Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger

Barack and Julio down by the schoolyard

2009-02-10T23:46:00.003-05:00

Best question from Tuesday's Florida town meeting. This is living proof Obama isn't pre-picking questioners. How long before this dude gets his own show? The question was loosely about education, but the delivery is unique.

Huckabee is bat shit-insane today.

2009-02-10T19:53:00.006-05:00

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is like Two-Face from Batman: One side laid back nice guy, the other side bat-shit insane.

Well, guess which side came out today when he warned supporters that the $828 billion stimulus package is “anti-religious.”

In an e-mail that was also posted on his blog ahead of the Senate’s passage, Huckabee wrote: “The dust is settling on the ‘bipartisan’ stimulus bill and one thing is clear: It is anti-religious.”

Anti RELIGIOUS?? Are you nuts? What did you want... 50 billion for a giant solar powered cross in downtown Omaha?

Read story at Politico... I can't bear to explain this.

Wall Street drops 400 points when they realize Obama isn't providing an easy out

2009-02-10T19:40:00.005-05:00

Paul Krugman gives some possible insight into the new bailout plan announced by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner:

"So what is the plan? I really don’t know, at least based on what we’ve seen today. But maybe, maybe, it’s a Trojan horse that smuggles the right policy into place."

Obama adds a little more clarity and context, as usual (this is an excerpt from ABC Nightline to air tonight):

TERRY MORAN: So, Treasury Secretary Geithner today has laid out the plan for the banks, and judging by the reaction in the markets Wall Street really doesn't like it.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: [LAUGHS] Well, you know, Wall Street I think is hoping for an easy out on this thing and there is no easy out. Essentially what you've got are a set a banks that have not been as transparent as we need to be in terms of what their books look like.

It's obvious Geithner lacks the charisma of Obama, so the roll out today was awkward. In the coming days it will be clearer. In the meanwhile we just need to have a little faith in the administration. We have to unlearn what we were taught for 8 years.

Obama reminds us what a President sounds like in first presser.

2009-02-10T03:34:00.010-05:00

I couldn't have been happier with Obama's first press conference. In prime-time, with a variety of reporters and questions that ranged from Iraq to A-Rod, he banked, swerved, and every once in awhile tongue lashed the GOPers that are causing so much trouble in Congress.

In an atmosphere where you could collapse just with the gravity of the situation, mixed with multi-state travel and probably little sleep, the college professor taught us all a thing or two about grace under pressure.

After 60 minutes, he gave a quick "Thank you guys", did a back flip followed by a triple-lindy, and then gave the finger to the FOXNews reporter. And out he went.

B'WAM!

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

Texas GOP: We need to be more like Taliban

2009-02-08T23:55:00.006-05:00

In a recent interview, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) said the Republican party will have to be come an “insurgency” to counter Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, and added that the Taliban can serve as “a model”:

“Insurgency, we understand perhaps a little bit more because of the Taliban. And that is that they went about systematically understanding how to disrupt and change a person’s entire processes. And these Taliban — I’m not trying to say the Republican Party is the Taliban. No, that’s not what we’re saying....”

Sessions made a similar analogy last week, saying that Republicans “need to get over the idea that they’re participating in legislation and ought to start thinking of themselves as ‘an insurgency’ instead.”

You guys are precious... what else are you learning from terrorists? When are you planning suicide bombings?

SOURCE - Think Progress (among others)

Weekly President YouTube

2009-02-08T23:28:00.000-05:00

THE STIMULUS PLAN – WHAT DO THE ECONOMISTS ADVISE?

2009-02-08T22:00:00.013-05:00

There are a zillion economists, and most of them aren't worth the price of a Radio Shack calculator. You see most of them on cable news as generic talking heads. However, there are some good ones.

1) PAUL KRUGMAN is a Nobel Prize winner, author, and critic of Reagan/Bush supply side economics that the GOP continues to romance. Though liberal, he has been critical of Obama's stimulus plan as too conservative. He believes a 1.2 trillion plan is the appropriate size.

He is deeply critical of the Senate comprimise bill forged by the Dem and GOP moderates:

"a plan that was already too small and too focused on ineffective tax cuts has been made significantly smaller, and even more focused on tax cuts. My first cut says that the changes to the Senate bill will ensure that we have at least 600,000 fewer Americans employed over the next two years. This is really, really bad."

2) ALAN VIARD, a Bush administration economist, use to think the right size for a government spending bill was "probably zero" and use more Fed cuts to stem the bleeding. Basically what the Bush folks did last fall. He's altered his view since:

"Viard shares the view that a stimulus package is needed, although he would prefer one limited primarily to tax cuts and direct benefits for victims of the recession, such as increased unemployment benefits. This is a severe recession."

3) JOSEPH STIGLITZ, a Nobel Prize-winning economist at Columbia University and former chief economist at the World Bank, said that the stimulus package was "probably too little, especially given that it is badly designed [and] we haven't yet fixed the mortgage problem so the financial sector is likely to continue bleeding."

Stiglitz said that most households would save rather than spend the money from tax cuts and that the business tax cuts were not closely enough linked to new investments. He said that while plans for infrastructure spending were flawed, it was "unlikely to be wasted as badly as the private financial market has wasted resources in last five years.

Despite the differences in how to split up the stimulus, here is what is agreed on almost unanimously:

A STIMULUS IS NEEDED.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY URGENT IT HAPPENS IMMEDIATELY.

THE STIMULUS PLAN – WHAT THE F@#K IS GOING ON?

2009-02-08T21:43:00.015-05:00

I've been asked to try and summarize what has been going on in regards to the stimulus in Congress for those not addicted to C-SPAN...

As you probably know, the U.S. economy is kind of screwed. Millions laid off, home values dropping, and lending hard to come by. Everyone is pretty much in agreement over these issues. Without getting into the insanity that caused it, the big question is how do you fix it?

The answer is some kind of government fuel stimulus to inject money into the economy. They intend to spend a lot of money quickly to stimulate growth.

The Stimulus plan now being debated in Congress last week is now taking shape, and it's hasn't been a pretty process. The conflict between the Dems and GOP isn't really about "pork" vs "clean" legislation. It is about two conflicting ideologies that are increasingly impossible to reconcile.

To keep in simple, here is the main difference:

The Democrats are in favor of a large spending bill with moderately small tax breaks but large investments in infrastructure and energy efficiency. About 1+ trillion is what it will take to get their plan together.

The Republicans are looking to spend about half that, overall. While they are for investing in some infrastructure, they are more convinced that tax cuts will provide the appropriate stimulus.

As you can see, there are some big differences in the plans offered by the Dems and the GOP. Last week, the two plans collided. The House Democrats offered a plan broadly outlined by the Obama Administration and filled in by the House Democrats.

Meanwhile, the GOP, beaten up in the 2008 election by Bush's runaway spending and the hackneyed implementation of the TARP plan (the $350 Billion tossed at banks last Fall), have decided to renew their commitment to fiscal responsibility, starting, conveniently, just when the new President Obama needs a major amount of money to implement his plan.

Not a dummy, Obama knows that the success of economy will determine if his head ends up on Mount Rushmore or the end of a pike.

Meanwhile, the GOP realizes that they need to define themselves by opposing whatever Obama wants. Because if Obama fails, they may regain power in Congress in 2010. If the country collapses before then, well, casualties are inevitable.

So, this lead up to the House vote on the plan that was totally rejected by the GOP, and a possible compromise plan in the Senate that is under attack by lobbyists and the GOP who have no intention of compromise.

Complete Obami-nation?

2009-02-06T23:24:00.002-05:00

In other news, Obama recently said this about GOP Senator Jim DeMint.

The hell with bipartisanship. Let them filibuster.

2009-02-06T19:33:00.004-05:00

I get so pissed watching them, but I get madder at the DNC. The minority should be shut down. I say let them filibuster. Then we can show the country how they will hold the country hostage for a power grab.

Thanks to John Kerry for a little fire and brimstone. To paraphrase a line from one of my favorite movies, I always thought of him as a bit of a Streisand but in this clip he's rockin' the shit.

"So how much bipartisan outreach can you have when 36 out of 41 republican senators take their marching orders from Rush Limbaugh?"

2009-02-06T16:48:00.003-05:00

Paul Krugman is an exceptional Nobel Prize winning economist. He slams Obama as much as anyone, and he is telling us what the GOP refuses to hear. Please do not let the GOP in Senate trick you.

As a small business owner and the father of a 6 year old, I have a vested interest in the future, and I am in support of the Obama package. Period.

Obama on attack to prevent swift-boating of recovery plan

2009-02-06T14:16:00.004-05:00

Obama took advantage of the Democratic Party speech to add some heat to his argument for the bailout/stimulus/recovery/holyshit package. He gave this speech last night, which was technically meant for the Democratic caucus, but he decided to open it up for the media. It's part of the change in rhetoric Obama has taken to regain control of the conversation about the package, which has been dominated by GOP naysayers while the President spent time reaching out.

