know how things work around here..."

2008-12-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

From TalkingPointsMemo:A Texas judge has thrown out those indictments of Dick Cheney and Alberto Gonzalez that we thought, correctly it turned out, were little more than a publicity stunt by a run-amok South Texas prosecutor.Upon dismissing the indictments, the judge admonished the prosecutor: "I suggest on behalf of the law that you not present any cases to the grand jury involving these

Douglas Kmeic agrees with me

2008-11-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

Conservative professor (and former Reagan and G.H.W. Bush Justice Department appointee) Douglas Kmeic suggests that California should move swiftly to resolve the Prop. 8 issue by eliminating California state "marriages" and instead implementing "civil unions" for all and sundry:The governor told CNN that he hoped the state Supreme Court would overturn the people and Prop. 8. While there are some

They're like robots hit by lightning...

2008-11-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

... or a pithed frog.They're completely stopped even trying to make sense:Reeling from Tuesday’s widespread losses, yesterday “about 20 political strategists and social and fiscal conservative leaders met” to discuss the future of the movement at the home of Brent Bozell, head of the right-wing Media Research Center. Describing the meeting on Fox News this morning, Bozell insisted America

While we await the change of administrations....

2008-11-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

.... can we please, pretty please also get some turnover in the extremely stoopid TV "talking heads"?!?!? You know, term limits or sump'tin to get the dead wood out of there, onto a bonfire, and properly and thoroughly torched?!?!?:Campbell Brown: For those people who have been worried about the possibility of one party controlling Congress and the White House, the last president to do that, of

Monday morning quarterbacking, GOP style

2008-11-05T01:24:00.000-08:00

One of the best and brightest RW foamers:The results are in and the recriminations have begun. Sure, it might not have made any difference, but the number of sins of omission and commission by the McCain campaign is breathtaking. Let’s get a head start on the finger-pointing and give you the top thirty mistakes John McCain and his team made:Not pursuing the Reverend Wright connection, as an issue

Free at last, free at last....

2008-11-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

... thank God Almighty, we're free at last!!!Jon Stewart called it at 11:01PM EST.

We should have known....

2008-11-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

From this unimpeachable source:“By the way I have been here to Roswell before and I know about the alien landing,” McCain told about 1,000 supporters gathered at an airport hangar here during his fifth rally of the day. “And I am pleased to announce that I have received the alien endorsement….and I am proud!”UPDATE—Apparently McCain was actually endorsed by “the alien” per the Weekly World News.

InsHannity

2008-11-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

Incurable.PUMA's predict landslide victory for McCain:MCCAIN/ PALIN 310BIDEN 228Buy stock in Ortho-McNeill Pharmaceuticals; there's going to be a run on Haldol.BTW, they seem to be so unhinged that they can't even bring themselves to name "that one"....

A sign of things to come

2008-11-04T11:40:00.000-08:00

We have this:If Obama Steals It...Take Action! We March Jan 17, 2009FreedomMarch.org ^ | 11-04-08 | FreedomMarchPosted on November 4, 2008 11:35:44 AM PST by RaginApacheMarches will occur on January 17, 2009 to demonstrate to Obama and Congress that millions of American Patriots are now closely monitoring the actions of the Legislature, Executive branch, and the media. We will respond quickly and

The Gropinator talks

2008-11-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

Schwarzenegger:"He [Obama] needs to do something about those skinny legs."What? Take steroids like you?!?!?Can we recall the eedjit? Please?Cheers,

In case there was any question that racism is live and well....

2008-10-31T18:47:00.000-07:00

... we need just look at the desperate Rethuglicans seeking (for lack of any alternative) to exploit it in order to win their election campaign:As Tapped notes, earlier this week, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) proclaimed that the the “rush” of African-Americans to the polls has “got our side energized“:“There has always been a rush to the polls by African-Americans early,” he said at the square in

The wheels are coming off the wingnuts' grocery carts....

