David Shuster To Be “Punished” By MSNBC If He Filmed CNN Pilot

By GottaLaff

This will answer the questions I've been getting on Twitter. Yes, he's M.I.A., and yes, the two issues were connected. This is in reference to my earlier post about David Shuster's filming a pilot for CNN.

MSNBC didn't approve. He's grounded:

David Shuster isn’t anchoring his 3pmET hour – which is significant, because he was there for his 10amET hour.

It appears Shuster may be in the MSNBC doghouse again after reports he shot a CNN pilot recently, which apparently happened without his MSNBC bosses knowing.

There are a few more details at the link.

David keeps getting in hot water over there. He's had his Twitter account yanked (it's still up, last I looked, but he's not allowed to use it), and he's had a couple of other run-ins with the powers that be at MSNBC.

He's too good to lose. Someone will snatch him up, and it's too bad MSNBC hasn't (apparently) treated him with the respect he deserves, despite the, er, scrapes he gets into. From what I've seen, he's done nothing egregious, he's one of their best, and they should be rewarding him for his good work.

UPDATE: His website, which was up two hours ago, has been removed.

You can contact MSNBC here.

H/t: MADNews101

VIDEO: Trouble brews in Tea Party movement, Palin to attend more events

By GottaLaff



Barbie McLipSchmutz isn't quitting the Tea Baggers... yet. Her political acumen, er, tin ear, never ceases to amaze me:

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin announced Tuesday she will make appearances at Tea Party gatherings in Nevada and Massachusetts over the next two months. [...]

"The process may not always be pretty or perfect, but the message is loud and clear: We want a government worthy of the fine Americans that it serves," Palin said. "And we're going to keep spreading that message one convention, one town hall, one speech and one election at a time."

And by spreading the message, she means over-shout, insult, offend, ignore the facts, lie, mislead, and chip away at democracy.

By the way, that pricey keynote speech of hers at the Tea Party convention has yet to sell out:

(click on image to enlarge)

Maybe she'll manage to drive away attendees at future events, too.

Snowefall

By GottaLaff

Snowe is falling:

Public Policy Polling suggests Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) "could have a pretty hard time getting nominated for another term in the Senate as a Republican."

"There are now more folks in her party who disapprove than approve of Snowe's job performance. 46% of GOP voters think she's doing a bad job to 40% who give her good marks."

Against a generic conservative primary challenger, Snowe would lose 59% to 31%.

Maybe the new Tea Party could open up offices in Maine and enter one of their fine, rational members into the race.

VIDEO: Sanford Pulled Over for Speeding

By GottaLaff

But... but... he's the governor! We're allowed to break the law!

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) car was pulled over for speeding and a video from a dashboard camera shows the trooper asking the driver, "You got a good reason for running 85?"

When the driver says he's driving the governor, the trooper replies, "Not a really good reason to be speeding."

"Tell him that," the agent says.

After shaking Sanford's hand, the trooper let them go without issuing a ticket.

However, The State reports that after police review of the video, the driver will now be cited.

Here's the video from WIS-TV:

Sanford Pulled Over for Speeding (via @pwire)

This guy just can't seem to stay out of the headlines... or trouble.

Sarah Palin accused of attempted bribery

By GottaLaff

Ohhh say it ain't so Sarah the Quitter. Yet another charge claim? What is that, 20 now?

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who left office in disgrace July 26th under a cloud of ethics charges, is now being accused of a federal claim of attemped bribery. See federal claim (PDF 52 kb)

To clarify a previous complaint, the motion also accuses Palin of a violation of Alaska's constitution.

From the motion to amend:

"2.Plaintiffs wish to add a very serious federal claim of attempted bribery and other violations of similar federal and state statutes under supplemental jurisdiction....

....offering state funds and support of legislation to third parties in exchange for them convincing Plaintiffs to drop this lawsuit in federal or state court."

Oh my. Big fat federal claims. Bribery. This can't end well. Tisk, tisk.

