Thanks to all who have said they enjoy these pics, because I love them. Click to enlarge, via.
On a housekeeping note, You can always make a donation through the PayPal button to the right, and if you are thinking of buying anything from Amazon, if you use the links over to the right, just using one of those links to buy anything gets us a couple pennies a transaction.
By GottaLaff
First, Media Matters confirmed that the student was of legal age when he came to Jennings. Now, the group has a statement that really couldn’t be better for Jennings:
I had no sexual contact with anybody at the time, though I was entirely legally free to do so. I was a sixteen year-old going through something most of us have experienced: adolescence. I find it regrettable that the people who have the compassion and integrity to protect our nation’s students are themselves in need of protection from homophobic smear attacks. Were it not for Mr. Jennings’ courage and concern for my well-being at that time in my life, I doubt I’d be the proud gay man that I am today.
Love is never having to say your czar-ry. Go get 'em, Kevin!
By GottaLaff
Manless in NYC.
I couldn't resist, it's been that kind of day. Via Twitter:
By GottaLaff
Pfft! Come on. Who needs money when you're pregnant?
By GottaLaff
Murder/suicide, sadomachochism, potato/potahto:
Ezra Klein says it's hard to see Republicans making serious gains in next year's midterm elections because the Republican brand is still in serious trouble.Tomato/tomahto, pajamas/pajahmas:
"Politics is generally viewed as a zero-sum game: When one party gains, the other loses. But Republicans have pursued a strategy turning politics into a negative-sum game: Both parties lose. They have effectively harmed the Democrats' agenda but done so at great cost to their own favorability numbers."
In short, "the comparisons to 1994 are missing something important. In 1994, Republicans managed to obstruct Clinton's agenda in a way that effectively established them as an alternative. In 2009, they are battling Obama's agenda in a manner that's totally discrediting their party."
Ed Kilgore: "It's possible, and perhaps even probable, that the GOP strategy for 2010 is to create a political environment so toxic and voter-alienating that Republicans can win a very low turnout election by whipping their base into a genuine frenzy. That's obviously not a very good scenario for the country, and it remains to be seen if it's even good for the GOP."Let's call the whole thing off.
By GottaLaff
Elizabeth Edwards has finally had enough - she's threatened to divorce her cheating husband John and claim her share of their $53 million fortune!Wow! The Enquirer used exclamation points! That must mean this post is newsworthy and juicy and stuff! Watch for the next issue to feature Letterman! Wow!
The ENQUIRER has learned Elizabeth dropped the divorce bombshell after learning a former campaign aide is claiming Rielle Hunter, the mother of Edwards' love child, isn't the only woman he seduced on the campaign trail!
Furious at his betrayals, Elizabeth - still battling Stage 4 breast cancer - has vowed to destroy her husband of 32 years by disclosing everything she knows about his political career in divorce court, insiders say.
"Elizabeth had always sworn she wouldn't divorce John. But every person has a breaking point, and Elizabeth's friends believe she's reached hers," an insider told The ENQUIRER.
"Elizabeth made it clear to John that she will take him for everything he's got. She will divorce him and claim their $53 million fortune. [...]
"Elizabeth basically told John that if she found out that was true, she'd have to divorce him because then he'd be a 'serial cheater.'"
By GottaLaff
This isn't an either/or situation. I'm pretty sure Barbie feels that the two (presidency and spokesmodeling) are interchangeable.Sarah Palin is apparently looking for a cosmetics endorsement deal, trying to "capitalize on her 'lipstick on a pit bull' catchphrase."[...]
[I]f the rumor is true, it would indicate that Palin isn't serious about a 2012 campaign. A spokesman-turned-candidate? Not likely.
By GottaLaff
The numbers would be even worse but for the stimulus package. According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, the stimulus is saving or creating between 200,000 and 250,000 jobs a month. Without it, job losses in September would have been nearly twice what they actually were.Yeah, but Prez O lost out on the Olympics bid. What an utter failure.
