VIDEO- Karl Rove: I don't think my father was gay

By GottaLaff

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

"I don't know whether my father, at the end of his life, was gay or not."

As I try to figure out how to respond to this, because I'm tongue-tied, I'm sitting here shaking my head... literally.

One doesn't suddenly become gay at the end of one's life, Karl. One may finally admit it, or come to terms with it, or recognize it, or even experiment... but one does not find oneself magically and abruptly transformed into Teh Gay at the end of one's life.

Maybe that's not what he meant, but that's how it struck me.

"I'm not comfortable writing about me... It was a chance to set the record straight..."

But enough about me, what do you think of me? No, no please... well... okay, I'll just talk about me, and yes, even write about me if you insist... as long it pushes my slimy propaganda, serves my own purposes, makes me a bundle of money, and covers my legal ass.

Shameless TPC promotion and a big fat thank you

By GottaLaff

Thank you, Allen!

Allen McDuffee and I became pals on Twitter recently. He's a very accomplished, very sweet guy who tells jokes better than I do. Way better.

Anyway, he has a blog, and on that blog he very generously introduces other blogs to his readers. Today, The Political Carnival is lucky enough to be one of them.

Allen e-mailed and asked me if he could send me some questions so he could use the answers in his post. He did, I did, and the results can be found here.

Before the trolls accuse me, again, of seeking "fame" (certainly not fortune, or we wouldn't need fundraisers), Allen approached me, not the other way around. I'd be pretty stupid to decline. I'm not sure why it's wrong to promote one's own site, or want due credit for breaking stories that go global, but just in case, I thought I'd better explain preemptively. Again, it's a wonderful feeling to accomplish something after years of diligence. Paddy and I work hard and are grateful when we are acknowledged. So:

Thank you Allen, for your kindness. It means the world to TPC. It's not easy for a "boutique" blog like ours to reach as many readers as the gargantuan sites, so your help is very much appreciated.

And thank you, TPC readers, for keeping us going. It all comes down to you, who we adore madly.

Speaking of reaching readers, I'll be on the Angie Coiro Show (on San Francisco's progressive station Green 960) tonight at 6:15 pm Pacific to talk about last night's post about anti-choicers raising money for Dr. Tiller's assassin.

For those who have asked, my regular spot is every Friday (6:45-7:00 pm Pacific), but Angie asked me to pop in tonight because of that story Paddy found.

VIDEO- Fox Promo: We ARE a real news station! We ARE! See?

By GottaLaff

ClusterFox can try all they want to convince us that they're a "news" channel. Ain't gonna work, Elmers:



The White House had it right. For ClusterFox to delude themselves is laughable. However, it's not like they're being hurt by the feud.

Rush is Running for Market Share Not Political Leadership. He's the $400 Million Man -- And He Wants to Keep It That Way.

By GottaLaff

Our pal Mark Karlin, over at Buzzflash, wrote this piece about Boss Limbaugh for his site and sent it to me. Three words: Four hundred million.

Rush Limbaugh isn't taking on the Republican Party leadership in an attempted coup: he's running for market share, not political leadership.

Rushbo recently signed a reported 400 million dollar contract. But his challenge, as it is for the GOP in general, is that his listeners -- primarily white males and middle class fundamentalist white females -- are a shrinking demographic in America.

While most of the GOP leadership in Washington has as its goal an America with authoritarian Republican leadership that will advance the financial interests of the oligarchy, Rush is only interested in ensuring the continuation of his own multi-millionaire status.

In essence, his "jump the shark" CPAC speech was a boffo marketing move that -- from any advertising perspective -- was a spectacular success for him.

Limbaugh has been an essential leader in the right-wing shill echo chamber of talk radio and FOX News for many years now. He is the member of the ultra rich with the "lowbrow" touch, the Pied Piper of the lumpenproletariat, leading the pitchfork rebellion against the imaginary forces of "liberal evil," while his listeners get economically pick-pocketed by the so-called "conservatives."

Like the Pied Piper, Limbaugh has been luring his listeners off the cliff of middle class prosperity into job losses, lower wages, and Wal-Mart parking lots to buy cheap goods made in China. But Limbaugh has gotten enormously wealthy -- a literal fat cat and full-fledged member of the super-rich -- by being such an entertaining demagogue on behalf of the wealthiest individuals and corporations in America.

But while the Republican Party faces a nation with fewer white people yearning for the America that Rush lamented, in his CPAC speech, that they were born into and raised (code words for "when white males ran everything and minorities knew their place"), Rush has to passionately arouse that increasingly smaller group of "white people rule in the mythical kingdom of Reaganland" stalwarts so that he doesn't lose his audience.

That is what is behind his increasingly bellicose war with the GOP leadership and calculated pronouncements -- "I want Obama to fail" -- against the Democratic White House. This is called getting a sh*tload of publicity, not campaigning.

Mark goes on to say that the Madam's Apple herself, Ann Coulter, follows the same game plan. But back to Boss Limbaugh:

He could not care less whether the Republican Party moves in one direction or another. His job is to pick a fight and get maximum media coverage -- and then egg it on by luring his followers to listen to his program for his latest response to those who keep the story alive by criticizing him. [...]

In a "Politico" story on March 4 titled "Inside the Dems' anti-Rush plan," Rush basically admits to this game plan: "The Administration is enabling me,” he wrote in an email to POLITICO. “They are expanding my profile, expanding my audience and expanding my influence."

For the Obama Administration and Limbaugh, the back-and-forth attacks are mutually beneficial. Limbaugh gets to boost his ratings, or at least maintain his market share -- and the Democrats get to isolate the Republican Party into -- as far as the electorate is concerned -- the minority of Limbaugh listeners within the increasingly minority party. [...]

Limbaugh only has one goal: keeping that $400 million contract (and perhaps returning for a bonus payout) by maintaining or increasing his ratings.

Talk about a fat cat. Emphasis on fat.

Cliff Schecter, author of "The Real McCain" on Blog Talk Radio Tonight at 9p EST

Cliff's going to be on with my friend Denise from AOL's Political Machine. I'll be there to add, ahem, color.

Tonight at 9p EST. Link here to listen.

Paddy On "Unusable Signal" On Blog Talk Radio Tonight At 10P EST

Looks like we're going to talk about the GOP "polling" Jewish voters with "scary" Obama stories. I'll be there hanging with my friend Denise from AOL's Political Machine.

Link here to listen.

Paddy On "Unusable Signal" On Blog Talk Radio

No clue what we're talking about yet, but if you're interested, I'll be there hanging with my friend Denise from AOL's Political Machine.

Tuesday September 9th at 9p EST. Link here to listen.

Paddy On "Unusable Signal" On Blog Talk Radio Tomorrow

No clue what we're talking about yet, but if you're interested, I'll be there hanging with my friend Denise from AOL's Political Machine.

Tomorrow Tuesday September 9th at 9p EST. Link here to listen.