Image Credit & Copyright: R Jay Gabany (Blackbird Obs.), Collaboration: David Martinez-Delgado (MPIA, IAC), et al.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Astronomy and Overnight Thread
Image Credit & Copyright: R Jay Gabany (Blackbird Obs.), Collaboration: David Martinez-Delgado (MPIA, IAC), et al.
Frank Rich: Welcome to Confederate History Month
By GottaLaff
(Via Barry Blitt)Because no tape has surfaced of anyone yelling racial slurs at the civil rights icon and Georgia Congressman John Lewis, it’s now a blogosphere “fact” that Lewis is a liar and the “lamestream media” concocted the entire incident. The same camp maintains as well that the spit landing on the Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver was inadvertent spillover saliva from an over-frothing screamer — spittle, not spit, as it were. True, there is video evidence of the homophobic venom directed at Barney Frank — but, hey, Frank is white, so no racism there! [...]
And surely it is outrageous for anyone to argue that conservative leaders are enabling such extremism by remaining silent or egging it on with cries of “Reload!” to pander to the Tea Party-Glenn Beck base. As Beck has said, it’s Obama who is the real racist. [...]
[T]he new Republican governor of Virginia, Robert McDonnell, had issued a state proclamation celebrating April as Confederate History Month. [...]
Whatever their number, those who are threatened and enraged by the new Obama order are volatile. Conservative politicians are taking a walk on the wild side by coddling and encouraging them, whatever the short-term political gain. [...]
It’s not happenstance that officials from the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Virginia and Mississippi have argued, as one said this month, that the Confederate Army had been “fighting for the same things that people in the Tea Party are fighting for.” Obama opposition increasingly comes wrapped in the racial code that McDonnell revived in endorsing Confederate History Month. [...]
This is the same ideology that animated Timothy McVeigh, whose strike against the tyrannical federal government will reach its 15th anniversary on Monday in the same city where the Oklahoma Legislature meets.
Much more here.
News Alert: Gates Says U.S. Lacks Strategy to Curb Iran's Nuclear Drive
By GottaLaff
Via an e-mail alert from the N.Y. Times:
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has warned in a secret
three-page memorandum to top White House officials that the
United States does not have an effective long-range policy
for dealing with Iran's steady progress toward nuclear
capability, according to government officials familiar with
the document.
Several officials said the memo touched off an intense effort
inside the Pentagon, the White House and the intelligence
agencies to develop new options for President Obama. They
include a revised set of military alternatives, still under
development, to be considered should diplomacy and sanctions
fail to force Iran to change course.
One official called this a "wake up call," but the White House denied that, saying they've been planning for all kinds of outcomes for some time now.
The Sunday talk shows should be a real hoot, don't you think? Buckle up, we're in for yet another bumpy ride in the GOP gasbag gas-guzzling machine. Tune in early and you'll be treated to bellowing about our complete lack of national security, a foreign policy, and Obama's ineptness.
Oh, and no doubt we'll hear another refrain of this:
Please read the whole article here.
VIDEO: Tea Baggers turn on one of their own for dissing Sarah Palin
By GottaLaff
This is yummier than yummy. On April 15, he Tea Tantrumers threw a Tea Tantrum because a speaker dared-- dared!-- to smack down Quitty McHalfGov.
"Please do not vote for Sarah Palin," said the naive speaker to a crowd of Palinbots.
Enjoy... and make sure to watch from about 3:10 until the very end, when the host sings "Kumbaya".
No, I'm not kidding:
Speaker: "You're gonna pull me off because I'm talking about Sarah Palin? Then you're the problem. .... I'm a punk? Because I'm talking about Sarah Palin?
Crowd member: "She's more of a man than you are."
Speaker: "You're the problem, sir!... You're an old senile fart, so back off!... Sarah Palin is a Republican and she's a part of the system. She couldn't even finish her time as governor of Alaska."
Around that time, a crowd member holds a big sign up to the speaker that reads, "Infil-traitor".
Speaker: "This is not the Sarah Palin movement, is it!?"
Apparently so. And what an ugly, splintered, unruly movement it is.
How's that free speechy thing workin' out for ya?
H/t: Coopster04
VIDEO: Introducing the founder of "The Right Network"
By GottaLaff
(click on all images to enlarge)I did a little digging with the help of Twitter pal JamieHarbor, and thought I'd introduce you to its founder, David "We need new program ideas" Jaget:
Here he is on Twitter:
Apparently, he's really into getting thousands of free Twitter followers... or he's oblivious to having been hacked.