It seems like a smart tactic as the GOPs picking out of the bill which can be easily mocked as pork, even if there is some rationale behind it once you understand them. The GOP strategy has been eroding public confidence in Obama's plan, I think particularly with less informed voters who are all ready cynical after 8 years of spin.

Glad to see Obama not taking it on the chin.

WATCH: Congressman RIPS into Bush SEC holdovers about not nabbing Madoff

2009-02-06T02:03:00.003-05:00

Rep. Ackerman (D-NY) totally kicks these peoples asses. I'm loving it. It's very funny.

As you'll see, SEC officials refuse to answer the committee's basic questions about the Madoff scandal, and the agency's acting general counsel, Andy Vollmer (a Bush holdover and maxed-out donor to John McCain's presidential campaign) explicitly cites executive privilege as his legal rationale for refusing to provide basic information to federal lawmakers.

Whole story on Crooks and Liars (appropriate!)

Andy Card can shove his suit jacket up his...

2009-02-06T00:42:00.003-05:00

Totally silly meaningless story.

Separating fact and fiction: Is the stimulus full of pork or not?

2009-02-05T15:27:00.040-05:00

1) Millions are wasted giving it to Filipino WW2 veterans

U.S Sen. Jon Kyl, the Republican Whip, said the following:

"I mean, there are so many different things that you can make fun of in this bill," Kyl said. "Let me just mention one — millions of dollars to World War II Filipino veterans in the Philippines. Now, that may be a good thing to spend money on, but not in a stimulus bill. It doesn't stimulate anything."

So, is a provision to pay money to Filipino Veterans in there? YES, however NO MONEY actually comes from the stimulus. The money was set aside from another budget.The 900 Billion is not going towards the Filipinos. Just the authorization to send them the money is in there. Odd that it's in there, but this happens all the time.

Recession humor: Big Box Stores

2009-02-04T23:17:00.003-05:00

President Obama on Economic Recovery

2009-02-04T22:11:00.000-05:00

Utah is saved! Bush Drilling Leases Scrapped.

2009-02-04T21:49:00.006-05:00

Hooray for Obama. Hooray for us.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Wednesday canceled leases to drill for gas and oil on 77 parcels of public land in Utah.

The leases, which cover more than 100,000 acres, including lands near Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, were auctioned in the last weeks of the Bush administration. They were among 11th-hour actions taken by the Bush Interior Department that have been criticized by environmental groups and are being reviewed by Obama officials.

In a news conference, Mr. Salazar said that after a review of the leases he concluded that the Bush administration had “rushed ahead to sell oil and gas leases at the doorstep of some of our greatest national icons, some of our nation’s most treasured landscapes” without proper scientific review or consultation.

READ ON...

Hey Democrats... you are losing control of the argument.

2009-02-04T17:39:00.004-05:00

Why have I been watching C-SPAN all day and seen about 10 Republicans in lock step slamming of the stimulus package, and one 2-3 Democrats respectfully, sweetly, been stating their peace?

Come on Democrats, you outnumber then and have a great President... can you guys get it together?

It's obvious that even on the run the Republican Congressional game is so much stronger than the Democrats, and they have highjacked the media as well. I am hearing their talking points repeated over and over again, and they now have polling on their side.

Can you people huddle and start getting a bit more aggressive? WAY MORE AGGRESSIVE?

Ridiculous.

And by the way, the Republicans have spent the whole day saying that recent polling statesa majority of Americans oppose the stimulus. That isn't true. Can you people do a Google search and discredit obvious falsehoods when they come up? I'll help... here is the link to the actual polling data.

Okay... time to take my medications now.

Why the GOP tax cuts are the wrong answer.

2009-02-04T14:38:00.009-05:00

Against my therapist's advice, I've been listening to more C-Span.

Three Republican Senators have just had their say in succession, including Kit Bond. And though each of them were well spoken, I wasn't impressed with their rhetoric. Overall they are pushing for tax cuts, and the deeper the better, and not for the poorest people. They mostly are aligned in small business top-down cuts.

Some want more infrastructure spending (great!), some want more military spending to refresh equipment (fine!), some want to cut stuff that seems superfluous (many of which were all ready cut, they just like to mention them again). One of them wasted time bitching about shutting down Gitmo (talk about superfluous!).

So why not just cut taxes? Couldn't hurt right? I couldn't disagree more.

Cutting taxes for most would mean that cash disappears. I for one would do my best to keep it in a mattress. Only the poorest would be assured to spend it immediately. This is what has happened in the past with Bush's cuts. And they specifically do not want to give the poorest the money, because in their opinion they have all ready have enough of a break by being so poor they aren't taxed.

Most importantly, these cuts undermine the push for some form of universal healthcare, which we desperately need. This is of paramount necessity for the country, as employee supplied health care is going extinct.

Healthcare for all is a Democratic platform item, and something surely not on the GOP's agenda. And that is why we will never see eye-to-eye on this. We are at cross purposes.

So let's get infrastructure spending going, let's supply the military with what is necessary, but please put my taxes to work for good. Just make my dollars count.

Extraordinary...

2009-02-03T22:40:00.005-05:00

"I made a mistake. I campaigned on change in Washington, bottom-up politics, and I don't want to send a message to the American people that there are two sets of standards, one for powerful people and one for ordinary folks who are working everyday and paying taxes."

– Barack Obama on the Daschle Problem

A GOOD SIGN: Obama reads to children in classroom... no planes slam into buildings.

2009-02-03T18:07:00.004-05:00

Today somewhere in Obamerica.... I think the book is titled "Why Paying Your Taxes Is A Good Thing Becuase You Won't Embarrass Your Goddamn President and Don't You Know How Much Fucking Pressure I Am Under??!?!???"

Daschle Blows It... but what will this mean for Health Care?

2009-02-03T13:12:00.006-05:00

Daschle really blew it. Because he didn't tell Obama's people about his tax problems when first approached months ago, he not only set Obama back, but also seriously puts the push for Universal Health Care in question. If he was "The Man" for the job, who can step up? Daschle was a major adviser to Obama during the campaign, so his loss may be a dramatic set back for Obama, who needs all hands on deck to push this critical health care agenda forward.

"I realized I can't pass Health Care if I am too much of a distraction," Daschle says.

I'm paying 1200 a month for some basic family insurance! America can't wait until you people get your acts together.

I'm watching the Senate debate of the stimulus on C-SPAN so you don't have to.

2009-02-03T12:07:00.041-05:00

...And because I must secretly hate and want to punish myself. Keep refreshing the page if you want to follow. I'm actually just interested in how this all works (or doesn't work).

Here are some obviously biased impressions...

John Thune (R) — Is very Republicany looking. He blames democrats for all the deficits during the Bush years, and had many snazzy graphs to show you JUTS HOW MUCH a trillion dollars is. It could go around the world 38.9 times... If you stacked it it could go to.... If you started spending a million bauck a day since Jesus was born.... He also invokes the spendings effect on our children and grandchildren. He seems like a dick, but it may just be the hair. It also may be because he IS a dick. I'll go with that.

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PUT THIS WOMAN ON THE TV NOW TO PITCH THE STIMULUS: Barbara Boxer (D) — Kicks ass. She calls out Thune on being a dick and makes him back track. She doesn't take much shit, and she's also confronting global warming in another committee. She's a good voice for progressive thinking, in my limited opinion. Listen to the speech above. Awesome.

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Tom Coburn (R) – Making some good points about 250 Million in the stimulus for the film industry... no idea what the money is supposed to be for, but he is just making a general case we need to select items carefully. Doesn't strike me as an ideologue.

UPDATE: He's now claiming the plan would be nothing short of a "generational theft bill." Nice framing. Prickish, no??

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Barbara Milulski (D) – She really seems to care, she just put out an amendment to add incentives related to the car industry. She has a voice not unlike Barney Frank – that mouth of marbles thing – and speaks in a moderate yell that must be hard to listen too for hours on the floor. She seems to have the respect of her peers though, and got her amendment passed easily.

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Jon Kyl (R) - First Republican I've heard say tax rebates aren't always working. He kind of used it to be manipulative, but still I'll give it to him for trying to work against his nature. He also appears to be for all the small business tax incentives, which I don't necessarily agree with. He appears to earnestly want to help make the bill stronger without just being a GOP talking points guy. He is the Minority Whip, which means he is also into bondage and S&M, which I think is awesome. So he's okay by me.

UPDATE 2/4: He's up again today, going through a myriad of projects that are arguably NOT stimulative. A lot of repairs, museum upgrades and smaller projects that could easily be considered "pet" projects. I can totally agree with what he is saying today. I don't know about the specifics of the items he's discussing, and none of these projects amount to much overall, but I agree with him that if they aren't critical to stimulus they should be pulled and submitted to the Appropriations Committee as is usually done. He's sounding quite moderate here and I appreciate his diligence and objectivity. I think I like him.

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Arlen Specter (R) – Sorry, his low, monotone reading of statistics put me to sleep. Seems like a excellent Senator. He seems to be well known for his moderate views. He's big on funding research into disease prevention. Wants to add that in via NIH funding. I bet he's a nice guy. But I'm dozing off again... Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........

