The Loon Rangers ride again- Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann Photo Op: $10,000

By GottaLaff

The Loon Rangers ride again:



photoop -

Put your eyes back into your head, the price includes dinner. See? Worth every very red cent:

According to the invitation, attendees at the April 7 event in Minneapolis are asked to spend $500 per person for attendance at the General Reception and Dinner; $5,000 for a table of ten; and $10,000 per couple for a "Private Reception with Photo Opportunity. (Included in the latter is a table for ten as well).

A bargain at twice the price! After all, who wouldn't want to lose their appetite at a very special fancy schmancy Minnesota-Bachmann Victory Committee gala while feasting their eyes on Batty McCrazyEyes and Corrupta McWTF? Bonus photo included!

All for a measly ten grand!

Hey Tea Tantrumers and Palin/Bachmann fans, imagine all the people without health insurance dying... dying because they can't afford to buy their way to a higher life expectancy, wishing they too had scads of spare cash to blow on pricey photo ops.

Those would be the very same people who the Loon Rangers care nothing about, which Batty proved today at the "Code Red Kill the Bill Rally".



Kill. Nice choice of words.

That's right, attendees, as you pose with Batty and Corrupta, think of this person:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Enjoy your private reception! Eat up! Smile for the camera!

"We are faced with Bush beating Swift Boated Kerry times a few billion"

By GottaLaff

The wonderful Ken Morris* is at it again, jangling our nerves by speaking the scary truth.

Previously, I posted about his rebuffed attempts to get Barbie McLipSchmutz to dine with him via an eBay auction. He did that in order to get her to speak frankly and honestly with him about policy issues.

You can stop laughing now.

This time he ties in the latest SCROTUS decision to a possible 2012 Palin run. ::shudder::

Hint: It's no longer amusing to daydream about her candidacy. More like a nightmare-in-waiting.

The Mudflats has the whole thing (a must-read), but here are a couple of excerpts to tantalize you:

With the Supreme Court positioned to overturn campaign finance laws in the Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Commission case now before it, corporate contributions to federal elections will be unfettered. In other words, Sarah Palin with the help of an unlimited dose of corporate funds might one day be president. Already she has what appears to be a heady stable of influential supporters: Fox News, Rupert Murdoch, Bill Kristol, Lawrence Kudlow, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. In other words, I take her prospects seriously. And, as she has chosen to be a spokesperson for, as she says, “American Main Street,” it is vital that she come out from behind her handlers and speak on the record in unscripted fashion. [...]

Strap her face and image in front of nefarious handlers (can you say, “Dick Cheney?”), record a few easy to remember sound bites (“Pallin’ around with terrorists” or “Joe the Plumber” or “Drill, Baby, Drill”), prop up her fictional Main Street Cred, and keep her off the Katie Couric show. That’s it. [...] In other words, we are faced with George Bush beating Swift Boated John Kerry times a few billion. No restrictions, no limits, no need to bother telling the truth, even less incentive to discuss political philosophy (assuming a candidate has one). Main Stream Media will follow the scent and report on the rumors because they know issues don’t sell ads (especially since advertisers are the ones paying for the production of all those salacious stories).

Now go read all of it. Bring the Pepto.

*Ken Morris, a former Wall Street Executive turned novelist (financial thrillers Man in the Middle and The Deadly Trade), founded Morgan Stanley’s International Equity Department in the mid-1980’s. As a senior capital markets executive, he traveled the world and managed operations in New York, Toronto, London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, and Sydney. His third novel, Evil Shall Break, is currently being shopped to New York publishers. Ken’s offer goes out to Ms. Palin sincerely and in the hopesdialogue might begin to replace rancor and name-calling.

VIDEO- President Obama on "60 Minutes": The party crashers

By GottaLaff

"It won't happen again."


Watch CBS News Videos Online

He was not thrilled, to say the least.

VIDEO: SNL spoofs Salahis, Obama, Secret Service

By GottaLaff

Just when I get sick of stories like these, along comes snarkage like this that almost--almost-- makes them worthwhile:

White House party crashers admit no confirmed invitation

By GottaLaff

(AP Photo/NBC Universal)

From the Department of What Took So Long:

[They] have admitted to a federal official they went without a confirmed invitation just in case they could get approved at the last minute.

Then they blamed their cell phone. Yes, they pulled the ol' "my cell did it" excuse.

The battery died and they missed a voice mail telling them they weren't on the list. Oopsies! Funny, but on the Today show, they said just the opposite. And they sounded so put-upon!

Moral of the story: Charge your batteries, admit when you're wrong (immediately), and don't try to pull a Balloon Boy.

H/t: Alan Colmes

PhotOH! White House Party Crashers

By GottaLaff

(click on images to enlarge)

Per Michaele Salahi's Twitter profile: "Loving, Passionate, Energetic, Charismatic, Giving, Beautiful, Always Positive, Faithful, I see the good in everyone, Love Fashion, Polo & OASIS Champagne"... And! I shook hands with the president at a party and may face charges for being an extremely uninvited guest!