Jaget mentions that he is proud to be Jewish in his Twitter bio, here at a rally in D.C. (at 1:59), and in the following video of his appearance in Lansing, Michigan. I'm not sure why he feels it necessary to emphasize that, but, well, he does:
And here he is in Wisconsin, once again, drumming up business for his new venture with Comcast, and using others to further his mission:
And finally, here's documentation of a rather modest donation to Rudy Giuliani:
Jaget mentions that he is proud to be Jewish in his Twitter bio, here at a rally in D.C. (at 1:59), and in the following video of his appearance in Lansing, Michigan. I'm not sure why he feels it necessary to emphasize that, but, well, he does:
And here he is in Wisconsin, once again, drumming up business for his new venture with Comcast, and using others to further his mission:
And finally, here's documentation of a rather modest donation to Rudy Giuliani:
It's comforting to know David, his BFF Kelsey Grammer, and Comcast are doing everything they can to "protect this country against Liberalism."
Time to switch your cable provider, if you haven't already.
UPDATE: Seems he may be a Las Vegas chiropractor who's trying to sell an $800,000 home. Or not. But if not, there are two David Jagets living in Vegas (his Facebook page references Las Vegas as his "current city"):
Looks like they were going for the Voyeur club look.
UPDATE: Comcast denies any involvement.
Time to switch your cable provider, if you haven't already.
UPDATE: Seems he may be a Las Vegas chiropractor who's trying to sell an $800,000 home. Or not. But if not, there are two David Jagets living in Vegas (his Facebook page references Las Vegas as his "current city"):
Dr. David Jaget and Laura Jaget have listed for sale a five-bedroom, 3.5-bath home at [xxxx xxxxxxxx Dr.] in Las Vegas for $799,900.Some digs:
Dr. Jaget bought the property for $395,000 in Dec. 2000. The 3,315-square-foot house was built in 1995.
Frank Napoli of Prudential Americana Group Realtors is the listing agent for the property.
Dr. Jaget is a Las Vegas-based chiropractor and owner at Spinal Rehabilitation Center.
Mrs. Jaget is the co-owner of Spinal Rehabilitation Center.
Looks like they were going for the Voyeur club look.UPDATE: Comcast denies any involvement.
George Washington owes $300,000 in library late fees
By GottaLaff
The Father of Our Country stiffed a public library? What kind of example will this set for the kiddies? First he chops down a cherry tree, now this?
What next, we find out his teeth were his own and he hated wigs? What's happening to this great country of ours?! Say it ain't so!
Oh no. I just had a thought. The Tea Baggers. Just think of the chopped liver they'll make with this:
A New York library is pretty sure that long-deceased President George Washington owes about $300,000 in late fees.
Staff at the New York Society Library discovered papers recently that showed Washington in 1789 borrowed the 12th volume of the "Commons Debates" and a copy of "Law of Nations," yet never returned either tome.
Next thing you know, we'll see signs at Tea Tantrum rallies that say, "Washington's team didn't pay fines! Why should we?
CIA Operated Second Taping System at Black Site Prison
By GottaLaff
(Illustration: Jared Rodriguez / t r u t h o u t)My dear friend and ace reporter Jason Leopold has done some great reporting, and has graciously allowed me to cross-post a few excerpts. Please read his whole piece here.
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has launched an investigation into the brutal torture of Abu Zubaydah, the "high-value" detainee captured in March 2002 that the Bush administration wrongly claimed was one of the planners of 9/11 and a top al-Qaeda operative, according to several Capitol Hill sources.
The investigation of Zubaydah, who was tortured at a secret black site prison in Thailand, will be conducted alongside the committee's ongoing probe of the Bush administration's interrogation and detention policies.
The panel will pour over thousands of pages of highly classified documents related to Zubaydah's detention and torture to determine, among other things, whether the techniques he was subjected to was accurately reflected in CIA cable traffic sent back to Langley, whether he ever provided actionable intelligence to his torturers, and how the CIA and other government agencies came to rely on flawed intelligence that led the Bush administration to classify him as the No. 3 person in al-Qaeda and its first high-value detainee, Hill sources said. [...]
"It was a very partisan group," Mickum said about the briefing. "Republicans had their agenda and they were not very interested in hearing the facts of the case. I told them what my views were on the case. I'm delighted [the committee] has decided to take a hard look at the case now." [...]
Meanwhile, highly placed intelligence sources directly knowledgeable about Zubaydah's torture said some of the interrogation sessions captured on at least 90 videotapes between April and August 2002 showed Zubaydah being subjected to torture methods not approved by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). [...]