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David Vitter (R) – I don't know what this ass is doing here. Didn't he get caught with hookers? Why yes, he did! But yet here he is. Hey did you know if you send a million dollars a day since Jesus was born, you could get a nifty talking point for the GOP? He's a dick. And knows how to use it.

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A few other thoughts:

Jim DeMint (R) - An obvious ideologue. He also uses fear-speech in his rhetoric. The Dems are trying to make us Socialists! You gotta cut taxes, cut cut cut!!!! That's the "American Option" according to him. He wants to also make all the Bush tax cuts permanent. Cause all those rich people will sprinkle gold on our heads. His plan is courtesy the Heritage Foundation. I'm not buying it.

Saxby Chambliss (R) - His views are closely aligned with Jim DeMint. I'm inclined not to like him already because of his dickish campaigning practices. He wants to cut corporate taxes, cause that will keep factories from outsourcing. Cut taxes, cut them good, baby. He does like investing in infrastructure. He wants to increase defense spending... cause I guess $653 billion a year isn't enough.

Sheldon Whitehouse (D) - Annoying lisp, dude. He clarifies that infrastructure is defined by more that "just what the Romans could have built," which was a funny comeback to Reps that want to ditch the broadband spending as superfluous. He's big on healthcare reform. I like him. But did I mention the lisp?

Lindsey Graham (R) - Persuasive, passionate, and thoughtful. I don't know if his take on the stimulus package is right or wrong, but I thought his views were powerful. Boxer tossed off his passion as cheap theatrics. I am tending to agree. See an interesting exchange here.

John McCain (R) - All of a sudden the man who claimed to know little about the economy knows A LOT. More than the economists. He's quickly become one of the most vicious attackers of the stimulus plan. I guess he read some books. Wonder if they had words to go with the pretty pictures.

Does Obama have the political balls to nationalize the banks?

2009-02-03T00:19:00.009-05:00

During the campaign, Sarah Palin scared legions of low-information voters with red baiting. The ominous words "Experimenting with Socialism" triggers mental images of Soviet style Communism, even in the minds of those who know better.

In reality, we do have some socialist practices right here in the States... Social Security, for example. Unfortunately years of cold-war propaganda programming may be shooting us in the foot. In essence, if John Wayne may have fought in a movie, it is out... WAY OUT. And it may just be required to do this stimulus right.

We have been seeing plenty about the banks lately we don't like. They don't seem to be able to keep themselves out of hot water, and every day it's keeps simmering, presenting the nation more examples of outrageous spending and poor judgement. Many voices, including Paul Krugman in his latest op-ed are screaming for nationalization of the banks for a limited amount of time.

And yet... Obama and his brain trust seems determined to avoid this. But why? Is it because it's the wrong thing to do, or because it's politically risky? Is he afraid the GOP will gain further traction by slamming nationalization as "experimenting with Socialism?"

Perhaps it is politically disasterous, but I agree with blogger Bob Cesca when he states "Nationalizing the banks would be an enormous political risk. However, if it's going to be done anyway, sooner is way, way, way better than later."

In reality, the more this debate goes on, the more the GOP will be able to spin it as socialist or unrestrained spending, and the stimulus will continue to get watered down. I hope Obama will get this under control and push it through soon, and have the political balls to do what he has to. He didn't ask for this when he ran, but the economy may be the make or break for his first year, if not his Presidency.

Is Joe the Plumber helping the GOP with strategy?

2009-02-03T00:11:00.001-05:00

If this is true, I hope he helps them A LOT. As in plan EVERYTHING.

Politico reports (without irony):

"When GOP congressional aides gather Tuesday morning for a meeting of the Conservative Working Group, Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher – more commonly known as Joe the Plumber — will be their featured guest. This group is an organization of conservative Capitol Hill staffers who meet regularly to chart GOP strategy for the week.

Wurzelbacher, who became a household name during the presidential election, will be focusing his talk on the proposed stimulus package. He's apparently not a fan of the economic rescue package, according to members of the group."

Can these jugheads just pay their taxes????

2009-02-03T00:01:00.006-05:00

'Cause your kinda distracting. The President is kinda busy, and stuff. So... um....

UPDATE: Another one!
Nancy Killefer: Obama's Chief Performance Officer withdraws over a couple of hundred bucks in back taxes. Maybe it's time to simplify the tax codes for Democrats?

UPDATE: Redonkulous. Daschle out too.

Interesting Obama Interview

2009-02-02T13:02:00.004-05:00

This has some light moments, including a fairly accurate prediction of the outcome of the Superbowl, but also has some interesting observations on the economy and the Congressional back and forth on the bailout package. It's also strikingly odd how casual the interview is. He doesn't seem to be taking that "Presidential" posture you'd expect.

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

Blockheads you can believe in!

2009-02-01T00:21:00.005-05:00

Looking for a super inexpensive way to entertain the whole family? Feeling politically astute AND crafty?

Just DOWNLOAD, print, and cut out this handy patterns and you'll be slot A'ing and slot B'ing your way to a better America. Hell, download The Joker or Kermit the Frog
and have a battle royal.

Lots of other characters available. Check it out! http://www.cubeecraft.com/

Weekly President YouTube

2009-01-31T15:51:00.001-05:00

Bush in photos...

2009-01-31T02:17:00.007-05:00

A fascinating slideshow and interview with photographers follow the Presidency of W. Some are iconic, like the infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech. Some show W in typical Yale-cowboy mode. But many reveal raw emotion and are disturbing intimate... it's worth a look. VIEW THE PHOTOS.

Photos –– Top: Bush being told of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center while in a classroom, Sep 2001. Bottom: Bush looking wrought, preparing to say goodbye to his staff, Jan 2009.

SHOCKER! GOP pick black man to lead them too!

2009-01-30T16:29:00.012-05:00

First there was Hilary Clinton. She was so popular that she nearly became the Democratic candidate for President.

Days later, the GOP is looking to appear fresh and vital... get a little bit of the progressive edge to not make them look like a bunch of old white guys for a party mostly of old white guys. And so...

SARAH PALIN IS BORN! Skirt! Heels! Vagina! Estrogen! Surely this shows they can be every bit as forward thinking as those liberals.

Alas, their "Hilary-lite" choice had more star-power than political acumen, and was soon discredited by the majority of informed voters.

Well, at least the GOP learned a lesson. Never again would they cynically pick a leader in a desperate attempt to appear progressive. Surely they would reform themselves now, and base their decisions based on a true desire to dig deep and figure out what they truly have to offer the country in the 21st century.

WRONG!

Michael Steele will be the next chairman of the Republican National Committee, after being endorsed by Ken Blackwell (the guy who helped Karl Rove rip off votes in Ohio during the 2004 election.) Black! Dark skinned! Black! Like Obama! Did we mention he was BLACK?

WOW! How progressive! How forward thinking.

WILL THEY EVER LEARN???

Don't bother answering that. As a funny aside, the other guy in the running just had to quit a whites-only country club. I guess since he lost, he can rejoin now. Whew.

For all those who were laid off this week...

2009-01-29T22:27:00.000-05:00

Iraq shows Bush their... SOLE?

2009-01-29T19:57:00.004-05:00

By CLEMENTE LISI.

A sofa-sized shoe monument was unveiled today in Tikrit - the hometown of the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein - in honor of the Iraqi journalist who threw his footwear at Bush last month during a Baghdad new conference.

Iraqi artist Laith al-Amari told Britain's Sky News that his copper and fiberglass sculpture is an homage to the pride of the Iraqi people and "not a political work."

He also said journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi serves as "a source of pride for all Iraqis."

The sculpture also includes a poem dedicated to al-Zeidi and mentions the virtues of being "able to tell the truth out loud."

Al-Zeidi shouted in Arabic on Dec. 14 as he pulled off his shoes and heaved them at Bush.

"This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq," screamed al-Zeidi, who was working for an Egyptian TV station.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

The Audacity of Pope

2009-01-29T16:29:00.007-05:00

From Agence France-Presse:

"Pope Benedict XVI, drawing fire over allowing a Holocaust denier into his flock, has found himself in similar hot water with Muslims, native Indians, Poles, gays and even scientists during his nearly four years as pontiff.

This week, the German-born Pope is struggling to mollify Jews after he brought a breakaway ultra-conservative faction back into the fold of the Roman Catholic Church by rescinding the excommunication of four bishops, including one who insists that no one died in Nazi gas chambers."

I'm not much of a Papal issues guy, but don't we have Iranians already denying the Holocaust? Can't we agree that the Nazi's were really good at killing, did it well, did it often, and call it a day?

I guess when the pews start getting empty, you start looking for replacements from the crazy edges. Even the Battlestar Galactica fleet is hanging out with Cylons these days. At least they are blonde... and not sworn to celibacy.

Whole silly story.

After billions of dollars in concessions to the GOP... a party line vote.

2009-01-29T00:39:00.007-05:00

It still passed, yet not a single Republican voted for it.

Redonkulous.

