Source: Carrie Prejean 'sex tape' spurred pageant settlement

Princess Jesus Boobies™, the gift that keeps on giving. It kills me that she glommed on to the fundies and holy rollers so tight. Wonder what they think of her now? Nevermind, I know what they think.

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The sudden end to a legal battle between dethroned Miss California USA Carrie Prejean and pageant officials was prompted by the revelation of a "sex tape," according to a source familiar with the lawsuits' settlement.

Prejean was fired in June after lingerie-modeling photos of her emerged that pageant officials said were a breach of her contract. Prejean sued the pageant in August, arguing her firing was religious discrimination because of her opposition to same-sex marriage.

Pageant officials countersued last month, demanding their former beauty queen repay $5,200 in pageant money spent for her breast implants and give them all proceeds from a book she's written.

A settlement of both lawsuits was signed in New York Tuesday, but no details were made public. Lawyers and parties for each side were bound by a confidentiality pledge, according to the source.

The veil of secrecy was partially lifted Wednesday after celebrity gossip Web site TMZ reported the deal was sealed after pageant lawyers presented an "extremely graphic" home video involving Prejean.

TMZ Managing Editor Harvey Levin said during a webcast Wednesday that he obtained the Prejean video during the summer, but found it "too racy" to post on his site. He indicated Prejean was alone in the video.

The source with knowledge of the settlement talks told CNN those details were accurate.

Bold is mine, h/t Dan.

Video- Levi: I'm Hiding "Huge" Things About Palin

Watch CBS News Videos Online

What a schadenfreudey day.

Halliburton's Profit Falls 61%

Very tasty, no wonder Big Dick is going back to the think tank trough.

Halliburton Co.'s third-quarter earnings slumped 61% as results were hurt by weakness in the North American drilling market amid the decline from last year in commodity prices.

But results exceeded Wall Street views.

Oil-services companies have been hurt by sharply lower demand, especially in the North American market, with its high vulnerability to plunging natural-gas prices.

Video- Levi Johnston says Palin lost his vote, is in it for the money

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

You make the monster, you gotta deal with him. Schadenfreudey.
More here.

Video- Bill O'Reilly: "A sad day for America. Al Franken becomes a U.S. Senator," and "this country is in deep trouble"

This is worth a smile in the morning. Via Media Matters.

So, is there a scandal a'brewing?

I don't have time to blog for you people today, just look at all these headlines of stories I have to read...

EXCLUSIVE: PALIN RESIGNATION 'DAMAGE CONTROL' FOR COMING 'ICEBERG SCANDAL' ... MORE: EMBEZZLEMENT INDICTMENTS COMING?

Did a Scandal Sink the U.S.S. Palin?

Sarah Palin, You Owe The Media An Apology

Palin’s Move Shocks G.O.P. and Leaves Future Unclear

The Miniseries Ends

Added- Ooooh, AP put together a list of the "known" ethics complaints filed against Palin since she took office. Damn, that woman has been busy.

Family Research Council Slams GOP's New National Council for a New America

The fundies are a harsh mistress.

"If you don't know where you're going, any road will lead you there." For the Republican Party that African proverb seems incredibly apropos. In another step away from its conservative roots, Republican members of the House unveiled The National Council for a New America in hopes of recasting the Party's ailing identity. The effort only underscores the Republicans' present identity crisis, as the GOP leadership kicked off the campaign devoid of the values that once caused voters to identify with the party.

Via Dan.

Ann Coulter's Books Sales Slipping?

Oh schadenfreude how I love thee. Wonder if she has enough cash to keep her in slutty little black cocktail dresses and Visine?

(CNN) — Is Ann Coulter losing her mojo when it comes to selling books?

The conservative commentator, whose previous tomes have flown of the bookshelves, isn't having quite as good luck with her latest hardback, "Guilty: Liberal 'Victims' and Their Assault on America."

According to Portfolio Magazine, just over 100,000 copies of the book have sold during its two months on the market. While that number far surpasses most politically themed books, its sales to date rank far below those of other Coulter polemics.

Portfolio reports 2006's "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," sold 279,100 copies in hardcover, 2003's "Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terror," sold 396,600 hardcover copies, and 2002's "Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right," sold 333,100 copies and an additional 108,300 in paperback.

Obama to GOP: 'I won'

Mmmm, tasty. Of course, the wingers are already screeching.

President Obama listened to Republican gripes about his stimulus package during a meeting with congressional leaders Friday morning - but he also left no doubt about who's in charge of these negotiations. "I won," Obama noted matter-of-factly, according to sources familiar with the conversation.

The exchange arose as top House and Senate Republicans expressed concern to the president about the amount of spending in the package. They also raised red flags about a refundable tax credit that returns money to those who don’t pay income taxes, the sources said.

(snip)

After Friday's meeting, Democratic and Republican leaders publicly wrangled over the developing stimulus plan.

But perhaps taking a cue from Obama’s “I won” line when Democrats were asked if they were concerned about Republicans blocking the package, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had a swift one-word answer: “No.”