By GottaLaff
The idea to allow the federal government to compete with private insurance companies via a so-called “public option” has been “shelved” in Congress, U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson said Friday. [...]
“For the moment, the public option is shelved,” said Nelson, who gave an update on health-care reform to a group of Nebraska doctors in Omaha.
Nelson and Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman spoke at a convention of the Nebraska Medical Association in downtown Omaha.
Heineman warned that a health care proposal wending its way through the Senate Finance Committee with Democratic support could prove expensive to states. A Republican, Heineman said the bill includes “millions” in unfunded mandates that would require Nebraska to either raise taxes or slash its budget.
“We'll only have two choices. You're going to get higher taxes or we're going to cut the budget,” Heineman said. “Plain and simple.”
Nelson, who is considered a pivotal vote in the Senate, said he would not support any bill until it was in its final form and he knew all of its particulars. [...]
Nelson said the cooperative idea is something he could support, although he made no commitment. Nelson's opposition to the public option was greeted warmly by many of the doctors in the room. Several said they questioned how the government could propose running a health care program, when it couldn't adequately fund Medicare, its current health care program for senior citizens. [...]
One doctor, however, did support the public option.
Dr. Victoria Maclin tried to persuade Nelson that a public option was needed to help cover the uninsured and the underinsured. “It's going to provide access to those people who can't afford insurance,” said Maclin, a fertility specialist in Omaha.
Nelson argued that a public option would be the beginning of the end of private insurance, as more and more people migrated to the cheaper government insurance plan.
And that would be bad because....?
By GottaLaff
ACORN SchmACORN, let's take a look back in time at what fraud really looked like:
 | ||
| Dear Laffy, The infamous voting machine manufacturer Diebold has decided to get out of the elections business. But that's where the good news ends. ES&S has been highly criticized for anti-competitive practices, such as drastically increasing their prices for services and upgrades. By buying Diebold, ES&S will maintain tight control over the equipment and software, and will be able to gouge local governments who have no alternative manufacturers to choose from. This market domination will create a dangerous monopoly, result in skyrocketing costs for running elections, and compromise security thanks to the minimal options for substandard equipment made available by a dwindling list of suppliers. Don't wait. Tell Justice Department to intervene in the Diebold sale immediately! |
Here's an Open Thread for you guys to drop anything interesting in. Nothing much going on today, Gotta's out and I have work to do, so let us know if anything catches your fancy out there in the intertubes. I really can't believe I missed The Twilight Zone's 50th birthday yesterday! I used to have all the titles of the episodes and a huge amount of trivia memorized about it, but most of them have slipped thru the sieve of old age. Sigh. (Check out this list of Who's Who that appeared on the show. Amazing.)
On a housekeeping note, You can always make a donation through the PayPal button to the right, and if you are thinking of buying anything from Amazon, if you use the links over to the right, just using one of those links to buy anything gets us a couple pennies a transaction.
By GottaLaff
By GottaLaff
One of the issues that Moore looks at is “dead peasants insurance,” where companies take out life insurance policies on their employees without their knowledge and then cash in when they die. Chicago Public Radio reports that Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) will introduce legislation that will curb the ability of employers to take out these insurance policies:Heroes beget heroes:Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Chicago) is raising a red flag. He chairs the U.S. House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.
This week Gutiérrez introduced a bill that would ban employer-owned life insurance unless the worker earns at least a million dollars a year from the company. He presented the legislation Wednesday on the House floor.
By GottaLaff
They're given license to lie and no one gives a shit.
The Republican National Committee has sent some Virginia voters a questionnaire suggesting that the president and Congressional Democrats want to expand welfare benefits with "no time, education or work requirements" and reinstitute the military draft -- while raising the budget deficit well beyond what is projected by nonpartisan experts.
(snip)
The survey, touching on an array of divisive topics, is accompanied by a letter from GOP chairman Michael S. Steele describing the items in the survey questions as "Obama's top priorities" and declaring, "I want you to know that the Republican Party is not dead."