Can we tell them to fuck off now? I hope Obama gets a shot at strengthening the package back to full strength before it gets signed into law, cause I don't buy that this watered-down bill would do jack.

OKAY.... I'm calming down...

Here is a great link to sooth my worry: "Obama Versus the Republicans: Chill Out, He's Got This" by Bob Cesca.

Why the GOP is dying... and why we should let them.

2009-01-28T21:58:00.013-05:00

"SadieGirl", on a recent posting on Huff, sums up my thoughts nicely.

"I am so sick of the Republicans talking about 'conservative values'. What a bunch of hypocrits. For 8 years they have never once considered their constituants, gave Bush a blank check for everything he wanted, have totally wiped out our job industry and failed every single American. And NOW they want to talk their conservative values cheap speak. They don't want Obama to succeed, they don't want American to succeed - unless it's under their watch.

They, like Limbaugh are traitors. They have plundered this country for 8 years and they are willing to sacrafice our country for another 4 years by playing party politics while America falls one job at a time.

Well, the whole world and everyone in America is watching. And their are a lot of House seats up for grabs in 2010. The way the GOP base is shrinking, and more so everyday with all Americans watching their behavior, that party is dying out quickly. They can meet all the want to try and rectify that party, however they are too selfish and greedy so they will never make a comeback.

Minorities on on the rise and all the old white folks will soon be gone - and so will the Republicans. I look forward to waving goodbye."

We continue to see groupthink from the GOP. As they desperately try to rebrand themselves as the economically responsible party, they have acheived one major coup: everyone is talking about them again (even us a-hole bloggers). They have so very few cards left to play, so they will continue to do what they do best; confuse, distract, and deny. And pray to Jesus that Obama is blow it.

The GOP is tired. Bush tossed a match into the ammo-shed and blew the entire wad. Now they are a smoldering shell. With luck, they will burn out completely, and get a new opposition party that was contrast the revived Democrats with more than bad rhetoric and fear mongering, the only tools they seem to have left.

People who call themselves Republican is at a 20 year low.

FURTHER READING.

Congressman temporarily gets a set, then forced to apologize to Limbaugh, kiss pinky ring, and wear girly underwear over his suit

2009-01-28T15:07:00.011-05:00

Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) apologized Wednesday to “my fellow conservatives” for comments critical of talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh. In an attempt to defend his GOP leadership from Limbaugh's critiques.

The sacrilage came in the form of some uncommon honesty:

“I mean, it’s easy if you’re Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks. You don’t have to try to do what’s best for your people and your party.You know you’re just on these talk shows and you’re living well and plus you stir up a bit of controversy and gin the base and that sort of thing. But when it comes to true leadership, not that these people couldn’t be or wouldn’t be good leaders, they’re not in that position of John Boehner or Mitch McConnell"

The next day, Gingrey "clarified" his statement. His tounge firmly planted in Rush's anus:

“I regret and apologize for the fact that my comments have offended and upset my fellow conservatives... Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Newt Gingrich, and other conservative giants are the voices of the conservative movement’s conscience. Everyday, millions and millions of Americans—myself included—turn on their radios and televisions to listen to what they have to say, and we are inspired by their words and by their determination.”

Gingrey also released a statement to GOP backers which assured "I am one of you," adding "In fact, in 2008 The National Journal ranked me the #1 most conservative Member of the House of Representatives."

Goes to show you the pressure under these people to maintain the status quo and the ideology that underlies it. In short, tow the line or we'll crush you. PATHETIC.

Read the whole sad tale.

On the GOP and their push for small business tax breaks

2009-01-28T13:48:00.006-05:00

I have been hearing a lot from the GOP on tax breaks for small business, and how it needs to be in the stimulus package.

Well, I AM a small businessman. I have been for 10 years. It is my family's sole income. I DO NOT WANT A TAX BREAK. It would be all nice and fine, but in the end it won't help.

What I want is the structure of the economy to be repaired. I won't have anything to tax if I have no clients. I'd rather make sure the taxes I do pay are used correctly. Additionally, we will need those taxes to renovate health care, social security and medicare.

So let's stop harping on tax-breaks. I got 'em when you people were in charge. They are a drop in the bucket for anyone making over 50K. Let those below that have something to buy food with. Give me the chance to make my own money.

Some sick bastard is going to be doing unspeakable acts in these poor shoes (besides Sarah Palin).

2009-01-28T13:02:00.007-05:00

"ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A pair of shoes allegedly worn by Gov. Sarah Palin during her campaign for vice president netted $2,025 in an online auction early Tuesday morning.

The pair of red, Naughty Monkey Double-Dare pumps were sold in an eBay auction that ended at midnight Tuesday.

The shoes normally go for about $100.

Someone calling herself Palin's niece was selling the red shoes she said the governor gave to her, according to the auction site. She claims the shoes were purchased, not by the Republican National Committee, but by the governor herself at a Juneau store.

Autographed pictures of the governor wearing the shoes were also included in the auction, as well as a Sharpie pen Palin used for autographs during the campaign.

As part of the purchase agreement, the governor is supposed to autograph the shoes for the winning bidder, whose identity was not revealed on the eBay site."

Here's a thought, Mr. President

2009-01-28T00:06:00.006-05:00

Hey Mr. President... hell of a nice thing you did today, making nice with the GOP and all. Real bipartisan. Love that whole concept. It's clear you are trying.

That said, you'll have a better chance at getting North Korea to negotiate in earnest than getting these people to play ball. I realize that the GOP feels "out of the loop" in forming this package and all, but hey... they LOST. Since they obviously have no ideas besides "cut more taxes", and had just completed failed years of iron-fist rule, perhaps it's time for them to SIT-DOWN. Or be told to sit down. By you, the President.

The GOP with NEVER EVER want you to create a NEW New Deal, because they have spent the last 60 years trying to tear down the OLD Old Deal. They mean well, I'm sure. They are just unable to come up with anything new except contradict themselves, site reports that do not exist, or stonewall.

You must know this. You have clearly proven yourself a great strategist. I trust you on this. Most of the country does. As you can see by the image above, millions of people think you are the best thing since kittens and rainbows.

Now go get that thing passed, Mr. President. I'd love a real bipartisan moment too, but I don't think it's possible, and time is short. Despite some jugheads saying you can take your time on this, we may not have any jobs left next week.

But you know this all ready. You live in the real world, at least up until a week ago. But it's still here, and we're bleeding cash, but we believe in you.

Your friend in Democracy,
Jay

Oba-MAD

2009-01-27T22:19:00.003-05:00

LOL

Tip of the hat to 70's television Sci-Fi

2009-01-27T15:16:00.004-05:00

This is simply AMAZING. Can you name them all? This is what made growing up in the 1970s a blast.

See the whole thing!

Conservative old guy, supposedly smart, appears to support Obama plan.

2009-01-27T14:16:00.006-05:00

I don't read long articles — I'll wait for the movie thank you very much — but people I know do, and someone recently posted this on facebook. The guy that posted it seems smart, so I'll go with it. Here are some excerpts:

More to It Than Meets the Eye
The hidden coherence of Obama's recovery plan.
by Irwin M. Stelzer

"It grieves me to say so, but President Obama's conservative critics just don't get it. The new president has put forward a plan for economic recovery that is more coherent than they are willing to admit. Start with the stimulus package of some $825 billion. A lot of money, more even than George W. Bush's $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, but not much more as money is counted these days, especially as Obama's will be spent over two or three years. Critics complain that stimulus spending will add to the swollen federal debt. True: President Bush did leave his successor a $1.2 trillion annual deficit. To which Obama will add about $400 billion per year. Query: What empirical evidence is there that deficits of $1.6 trillion are more harmful during a period of economic recession than deficits."

Read the whole thing... if your into that kind of time-sucking investment. I need to update my facebook status to "Jay is posting old guy economic crap."

Global warming victim: Trees?

2009-01-27T14:07:00.003-05:00

A newly discovered casualty of global warming may be the Northern pacific whitebark pine tree, which has been taken a hit due to lack of rain and snow pack. This in turn affects animals that need the tree (grizzly bears eat the tree's nuts). So just a little good Tuesday news... sorry about that folks. At least we aren't ignoring the problem anymore.

Obama administration may or may not be transparent, but at least it's less pixelated

2009-01-26T14:26:00.012-05:00

As Cheney leaves office, Google Earth map magically de-pixelates

From Gizmodo via Valleywag:

Google Maps' satellite imagery has shown us clear shots of the White House, the Capitol and even the Pentagon. But one thing it never displayed properly was Dick Cheney's house.

The Vice President's quarters, located at the Naval Observatory since 1974, have been pixelated ever since Google has given the public an easy way to check them out—coincidentally ever since Dick Cheney has lived there. This censorship wasn't by Google but those supplying Google the source images, the U.S. Geological Survey.

It always pissed me off the Cheney had the audacity to order that. He was way too secretive as it was. And, of course, a total dick.

As a sidenote, the user comments from Gizmodo's article on this were absolutely priceless... here are some theories on why the images were pixelated:

"Cheney is so dark and evil his very presence distorts light."