The OLC did not approve the use of water dousing as an interrogation technique until August 2004. [...]
[F]ive intelligence sources said in interviews conducted over the past month that they were aware of a second taping system that was set up at the black site prison in Thaliand--possibly one they said was installed by an outside contractor--which captured Zubaydah's torture sessions that were stored on computers and separate hard drives.
There's more, including how this ties in to Yoo's torture memos. Go.
****
All my previous posts on this subject matter can be found here; That link includes one specific to only Fayiz al-Kandari's story here.
Here are audio and video interviews with Lt. Col. Wingard, one by David Shuster, one by Ana Marie Cox, and more. My guest commentary at BuzzFlash is here.
Lt. Col. Barry Wingard is a military attorney who represents Fayiz Al-Kandari in the Military Commission process and in no way represents the opinions of his home state. When not on active duty, Colonel Wingard is a public defender in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
If you are inclined to help rectify these injustices: Twitterers, use the hashtag #FreeFayiz. We have organized a team to get these stories out. If you are interested in helping Fayiz out, e-mail me at The Political Carnival, address in sidebar to the right; or tweet me at @GottaLaff.
If you'd like to see other ways you can take action, go here and scroll down to the end of the article.
Then read Jane Mayer's book The Dark Side. You'll have a much greater understanding of why I post endlessly about this, and why I'm all over the CIA deception issues, too.
More of Fayiz's story here, at Answers.com.Rick Perry won't run for president or vice president
By GottaLaff
Rick Perry swearstogod he's not running in 2012, but I smell a loophole. Tell me if, in the following, you see any mention of his hair not running:
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) tells Newsweek there's no chance he'll run for President in 2012.
Newsweek: Everybody wants to know about your plans for 2012. Are you considering running and would you consider it?
Perry: No and no.
Newsweek: You are not considering running for president. You will not run for president.
Perry: That's correct.
Newsweek: Under any circumstances?
Perry: That's correct.
Newsweek: Vice president? Would you be willing to consider that?
Perry: No. I don't care about going to Washington, D.C.
Ohhh, we're on to you, Ricky. He's just saying that because he knows D.C. won't secede. He can't make 'em, he can't sweet talk 'em, and they don't want him. Texas can keep him.
Rick Perry: Most likely to secede, least likely to succeed, very likely to suck.
That was via Taegan, who has more.
Robert Gibbs: Volcanic ash causes president to cancel trip to Poland
By GottaLaff
Via a Tweet just now, re: the funeral of Poland's president:
@PressSec: POTUS just called acting Pres Komorowski to say that volcanic ash will prevent him from traveling to Poland - stmt coming shortly...Ed Henry tweets:
POTUS called acting Polish President Komorowski to express his continued condolences, according to Gibbs
VIDEO: Employment Non-Discrimination Act Will Allow VA To Molest Disabled Veterans
By GottaLaff
Andrea Lafferty and Matt Barber during a break out session at the Freedom Federation's "Awakening" conference:
Turn up the volume on your computer, the sound is very low. First, however, grab some Pepto and/or a receptacle.
These people are sick, wildly ignorant, and riddled by fear. They clearly need validation, or they wouldn't feel the need to push their utterly abhorrent message to anyone who will listen.
I don't know whether to cry, bang my head against the wall, or gag:
The Friday afternoon session of the Freedom Federation's "Awakening" conference has been dedicated to dozens of different breakout sessions, including one on "The LGBT Agenda" featuring Rena Lindevaldsen and Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel/Liberty University and Andrea Lafferty of the Traditional Values Coalition. [...]
The clip begin as Lafferty is discussing her claim that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would "normalize the Dirty 30" - TVC's list of 30+ things like pedophilia, prostitution, bestiality, and cross-dressing that the group claims would be protected if ENDA passes.
Transcript here. It includes golden oldies like:
"You can be aroused by stumps of amputees."
And who can forget...
"Fecal matter. Their involvement with fecal matter. Or urine. Transvestism. The list goes on, I'm not naming all of them. Children. Animals. And so we really need to draw a line in the sand."
...and everyone's all-time fave:
"We're not saying "you're a deviant." We're saying "your sexual behavior is deviant."
Who doesn't remember that one?
To order your copy of "Homophobes' Greatest Hits", dial 1-800-BIGOT. Be one of the first 100 to call in and you'll receive the brand new bonus CD featuring Rena Lindevaldsen and Matt Barber singing their soon-to-be classic duet, "Porn in the U.S.A.".