Won't that make a swell reality show premise?

And check out this rundown of other famous people the Salahis have shaken hands with, including John McCain, Donny Osmond, Charlie Rangel, Prince Charles and Matt Damon.

More here on who these people are.

Look at what they'll be eating at the White House state dinner

By GottaLaff

I've been working on our new site, and it's extremely time-consuming. Please forgive the slower pace of the posts today and the next few days.

Meanwhile, feast your eyes on the White House feast!

The president, first lady and their guests will dine on pumpkin pie tart or pear tatin with whipped cream and caramel sauce for desert during Tuesday night's state dinner at the White House. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Nummm!

Video- White House State Dinner Food Preview

It may be that I'm just hungry, but I thought this was interesting. (Much more about the Obama White House and food here.)

In the same room? Sarah Palin, Barney Frank to headline Gridiron Club Winter Dinner

By GottaLaff



Gay Jewish Congressman v. fancy pageant walkin' Wasilla Assembly of God Quitter:

Palin, the outspoken 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, will be the Republican speaker at the Dec. 5 gathering; the equally outspoken Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee is the Democratic speaker. A just published biography of Frank is titled, Barney Frank: The Story of America's Only Left-Handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman.

If she decides to actually honor her commitment and, you know, show up, this will be one interesting night. The Gridiron Club winter dinner will never be the same.

"Dinner" for $200,000, Alex. Question: Who's Sarah Palin?

By GottaLaff

The other day I posted about a wonderful writer, Ken Morris, who was rejected by Sarah Palin when he tried to bid on her Big Exciting Self-Serving eBay Dinner for Two. He then offered to donate $100,000 if binky-brain would meet with him and a few impressive dinner companions (see post).

No response. Man, she is a tough nut to crack. Oh, I'm sorry. What I meant to say is that she's nuts.

But there I go getting all caught up in semantics. Moving on...

Since Mr. Morris has heard nothing but the sound of crickets, he has issued yet another generous invitation over at The Mudflats:

How to generate interest from Camp Palin? To that end, if it’s a question of numbers, I’m prepared to up the ante. I originally wanted to post a challenge to the hundreds of readers who have expressed a willingness to contribute to veteran charities if this meeting of the minds came about. My thought was to match public contributions up to an additional $100,000. However, there are many logistical problems beyond my ability to address, so I’ll simply double the offer to $200,000 and suggest to Ms. Palin that there are many people who will add to the total. The $200,000 minimum might well be something substantially larger.

The only change I’d like to make in the original proposal is to add one additional name to the list of potential attendees. As Ms. Palin claimed in her speech that de-regulation and lower taxes would end the financial crisis, it would be useful to invite Paul Krugman. From a recent interview with Rachel Maddow, I gather he isn’t in full support of that economic analysis.

While I’ve not quite matched the reported $300,000 China fee, with public help we might yet reach that level and Ms. Palin won’t have to travel across the world to attend. Best of all for her, the visibility and good will should be priceless. As I said before a win-win and tres cool.

Ken Morris

http://www.financialthrillers.com

Author: Man in the Middle (Best Mystery of 2003)

Author: The Deadly Trade (”Too good to miss!” Minneapolis Star Tribune)

I'm afraid Ken Morris will be disappointed once again. After all, Palin has never considered giving to others-- much less giving in to others-- a priority, so that whole charity thing? Not so much.

All the same, I'll keep my fingers crossed that he succeeds where others have failed. Maybe, just maybe, the idea that someone feels a convo with her is worth 200 grand will appeal to her just long enough to get her to show up. After that, all bets her off, because, after all, quitting is her specialty.

Please read Ken's whole post. He has such a wonderful way with words, and they're all aimed at you-know-who.

Thanks but no thanks: Palin pulls out of White House correspondents' dinner

By GottaLaff

Okay, so it's for a legitimate reason... for once. Her communications office actually got something right:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will miss a chance to chat up President Obama this weekend because she's cancelling plans to attend the White House Correspondents' dinner, but she's got a good excuse.

Palin on Wednesday declared a state of emergency because of record flooding in Eagle, Alaska. "It's basically wiped out a town," Bill McAllister, Palin's communications director, told CNN.

Palin was slated to be a guest of Fox News at the annual dinner.

What, Keith and Rachel didn't invite her? That's not very inclusive of them.

The former Republican presidential candidate has also pulled out of co-hosting a Friday night dinner for the Republican Governors Association with South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford. The dinner is a thank you to donors who have contributed at least $25,000 to the group. The dinner for 50 will be held at the Virginia home of Fred Malek, a major Republican fundraiser.

Next on the list was Tim Pawlenty, but he couldn't wangle it. How does it feel to be third choice, Jon:

The RGA is now hoping Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, another hot property in Republican circles, can attend instead.

Nick Ayers, executive director of the RGA, said, "We'll have a good group there." Nick needs to work on his acting skills. He didn't convince me at all.