"Probably trying to hide his baby-raping factory."

"He doesn't want Google to catch him shooting a friend in the face."

"Cheney actually gives off a powerful electromagnetic field, sort of like Magneto from X-Men but more evil. The result is significant enough to interfere with imaging satellites and makes him unreachable by phone and thus unaccountable for anything."

Here is a link to some history on the VP's digs.

Krugman's advice to Obama on opponents of stimulus package: Fuck 'em.

2009-01-26T14:21:00.006-05:00

From the Huffington Post

Krugman: Obama Should Ignore "Huffing And Puffing" Stimulus Opponents

Economist Paul Krugman has been somewhat critical of President Obama's stimulus plan. But today in the New York Times he defends the proposal:

"As the debate over President Obama's economic stimulus plan gets under way, one thing is certain: many of the plan's opponents aren't arguing in good faith. Conservatives really, really don't want to see a second New Deal, and they certainly don't want to see government activism vindicated. So they are reaching for any stick they can find with which to beat proposals for increased government spending."

Krugman goes on to debunk some of the arguments against the plan -- particularly the idea that tax cuts are inherently superior to new spending. But, he concludes, the critics don't matter much: "Most Americans aren't listening. The most encouraging thing I've heard lately is Mr. Obama's reported response to Republican objections to a spending-oriented economic plan: "I won." Indeed he did -- and he should disregard the huffing and puffing of those who lost."

READ THE WHOLE COLUMN

On Environment: Ahhhnold and Obama and now officially BFFs

2009-01-25T22:20:00.008-05:00

The New York TImes reports President Obama will direct federal regulators on Monday to move swiftly on an application by California and 13 other states to set strict automobile emission and fuel efficiency standards, two administration officials said Sunday evening.

You may remember last year that the Governator wanted to set higher standards for California, but the W Administration shot it down, but it appears that is yet another Bush reversal we can be thankful for. And Schwarzenegger, a Republican, continues to lead the country in environmental action. I hope he runs for Senate when his final term is up.

GOP big shots looking out for themselves, blocking Obama, and putting the country LAST.

2009-01-25T20:23:00.016-05:00

For the past 8 years, the Republican Party got just about everything they ever wanted — and now are desperately trying to avoid taking the blame for it. Diplomatic, economic, and ethical disasters should fall soundly on those who caused them — yet rather than reform their party, they continue to turn to the same old "look out for Number One" agenda.

Here is the recap and related links to all things firmly rooted in the NOT HELPFUL category. Clockwise from the top left...

1. House Minority Leader John Boehner and other Republican leaders are attacking the stimulus package with while promoting their own version featuring their favorite fix all — tax-cuts. Maybe further stock market deregulation would help to!

Do these people still believe they have ANY expertise at fixing the economy? — READ AT Huffington Post.

2. Ken Blackwell, former Ohio Secretary of State (The one who helped Karl Rove steal the 2004 election results in Ohio) bluntly stated that conservatives should vote against the stimulus package, because the plans success would mean more people vote Democrat, thus making it harder for Republicans to retake the White House. — READ at Think Progress.

3. Rush Limbaugh decides to put country last and oppose the stimulus plan out of fear it's success will prevent GOP wins in future elections. — READ AT Think Progress.

4. Karl Rove, unable to admit defeat, takes his magical misery tour to a Miami university lecture hall and tells attendees that Obama won't be able to close Gitmo. But at least he did wish Obama success. — READ AT the Miami Hurricane website

5. John McCain, along with the other GOP leadership, has threatened to vote against it unless major changes are made (like adding those tax cuts the GOP loves). This is probably because the fundamentals of the economy are STILL strong. Senator I thought you were better than this... then I remember your presidential campaign. — READ AT Huffington Post.

6. Kathie Olsen,once at the forefront of Bush's systematic denial of the human causes of global warming, has "borrowed-in" to a protected job within the Obama government. And Obama may not be able to do much about it. Many such former Bushies have done so in recent weeks, but she is one of the more higher profile cases. — READ AT talkingpointsmemo.com.

Apple at 25

2009-01-25T00:08:00.005-05:00

Wow. From this to the iPhone in 25 years. We live in a blessed time (despite what I usually bitch about on this site!)

Story

Obama's Weely Message Topic: Stimulus Package

2009-01-24T23:54:00.007-05:00

Transcript is here. You can read the stimulus plan here (and summaries).

The GOP response is here. I note some intentional inaccuracies, but read for yourself.

The website on the stimulus Obama speaks of is here. http://www.recovery.gov/. I'm loving this. He knows how to work the web.

Should Obama have William Lynn for Defense?

2009-01-24T22:35:00.008-05:00

It's taken me a lot of research to decide that it's not an issue and Obama is well aware of the conflict and that it requires special ongoing attention from him. It seems Obama feels his advantages greatly outweigh the risks. That said, let's talk it through for those less obsessed than I...

A story being followed among the politically preoccupied is Obama's pick of William Lynn for Deputy Secretary of Defense (read a recent bio). He seems to have strong experience and is well thought of, but he does have a large caveat — he has recently been lobbying for Raytheon. In the Bush administration, this wouldn't have been big news, but in light of The President's new ethics reforms, it gets complicated.

As stated in a previous post, Obama's ethics reform order is meant to keep lobbyists at an arms length from Presidential Administrations, not allowing them to work for a lobby two years before joining an Administration. Furthermore, after leaving the job, they are not allowed to lobby the administration.

Written into the order is a procedure for creating a waiver in special cases. It seems clear that Obama had this in mind for Lynn. His transition team, which voluntarily disclosed Lynn's lobbying activities, said Lynn's talents made him worth the apparent exception to the spirit of Obama's anti-lobbyists policy. It said it will work with Lynn to maintain Obama's high ethics standards.*

This has proven controversial. From John McCain (this article has some great background) to CNN's "No Bull" Campbell Brown, Obama (and his Press Secretary Robert Gibbs) criticism over the double standard seems to be growing.

But is this warranted? Are we being too tough on Obama? Does the reality of the day mean it is essential to make some concessions? Are we so cynical by 8 years of W that we can't trust anyone?

Or, are we simply holding Obama to the ideals he exposed in his address?

It will be difficult for Lynn to avoid defense issues related to Raytheon, said James Thurber, who teaches lobbying at American University.

"I think it's impossible in our system not to have people that have been in the advocacy system," he said. "They're the people who know the issues and have the expertise." The key is for the administration to disclose those connections and avoid financial conflicts, he said.*

Some comments from around the blogosphere on the issue include the following::

"Lynn is not indispensable, look for equivalent expertise along with an ability to satisfy the new lobbying guidelines."

"Mr Lynn is an excellent choice. IN my days at the Pentagon he was veiwed as smart objective and fair - all qualitities need to harnass that place. His recent experience with the defense industry only adds to his capability to make the changes needed. Does not taint him as previous comment implies. Would that same level of competence were evident in selections announced to lead the intelligence community."

"Obama should be criticized for this pick. There must be someone who is qualified and isn't in bed with corporations."

"[Lynn is] legit, he's mostly worked in the government and for think tanks. Very well respected when he was comptroller of Pentagon under Clinton."

"This is a sham Obama. I really thought that you were sincere in your pledge about lobbyists. This is not change - it's business as usual in DC."

"Will this be another fox guarding the henhouse? I was hoping Obama would stay away from defense contractors to get appointees. They all have been raping our treasury, and are war profiteers. I hope they vetted this guy and nothing comes up later regarding contracts. My fingers are crossed but I'm not confident."

"You can not throw a rock in Washington without hitting someone that is a lobbyist. Almost anyone with experience has worked in a lobbyist position. So I think it will be hard to find candidates for post that have no lobbyist ties, but Obama may want to look a little harder or build a better case. John McCain is right to call Obama out on this at least to keep him honest."

"'I don't take a dime of their [lobbyist] money, and when I am president, they won't find a job in my White House.' -Barack Obama"'

Here's a link to a Politico article on why Lynn is worth Obama taking a hit on.

Inauguration at 1,474 megapixels... you have to see this.

2009-01-23T14:20:00.009-05:00

Amazing...You can manipulate the image and zoom in and out. For example, in the zoom below, Dubbya doesn't look too happy at what Barry just said:

The photographer, David Bergman explains the process:

My final photo is made up of 220 Canon G10 images and the file is 59,783 X 24,658 pixels or 1,474 megapixels. It took more than six and a half hours for the Gigapan software to put together all of the images on my Macbook Pro and the completed TIF file is almost 2 gigabytes.

Play with the image at: How I Made a 1,474-Megapixel Photo During President Obama’s Inaugural Address

Thanks to Bob Cesca's Blog for this awesome link.

ATTACK OF THE DRONES: Obama spills first blood of his Presidency. (Not counting John McCain, of course.)

2009-01-23T13:57:00.005-05:00

It official, folks. The President killed his first people... hopefully they were the Al Queda kind.

Huffington Reports:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Suspected U.S. missiles killed 18 people on the Pakistan side of the Afghan border Friday, security officials said, the first attacks on the al-Qaida stronghold since President Barack Obama took office.