Call now!
Quickie: Finally...Senate to Work Through Backlog of Nominees
By GottaLaff
Today's Quickie:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in the coming week wants to clear the backlog of executive and judicial nominees, beginning with a procedural vote Monday night on the nomination of Lael Brainard for an undersecretary position at the Treasury Department.
Gee, that didn't take long. Please note the sarcasm.
Meanwhile, all those nice, well-meaning, wise, evenhanded, fair-minded, eager-to-please, non-activist BushCo judges and other operatives are still in place. Good for them!
I can't wait to see how many nominees will be blocked this time around! Democracy in action.
That was today's Quickie. Will you still respect me in the morning?
VIDEO- Tea Bagger: "Dip them in boiling water, nothing better than a dead liberal"- including Obama
By GottaLaff
Via one of my Twitter pals, EZKool:
The first interviewee is a Beckbot. The next one wants liberals boiled to death.
Nah, Tea Tantrumers aren't psychos at all. Just one big, touchy-feely, grassrootsy, values-lovin', tax-hatin', Beck-grovelin' family:
kpominville — April 17, 2009 — Despite the fact 95% of Americans just received the largest tax cut in American history, a parade of the easily manipulated gathered in St Clair Shores, Michigan on Wednesday because the crybaby pundit Glen Beck told them to.
The first woman was holding a sign that read: "Honk if you support the constitution" so I stopped and asked her exactly what she thought was threatening the constitution."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04...
Imagine if these people got their wish and shoehorned their candidates of choice into the White House and Congress. I wonder how they'd feel once they realized they were being used and discarded like the naive trash that they are.
By the way, when will the media begin to refer to the sickest among the Tea Baggers as terrorists?
H/t: 1kecko
Crashing the 'tea party'
By GottaLaff
Tim Rutten has a column in today's L.A. Times in which he cites the latest New York Times/CBS poll. He provides the actual numbers in the article.
He also reveals the Tea Baggers for who they are: "Angry white males" who are screaming their rage at federal programs they support and who are aiding and abetting Republican politicians and consultants.
How's that fakey grassrootsy thing workin' out for ya?
As it turns out, fewer than 1 in 5 Americans "supports" the tea party movement in any respect, and just 4% of all adult Americans have contributed to it or attended one of its events or both. (On any given day, you probably could drum up twice as many people who think the Pentagon is hiding dead aliens in Area 51.)
There's your million white man march, ClusterFox.
They're the "angry white males" we've been reading about since political strategist-turned-analyst Kevin Phillips first identified them as an electoral presence during Richard Nixon's successful presidential campaign in 1968. [...]
They aren't, however, implacable foes of "big government" or even of taxes.
They are, however, foes of the black man in the White House.
What the movement really amounts to is old wine in new skins, a re-branding of the old-fashioned angry white male in a camera-ready package tailored to the demands of the 24-hour cable news cycle.
That's something BendyStraw McMoneyBags and Sean Hannity are all too familiar with.
By staging rallies on April 15, and particularly in Washington, the tea party's strategists made themselves and their speakers the center of cable news coverage. This was true despite the fact that, as the poll demonstrates, a majority of the movement's supporters think their taxes are fair.
Why, that would make them hypocrites!
[T]he public packaging of the tea party movement -- and particularly events that win it TV airtime, like cross-country bus tours, rallies and ads -- is mainly the product of California Republican political consultants, foremost among them the Sacramento-based firm of Russo Marsh and Rogers.
Why that would make them hypocrites who have been duped, used, and will soon be tossed out like used Palin water bottles!
It's good to see that all the creeping socialism in the nation hasn't silenced traditional voices, like those of the angry white male, nor wrung the profit motive from our politics.
And that's the way it (really) is.
Obamas to vacation in North Carolina
It'll be fun to see how they spin North Carolina into some commie lovin' fascist state. Oooh, after a quick googling I find that NC has a Democratic Governor & LT Gov, so obviously the President is playing favorites. There, I did Hannity's job for him and now I expect a check.
Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama is taking his family on a mini-vacation to Asheville, North Carolina, next weekend, the White House confirmed in a statement.
Obama had been planning to take his wife and two daughters on an official trip to Indonesia and Australia late last month that coincided with spring break for Sasha and Malia.
But the trip was scrapped because the health care debate kept the President pinned down in Washington, so First Lady Michelle Obama took the girls to New York for a few days instead. The entire family has not had a vacation together since the holidays in Hawaii.
Obama, who will vacation in Western North Carolina from Friday until Sunday, has sweet memories of the state dating back to the 2008 campaign.