2008-10-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

The S.F. Chronicle has this wonderful LTTE missive from one McInsaniac:Not world news Editor - With all that is going on in the world, such as choosing a new president, a financial crisis and Iraq coming to a critical conclusion, The Chronicle chooses to put on its front page a story about Gov. Sarah Palin's wardrobe ("Her pricey duds aren't helping Palin in polls," Oct. 24). Are there any adults

UFO* sightings from Cloud-Cuckoo Land

2008-10-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

* -- "UFO": "You furriner, Obama!"From the foaming RW pages, we have this gem:3 hours agoObama 'admits' Kenyan birth?WORLDNETDAILY — Pennsylvania Democrat Philip J. Berg, who filed a lawsuit demanding Sen. Barack Obama present proof of his American citizenship, now says that by failing to respond Obama has legally "admitted" to the lawsuit's accusations, including the charge that the Democratic

"Sentence first -- verdict afterwards"

2008-10-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

Rethuglican "justice", Chapter 6:House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) on Wednesday urged President Bush to block all federal funds to ACORN until federal investigations are completed. “It is evident that ACORN is incapable of using federal funds in a manner that is consistent with the law,” Boehner wrote.The Reverend C.L. Dodgson had these people beat by a century:'Let the jury consider

Where have we heard this before?

2008-10-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin explains her attacks on Obama:“I would say it again, I would say it again, because again, according to the information that we have, the association that he’s had with Bill Ayers wasn’t just one or two time sitting on a board together,” Ms. Palin said. “No, there’s been quite a few associations and events and meetings and discussion and emails and calls and to not disavow that too, I

A silver lining

2008-10-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

The nice thing about the Obama campaign and an Obama presidency is that it will drive the racists crazy and flush them out from under their rocks into the open. They just can't help themselves. We'll be able to identify them, show people who they are, confront and counter their vile screeds, and make sure that no one of any integrity is ever seen in public next to any of them.UpdateGot some new

The House Republican "alternate" bailout plan

2008-09-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

What does it have?Not that anyone really knows, because they didn't bother telling people about it but:Why, it has ... <*surprise*> ... tax cuts!And it has ... <*surprise* ... deregulation!!But let's forget about the pork they shoved in, and the expansion of what got us here in the first place, and see how it's going to "fix" things:It's going to insist that the financial institutions buy

Knocking heads together

2008-09-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

McInsane's idea of diplomacy is to knock together the heads of religious fundamentalists that have been at each other's throat for over a millennium:"One of the things I would do if I were President would be to sit the Shiites and the Sunnis down and say, 'Stop the bullshit,'" said Mr. McCain...And perhaps he though that this was what he was going to do with his Mighty Mouse imitation in

In times like these...

2008-09-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

... you need a chuckle sometimes:First Palin, Then Campaign Suspension. What Now?Slate predicts McCain's next 10 Hail Mary stunts.And there's even an invite to use your brain and come up with something else that tops what the lizard-brains in the McInsane campaign have done....

"I have a Bridge to Nowhere to sell you...."

2008-09-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

They (as in "the flacks for McInsane") must think we're stoopid.After McInsane put on his cape and underpants on the outside, and headed off to Washington to sit "the Shiites and the Sunnis down and say, 'Stop the bullshit,'" torpedo the draft agreement, saying he was going to "suspend" his campaigning and any debates until an agreement was reached, McInsane has now "declared victory" and is

What D-day says

2008-09-20T02:36:00.000-07:00

Over on Digby's Hullabaloo, D-day has an excellent and immensely funny post:Nobody's buying this reinvented John McCain singing the glories of government regulation of the financial markets and vowing to get the bad guys off Wall Street, are they? If they are, could you have them peek at this, from an article McCain wrote THIS MONTH for a trade publication?Opening up the health insurance market

Making things clear for all to see....

2008-09-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

So the mortgage market haemorrhages for a couple of years, tons of people are foreclosed on, and personal bankruptcys balloon (even after Congress passes a new law protecting not those seeking bankruptcy but rather the creditors). No panic.But one week of Wall Street dropping 400 points on the DJIA a couple of days, and all of a sudden Washington sits up and takes notice.And then they bail out

"I believe in treating mules gentle...."