At least five foreign militants were among those killed in the strikes by unmanned aircraft in two parts of the frontier region, an intelligence official said without naming them. There was no information on the identities of the others.

Pakistan's leaders had expressed hope Obama might halt the strikes, but few observers expected he would end a tactic that U.S. officials say has killed several top al-Qaida operatives and is denying the terrorist network a long-held safe haven.

I don't love that this is going on, but with Pakistan being what it is (basically the mountains seems pretty lawless) and the disarray in their government, we don't have many options. I don't think the State Department is going to solve it with diplomacy. Plus, it allows the Pakistani government to officially protest these actions while secretly giving it the green light. That's my guess. This was started under the Bush administration and still seems the most logical way to go.

The Daily Dick: John Thain, CEO of Merrill Lynch

2009-01-22T23:48:00.007-05:00

Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain spent over $1 million to redecorate his office while his company collapsed and his employees were getting laid off.

Less than one month into his new gig at the Bank of America, Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain resigned today after it was revealed that he doled out executive bonuses a month ahead of schedule and just days before his struggling Merrill Lynch firm was acquired by the Bank of America.

Although no reason was given for his resignation, a spokesman for Bank of America, which acquired Merrill Lynch at the beginning of this year in a government-negotiated deal to save it from collapse, issued a statement saying: "(BofA Chairman and CEO) Ken Lewis flew to New York today to talk to John Thain. And it was mutually agreed that his situation was not working out and he would resign."

What the hell can I say? I got nothin.

Read the rest on ABC News, or Daily Beast (who's writer broke the story).

UPDATE 1/26: Thain has come forward and announced he will pay back all the money spent on the renovations. He apologized, explaining this was done a year ago. It was still an extravagant symbol of what is wrong with corporate America, but he's trying to reform, at least for now.

UPDATE 1/27: He's still a total dick. According to NY Post: Recently eating at a restaurant, he loudly told the waiter, for all to hear, "under the circumstances with this tough economy, I think I'll have tap water." He then ran up a $130+ bill and left a lousey tip.

Will Obama's new Pentagon pick be a victim of his new ethics rules?

2009-01-22T22:58:00.009-05:00

Yesterday Obama unveiled a executive order to ban lobbyists from working in executive branch jobs related to the work of their former employers. Moreover, it would force appointees to recuse themselves from any business their former employers might have an interest.

Well... he may have forgotten about his choice for the Pentagon's second-in-command, currently a lobbyist for a defense giant Raytheon.

Oooopsies.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Thursday in his first big presser that "even the toughest rules require reasonable exceptions," and that Lynn was "uniquely qualified. . . to serve the public interest in these critical times."

Double Oooopsies.

I think the issue here is that Obama is setting the bar higher than what is practical, given the massive amount of experienced people who have been involved in lobbying. It may have been a poor choice to announce this new rule now before all his staff is in place. We'll need to wait for him to make a persuasive statement on this. Having his Press Boy do it won't cut the political mustard.

Additionally, this goes to show that Obama may be as awesome as fresh warm rolls and kitten kisses, but WE CAN NOT STOP BEING INFORMED AND INVOLVED. If he messes up, we should call him on it. If he's truly as good as we all hope, he'll respond by being a better President.

UPDATE: Campbell Brown took a swipe at Obama for this:

What, no WiFi??? Obama's crew struggles with the low-tech White House

2009-01-22T14:55:00.008-05:00

"It is kind of like going from an Xbox to an Atari," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said of his new digs.

Cut phone lines, old software, and a jumble of other technological restrictions have taken the Obama high tech crew by surprise.

Anne E. Kornblut of the Washington Post reports:

One member of the White House new-media team came to work on Tuesday, right after the swearing-in ceremony, only to discover that it was impossible to know which programs could be updated, or even which computers could be used for which purposes. The team members, accustomed to working on Macintoshes, found computers outfitted with six-year-old versions of Microsoft software. Laptops were scarce, assigned to only a few people in the West Wing. The team was left struggling to put closed captions on online videos.

If the Obama campaign represented a sleek, new iPhone kind of future, the first day of the Obama administration looked more like the rotary-dial past.

If I was used to a shiny new MacBook Pro and had to leave it at home so I could work on a Dell 386 running Windows ME, I don't know if I could bear it. These people must be in serious withdrawal.

Read the whole article.

Oath me once, oath me twice...

2009-01-21T21:09:00.004-05:00

Due to the odd flubbing of yesterday's presidential oath, Obama and Chief Justice Roberts did a safety do over. It has no effect on his authenticity as President, as by law he took office at noon yesterday regardless.

Regardless, today a small group convened the White House Map Room for the do-over.

"We decided that because it was so much fun ...," Obama joked to reporters who followed press secretary Robert Gibbs into the room. A few of Obama's closest aides were there, along with a White House photographer.

"Are you ready to take the oath?" Chief Roberts asked.

"Yes, I am," Obama said. "And we're going to do it very slowly."

AP goes into detail of the flub:

It happened when Obama interrupted Roberts midway through the opening line, in which the president repeats his name and solemnly swears.

Next in the oath is the phrase " ... that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States." But Roberts rearranged the order of the words, not saying "faithfully" until after "president of the United States."

That appeared to throw Obama off. He stopped abruptly at the word "execute."

Recognizing something was off, Roberts then repeated the phrase, putting "faithfully" in the right place but without repeating "execute."

But Obama then repeated Roberts' original, incorrect version: "... the office of president of the United States faithfully."

This retaking of the oath has happened twice in the past: Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur.

URGENT: Service Resumed

2009-01-21T15:52:00.003-05:00

Dear World:

We, the United States of America , your top-quality supplier of the ideals of liberty and democracy, would like to apologize for our 2001-2008 interruption in service.

The technical fault that led to this eight-year service outage has been located, and the software responsible was replaced November 4. Early tests of the newly installed program indicate that we are now operating correctly, and we expect it to be fully functional on January 20.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the outage. We look forward to resuming full service and hope to improve in years to come.

We thank you for your patience and understanding,

Sincerely,
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Thanks for sending this Molly! :-)

GeoEye Satellite view of the Inauguration

2009-01-21T13:42:00.005-05:00

Seems like it may have been taken an hour or so before the oath. Click for zoom.

Apparently, about 2 million made it in to see it, and there were no arrests. That may be because out of the 2 million, 1.5 million were secret service agents! :-)

Coutesy PopSci.com

Video: Bush booed at Inauguration

2009-01-21T03:04:00.004-05:00

Courtesy of iReports. I don't know how I feel about this. I'm very torn. It's well earned (and protected by our right to free speech) but is it the appropriate place? In an online discussion, I attributed this to 8 years of people feeling like the President wasn't listening to them. When that happens, and they finally get the chance to speak their mind directly, it's not pretty. On the other hand, it's not exactly the bipartisan way of moving forward. Still...

It begins: Rahm Emmanuel halts Bush's final legislation

2009-01-20T20:32:00.003-05:00

MSNBC has reported that Rahm Emanuel, just 6 hours into the Presidency of Obama, halted all the legislation Bush tried to push through in the final weeks of his Administration.

I was hoping this could be done within 4 hours, but I guess 6 is okay.

Geekspeak: Obama's Inaugural speech in tag cloud format.

2009-01-20T15:31:00.007-05:00

http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/453163/_Obama_Inauguration_Speech

WhiteHouse.gov is up and not pulling punches.

2009-01-20T15:26:00.014-05:00

New White House it is up. Looks as robust and new media saavy as his campaign sites. http://www.whitehouse.gov

It also has teeth. Politico notes that the Katrina section states:

Under the “agenda” portion of the site regarding Katrina, it reads: “President Obama will keep the broken promises made by President Bush to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. He and Vice President Biden will take steps to ensure that the federal government will never again allow such catastrophic failures in emergency planning and response to occur.”

“President Obama swiftly responded to Hurricane Katrina,” the statement on the site continues. “Citing the Bush Administration’s ‘unconscionable ineptitude’ in responding to Hurricane Katrina, then-Senator Obama introduced legislation requiring disaster planners to take into account the specific needs of low-income hurricane victims.”

Between this and the statements in his speech, it's clear Obama isn't afraid of calling it like he sees it.

Transcript of Obama's Inauguration Speech

2009-01-20T14:53:00.006-05:00

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.

They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed.

Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

In all the joy and celebration, thank god someone remembered to bring the inflatable Spider-Man.

2009-01-20T14:44:00.003-05:00

Seems like them socialists sure like that boy with all the big collidge words.......

2009-01-19T21:19:00.003-05:00

Don't worry, Rush, it's going to all be okay...

2009-01-19T20:53:00.006-05:00

Above: Rush telling Tom Delay where to stab him before the Inauguration.

Some notable quotes:

"On his radio show last week, Rush Limbaugh railed against "people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, 'Well, I hope he succeeds. We have to give him a chance.'"

"Why?" Limbaugh demanded. "They didn't give Bush a chance in 2000."