Grounding of planes across Europe 'could lead to rise in temperatures'
Wow, talk about everything having an impact. The study is here.
Temperatures in Europe could rise as a result of planes being grounded across the continent, according to research.
A study conducted after commercial flights were grounded for three days following the September 11 terror attacks found the average daily temperature range in the U.S. rose markedly - exceeding the three-day periods before and after by 1.8c.
Scientists claimed this showed that clouds formed by the water vapour in the exhaust from jet planes have a small but significant effect on daily temperatures.
(snip)
The team behind the 2002 research, from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, compared the average daily high and low temperatures over North America from 11 to 14 September 2001, with climatic records from 1977 to 2000.
They matched the weather over those three days with similar weather in September over that period, and found that the difference in daily high and nightly low temperatures in the absence of planes' contrails was more than 1c greater.
The researchers said that in regions with crowded skies, the clouds formed by the planes' water vapour worked like cirrus clouds to prevent days from getting too hot and trapping the Earth's heat at night.
Video- Wallace calls Obama tea party comments "height of condescension," cites dubious GOP stats to call his comments "not true"
This is their straight news guy, reading off the GOP Talking Points Memo. Yeah.
Saturday Links
The weather here is schizophrenic.
Dad, sons report recovery of first pieces of meteor
Meditation may sharpen brain cognition
Marathon motivation differs between sexes, study says
$3 hand-powered suction device quickly heals wounds
Letter sent to French town in 1790 finally arrives at its correct destination 220 years later
Nose-dwelling leech
British trans fat ban may cut 7,000 deaths
Online Coupons Know a Lot About You, and They Tell
Friday, April 16, 2010
Video- President Obama Signs the America's Great Outdoors Memorandum
'Cause I had no idea what the hell this was, but now I like very much.
President Obama launched the America's Great Outdoors initiative Friday, an attempt to reshape U.S. conservation policy at a time when the nation is facing new environmental threats but the government is hard-pressed to afford new spending programs.
In a brief speech at the Interior Department, Obama said he intends to build on "a breathtaking legacy of conservation that still enhances our lives." He said the tradition began with Theodore Roosevelt, whom he described as "one of my favorite presidents," although he added, "I will probably never shoot a bear."
Obama said the nation's growing population, pollution and other factors are "putting a rising strain on our lands." He said government cannot address conservation issues alone, and he urged private industry, local communities, Native American leaders and volunteers to help protect the outdoors.
(snip)
Obama signed a memorandum sketching out broad goals that the administration hopes to pursue in the next few years: forming coalitions with state and local governments and the private sector; encouraging outdoor recreation by Americans; connecting wildlife migration corridors; and encouraging the sustainable use of private land.
Bring the kids! White supremacist rally in L.A.
By GottaLaff
The L.A. weather will been nice this Saturday, clear blue skies, mid-sixties, a perfectly lovely day for an outing with the kiddies.
Don't forget to bring your hoods!
The LAPD is planning a large deployment of officers for a planned white supremacist rally at Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday, which will be met by more than a hundred counter-protesters.
The National Socialist Movement will be there, too! Won't that be fun? Why, teaching the young 'uns to rumble could be educational! I just adore an instructive outing, especially in my home town.
The LAPD is bringing in specially trained crowd control officers and plans to create a buffer if necessary to prevent any violence between the groups.
Nothing says family fun like spending a beautiful spring afternoon with white supremacists. Enjoy your weekend!
Actor Danny Glover arrested in protest
By GottaLaff
(Jacquelyn Martin - AP)Danny Glover stepped past the dreaded yellow tape. That got him cuffed.
Okay, he did it thrice. And yes, I just wanted to say "thrice".
He and 11 other tape-steppers were arrested during a labor union protest at a Maryland food service company:
The Service Employees International Union was protesting what it calls Sodexo's unfair and illegal treatment of workers. Sodexo says the union was spreading misinformation.
The consequences: Pay $1000 or do 90 days.
That rebel.
Hey, remember unions?
Roger Ailes, Fox Execs Still Furious At Hannity
By GottaLaff
It's with a heavy heart that I must report on the disappointment ClusterFox has expressed in one of their biggest stars, Sean Hannity. He and his ego have gotten themselves into a pickle, and there could be major repercussions. I'm saddened. I'm speechless. I'm...
... kidding! I am so loving this!
Sean and his ego forgot to tell the Big ClusterBoss that they were using their little Tea Bagger Sean Show to sell tickets for and to benefit... the Tea Baggers. Oops.