Some of the 15 questions:
1. Do you agree with Barack Obama's budget plan that will lead to a $23.1 trillion deficit over the next ten years?3. Do you support amnesty for illegal immigrants?
4. Should English be the official language of the United States?
6. Are you in favor of expanded welfare benefits and unlimited eligibility (no time, education or work requirements) that Democrats are pushing to pass?
9. Do you support the creation of a national health insurance plan that would be administered by bureaucrats in Washington?13. Are you in favor of reinstituting the military draft, as Democrats in Congress have proposed?"
Surveys designed to persuade rather than survey are a common though dirty tactic in the political arena, the text equivalent of telephone push-polls. The sending of polls for fundraising purposes is also widely considered unethical, a practice known as "frugging" -- fundraising under the guise of research. In August, the RNC suggested in a similarly formatted "Future of American Health Care Survey" that "GOP voters might be discriminated against for medical treatment in a Democrat-imposed health care rationing system." Following on outcry from Democrats, a Republican Party spokesperson called that survey "inartfully worded."
With Bill, everything revolves around Franken. Vid via NewsHounds.
Another cold, dreary overcast day.
Tattoo Convention Thrives Despite the Recession
University of Florida deletes 'plans' for worst-case scenario: zombies
Montblanc's $24,600 pen honors Gandhi
Denver Library Helps People Check Out Energy Use
Don't let Blair become President of Europe, say Tories as Ireland votes 'yes' to Lisbon Treaty
How Billionaires Control Our Lives
New Policy Outlaws Bake Sales in City Schools
Soda tax could close states' budget gaps, health advocacy group says
Pic via Cat of course.
By GottaLaff
If video won't play, go here.
These patriots, they kill me with all their sincerity. Oh wait. It's not just me. It's the entire country they're killing:
The "leader" of the Rushpublic party sobs from his big ol' compassionate conservative heart... right on cue.We've known all along that Glenn Beck is a two-bit phony. Now we see how Glenn Beck gets himself properly weepy for the cameras: A little Vicks Vaporub.
One might dismiss this as merely a one-off for this shoot. But you can hear Beck himself say:
Beck: I think it's getting used to it -- my eyes are getting used to it.
By GottaLaff
By GottaLaff
After dealing with the aftermath of my series of posts on the "Should we kill Obama?" Facebook poll, we all deserved a breather from thoughts of assassination. No such luck.
A Twitter pal of mine, The Spin Killer, did a little sleuthing. The results, are once again, eye-popping:
Much more here, if you can stomach it.Facebook Photos: Photos can be posted to Facebook pages, but even here, there are veiled threats to the life of the President. One such photo displays a noose around the neck of the President while a member comment published under the photo says, “Oh, I wish!!!” This very same member posts in another location on Facebook that, “We really have to do something ourselves not to let this piece of shit win the election in 2012." And these photos are not necessarily hidden behind layers of webpages. One anti-Obama Facebook Group uses a photo of Obama’s head in gun crosshairs to represent their group in the widely used Facebook Group search index.The threats against President Obama’s life mentioned in this article aren’t the only ones on Facebook, nor are the threats limited to President Obama. There are threats posted against President Bush as well that have been on Facebook for quite some time.Ever since 9/11, the public has been told not just that terrorists utilize the Internet to secretly organize their attacks, but also that our intelligence has devoted substantial resources to uncovering terrorist dealings online. So it seems rather incredible that possible assassins can organize, promote, and discuss carrying out the assassination of the President of the United States right out in the open and for as long as they need to on the most popular networking website around without any investigation or safeguards in place whatsoever. If a blogger can find these threats in a mere matter of minutes, Facebook should be able to find these threats instantly, promptly remove them and then report them to the Secret Service. The fact that these threats were able to survive so publicly for months and months on Facebook is unacceptable. God forbid something ever happens to the President and it turns out that the simple clues to stop the tragedy had always been there for the viewing.