2008-09-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

"... but first you gotta get their attention."So said the farmer as he picked up a 2X4 and whacked ol' Bessie upside the head.Glenn Greenwald delivers a roundhouse blow with a big fat hickory baseball bat to the empty noggins of RW foamer battalions in this fine post, and yet there seems to be an infestation of RW foamers that still don't "get it".From Glenn's post: The same political faction

Well, duh....

2008-09-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Some "economics" that even McCain should be able to understand.The market rebounded today over 400 points on the DJIA. Why? Because of this:The federal government is nearing completion of a broad plan to reduce the systemic risk to financial institutions, according to sources familiar with the thinking of Federal Reserve and Treasury Department officials.[...]The details of the plan remain

Happy Constitution Day!!!

2008-09-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

... and let me know if you find it anywhere....

Repeat over and over, and people will think you're a geenyus

2008-09-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

From ThinkProgress:Speaking in Florida this morning — the very day that two of Wall Street’s major banking institutions collapsed — Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) declared he “still” believes “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.”I can only advert to a recent post of mine here that covers this wonderfully (really ... go read it!):"As long as the roots are not severed, all is well and all will be

The definition of "leaving you whomp-jawed"

2008-09-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

Try reading this for effect:Q: Well, you say you’re sure that she has the experience, but again, I’m just asking for an example. What experience does she have in the field of national security? McCAIN: Energy. She [Palin] knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America.And all that from a bachelor's in journalisming. Think if she'd gone to MIT....(h/t to

Deep thought

2008-09-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

McSame was floundering before the convention and drawing less-than-enthusiastic crowds. Then he picked a hard-core RW anti-abortion (but pro-"let me grab any money I can") nutjob as his running mate.The Republicans swooned. They're energized. They loooooovvvveee Palin. Rather that her being a drag on the ticket -- because of her skimpy qualifications, her stoopidiy and cluelessness, and such,

Licking the boot that kicked you

2008-09-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

Our brave hero McCain. He's going to save us all from the 'bad guys'. Like this:And what does all this say about John McCain? In 2000, when he was running against George Bush in the South Carolina primary, he was smeared by outright lies charging among other things that he'd fathered an out-of-wedlock black child. The man who "directed communications" for Bush's 2000 South Carolina effort was

"Witness tampering" and "obstruction of justice"

2008-09-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

From Josh Marshall's TalkingPointsMemo:Newsweek: McCain camp and its Alaska allies move to shut down trooper-gate probe.Definitely take a look at the Newsweek article. Also take note of the following, that we're going to be looking into next week. Within days of Palin's selection, at least seven of her aides and associates, who had previously agreed to cooperate with the trooper-gate

Palin's "creationism" is such 'yesterday's news'

2008-09-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

Republican Veep candidate Sarah Palin is on the "creationism" bandwagon:The volatile issue of teaching creation science in public schools popped up in the Alaska governor's race this week when Republican Sarah Palin said she thinks creationism should be taught alongside evolution in the state's public classrooms.Palin was answering a question from the moderator near the conclusion of Wednesday

Down the slippery slope

2008-09-04T06:20:00.000-07:00

From ThinkProgress:Eight protesters at the RNC were charged with conspiracy to commit a terrorist act yesterday. The suspects’ lawyer called the charges ridiculous, saying the accusations are “an effort to equate publicly stated plans to blockade traffic and disrupt the RNC as being the same as acts of terrorism.” So far, nearly 300 protesters and journalists have been arrested. No, we shouldn't

Steny Hoyer needs a brain transplant

2008-08-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

Steny Hoyer (D-ATT) needs to make sure the guests at his wedding sign their gift cards, because he won't know who to thank if they don't:On Monday, AT&T threw an exclusive party for the Blue Dogs, the House's moderate and conservative Democrats, at the historic Mile High Station in downtown Denver. Among the guests was House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who in June led Blue Dogs in

"Above my pay grade"

2008-08-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

Obama, presented with a fallacy of bifurcation cum equivocation fallacy type "gotcha question":U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama side-stepped a pointed query about abortion on Saturday by “mega-pastor” Rick Warren during a televised forum.Asked at what point a baby gets “human rights,” Obama, who strongly supports abortion rights, said: “… whether you’re looking at it from a

Okay, I'm being unfair to McSame

2008-08-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

He's letting some of his middle-class money trickle down: The McCains increased their budget for household employees from $184,000 in 2006 to $273,000 in 2007, according to John McCain’s tax returns.So he spends a quarter of a million to keep his house(s) clean. If we just had 10 million McSames in the country, we'd be able to keep our 100 million proletarian households up near the poverty level

Being there....

