Don't Palin fans know they need to live up to their bumperstickers?

By GottaLaff

Celtic Diva nails it again. I'll give you a couple of excerpts, but go over to her place for some elaboration:

[M]y good friend (I'll call him "E") had called three times, which is unlike him. [...]

Nothing quite like being nearly sideswiped at 65mph with your child in the car!

The idiot woman with the "Choose Life" & "Palin 2012" bumper stickers on her BMW at least stopped her cellphone conversation long enough to flip me off after nearly slamming into me.

...no turn signal either, of course. [...]

The issue here isn't even that this woman made several bonehead moves on the road...we all screw up occasionally. The outrageous part of the story is that SHE put a 5-month-old and his father in danger by breaking the law and driving like a drunk woman. Then, SHE gave HIM the finger like it was HIS fault!

Preachy McFraudLips' devotees are following in the footsteps of their half-governor, all show and no go. What they lack are ghost writers and palm Sharpies.

Hyp. O. Crites.

GOP seeks to counter ABC healthcare programming

The special in question is here. When I read this I had a niggling memory of a law that we used to have? Something about opposing viewpoints on the public airwaves? Can't seem to remember what that was about...

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Republican National Committee is urging GOP members of Congress to take to the local airwaves next week to discuss their approach to healthcare reform in an effort to counter an ABC News primetime special featuring President Obama speaking on the issue.

The RNC is informing GOP congressional offices this morning that it will pay for and help schedule the interviews with local television reporters in their states and districts.

The RNC tells the Republican lawmakers it is taking this step because they said their request to be included in the special “was denied.”

Yeah, ABC was totally fair and balanced with that masterpiece of cinema, The Path To 9/11. Uh huh.

Republicans Reach Bottom Of Barrel, Keep Digging

This is the "ad" they put out in the fight against the Hate Crimes Bill aka The Matthew Shepard Act. You know, the one that Virginny Foxx is all aflutter over. What Pam said-

The fact is that during debate over this bill the GOP tried to add all sorts of demographic groups that also haven't been the target of hate crimes, like pregnant women, senior citizens, etc. in order to try to derail the legislation -- it didn't work. But you see, 2010 is coming up quickly and the party has no ideas to help out Congressional candidates.

Considering the party's history of enabling and even promoting the pedophiles, rapists, serial adulterers, and sexual predators in its midst, all while projecting piety, it would be refreshing to see the Republicans to actually try to win on the issues. However, this level of desperation shows that they don't think they can sell their ideas to anyone, so it's back to the tried-and-true, garden variety extremist scare-tactic, fear-and-smear lies.

Not one Republican vote

By GottaLaff

This is how Republicans reach out to a new president:

Not a single House Republican voted in favor of the stimulus bill.

It may well be the third inning of nine -- this is a Robert Gibbs analogy -- but it's Democrats who are crowding the plate.

That's the bipartisan spirit!

Smashing Republican Economic Talking Points 101 via Krugman

By GottaLaff

Paul Krugman obliterates the rightie spin. Here's a summary:

1.The Obama plan will cost $275,000 per job created

[T]hey take the cost of a plan over many years and look for jobs created in the first year. [Krugman]:

"The true cost per job of the Obama plan will probably be closer to $100,000 than $275,000 — and the net cost will be as little as $60,000 once you take into account the fact that a stronger economy means higher tax receipts."

2. Cutting taxes is better than government spending because taxpayers, not bureaucrats, are the best judges of how to spend their money.

[Krugman]:

"It’s clear that when it comes to economic stimulus, public spending provides much more bang for the buck than tax cuts — and therefore costs less per job created (see the previous fraudulent argument) — because a large fraction of any tax cut will simply be saved."

3. Barack Obama's chief economic adviser says monetary policy is better than fiscal policy in response to recessions. [...]

Dr. Krugman:

"It’s true that the normal response to recessions is interest-rate cuts from the Fed, not government spending. And that might be the best option right now, if it were available. But it isn’t, because we’re in a situation not seen since the 1930s: the interest rates the Fed controls are already effectively at zero."