Now Roger Ailes, the Mother Foxer himself, is not amused. Check that. He's pissed. It's not nice to blindside your boss:
This afternoon, conservative commentator Debbie Schlussel wrote a lengthy blog post about the behind-the-scenes trouble Hannity and staff had gotten themselves into over the incident (via Johnny Dollar). [...]
[...]You have to read between the lines on the LA Times Hannity story and know the background. The order to cancel Hannity’s Tea Party broadcast came from FOX News Chairman Roger Ailes, not Senior Vice President Bill Shine–a shameless Hannity toady.
Schlussel closes with, “Yes, the once-hot FOX News property, Sean Hannity, is not only self-destructing, he’s proving to be a liability and a headache not worth the male diva prima donna act,” and continues to speculate about Hannity losing his timeslot. That’s overstating matters a bit.
The article goes on to say that Sean and his ego weren't just in this for his Tee Vee show. Nope,
it was also to self-serve giant helpings of "Looka-me, I got a radio show, a book, and I'm on Twitter!"
This incident shows what can happen when major FNC personalities put their personal interests and side projects ahead of Fox News. As FNC grows into the unmatched powerhouse it has become, so too have their big stars become that much bigger.
Maybe I should refer to him as Sean and his crushed ego.
On Countdown just now, Media Matters Guy Eric Burns thinks they'll all kiss and make up. $ounds about right.
More at Mediaite.
VIDEO: Bill Clinton warns against violent anti-government attitude
By GottaLaff
More leaders like Bill Clinton need to keep talking about this, exposing it, and condemning it. Where are the Republicans?
Oh, wait. I know. Tacitly, and not so tacitly, encouraging it. How's that shooty killy thing workin' out for ya, Bumpits McCrosshairs?
Don't like taxes? Kill someone. President's too ethnic for ya? Threaten. Don't like gay Congress members? Shout slurs. There are so many "isolated incidents" now that it's an undeniable fact: It's a mad mad mad mad country.
The unhinged have been unleashed:
(CNN) – Former President Bill Clinton said he sees parallels in the mood of the country now and on April 19, 1995, when the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City killed 168 people while he was in the White House.
"There's the same kind of economic and social upheaval now," the former president told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in an interview to air on Friday on "The Situation Room."
To see what Clinton had to say about Michele Bachmann, go here.
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad Country: Special Comment by my 72-year-old friend
By GottaLaff
My impassioned 72-year-old Twitter pal, who goes by the name 42bkdodgr, would like to share his feelings about the increasingly worrisome (read: scary) events of late. I am more than happy to oblige.
But first, a personal note from 42bkdodgr:
Many of you may wonder why I chose to use the “ 72 year old friend” as the introduction to my Special Comments. I selected the moniker so readers could see that from my age and life experiences I give a different perspective to the issues of today.
Now for his Special Comment:
Many thanks again for another thorough, relevant piece, 42bkdodgr. You often say what many of us are thinking and feeling, and we thank you for your unique perspective.It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad Country
The last time I had such fear about what might happen to this country was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. That fear came from dealings with a foreign entity, the current fear is coming from sources within the country, which is far worse and scarier.
For almost the past two years we have heard and have had events such as “ He isn’t one of us”, He is un-American”, “There are members of Congress who are un-American”, “Death Panels”; “no terrorist attacks under Bush administration”, “ I want my country back”, Mob Rule at Town Hall meetings, Tea Party rallies with hateful signs and banners, the re-writing of history, words of nullification and many more incendiary remarks and events.
But, when I think things can’t get any scarier or crazier, they do.
During the last couple of weeks we have seen the following:
* The Governor of Virginia, Robert McDonnell declare April to be Confederate History Month. In his proclamation, he made no mention of slavery as a being one of the causes for the Civil War.
This is like Germany declaring April is Third Reich History Month and omitting any reference to the Holocaust.
While Gov. McDonnell amended his proclamation to include the slavery issue, the damage was done. Once said, the intent of what was in the original proclamation said is hard to take back.
*On April 13th the Oklahoma Tea Party announced, with support from State Senator Randy Brogdon, the possibility of creating a volunteer militia to be used to oppose the federal government and to protect against any infringements of state sovereignty.
Sen. Brogdon has since taken back that the militia would be used to oppose the government, but now says it will be used as a state force to support the National Guard during emergencies.
Again what was originally stated and its initial intent is hard to take back or how Oklahomans may relate to it.