By GottaLaff
So this is what makes "patriotic" Rushpublic conservatives happy. Silly me. I thought they would have been more thrilled had America and the president, you know, succeeded:
A number of conservatives have spoken out against Obama's trip to Copenhagen this week, but participants at an Americans for Prosperity summit take their glee at Chicago's loss to another level, erupting in applause at the news. HotlinePlease read the post down thread by my 72-year-old pal. He has strong feelings about this, too.
By GottaLaff
My 23954239875th Grayson post today.
On Hardball Friday, Chris Matthews and Rep. Alan Grayson joined GOP-bashing forces, with Matthews warning that you can't call Republicans "Neanderthals" because they don't even believe in them. MSNBCHey, we finally got a decent spokesperson. I'll post 20 more today if he keeps this up.
By GottaLaff
There are 5 Blue Dog signatories: Boswell, Schiff, Thompson, Michaud and Harman.September 30, 2009
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer:
We write to reiterate our strong commitment to health insurance reform legislation that includes a robust public health insurance option that will provide greater choice and lower costs for American consumers by injecting much needed competition into the health insurance marketplace.
A critical goal of health care reform should be to lower costs for individuals, small businesses and the federal government. In 1980, the U.S. spent more than $250 billion, or 9 percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), on health care. In the decades since, that figure has grown to more than $2.2 trillion (16.2% of GDP). By 2018, it is expected to nearly double again to $4.3 trillion (20.3% of GDP). Also during this time, the American people have seen premiums more than double since 2000 while wages have stagnated. Our families and small businesses have paid the hidden costs -- to the tune of approximately $1,100 per family -- that are the result of subsidizing treatment of the uninsured. These facts underlie the need for the public option and health insurance coverage for all American as the best way to reform our inefficient and bloated health system, and reduce the burden placed on America's families, small businesses and the federal budget.
The public option is not a pathway to government-run health care for everyone, it is simply another choice for people who need health insurance. We fail to see any reason why we should not seek to increase Americans' health insurance options.
When weighed against other ideas, the public option remains the most effective tool to bring about competition, choice, efficiency, transparency and cost reduction in the marketplace. Thank you for considering our views and recognizing the need for a strong public option in any health reform legislation that comes to the House floor.
Sincerely,
1. Diana DeGette
2. Lois Capps
3. Chris Murphy
4. Jared Polis
5. Mary Jo Kilroy
6. Mark Schauer
7. Pal Tonko
8. Kurt Schrader
9. John Sarbanes
10. Betty Sutton
11. Ed Perlmutter
12. Kathy Castor
13. John Yarmuth
14. Peter Welch
15. Carol Shea-Porter
16. Joe Courtney
17. Steve Cohen
18. Joe Sestak
19. Jane Harman
20. Gene Green
21. Adam Schiff
22. Ed Markey
23. Steve Israel
24. Mike Michaud
25. Rush Holt
26. DavidWu27. Jay Inslee
28. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz
29. Neil Abercrombie
30. Steve Rothman
31. Mike Doyle
32. Jim Langevin
33. Charlie Gonzalez
34. Gregory Meeks
35. Doris Matsui
36. Nita Lowey
37. Gary Ackerman
38. Howard Berman
39. Patrick Kennedy
40. David Price
41. Anna Eshoo
42. Norm Dicks
43. Eliot Engel
44. Laura Richardson
45. G.K. Butterfield
46. Leonard Boswell
47. Mike Thompson
48. Martin Heinrich
49. Gerald Connolly
50. Dan Maffei
51. Judy Chu
If only there were signatures from 60+ Senators....
By GottaLaff
As the Digg User points out:Did you know that 29375912572952 Americans disapprove of President Obama, and only 3 approve? No? Then you don't watch ClusterFox.I had no idea things were this bad! I mean, our labor force is only 154 million, so that would put our unemployment rate at a whopping 97%. It would... if it were accurate.
By GottaLaff
Earlier in the week it was announced that President Obama would be going to Copenhagen to support Chicago’s bid for 2016 summer Olympics. Other heads of state were also going there to make presentations for their countries.Great thanks again for another timely, and very welcome piece, 42bkdodgr.