Mr Krugman finishes saying that Republicans are throwing everything they have at Obama and hoping something will stick, and offering support to the new President over Obama's much reported "I won" statement to the GOP house representatives and asking the new President to stick with the plan.

Speaking of sticking, how about sticking it to these guys.

Republicans to Holder: "Promise not to prosecute BushCo, 'k?"

By GottaLaff

Can the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee be any more inappropriate?

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., a former U.S. attorney and former Rhode Island attorney general criticized Republican members of the committee for delaying a vote on Holder's nomination.

"Republicans on the Judiciary Committee have asked Eric Holder to make a commitment, before he is even confirmed, that he will not prosecute any Bush administration officials for their involvement in acts of torture during the last administration," Whitehouse said in a news release. "Anyone familiar with the criminal justice system -- especially those with experience as prosecutors or judges -- should know that a prosecutor should make no determination about who to prosecute before he or she has all the facts, and particularly not in response to legislative pressure."

Promise you won't bust the Bush Crime Family for breaking the law, committing war crimes and stuff like torturing and junk, 'k Eric? If you sweartogod you won't do that, we'll be your bff*.

The GOP has lost all sense of reality, utterly and completely. It's just one big delusional sack of mental illness now.

*best friends forever

Controversial CBO Report On Stimulus Turns Out Not To Exist

Is it too much to ask the media to just fraking tell the damn truth? If they quote a study or statistics, just ask them what study? Please?

Reports of a recent study by the Congressional Budget Office, showing that the vast majority of the money in the stimulus package won't be spent until after 2010, have Democrats on the defensive and the GOP calling for a pullback in wasteful spending.

Funny thing is, there is no such report.

"We did not issue any report, any analysis or any study," a CBO aide told the Huffington Post.

Palin's Pricey Duds Sit in RNC Trash Bags: Report

Unsubstantiated report right now, but if true, par for the course.

The tens of thousands of dollars worth of outfits bought for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) during the presidential campaign have yet to be donated to president as promised, according to a report.

Nearly $180,000 in clothing bought for the governor remains "stuffed in trash bags" at the Republican National Committee's (RNC) headquarters in Washington, according to a report by the conservative website NewMajority.com.

The clothes had become a campaign issue during Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential bid, prompting Palin, his vice presidential nominee, to promise to donate the clothes to charity, and not keep for personal use.

"The story is completely inaccurate, and does not merit further response," said an RNC official, who refused to elaborate or say whether or not the RNC still had possession of the clothes

Added- Oliver notes that New Majority is run by ex Bush 43 speechwriter David Frum.

Huckabee Takes Swipe at Palin

Catfight or Hick Off? 2012 is going to be fun. /apologizes to decent hicks.

Mike Huckabee (R), a likely Republican presidential candidate in 2012, took a shot at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), one of his possible rivals, in an Esquire interview.

Said Huckabee: "Now I must say I did not think that either the Charlie Gibson interview or the Katie Couric interviews were unfair. In fact, if anything, Katie Couric was extraordinarily gentle, even helpful. [Palin] just... I don't know what happened. I can't explain it. It was not a good interview. I'm being charitable."

House Repubicans Extend Olive Branch, because, see, Democrats didn't

By GottaLaff

First Orrin Hatch, and now this? What's ... happening...? Does... not... compute:

"House Republicans have invited President-elect Barack Obama to speak before the entire GOP conference, hoping to set a different tone to the partisan wars of the last two years in which congressional Democrats battled President Bush," the Washington Post reports.

Obama is expected to attend the House Democratic retreat in early February.

Oh, but it's the Dems who battled Georgie that caused all that animosity. Nothing the Republicans did was combative, like say, umm, oh, darn...what's that word again? Oh yeah: Filibuster. Yeah, nothing they did, nothing BushCo did, none of that created a toxic atmosphere at all.

And don't even start me on the Clinton years.

Bush: It might be 'fair' to say that 'Republicans don't like immigrants.'

Ya think?

Bond Not Running for Re-Election

Sucks to be in the waning minority, eh Kit?

Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) will not run for re-election in 2010, according to Politico, "giving Democrats a shot to pick up a seat in a state that has emerged as a major battleground."