Dick Cheney in wheelchair for Inauguration

By GottaLaff

Photo via

Ed Henry just reported that the Nation of Dick pulled a back muscle while lifting moving boxes, and will be in a wheelchair for the Big Event.

Imagine how short and insignificant he'll look next to the very tall, very upright crowd around him. He'll be depending on someone to push him around, literally. Poor Little Dick. He'll be more impotent than ever.

Talk about going out with a whimper.

GOP Defeat in Tennessee; State House in "Absolute Chaos"

By GottaLaff

Schadenfreude, courtesy of DKos:

The Republicans -- who had just finally won control of the State House for the first time in 40+ years – were suppose to elect their Speaker of the House today. And failed!

Anaxamander has the details [...] The Tennessee State House has 50 Republicans and 49 Democrats. Well, Rep. Kent Williams (R-TN) got the support of all 49 Democrats plus his own vote to put himself in the Speaker’s chair. [...]

In the last election, a bunch of belligerent right-wing radicals tried to bully Rep. Williams (a moderate) into taking far-right stands -- going so far as to threaten boycotts on his family business, etc.

Well, Rep. Williams had had enough of bullies and blowhards destroying the Republican Party from within. And the Democrats knew it. So the Democrats approached Rep. Williams about being the new House Speaker.

Rep. Williams said, "yes," and history was made [...]

House Speaker Williams promises to select committee chairs based on ability and seniority -- mostly ability. He promises that at least half will be Republicans. But many will be Democrats. That's something no one saw that as a remote possibility just a few hours ago -- except maybe the engineers of this shocking political twist.

A lobbyist at Legislative Plaza is calling it "absolute chaos" up there right now.

The GOP was promising all sorts of abortion votes, 2nd amendment votes, anti-immigrant votes, anti-gay votes, etc. - your basic nightmare right-wing nutjobs run amuck scenario. Not so fast!!

Psyche!

Rachel Maddow Show: RNC in Chaos

VIDEO: Barack Hussein Obama wins, Pelosi applauds, Dick Cheney squirms

By GottaLaff

Today, Vice President Cheney stood before Congress and read the official results of the 2008 presidential election.

Schadenfreude at 3:04, at which point Nancy Pelosi gives Obama/Biden a standing O while the Nation of Dick stands there awkwardly and looks like the Dick he is.

Alaska trooper, union say politics delayed Johnston drug case

I'm really over Palin and her litter, but this was just too schadenfruedey to pass by.

A Mat-Su drug investigator and the union representing Alaska State Troopers are alleging political meddling in the Sherry Johnston drug case, including a delay in serving the search warrant because of the November election.

(snip)

"We worked very hard to make sure we conducted it just as fairly and as normally as any other investigation," Holloway said.

That's not what Kyle Young, a troopers drug investigator who was involved in the case, wrote in an e-mail last week to all members of the Public Safety Employees Association, the union that represents troopers and other law enforcement officers around the state.

Young wrote that after it became clear who Johnston is, "this case became anything but normal."

"It was not allowed to progress in a normal fashion, the search warrant service WAS delayed because of the pending election and the Mat Su Drug Unit and the case officer were not the ones calling the shots," Young wrote.

Manipulating the courts and the legal process to affect the outcome of an election? Sounds familiar.

Conservatives boycott Fox

By GottaLaff

"This thread would do really well at Daily Koz. They think this is a great idea. They even have the artwork ready…" Yes, that’s [Mark's] artwork posted by a Freeper.

Via our pal Mark at News Corpse, we find that Bloggers at Free Republic (aka Freepers) are leaving comments, and what comments they are! They're mad and they're not gonna take it any more. Wardrobe Barbie has been betrayed, and the Freepies are standin' up for their gal!

The treatment of Sarah Palin by Fox reporter Carl Cameron and others has incensed them to the point where they are vowing never to watch again. [...]

• I propose that we punish the FOX Network for its hatchet job on Sarah Palin. For one week beginning at 3:00 PM today no one tunes them in. We will demonstrate the power of conservatives when their ratings plummet dramatically. Will you join me? [FYI: their boycott will have no affect whatsoever on the ratings unless a significant number of them are Nielsen families]
• I’m done with Teevee. Let them all go to hell.
• I am with you all the way my friend…i hope FOX goes off the air…hate em now…
• It would be easy. Nearly every show on FNC is unwatchable these days. ….for quite a while, in fact.
• fauxNEWS - We Distort, You Comply
• too late………I wrote them off months ago
• GO TO EVERY RIGHTWING BLOG AND TELL THEM TO TURN OFF FOX.
• Tell him he’s no better than the “smear merchants” and “bombthrowers” he holds in such contempt. Allowing Carl Cameron to spew unmitigated hearsay and garbage without one shred of supporting evidence or fact makes O’Reilly just as bad as the supermarket tabloids.
• Life without FOX is good.
• It’s not a secret that 81% of Fox News reporters and employees donate money to the Democratic party - that’s a crazy high number for an allegedly conservative TV channel. It’s no secret to the gay community that Shepard Smith is “one” of them.
• FOX now SUX bigtime!
• Screw them too. I have watched very little since their recent maniacal swerve left.
• If FOX wants me back they will bring on Glenn Beck and Rush. I have had it with weasels like Hannity and O’Reilly.[Beck is on the way]

And looky here, kiddies! The Freepers have company!