We also have a little nugget from the ever evil/trying to stay relevant Tom Delay:

If Obama were "serious" about changing Washington, DeLay said, "He would announce to the world: 'We are in crisis, we are at war, people are losing jobs; we are not going to have this party. Instead, I'm going to get sworn in at the White House. I'm going to have a nice little chicken dinner, and we'll save the $125 million.'"

Tom DeLay being concerned about saving tax-payers money is like a Jack Bauer being worried about wasting bullets.

'Nuff said about these a-holes. At least it seems Newt is keeping his mouth shut and plots his machinations in private.

Protesters lob shoes toward White House on Bush's last day

2009-01-19T20:41:00.005-05:00

Awesome...

President Bush was given an Iraqi-journalist-style sendoff on his last full day in office Monday, as tourists and demonstrators lobbed shoes, pumps, boots, sandals and Crocs from Pennsylvania Avenue onto the White House lawn.

Before launching the operation live, the shoe-chuckers took target practice in Dupont Circle on a 20-foot-tall blow up doll of the outgoing president, decked out in the flight suit he wore aboard the "Mission Accomplished" aircraft carrier.]

The target practice on the giant Bush doll began around 11:00 in the morning and was still going five hours later, as thousands of people walking through the circle stopped to pick up a shoe and wing it at the outgoing president. Some threw fastballs like al-Zaidi. Others tied several together in an attempt to land them on Bush's long Pinocchio-esque nose. Children took part. ("Okay. One more shoe, kids," said one parent.) Some folks simply walked up to the doll and kicked it in the shins. It fell over at one point and people rushed it, beating it with shoes.

Marching down Connecticut Avenue with handfuls of footwear, the group of about a hundred was on the receiving end of enthusiastic honks, thumbs-up and waves from people in the street.

"It's not that I hate [Bush]," one protestor clarified. "I don't hate him personally. I hate what he has done to this country."

Once all the shoes had been tossed onto the White House lawn, the officers collected them and piled them into the back of a small truck. "The next person who throws them gets arrested," said one, though the entire pile had already been thrown.

As the protesters headed back toward Dupont Circle, a Secret Service agent left them with a parting observation.

"You all won," he said.

FULL STORY: HUFF

Parting Shots: Uncanny Valley

2009-01-17T22:56:00.004-05:00

I finally figured out what was bugging me about her.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_Valley

Don't worry Laura, your secret is safe with me.

Bye Bye Bush!

2009-01-16T20:03:00.008-05:00

In celebration of the end of the "Bush" era, a New York spa is giving 40% off on Brazilian waxing.

This should sent W's approval rating up a few points!

Laura, the line forms to the left. Get it? Left? I'm awesome.

Dude, you're a hero!

2009-01-16T15:03:00.004-05:00

Congrats to the first pilot to crash-land an airplane on water without fatalities. The Force is strong with this one.

Chesley B. Sullenberger

Thoughts on "The United States has gone seven years without a terrorist attack on our soil."

2009-01-15T22:04:00.011-05:00

George Bush gave his farewell address tonight. Most of it was you may expect; a listing of what his perceived successes were, some examples of inspirational people, and some parting words of American strength and courage through his eyes.

Most notably, in his list of accomplishes, he notes "The United States has gone seven years without a terrorist attack on our soil."

I've heard this time and time again in the past few weeks. Every TV and radio talk show has been doing Bush recaps, and these shows invariably have two "experts":

An angry "liberal type" painfully recalling every blunder Bush has made in great detail.

A tired-sounding, accepting "conservative type" who doesn't argue the blunders much, but says "Well, yeah, but the United States has gone seven years without a terrorist attack on our soil."

I think the intention is that should be the argument killer. It implies that he has prevented many other such attacks, secretly intercepted and silently neutralized, while we slept, never to be mentioned in public. The means may not have been pretty, but it's all justified because he kept you safe in the end. If we disagree with his methods, it's just because we just don't know the classified horrors that he saved us from.

If we did know all this, we'd see what a savior he was, and wouldn't we all feel like assholes for giving him a hard time?

Additionally, it makes W come off as a martyr who was heroically willing to toss himself on the fire of history to save us all. We hate him, but he loves us, and is willing to pay the price of our 70% disapproval rating if it means America is safe.

The problem is this doesn't appear to hold up to deep thought.

If there were instances of large scale, imminent attacks that Bush's people had thwarted, wouldn't we have heard something of them? With the amount of leaks in this Administration, it seems that good news would have surely come out, especially in light of the miserable approval rating Bush has seen consistently.

While attacks on American soil have indeed been nil since 9/11, that event in itself was on Bush's watch, and it is known that he was warned of the attack, but did not respond to it. This is a bit like claiming credit for not having another levee failure in a metropolitan area since Katrina.

Terrorist attacks have proliferated throughout the world, we are keeping the homeland secure, but at the expense of the rest of the world, which has been under attack from London to Spain to India.

But what I don't hear much of is what I consider most important:

Bin Laden clearly stated his tactical mission was to "bleed America to the point of bankruptcy," citing that "We, alongside the mujahedeen, bled Russia for 10 years until it went bankrupted and was forced to withdraw in defeat." In this context, another Al Queda attack isn't necessary even if they could, as the $500,000 investment they made for perpetrating 9/11 is still yielding profits.

His first attack is still in progress.

By the way, Bush did admit to some small fault in his speech. He said "There are things I would have done differently, if given the chance."

Indeed. Now get out.

Two legends of Science Fiction have left us. Sniffles, everyone, sniffles.

2009-01-14T19:52:00.007-05:00

Ricardo Montalban dies at 88 (1920 - 2009)

Montalban's son-in-law Gilbert Smith tells PEOPLE that Montalban had been in declining health for months and died from "complications of advancing age."

"He was in peace," said Smith, who said that the actor was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. "He will be missed." Montalban was proceeded in death by one year by his wife of 63 years, Gorgiana Young, the younger sister of his frequent co-star Loretta Young.

"[She is] the only love of my life," the actor said in 2004.

------

Patrick McGoohan "Number Six" Dies in LA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Patrick McGoohan, an Emmy-winning actor who created and starred in the cult classic television show "The Prisoner," has died. He was 80.
McGoohan died Tuesday in Los Angeles after a short illness, his son-in-law, film producer Cleve Landsberg, said Wednesday.

McGoohan won two Emmys for his work on the Peter Falk detective drama "Columbo," and more recently appeared as King Edward Longshanks in the 1995 Mel Gibson film "Braveheart."

But he was best known as the title character Number Six in "The Prisoner," a surreal 1960s British series in which a former spy is held captive in a small village and constantly tries to escape.

The stolen 2004 election? Investigation into Karl Rove's IT hacker suspicious death continues...

2009-01-13T14:41:00.011-05:00

Under-reported but important, investigations into the suspicious death of Mike Connell still continue. As mentioned in a previous post (LINK) Mike Connell was a top Republican party Internet strategist who was under investigation on allegations that he was involved in possible tampering with the counting of Ohio ballots in the 2004 presidential election. He died in a plane crash on Dec. 19 after multiple sources reported that his life was in danger from Karl Rove, the alleged architect of the election grab, after it was clear Connell was ready to start talking to authorities.

Cliff Arnebeck, the Ohio investigator who took Connell's original deposition and is investigating the crash spoke to news site Between The Lines:

...we believe that the criminal activity that we've identified and we have plenty of evidence to support it. You know, it starts not with the Republican Party, it starts with Karl Rove. The first target of this conspiracy is John McCain's campaign in South Carolina in the 2000 primary. So it's really a criminal enterprise, rather than a Republican enterprise.

I'd encourage any readers to get acquainted with this story, as it doesn't appear to be on the radar of corporate media services as it should be. As it involves the direct theft of votes that decided the 2004 election, it is critical we flush out this situation and either bring the guilty to justice or prove it false and trash it. Either way, it needs to be presented to the public.

Read the transcript, listen to Real Audio or MP3 of the interview.

More Links:

In-depth interview with Cliff Arneback, conducted by Scott Harris, Counterpoint, Dec. 29, 2008

Rolling Stone: Was the 2004 Election Stolen?

Video from Michael Connell Plane Crash

Velvet Underground: 1/7/09: Connell Investigation Intensifies

Obama appears to listen to opposing viewpoints... goddamn socialist.

2009-01-12T21:10:00.008-05:00

After two Bush stories which drip with his arrogance and lack of humility, I have an Obama story which illustrates the opposite...

As you may know, Barry-O has been running around Washington trying to get members of Congress to sign on for his stimulus package. This isn't an easy sell, cause Congress has been catching hell for being stupid enough to expect the money they all ready handed to Bush would be spent appropriately (or at least could be tracked in some way).

So Obama has been laying out his plan, and has encountered some criticism. Notably, Paul Krugman (who I think is super – read Conscience of a Liberal) wrote quite a rebuke of the plan last week in The New York Times in an article called The Obama Gap:

"Mr. Obama’s prescription doesn’t live up to his diagnosis. The economic plan he’s offering isn’t as strong as his language about the economic threat. In fact, it falls well short of what’s needed."