"The announcement is a blow to Senate Republicans, who now will have at least four of their incumbents seeking retirement at the end of the session, a sign that 2010 could be another tough cycle for the weakened GOP minority. "

50-year-old war vet stunned by new deployment to Iraq

By GottaLaff

Think: What better place to look for potential soldiers in tip-top shape to fight a fraudulent war in Iraq... than AARP:

A veteran who has been out of the military for 15 years and recently received his AARP card was stunned when he received notice he will be deployed to Iraq.

The last time Paul Bandel, 50, saw combat was in the early 1990s during the Gulf War. [...]

In 1993, Bandel took the option of leaving the Army without retirement and never thought he would be called back to action."Here he's 50 years old, getting his AARP card, and here he's being redeployed with all these 18-year-olds," said Paul's wife, Linda Bandel.

Clint Eastwood, maybe, but Paul Bandel?

Involuntary recall allows the military, regardless of age or how long someone has been out of service, to order vets back into active duty.

Call it what it is: A draft.

"Anger's not the word. I was more concerned about the financial impact it's going to do. My pay's probably cut in half," said Paul Bandel.

There's that.

And there's also that whole "we're winning" thing that BushCo insists on bellowing whenever a camera focuses in on their pompous mugs. If we're such victors, why are they forcing 50-year-olds to fight a war we've supposedly won?

The last missile system the veteran was trained to operate is no longer used by the military.

Calls to the Army and the Pentagon about how many men and women in their 50s are being called back to duty were not returned Wednesday. Paul Bandel will be deployed overseas until 2010. His wife plans to move in with her elderly parents until his return.

The veteran is dusting off his old uniforms and torn between his duty to his country and obligations as a grandfather.

I'm sure they'll give him all the training he needs to dodge all those pesky IEDs. Think how physically fit he'll become! That should be of some comfort to his grandchildren.

Video here.

Republicans to flee DC for inauguration

Hmm, Republicans fleeing reminds me of something....

While millions descend on Washington for the historic inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, some Republicans see it as an occasion to get out of town.

Out of power on both ends of Pennsylvania Ave and mostly out of favor on K Street, many emasculated elephants** in the GOP herd will begin the Age of Obama with what amounts to an extended holiday vacation. Instead of fighting the quadrennial cold and what are expected to be record-setting crowds, they're heading out to greener pastures, with better temperatures, less hassle and more agreeable company.

(snip)

Greg Crist, a GOP lobbyist who was willing to be named, said that “I will be pondering the future of my party at a remote location, aided in the conversation by my friend Jack Daniels.”

**I will be using this line again.

It wouldn't be funny if someone called me 'Tamron Hall the magic negro anchor lady.'

Sigh. Some twatwaffles are saying this broohaha might help Saltsman. You go GOP!!! Vid via TP.

The GOP is destroying itself

Not content to minimize itself into a white, Southern, male party the GOP has been making noises about the upcoming stimulus package and Bush's loans to Detroit. Now they're taking it as far as they can-

EXCLUSIVE:

In what would amount to a slap in the face to a sitting Republican president and the party's Senate and House leaders, national GOP officials, including the vice chairman of the Republican National Committee, are sponsoring a resolution opposing the resort to "socialist" means to save capitalism.

"We can't be a party of small government, free markets and low taxes while supporting bailouts and nationalizing industries, which lead to big government, socialism and high taxes at the expense of individual liberty and freedoms," said Solomon Yue, a cosponsor of a resolution that would put the RNC -- the party's national governing body -- on the record as opposing the U.S. government bailouts of the financial and auto industries.

I hope the media treats this with the seriousness that it deserves. Instead of the rallying cry of "4 more years" we should change it to "The LAST 8 Years!" in honor of these twatwaffles.

Barney Frank: ‘I’m suffering from post-partisan depression.'

G-d bless Barney, I'm pretty sure he's right. It's the noble thing to try and be post partisan, but it has to go both ways and I don't see that happening. Via Think Progress.

VIDEO: Rove Will ‘Help Lead’ GOP’s Fight Against Eric Holder For Attorney General

By GottaLaff

Chris Matthews' show: Washington Post reporter Ceci Connolly

How many more days until January 20, again?