2008-08-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

If your income is less that $5 million a year, you're just not "getting there". If you're the boy-toy of some rich bleach-blond, and have seven (or more, who can count?) houses, maybe you can qualify for the status of "Being There"...:MCCAIN: I still believe the fundamentals of our economy are strong.(h/t Think Progress)Which brings to mind this erudite colloquy:(The President paces, is worried

Are YOU rich???

2008-08-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to tell when one has finally "made it" nowadays. There's some people that think that you need to be raking in $5 million a year (and not just have that net worth) to really be rich:On almost every issue, the two presidential candidates have staked out opposing positions. Their contrasting views on wealth surfaced during their back-to-back appearances in Southern California on

McSame doesn't know how many houses he has

2008-08-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

How many houses does McSame have? Only his hairdresser knows for sure: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own."I think — I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. "It's condominiums where — I'll have them get to you."Oh. Waiddaminnit. Even his hairdresser doesn't know:McCain's

Short and sweet

2008-08-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

This is worth reprinting in its entirety, just because it leaves you, as the late, great Molly Ivins would say, whomp-jawed with the audacity:The McCain campaign is road-testing a new argument in responding to Obama's criticism of his number-of-houses gaffe, an approach the McCain camp has never tried before: The houses gaffe doesn't matter because ... he was a POW! "This is a guy who lived in

Don't piss on me and tell me it's raining

2008-08-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

In the realm of political advertising, there's a hierarchy.Ads placed by the campaigns of the candidates are subject to the most severe scrutiny. They must be reported, and counted against the campaign limits (if such apply). Campaign donations that are used for such must be reported, and are limited in amount.PACs ("political action committees" were originally intended to circumvent the

What we're dealing with

2008-08-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

On the way to the heartland from the People's Republic of California, I went through Denver. Usually I get compliments on my T-shirts (I wear the politically oriented ones while traveling). In fact, I've had quite a few "nice T-shirt" comments from the TSA people even. But finally I got someone who was not thrilled by my apparel. I was wearing my T-shirt that said "1-20-2009: The End of an

Friday fishblogging

2008-08-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

There's "ugly" ... and then there's stuff so strange that it defies an appellation ... which might apply to the anti-Obama campaign ads and slime jobs.And yes, it does have fins that look like hands and feet...For reference, 2 views of a giant frogfish, Mabul island, Malaysia, July 2, 2008, Nikon D70s with twin Ikelite DS-125 strobes, 105mm F/2.8 D Nikkor macro lens, 1/25th @ F/16 [click pictures

Federalist Society star David Sentelle piles on....

2008-08-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

Adopting the Mukasey School of Law jurisprudence I noted in the post below, David Sentelle, proud Federalist Society luminary, continues the assault on the rule of law:Government employees who engage in questionable acts, such as abusing prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay facility or engaging in defamatory speech, cannot be held individually liable if they are carrying out official duties, the court

The sad state of education in civics

2008-08-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

Talking to the American Bar Association, Dubya consigliere-cum-"Attorney General" Mukasey explains his take on the way the law should work:In a speech today before the American Bar Association (ABA), Mukasey was more explicit in his rejection of any sort of review or prosecution, saying that the “negative publicity” they faced was enough: That does not mean, as some people have suggested, that

Friday fishblogging bonus!