The Republican leadership immediately attacked the President for making the trip even though he would be out of the country less than 24 hours.
House Minority Leader John Boehner criticized the President for “going to go off to Copenhagen when we've got serious issues here at home that need to be debated." Republication National Committee Chairman Michael Steele also criticized the President along the same lines.
Many of the critics focused on Chicago being the President’s home town and not that this Olympic bid was for America.
After the Olympic Committee didn’t select Chicago for the 2016 Olympics the conservative media rejoiced that Chicago wasn’t selected and in Obama’s failure to do so.
Doesn’t the Republican leadership and the conservative media realize that securing the Olympics for Chicago and the United States, would have create thousands of jobs across America to prepare for and run the Olympics... while at the same time giving a boost to our tourism industry?
In these bad economic times what this country needs are jobs for the people and brighter future, yet the President was being criticized for trying to do that.
To revel in this country failure to get the 2016 Olympics and calling it Obama’s failure is like they were rooting for our country to fail; and these people call themselves patriots.
Can you imagine what the uproar would have been if Chicago didn’t get the Olympics and Obama had stayed home? I can assure you the cry would have been, why didn’t he go when other heads of states were there.
The Republican Party and conservatives media, time and time again, seem to be more interested in seeing Obama fail than what may be be best for the people and the country. Republicans show their only interest is regaining power.
By GottaLaff
I liveblogged this earlier. Here's the video:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
By GottaLaff
"Doing nothing solves nothing...They don't want this knuckle-dragging party that does nothing for anybody to be able to determine the course of America":
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
By GottaLaff
President Obama on Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid loss and on unemployment:
The Rushpublics consider America's loss a real victory. Isn't that patriotic?
By GottaLaff
It's just another Republican hissy fit.... Do they have to make it about me?Q: Will you vote for a bill without a public option?
I could have used different words, said it was a disaster for America, that over 1 million people have lost their lives since I was born... Words are not important, LIVES are....
We see the emperor has no clothes... it's been 72 hours since I said that. They've got NOTHIN'.
To Republicans: You can lead, you can follow, or get out of the way.
I will vote for any bill that saves lives and saves money. That's what this is all about.Plain spoken and tough. How refreshing.
American lost its bid for the Olympics... The Republicans are celebrating. Isn't that great.
Someone should remind me of which team they're really on.
By GottaLaff
By GottaLaff
"Free Choice Act" taken off the table. Baucus says it's "not the right thing to do."There's nothing in there to rein in Big Insurance.
"I am for choice: Private, public..."
"After the all-nighter... we're looking through the bill, there are provisions to reward plans that hold prices down, give good quality... At this point, the special interests, the insurance lobbies" [are winning]."
By GottaLaff
Wow! You know what this means, don't you?!
Nothing!
The Senate Ethics Committee is investigating Sen. John Ensign, and allegations of improper conduct stemming from an affair with the wife of a former aide."Whenever allegations of improper conduct are brought to the attention of the Senate Ethics Committee, we open a preliminary inquiry," committee spokeswoman Natalie Ravitz told CNN.
No. Thing. Or as Kent Jones of The Rachel Maddow Show says, "Weak!"
Because of the tight lipped nature of the ethics panel, it is unclear exactly what the Ethics Committee is probing. [...]
In July, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a left-leaning watchdog group, formally asked the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate potential violations of ethics rules. [...]
Senate GOP sources, who did not want to be quoted on the record about the Ensign controversy, said they worried the efforts described in the article appear to show that Ensign may have facilitated relationships and work for Hampton that violate a ban on lobbying for one year after a Senator or aide leaves office.
Well, okay, maybe a little something.... maybe.
By GottaLaff
Need some good news? Here's some now!
Obama receives broad approval from U.S. blacks and Hispanics, regardless of their religious affiliation; most of the variation in his support by religion is seen among non-Hispanic whites. Thus, it is instructive to look at the views of Obama by religion among the non-Hispanic white population.