On Friday, Senate Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy (D-VT) released a statement noting that the Republicans initially praised Holder, but now seem to be taking their marching orders from Rove:

LEAHY: In addition, Senator Grassley has acknowledged Mr. Holder’s impeccable credentials while reserving judgment. But of course since then, Karl Rove has appeared on the Today Show and signaled that Republicans ought to go after Mr. Holder. Right-wing talk radio took up the drum beat.

I believe it was Thom Hartmann (or not) who mentioned that Holder has said he'd be willing to investigate BushCo. There's your motive.

Here's a little something to put BushCo into perspective. When your sides start splitting, blame Kingsburyqc.

Michael Moore-- Senate to Middle Class: Drop Dead

By GottaLaff

Michael Moore at his Michael Moore-iest:

They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers start building only cars and mass transit that reduce our dependency on oil.

They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers build cars that reduce global warming.

They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers withdraw their many lawsuits against state governments in their attempts to not comply with our environmental laws.

They could have given the loan on the condition that the management team which drove these once-great manufacturers into the ground resign and be replaced with a team who understands the transportation needs of the 21st century.

Yes, they could have given the loan for any of these reasons because, in the end, to lose our manufacturing infrastructure and throw 3 million people out of work would be a catastrophe.

But instead, the Senate said, we'll give you the loan only if the factory workers take a $20 an hour cut in wages, pension and health care. That's right. After giving BILLIONS to Wall Street hucksters and criminal investment bankers -- billions with no strings attached and, as we have since learned, no oversight whatsoever -- the Senate decided it is more important to break a union, more important to throw middle class wage earners into the ranks of the working poor than to prevent the total collapse of industrial America.

We have a little more than a month to go of this madness. As I sit here in Michigan today, tens of thousands of hard working, honest, decent Americans do not believe they can make it to January 20th. The malaise here is astounding. Why must they suffer because of the mistakes of every CEO from Roger Smith to Rick Wagoner? Make management and the boards of directors and the shareholders pay for this.

Of course that is heresy to the 31 Republicans who decided to blame the poor, miserable autoworkers for this mess. And our wonderful media complied with their spin on the morning news shows: "UAW Refuses to Give Concessions Killing Auto Bailout Bill." In fact the UAW has given concession after concession, reduced their benefits, agreed to get rid of the Jobs Bank and agreed to make it harder for their retirees to live from week to week. Yes! That's what we need to do! It's the Jobs Bank and the old people who have led the nation to economic ruin!

But even doing all that wasn't enough to satisfy the bastard Republicans. These Senate vampires wanted blood. Blue collar blood. You see, they weren't opposed to the bailout because they believed in the free market or capitalism. No, they were opposed to the bailout because they're opposed to workers making a decent wage. In their rage, they were driven to destroy the backbone of this country, not because the UAW hadn't given back enough, but because the UAW hadn't given up.

It appears that the sitting President has been looking for a way to end his reign by one magnanimous act, just like a warlord on his feast day. He will put his finger in the dyke, and the fragile mess of an auto industry will eke through the next few months.

That will give the Senate enough time to demand that the bankers and investment sharks who've already swiped nearly half of the $700 billion gift a chance to make the offer of cutting their pay.

Fat chance.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

Countdown: GOP Willing to Kill the Auto Bailout and the UAW

To quote a smart woman- "The wingnuts are already spinning this as being the fault of the UAW - congratulations Democrats. Not only have you seriously pissed off a major voting bloc, you gave the Republicans the cover to justify their actions. We didn't hand you guys sweeping victories in November to have Bob Corker call the shots."

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A proposed bailout of U.S. automakers failed in the Senate on Thursday night, raising the specter of an industry collapse that sent Asian markets reeling and sparked fears it could deepen the recession.

"It's over with," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said of congressional efforts this year just before the Democratic proposal to extend up to $14 billion to the stricken industry fell short in voting on a procedural motion.

Pressure immediately shifted to the White House, with calls for President George W. Bush to consider intervening with emergency financing.