2008-08-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

Another cutie!For reference, longspine lionfish, Sipadan island, Malaysia, July 2, 2008, Nikon D70s with twin Ikelite DS-125 strobes, 28-80mm F/3.3-5.6 G Nikkor lens, Focal Length: 75mm, 1/25th @ F/16 [click picture for larger image]Not so cute.For reference, mantis shrimp, Kapalai island, Malaysia, July 3, 2008, Nikon D70s with twin Ikelite DS-125 strobes, 28-80mm F/3.3-5.6 G Nikkor lens, Focal

Help needed: perspective on the Republican mind

2008-08-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

I just don't have the proper mindset of a potential McCain voter, so can anyone tell me:Will this help or hurt the McCain campaign:We're trying to find out a bit more about the Bikini Beauty Pageant at the Buffalo Chip, where John McCain showed up and offered up wife Cindy as a contestant. ESPN says the event is topless and "occasionally bottomless". Actually their description is worth quoting in

What's the matter with the Military Commissions Act: Part 1

2008-08-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

The first "military commission" is wrapping up in Guantánamo, with the trial of Salid Ahmed Hamdan.The trial concluded and went to the "jury". What kind of jury? Well, this kind:Six military jurors, who were handpicked by the Pentagon, began considering the case Monday after a two-week trial.Nice to be able to pick your own jury from amongst your own people....And who was on the jury?:One

Just to clarify usage: "whiny"....

2008-08-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

If an Obama ad complains that McSame has taken the low road in McSame's campaign commercials after McSame's minions have gone after Obama with falsehoods, that's "whiny".If McSame, just being left to suck his thumb while the press cover the trip that McSame dared Obama to take, complains that they're actually covering it and not covering his visits to restaurants in upstate Pennsylvania, that's

Why is this guy polling above 5%?!?!?

2008-07-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

John McSame demonstrates -- for all sapient creatures to see -- why he deserves this appellation [re: Iraq, courtesy of ThinkProgress]:We were greeted as liberators,” McCain insisted.These people are truly living in some parallel universe. Could they be prevailed upon to stay there, and not keep popping up here and making stoopid-like?

Let the sliming begin -- Part Dix

2008-07-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

As Obama has become the presumptive Democratic nominee, of course the RW foamers are concentrating their fire on him, and rehashing old slurs and making up new ones as they go.I really haven't had the time or resources to catalogue all the abuse, but:It was just a matter of time, of course, before they would recycle an old one from the Clinton era, and run with it (sadly explicated by Sadly, No!)

Friday fishblogging

2008-07-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Cuuuuuuuttteeeee.It's a Muppet fish!!!For reference, blacktip grouper, Mabul island, Malaysia, July 2, 2008, Nikon D70s with twin Ikelite DS-125 strobes, 105mm F/2.8 D Nikkor macro lens, 1/125th @ F/16 [click picture for larger image]

Hoist by his own petard

2008-07-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

You have to think that someone upstairs just doesn't like John McCain, and is trying -- in ever less subtle ways -- to tell him that.From ThinkProgress:In announcing his newfound support for offshore drilling, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) consistently touts the safety of offshore oil exploration. “[I]t’s safe enough these days that not even Hurricanes Katrina and Rita could cause significant spillage,

Our dysfunctional media

2008-07-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

From today's S.F. Chronicle, this revealing nugget from Beltway pundit E.J. Dionne: The Obama campaign is under no illusions about McCain's advantage in the polls as a would-be commander in chief. In the Washington Post-ABC News poll released last week, 72 percent said McCain knew enough about world affairs to be a good president, compared with only 56 percent for Obama. Head to head, McCain was

Once again, our "Attorney General" unclear on the concept

2008-07-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Dubya consiglier... -- umm, sorry, "Attorney General" -- Michael Mukasey wants Congress to 'fix' the adverse decision by the Supreme Court in Boumediene and pass a new law to reinstate the Dubya practises found wanting, which is to say, no court review of the maladministration's handling of detainees:[Mukasey]: “... uncertainty is not the only, or even the main, reason these issues should not be

The Clinton impeachment succeeded

2008-07-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

Thinking back on it, I can see that the Republicans, while they (or at least some of them) may have thought that their intended end wasn't achieved, in fact -- on the whole -- they gained quite a (albeit strategic) political victory with their failed impeachment of Clinton.Amongst other things, their Whitewater never-ending investigation and subsequent impeachment effort spelled the death-knell