Sarah the Quitter better watch her step or next thing she knows, she may have to go before a death panel.

(click on image to enlarge)

H/t: Cody, cbn2

Feds see biggest tax revenue drop since 1932

By GottaLaff

Here's what happens when you cut taxes:

The recession is starving the government of tax revenue, just as the president and Congress are piling a major expansion of health care and other programs on the nation's plate and struggling to find money to pay the tab.

The numbers could hardly be more stark: Tax receipts are on pace to drop 18 percent this year, the biggest single-year decline since the Great Depression, while the federal deficit balloons to a record $1.8 trillion.

Other figures in an Associated Press analysis underscore the recession's impact: Individual income tax receipts are down 22 percent from a year ago. Corporate income taxes are down 57 percent. Social Security tax receipts could drop for only the second time since 1940, and Medicare taxes are on pace to drop for only the third time ever.

The last time the government's revenues were this bleak, the year was 1932 in the midst of the Depression. [...]

The sheer magnitude of the tax decline, however, points to the deep recession that is reducing incomes, wiping out corporate profits and straining government programs.

Now then, let's everyone follow the advice of the Rushpublics, in all their wise wisdom, and cut more of them taxes. That should fix everything.

Always remember and never forget: Party first.

H/t: Chris

Risky Tweeting

By GottaLaff

Now if only Sarah the Quitter start tweeting again...

We've seen many politicians get themselves in trouble using government email accounts, but now we're seeing those who get in trouble using Twitter.

According to CNN, Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) -- who also happens to be a Navy Reservist -- sent several messages using Twitter while on active duty.

"Two questions are raised about these tweets. The first is whether or not Kirk revealed his location when he should not have ('Loose lips sink ships') and the second is whether or not his Twitter account goes against military regulations that state military members are not allowed to update or revise any 'Web sites created before entry on active duty.'"

Loose Tweets sink seats.

Norm Coleman faces hot seat even if he wins

By GottaLaff

Toker Norm better take a few more hits, because he's about to take a few more hits:

Even if Norm Coleman pulls off a long-shot legal victory in the extended Minnesota Senate race, Democrats are vowing to make him wish that he hadn’t.

Separate and apart from the ongoing legal dispute over November’s election, the Minnesota Republican faces several unresolved investigations: a reported FBI probe into his dealings with Nasser Kazeminy, a friend and benefactor; a potential Senate Ethics Committee inquiry into his Capitol Hill living arrangements; a federal elections investigation into his use of campaign donations for legal expenses; and a possible state probe into his campaign’s handling of donors’ financial information on its website.

Wowzers, but that's a lot of unresolved investigations. Where does he find the time... and funds?

Of all the issues facing Coleman, none is more potentially explosive than the Kazeminy investigation, and the Senate Ethics Committee also has been requested to look into the matter.

Last fall, a former associate of Kazeminy’s filed a lawsuit accusing him of trying to funnel $75,000 to Coleman’s wife, Laurie, through a Texas oil-rig company.

The FBI is reportedly investigating the claims — and the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a liberal nonprofit, has filed a federal elections complaint alleging the senator is misusing campaign funds by paying legal fees.

Coleman has dismissed the complaints as “sleaze.”

What a coincidence. We dismiss Coleman as sleaze.

But questions about the matter flared anew when another former company employee reiterated the charges in a civil court deposition made public last month.

In addition, a complaint is pending in the Senate Ethics Committee by the left-leaning Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington about Coleman’s $600-a-month room in the Capitol Hill apartment of another Minnesota donor and friend, Jeff Larsen.

And officials with the Minnesota Democratic-Farm-Labor Party have filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging Coleman accepted soft-money donations from a group that receives corporate contributions, a potential violation of federal campaign finance law.

Now see, if a Democrat were in as much hot water as Toker Norm, he'd probably be impeached of indicted. Oh. Wait. He was. So what's holding up the works in Minnesota?