* On April 13th, the Arizona house of Representatives passed a tough immigration law. The bill is expected to be passed by the State Senate and signed by the Governor.
The law when enacted would allow police to question anyone without cause who they believe may be an illegal alien. Sounds like the start of a police state to me.
What next Arizona, require citizens to wear a badge on their clothing to identify whether they are a U.S. citizen, registered alien, or here on a work visas?
* On April 19th, “Restore the Constitution”, an open carry-firearms rally, will be held in Virginia. The Oath Keepers-- an organization I’ve written about before-- which is made up of police officers and military personnel, announced it is withdrawing from the rally because of the events confrontational stance against the government. Their withdrawal should give one a moment of concern of what possibly could happen.
When you take all these events into consideration, we are truly becoming a Mad Mad Mad Mad Country; but its not like the movie “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World”. In the movie there was mad car chase to find buried treasure, but what we have here is a mad chase to an abyss, from which this country will never get out of, should it ever fall into it.
The Republican leadership, (Boehner, Bachmann, and Palin) and the Right Wing Media ( Rush, Beck, Hannity, FOX News) let the teabagger genie out of the bottle and it's too late to be put back in. They all promoted the Teabaggers/Tea Party and they own it and are responsible for all the hate and violence that comes from it.
Its like the sign in a China Shop “ You broke it, you own it.”
Donny Deutsch to Anchor on MSNBC
Gaw. Deutsch just makes me grind my teeth ever since he bought off Mika's anger with a pair of expensive shoes and she gushed like an imbecile. Lord, I'm going to have to really start trying to appreciate talk radio... Or hope Shuster gets his CNN show soon.
Former CNBC host Donny Deutsch will be anchoring the 3pmET hour next week on MSNBC. Since David Shuster's suspension earlier this month MSNBC has had a revolving door of anchors at both 10amET and 3pmET and next week, Deutsch gets the slot.
Deutsch's CNBC show "The Big Idea" was shelved in Dec. 2008. He's been appearing as a guest on MSNBC since.
Blackwater busted
By GottaLaff
I'll provide details when I find them. For now:
Today is officially Bust the Bad Guys Day.
My Blackwater for Dummeez primer here.
UPDATE:
Federal prosecutors indicted Gary Jackson, who was president of Blackwater until last year, on Friday in a case that stemmed from a raid on Blackwater's North Carolina headquarters in 2008, which turned up 22 automatic weapons, including 17 Russian-made AK-47s.
Along with Jackson, the other Blackwater officials charged include the company's former lawyer, Andrew Howell, former vice president Bill Matthews and two employees tasked with overseeing Blackwater's armory and documentation having to so with its status as an arms dealer.
And yet the State Department still employs them. It's about time they Xe the light.
Here's an older post from 2008 about a few AK-47s that showed up in their armory.
VIDEO- Jon Stewart to Fox: "Go f*** yourselves"
By GottaLaff
Jon Stewart does the "news"...
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Tea America | ||||
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...as nobody else can.
Bill Clinton v. Michele Bachmann
By GottaLaff
The Big Dog growls at Michele:
"They are not gangsters. They were elected. They are not doing anything they were not elected to do."
-- Former President Bill Clinton, quoted by the New York Times, scolding Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) for calling the Obama administration and Democratic Congress as "the gangster government."
I'd reveal the kind of movement with which I identify Michele, but that would be so very unladylike.
Besides, making her the butt of my jokes is so five minutes ago. I'd make an ass of myself if I pushed that hard. My disdain is rearing its ugly head, so I'll refrain. Oh, poopy, I'm running a little behind, so I'll back off now.
Bottoms up!
The end.
Quickie: Obama Says He Supports D.C. Voting Rights
By GottaLaff
Today's Quickie:
President Barack Obama on Friday spoke for the first time in support of D.C. voting rights.
Wait, what? He's for voting rights? For people? Why, I bet that even includes gay people! The very idea...
That was today's Quickie. Was it good for you?
Another Twitter threat to Obama, Secret Service takes note
By GottaLaff
My Twitter pal IanDavidB called the Secret Service on this guy and they listened. The Boston office forwarded it to "The Internet Threat Desk", taking a particular interest in this tweet:
I took a screen grab of his page, just in case (click on image to enlarge, but first take a swig of something strong):
As you know, I continue to air this horrific stuff out, because I feel that ignoring it is allowing the miscreants way too much wiggle room. By exposing them, it allows the Secret Service to nail a few of them, and it calls them out for what they are: Racists, bigots, terrorists.