Friday honeymoon bonus fishblogging

2008-07-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

Two pictures today, you lucky ducks!Found Nemo.For reference, clownfish (clown anemonefish), Sipadan island, Malaysia, July 1, 2008, Nikon D70s with twin Ikelite DS-125 strobes, 28-80mm F/3.3-5.6 G Nikkor lens, Focal Length: 34mm, 1/25th @ F/16 [click picture for larger image]And the pièce de résistance:One of the weirdest fish you'll ever see.For reference, ornate ghost pipefish, Kapalai island,

Thursday weddingblogging

2008-07-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

The weddingThe wedding party! Those are my two new step-daughters....Photos courtesy of my lovely bride Kristen's brother, John Metza(click photos for bigger picture)

Unclear on the concept....

2008-07-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

[posted from Chile]According to Prof. Marty Lederman over at Balkinization, Sen. Kit Bond needs some refresher courses in civics:"There is nothing to fear in the [new FISA] bill," says lead sponsor Senator Kit Bond, "unless you have Al Qaeda on your speed dial."I'm not talking to al Qaeda. So if you want to listen to my phone conversations, go and get a friggin' warrant!!! If I was talking to

The least dangerous branch

"Oh what a tangled web we weave...."

Exhibit A for who should NEVER be allowed to write legislation

Reading "Madison" in Washington, DC

How can you tell the Republicans have no clue ... much less a plan for anything?

"Birthers Gone Wild!" Videos only $20K

Joke: Q: How do you turn a Republican into a tree-hugging, baby-seal-cuddling, "Save the whales" simpering environmentalist?

We dodged a bullet

Faux Snooze explains it all

When libertarians meet racists

The "I know you are, but what am I?" school of politics

Chickenhawkus americanus

Or maybe we can just wait for Darwinism to be proved....

From the "Problems With Reality" Department

From the "WTF?" files

"I want my country back!!!"

When morons meet microphones....

Who voted from Obama?

Watch the language....

So when do the trials begin?

Uhhhh ... <*pssst*> ... Mr. Dionne....

Pot callng the kettle black...

Cows and barn doors....

Certain words just jump right off the page at you....

The latest conservative star in the N.Y. Times firmament

Putting the horse before the cart

Why does this need to be said?

Extra! Extra! Pot calls the china cup black!

Clarence Thomas opens up....

Deep thought....

Happy Birthday!!!

Richard Cohen: Clueless to the Nth degree

Defending the indefencible

John Galt's conundrum

CA Prop. 8 oral argument post-mortem

New strategies for the Republican caucus

"A stopped watch" and all that....

Limbaugh does the Republican Party a service

Negotiating with Republicans

BPMA

A warm welcome...

Justice Oprah

They were right!!!

"Just so you know how things work around here..."

Douglas Kmeic agrees with me

They're like robots hit by lightning...

While we await the change of administrations....

Monday morning quarterbacking, GOP style

Free at last, free at last....

We should have known....

InsHannity

A sign of things to come

The Gropinator talks

In case there was any question that racism is live and well....

The wheels are coming off the wingnuts' grocery carts....

UFO* sightings from Cloud-Cuckoo Land

"Sentence first -- verdict afterwards"

Where have we heard this before?

A silver lining

The House Republican "alternate" bailout plan

Knocking heads together

In times like these...

"I have a Bridge to Nowhere to sell you...."

What D-day says

Making things clear for all to see....

"I believe in treating mules gentle...."

Well, duh....

Happy Constitution Day!!!

Repeat over and over, and people will think you're a geenyus

The definition of "leaving you whomp-jawed"

Deep thought

Licking the boot that kicked you

"Witness tampering" and "obstruction of justice"

Palin's "creationism" is such 'yesterday's news'

Down the slippery slope

Steny Hoyer needs a brain transplant

"Above my pay grade"

Okay, I'm being unfair to McSame

Being there....

Are YOU rich???

Uhhhh ... <pssst> ... Mr. Dionne....