The folks at RedState are weighing in as well with Operation Leper:

We’re tracking down all the people from the McCain campaign now whispering smears against Governor Palin to Carl Cameron and others [...] We intend to constantly remind the base about these people, monitor who they are working for, and, when 2012 rolls around, see which candidates hire them. Naturally then, you’ll see us go to war against those candidates.

This may become a new Democratic spectator sport. Maybe we should build a coliseum.

Right-Wing Attack Group Funder Goes Bankrupt

By GottaLaff

Schadenfreude. July 2008:

Sheldon Adelson, the 74-year-old casino billionaire who has become the third richest man in America and who has strong ties to the hard-line Likud Party in Israel, has emerged this year a major benefactor of the American right. Past evidence suggests that Adelson will capitalize on his ascent to the top of the Republican money elite to try to build opposition in America to any Middle East peace settlement calling for the division of Israel into two states, one Jewish, the other Palestinian. [...]

Here in the US, Adelson is the single largest source of cash for two 501(c)4s: the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) and a sister organization, Freedom's Watch, an Iraq War advocacy group largely run by top officials of RJC. Freedom's Watch intends to spend substantially more than $30 million for "independent" ads and phone banks designed to undermine support for Democrats. ...

On top of that, Adelson, according to the National Journal, has begun channeling cash and fundraising support to Vets for Freedom, which is expected to use the influx of money to finance what it claims will be a multimillion dollar "Four Months For Victory" ad campaign.

November 2008:

Las Vegas Sands Corp., billionaire Sheldon Adelson's casino company, fell the most in New York trading since going public after saying it may default on debt and face bankruptcy. [...]

The reversal of fortune is a black eye for the 75-year-old Adelson, who was once America's third-richest man on the strength of his Las Vegas Sands holdings. The Las Vegas-based company's dwindling cash flow is threatening $16 billion worth of developments in Macau, China, and Singapore, where Las Vegas Sands is building resorts to cater to wealthy Asian gamblers.

It feels so good to be on the winning side after so long.

H/t: Ellen

VIDEO: Joe Scarborough reacts to IWRC* Palin's candidacy, the lost episode

By GottaLaff

I remember back when they first announced IWRC* Palin's candidacy and how Pat Buchanan blasted her on Countdown. In this video, we see Joe Scarborough piling on. Time to open our IWRC scrapbooks for a walk down memory lane (Gramm-pa McCain is excused from this exercise in recall):


H/t: Amy C.

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

Chuck Todd- McCain Camp In Disarray

I heard this in the other room, and apparently I wasn't the only person floored by it.

Partial transcript via-

Chuck Todd: Well, Chris, I wouldn’t blame Brian for wanting to say this. There was a tenseness between, first of all, between the two. There’s no chemistry. I couldn’t see chemistry between John McCain and Sarah Palin. It was.....I felt as if we grabbed two people and said ‘here sit next to each other, we’re going to conduct an interview.’ There wasn’t, they’re not, uuugh, not comfortable with each other yet.

The other thing about it is that you can tell they know that they’re losing. There’s an intensity there, they’re drained, the entire campaign staff is drained. The two candidates seem guarded, they seem on edge. It’s not as if they were rude or anything. It’s not as if they weren’t trying to be forthcoming. It’s just, they just seemed, it’s a negative intensity. I don’t know how else to describe it. But you’ll see that when you see the two of them together, the chemistry is not all there.....you do wonder "is John McCain starting to blame her for things, blaming himself, is she blaming him?" You just wonder what’s going on inside their heads are they upset with how the other has treated them and is that why her the numbers low? It’s just a negative vibe that you get in that room.

Oh my, Chuck Todd's gonna get yelled at by the McCain campaign.

O'Reilly Blasts Hackers, Hackers Hack Him Back

Worth it for the headline alone. Yum, tasty schadenfreude.

Wired is reporting FNC anchor Bill O'Reilly's personal Web site, BillOReilly.com, has been hacked in a response to his attacks on hackers and Gawker.com this week.

"The attack was retaliation for comments that O'Reilly made on the air this week about web sites that published e-mails obtained from the Yahoo account of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, according to a press release distributed by WikiLeaks late Friday," writes Kim Zetter. The hacked material includes "names, e-mail addresses, city and state, and the password," subscribers use on his site.

Quote of the Day

"Nobody likes a funeral."

-- A Senate Republican press secretary who spoke to Politico on the condition of anonymity, citing "the overall climate of general malaise about the party" as the reason many Republican lawmakers are skipping the GOP convention.