Sarah Palin replaced as headliner for Republican dinner

By GottaLaff

She's in. She's out. She's in. She's out. She's in. She's... Oh. Sorry. I got carried away.

She's out:

Sarah Palin will no longer headline a major Republican dinner in June, a Republican official told CNN Tuesday.

Let's give credit where credit's due. It must have been really hard to screw up something this prominently publicized. Those Palin staffers, they're so on top of things. Their boss must be extra crispy yummy leadership material.

Oh well. Water under the volcano. I'm sure they found someone even better. Someone who holds a special place in the vacuum where all those Rushpublic hearts should be. Someone even more attractive, both physically and politically:

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich will replace Palin as the keynote speaker at a joint fundraising dinner held by the campaign committees of Senate and House Republicans.

See?

Infiltrating the Republican Lincoln Day Dinner

By GottaLaff

Please. Just go read this. Then start shaking your head back and forth very slowly and roll your eyes. Here's a teaser or two:

Doesn't it suck how Sarah gets picked on because she's a woman?

Pop Goes the Weasel

The rest of the room had no idea she’d arrived, and when she walked in, some guy yelled, “SARACUUUDA!” which was followed by rapturous applause. The woman next to me gushed, “Oh my gosh, she’s soooo pretty!” She proceeded to hug, and smile, and sign autographs, and talk and hug and sign autographs, and smile….and eventually Dan Sullivan, like the goobery kid at the dance, came over and had to literally tug on her sleeve to get her to pay attention to him. Glasses were clinked with knives, and a hush fell on the room. “Nothing would make me happier than to work with Dan Sullivan as mayor,” she said. Wow. Nothing? Then she went on to say that Dan Sullivan’s sister works in her office.

Was that teasey enough for you?

Premature Keynote-ication: Nobody told Sarah Palin

By GottaLaff

There must be a pill fo premature keynote-ification. We do know that there's a real pill who wasn't notified:

Congressional Republican leaders made headlines on Monday when they announced that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would be the keynote speaker at a major fundraising dinner in June. But it appears the former vice presidential nominee's political staff never told her.

Bill McAllister, a spokesman for the governor, said she was aware of the invitation, but that she had not actually accepted it.

"I communicated with the governor directly and she did not know anything about it," McAllister told the Anchorage Daily News in a story published Tuesday. "I pointed out the (National Republican Senatorial Committee) press release and she was like, 'No.'"

Omigod, "she was like, 'No'"! And McAllister was all, no way! And she was all, this is soooo lame! And he was all, I know right? But it's like, all over the news, and stuff! And she was all, this sucks so bad!

The dispute appears to stem from a miscommunication between Palin's gubernatorial staff and aides that work for her political action committee, SarahPAC. Palin created SarahPAC in part to pay for out-of-state political travel.

NRSC spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson said the booking was approved by SarahPAC, but that the governor's staff had not been made aware.

McAllister told CNN that "the governor herself had not confirmed," but left open the possibility that she will still speak at the fundraiser. "As far as I know, it's still under review," he said in an e-mail.

If this is any indication of her team's organization skills, 2012 will be a walk for our side. Here's a thought: Maybe they should have given, say, community organizing a shot before they started playing with the big boys. They might have learned something.

Republicans turn to Sarah Palin for fundraising help

By GottaLaff

Grabby McEarmarks + 2012 = TPC archive fun:

The NRSC and NRCC announced that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will keynote the annual Republican Senate-House dinner on June 8th, which is the biggest fundraising event the GOP will be holding in 2009, according to the AP.

First Read: "If there was any doubt whom the Republican Party sees as its biggest fundraiser in the post-Bush era, this news should probably end it."

Marc Ambinder calls it a sign of Palin's "enduring popularity with the Republican base and a signal that she has not foreclosed on the possibility of a run for president."

She is all they have left. Slim pickin's at best.

President Obama to Congressional committee heads: We have "family, friends, laughter" in common

By GottaLaff

But didn't we hear some Rushpublics say that Prez O really isn't really reaching out at all? That he's just pretending? That it's all for show?

President Obama and first lady Michelle wined and dined the heads of the congressional committees Wednesday evening in the East Room of the White House.

The first couple has been holding weekly social events and cocktail parties at the White House. As the president joked Wednesday, "This is a pretty big house so we get lonely."

President Obama continued his charm offensive with the congressional committee chairmen at the bipartisan dinner.

Wait. What was that word again? "Bipartisan"? As in... bipartisan? As in... reaching out?

"We're not always going to agree on everything, but given how hard so many of you are working on both sides of the aisle, day in, day out, we thought it was important for us to be able to step back for a moment, remind ourselves that we have things in common – family, friends, laughter," Obama told the group. "Hopefully we'll have a chance to appreciate each other a little bit, take a time-out before we dive back into the game."

Wow, what a phony. This must just be a pretend dinner with fake food and imaginary conversation.

The entertaining by the first family is part of the Obamas' commitment to making the executive mansion a more open place for all.

It's all a ruse. Sleight of hand. What a racket! What's next in that bag of tricks? Friendship? That scalawag.