"Importantly, the decline in approval of Obama among Jews since January is no greater than that seen among the general public."On this basis, Obama's strength with U.S. Jews relative to other religious groups is even greater. Two-thirds of white Jews (66%) approve of the job Obama is doing, compared with 44% of whites nationwide, 45% of white Catholics, and 37% of white Protestants. (The "Protestant" category includes both those who identify themselves as Protestants, and those who identify themselves as Christians but not Catholics.)
By GottaLaff
Couple all that up with the reality that Rushpublics don't have logic, ideas, or feasible solutions on their side. Americans are realizing that the Party of No is not healthy for the country, for families, or for individuals.Over the years, I have asked many politicians what happens when Limbaugh and his colleagues attack. The story is always the same. Hundreds of calls come in. The receptionists are miserable. But the numbers back home do not move. There is no effect on the favorability rating or the re-election prospects. In the media world, he is a giant. In the real world, he’s not.
But this is not merely a story of weakness. It is a story of resilience. For no matter how often their hollowness is exposed, the jocks still reweave the myth of their own power. They still ride the airwaves claiming to speak for millions. They still confuse listeners with voters. And they are aided in this endeavor by their enablers. They are enabled by cynical Democrats, who love to claim that Rush Limbaugh controls the G.O.P. They are enabled by lazy pundits who find it easier to argue with showmen than with people whose opinions are based on knowledge. They are enabled by the slightly educated snobs who believe that Glenn Beck really is the voice of Middle America.
So the myth returns. Just months after the election and the humiliation, everyone is again convinced that Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity and the rest possess real power. And the saddest thing is that even Republican politicians come to believe it. They mistake media for reality. They pre-emptively surrender to armies that don’t exist.
They pay more attention to Rush’s imaginary millions than to the real voters down the street. The Republican Party is unpopular because it’s more interested in pleasing Rush’s ghosts than actual people. The party is leaderless right now because nobody has the guts to step outside the rigid parameters enforced by the radio jocks and create a new party identity. The party is losing because it has adopted a radio entertainer’s niche-building strategy, while abandoning the politician’s coalition-building strategy.
The rise of Beck, Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and the rest has correlated almost perfectly with the decline of the G.O.P. But it’s not because the talk jocks have real power. It’s because they have illusory power, because Republicans hear the media mythology and fall for it every time.
By GottaLaff
Earlier Paddy posted about this, and now we have the video:
Steve Schmidt:
"But my honest view is that she would not be a winning candidate for the Republican Party in 2012, and in fact, were she the nominee, we could have a catastrophic election result."And she can't write or speak either!
By GottaLaff
OAKLAND, CA -- At its Triennial Convention in San Francisco on Friday, October 2, the Union of American Physicians & Dentists (UAPD), an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the AFL-CIO, will announce the results of an internal survey that shows that union doctors overwhelming support offering a public option as part of health care reform.
More than 80% of UAPD doctors consider some form of public health insurance to be the best plan for American health care.
In releasing the survey results, UAPD is calling on Congress to stand up to insurance industry opposition and include a robust public option in national health care reform legislation. Joining union leaders from UAPD and AFSCME on Friday will be Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, a long-time advocate for health care reform.
From San Francisco, the first and only city to offer universal health care through its Healthy San Francisco program, UAPD doctors will speak from their own experiences treating patients in a variety of clinical settings -- from their private practices to clinics, hospitals, and public institutions.
The doctors will also discuss their plans for action in concert with a new, nationwide campaign by AFL-CIO labor unions beginning this week. They will detail how providers will work to maximize their voice in the national debate before and after the passage of reform legislation.
By GottaLaff
Not Joe the Not Comedian:
He also hopes that Keith Olbermann will have a stroke. That would make him really happy.
Not Joe the Not Anything is also a Not compassionate conservative.