The level of hatred is unacceptable. The boldness with which some of these animals bear their fangs is downright scary. Whether they do it solely for attention, or because they are committed to their brand of toxic prejudicial sludge, it's out there and needs to stop.
And I repeat my demand for those in positions of leadership to stand up to them and condemn them publicly, on a daily basis, until we see this violently ugly trend ebb.
As President Clinton acknowledges:
“[L]egitimate” comparisons can be drawn between today's grassroots anger and resentment toward the government and the right-wing extremism that bubbled up prior to the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City 15 years ago.
Tea Baggers, take note. You wouldn't want another Oklahoma City on your resumes.
Is Meg Whitman trying to be the new Oprah?
By GottaLaff
Her own magazine? What next, her own cable channel? Who does Meg Whitman think she is, Oprah?
"Most Californians have seen Meg Whitman's TV commercials at least a few dozen times. They've heard the GOP gubernatorial candidate's radio ads more often than they've heard the Geico gecko," the San Jose Mercury News reports.
"And this week, nearly 500,000 Republican households across the state are getting free copies of Meg, the magazine."
Meg Mag. More like Meg Rag, including the regular feature, "How to Buy Your Way Into Office".
Isn't corporate wealth fun?
Maybe Meg will call hers "Shmo".
More at Taegan's place.
The End of an Error: Navy Restores Access to Fox Web Site
By GottaLaff
Talk about an emotional roller coaster, I just got finished posting ClusterFox's first breaking news alert, and now, minutes later, I got this one:
Members of the U.S. Navy were denied access to FoxNews.com for hours on Friday before service was finally restored shortly before noon ET, the Navy confirmed.
Cdr. Danny Hernandez, a Navy spokesman, said he was unable to offer an exact reason why access to Fox News' Web site had been blocked, but he said it most definitely was a technical issue.
"This was not a policy issue," Hernandez said.
Fox News received e-mails from Navy personnel around the world on Friday complaining that they could not gain access to the Web site. They said they were able to view numerous other news Web sites.
When they tried to access FoxNews.com, the following message appeared: "Access to this site has been denied in accordance with Navy policy to safeguard the security posture and/or to maintain the operational integrity of the NMCI [Navy Marine Corps Internet]."
Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.
And it should have been a policy issue. A big one. After all, the Navy's operational integrity is at stake.
VIDEO: Righties launching own network. Fox wasn't enough?
By GottaLaff
COMING THIS SUMMER to a Tee Vee Machine with bad reception near you!
Breitbart? In a promo that's supposed to draw viewers?
Kidding aside, Progressives need to do get their message out on a network of their own, as I opined the other day here and on Twitter. It's something many of us want, but nobody is funding yet, to our knowledge. Al Gore's Current TV is as close as we've come.
But this isn't just about news coverage, as you can see:
(click on image to enlarge)Click on the link to see more promos of what they promise us will be wacky zany wingy Tee Vee antics.
UPDATE: Clarification, via Will Bunch:
Great stuff, but you should know there's some separation between "Comcast Corp." and Snider's "Comcast-Spectacor". That is, Comcast sunk a lot of money into Snider's Spectacor, but he has a lot of independence -- here in Philly we see the two as very separate. Comcast Corp. -- despicable as they are -- has more ties to Democrats than the GOP, actually -- Corp.'s No. 3 used to be Rendell's top aide.
So noted. Thank you, Will!
UPDATE: Comcast denies any involvement.
H/t: JamieHarbor
Better late than never: Goldman Sachs busted
By GottaLaff
I'm trying to keep up with all the news today, but here's the scoop:
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. was charged with fraud Friday by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the structuring and marketing of a debt product tied to subprime mortgages.
About time.
I wonder who's next.
From the Dep't. of Good Taste: U.S. Navy blocks Fox!
By GottaLaff
UPDATE: It was a glitch, not a ditch.
Via an e-mail alert, so this is all I have:
U.S. Navy denied access to FoxNews.com
So I took a screen grab:
Security safeguards indeed!
More details when I stop laughing... which means, you'll get no more information for awhile.
VIDEO: BLUNT 18
By GottaLaff
Blunt is a lot like letters to the editor. YOUR take, short, to the point.
You have a voice, now use it.
This is one more way to be heard. We're grassrootsy like that.
(Click on image to enlarge)For more information about Blunt, follow this link. If you think a video file is too big to email, then go here and use YouSendIt.com.
Please include a name you'd like to use, and a "title", if any, in your e-mail, as you'll see in the video graphics.
Remember: Try to keep the videos at 20 seconds or under.
It's your turn. Go.
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