H/t: AMERICAblog
By GottaLaff
Perhaps the single most profound change in our political culture over the last 30 years has been the transformation of conservatism from a political movement, with all the limitations, hedges and forbearances of politics, into a kind of fundamentalist religious movement, with the absolute certainty of religious belief. [...]Please follow the link to read the rest.
The tea-baggers who hate President Obama with a fervor that is beyond politics; the fear-mongers who warn that Obama is another Hitler or Stalin; the wannabe storm troopers who brandish their guns and warn darkly of the president's demise; the cable and talk-radio blowhards who make a living out of demonizing Obama and tarring liberals as America-haters -- these people are not just exercising their rights within the political system. They honestly believe that the political system -- a system that elected Obama -- is broken and only can be fixed by substituting their certainty for the uncertainties of American politics.
As we are sadly discovering, this minority cannot be headed off, which is most likely why conservatism transmogrified from politics to a religion in the first place. [...]
Rationality won't work because their arguments are faith-based rather than evidence-based. Better message control won't work. Improved strategies won't work. Grass-roots organizing won't work. Nothing will work because you cannot convince religious fanatics of anything other than what they already believe, even if their religion is political dogma.
And therein lies the problem, not only for liberals but for mainstream conservatives who think of conservatism as an ideology, not an orthodoxy. You cannot beat religion with politics, which is why the extreme right "wins" so many battles. The fundamentalist political fanatics will always be more zealous than mainstream conservatives or liberals. They will always be louder, more adamant, more aggrieved, more threatening, more willing to do anything to win. Losing is inconceivable. For them, every battle is a crusade -- or a jihad -- a matter of good and evil.
There is something terrifying in this. The media have certainly been cowed; they treat intolerance as if it were legitimate political activity. So have many politicians, and not just the conservative ones who know that if they don't fall in line, they will be run over. This political fundamentalism has also invaded the general culture in deleterious ways. The ugly incivility of recent months is partly the result of political fundamentalists who have nothing but contempt for opposing viewpoints, which gives them license to shout down opponents or threaten them, just as jihadis everywhere do.
Those who oppose the religification of politics may think all they have to do is change tactics, but they are sadly, tragically mistaken. They can never win, because for the political fundamentalists, this isn't political jousting, this is Armageddon.
With stakes like that, they will not lose, and there is nothing democrats -- small 'd' and capital "D" -- can do about it.
"I think that she has talents, but my honest view is that she would not be a winning candidate for the Republican candidate in 2012, and in fact, were she to be the nominee, we would have a catastrophic election result."
-- Former McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt, quoted by Marc Ambinder, on Sarah Palin's electoral prospects in 2012.
I was thinking we were headed into the double digits today.
WASHINGTON -- Employers eliminated more jobs than expected last month as the unemployment rate climbed to 9.8%, another sign that a rapid recovery in the labor market is unlikely.
Nonfarm payrolls declined by 263,000 in September, the Labor Department said Friday, noting that the largest job losses were in construction, manufacturing, retail trade and government. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires survey had expected a 175,000 decrease.
I got nothing. Too cold, too rainy and cloudy.
So practical, but such a hoot: Bra converts to 2 gas masks
Texas judge clears way for gay divorce
Report shows rise in drug access for teens at home
USA TODAY: Recession's unemployment takes bigger toll on singles Singles have been hit harder in this recession than married folks, losing jobs at more than a 50% higher rate.
Secession movement goes beyond Texas
Sunlight Foundation’s list of rushed legislation in 2009
Teller couldn't read robber's note
Washington Post: White House Eyeing Narrower War Effort
Senior White House officials have begun to make the case for a policy shift in Afghanistan that would send few, if any, new combat troops to the country and instead focus on faster military training of Afghan forces, continued assassinations of al-Qaeda leaders and support for the government of neighboring Pakistan in its fight against the Taliban.
By GottaLaff
We got Iran to reduce enriched uranium stockpile by 75%. During Bush's 8 years of ignoring Iran, they had 8 years in which to stock up.... It's always better to talk than not.Iran is now saying it will cooperate with inspectors.
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