Rather than ignore his critics, Obama issued a statement looking to talk to Krugman:

"I want this to work," said the president-elect. "This is not an intellectual exercise, and there's no pride of authorship. If somebody has an idea for a tax cut that's better than we've proposed, then we'll embrace it... If Paul Krugman has a good idea, in terms of how to spend money efficiently and effectively to jump-start the economy, then we're going to do it."

Say what?

And Krugman took him up on the statement in his latest column: Ideas for Obama.

How un-Bushian! How Obama-rific! Here is Jon Stewart being mystified by all of this:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

President Goofus and President Gallant - Peer Pressers

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

And if you think that this blog is little more than an Obama lovefest/circle-jerk... you're right. Until I hear different, I think this dude is an answer to the country's prayers.

And, it should be noted that I am a cynical son-of-a-bitch.

Breaking news: Bush to waste another 15 minutes of prime-time to defend record.

2009-01-12T20:50:00.005-05:00

Georgie is going to talk on Thursday to the nation. Let's call it his "The Past 8 Years Haven't Been A Disaster/Legacy Building Speech."

If he interrupts a brand new "Two and a Half Men" to tell me he ain't such a bad dude and we'll only know what a great job he did in a hundred years, I'll be mighty upset.

Read more

P.S. Looking forward to stop endlessly bitching about this man, but I will do so for no other reason to prevent him from remaking himself as a decent President.

Final Press Conference: President Bush doesn't understand what the word "disappointment" means

2009-01-12T20:31:00.010-05:00

Excellent comment by Bob Cesca regarding Bush's last offical press conference (held today) before he finally goes away:

"As always, President Bush's utter lack of humility and his inability to fully grasp how he personally failed on numerous occasions is just staggering. For example:"

(Go 20 secs in)

"'Not finding weapons of mass destruction was a significant disappointment.' No, no. We feel "disappointment" when there's no more ice cream. Or when our favorite sports team loses an important whatever. Not finding -- rather, deliberately ignoring the fact that there weren't any weapons in the first place but going to war anyway -- wasn't a disappointment. It was one of the biggest, most expensive, most damaging foreign policy disasters in American history."

Read the whole thing at BOB CESCA'S AWESOME BLOG!

As an aside, it appears turn out for this event was not as good as the White House expected. While the announcements specified only "one correspondent per organization" and standing "room only for non-seat holders", the last 2 of the 7 rows were empty, and needed to be filled by White House interns.

Just sad. Appropriate, but sad.

Bill Cosby on what it was like to vote for Obama

2009-01-12T13:55:00.001-05:00

Kind of touching.

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

Cheney and the new Senate

2009-01-11T21:41:00.000-05:00

While the economy burns, Laura Bush splurges on $500K dishes for the White House.

2009-01-07T19:55:00.010-05:00

There are so many problems with this I don't know where to start... let's jump right in....

WASHINGTON (AP) - First lady Laura Bush showed off a new gold-rimmed set of official George W. Bush state china on Wednesday, with less than two weeks to use it before the family packs up for Texas.

The $493,000 set was inspired by a few pieces of green basketweave-patterned French china in the White House collection believed to have come from James and Dolley Madison. It was paid for by a privately funded trust of the White House Historical Association, which also purchased a second, less formal set.

Laura Bush said she commissioned the dinnerware because of breakage and a need for more settings for larger events, and added a second Magnolia-patterned set for $74,000 for use at private family dinners and smaller events.

She said she was aware of criticism her predecessors received for buying expensive china, but said it was paid for with private money and that when the process started, "the economy was a lot better than it is today."

Okay Mrs. First Lady, you seem awful nice and all, and you must have some amazing distortion reality field around you that clouds your ability to understand the real world and your husbands horrendous effect on it, but this should have been a no-brainer... may I explain?

$493,000 is an obscene price to pay for place settings, regardless of when you ordered it. Even though the economy in 2006 was not as poor as todays, we were still in the red. Would maybe the 100K set have sufficed? 200K? Is 300K china too "Wal-Mart" for you?
You may not know this, but $500K is more than most people will ever see in a lifetime of working, including their homes. Regardless of who paid for it, this sticks a thumb in the arse of every American who wasn't born with a silver spoon in their mouth. That historical trust that paid for the dishes could have used that money for any number of other things, including historical preservation, grants to aspiring historians, or acquiring precious artifacts that are important to American history.
Especially now, in this current economy, you should have understood this as unacceptable. If you were stuck with them, it'd have been better to auction them off and give the proceeds to charity.
I don't care if f#cking Blake Carrington was coming for brunch, a more modest dinner service would make a finer statement. There could be no finer message to world leaders than to eat off of modest dishes, as they are supposed represent the people... right? You are not royalty, it's insane you expect to eat as one.
I don't care if the Clinton's had pricey dishes too. They shouldn't have.
Calling it the official George W. Bush state china adds insult to injury. Have you no clue what the majority of Americans think of your husband's leadership?

I can only hope that the Obama's are not as tone deaf as you are to the nation's struggle, and quickly dispense with this ridiculous symbol of excessive extravagance. The new administration could make no finer statement than to receive incoming heads of state with elegant, modest, and economically appropriate dishes.

READ ABOUT IT:

USA TODAY

WTOP.COM

Your problems are meaningless....

2009-01-06T23:25:00.002-05:00

BEHOLD! The sharpest, coolest picture of the galaxy. Courtesy of the Hubble.

Paul Krugman: "It's time for GOP to stop whining"

2009-01-04T22:09:00.002-05:00

THWACK!!

"As the new Democratic majority prepares to take power, Republicans have become, as Phil Gramm might put it, a party of whiners.

Some of the whining almost defies belief. Did Alberto Gonzales, the former attorney general, really say, "I consider myself a casualty, one of the many casualties of the war on terror"? Did Rush Limbaugh really suggest that the financial crisis was the result of a conspiracy, masterminded by that evil genius Chuck Schumer?

But most of the whining takes the form of claims that the Bush administration's failure was simply a matter of bad luck — either the bad luck of President Bush himself, who just happened to have disasters happen on his watch, or the bad luck of the GOP, which just happened to send the wrong man to the White House.

The fault, however, lies not in Republicans' stars but in themselves. Forty years ago the GOP decided, in effect, to make itself the party of racial backlash. And everything that has happened in recent years, from the choice of Bush as the party's champion, to the Bush administration's pervasive incompetence, to the party's shrinking base, is a consequence of that decision."

Read on...

Republican leadership candidate distributes "Barack the Magic Negro"

2008-12-27T01:13:00.010-05:00

Top three reason's why Chip Saltsman is a total dick:

It's bad enough the guy's name is Chip Saltsman

It's worse that he's such a cheapskate that he makes mix tape CDs for gifts

It's worst of all he's a racist pig

(I had more but I'm trying to be less wordy.)

RNC candidate Chip Saltsman’s Christmas greeting to committee members includes a music CD with lyrics from a song called “Barack the Magic Negro,” first played on Rush Limbaugh’s popular, yet asinine radio show.

“I look forward to working together in the New Year,” Saltsman wrote in a note that came with the CD. “Please enjoy the enclosed CD by my friend Paul Shanklin of the Rush Limbaugh Show.”

Chip denies being a total dick: "I think that RNC members have the good humor and good sense to recognize that his songs for the Rush Limbaugh show are light-hearted political parodies.”

Glad to see that the GOP has read the will of the electorate accept that they have nearly screwed the country with their agenda, and with humility (not to mention newfound wisdom) are moving forward with an eye toward reconciliation.

Now look at the picture above... do you think he became a total dick BECAUSE his mother named him Chip Saltman, or he looked like a dick right from infancy and his mom merely gave him a name to fit?

The way to an Afghan chieftain's heart is through his...

2008-12-26T22:09:00.003-05:00

From the Washington Post:

"The Afghan chieftain looked older than his 60-odd years, and his bearded face bore the creases of a man burdened with duties as tribal patriarch and husband to four younger women. His visitor, a CIA officer, saw an opportunity, and reached into his bag for a small gift.

Four blue pills. Viagra.

"Take one of these. You'll love it," the officer said. Compliments of Uncle Sam.

The enticement worked. The officer, who described the encounter, returned four days later to an enthusiastic reception. The grinning chief offered up a bonanza of information about Taliban movements and supply routes -- followed by a request for more pills.

"Whatever it takes to make friends and influence people -- whether it's building a school or handing out Viagra," said one longtime agency operative and veteran of several Afghanistan tours."

FULL STORY by Joby Warrick

2008's Heros of the Evolution: Tina Fey and SNL

2008-12-25T23:21:00.001-05:00

What good is a blog without an end of the year recap? Here is my version.

Our friend Tina sure had a good year. Taking circumstance by the balls, she became a 5 foot 4 inch antidote against the weaponized cheesecake they called "Sarah from Wasilla."

It was the GOP's ruling class that first saw Sarah Palin – the rookie Governor from Alaska – and could calculate her vast potential; the folksy wit, the shapely legs, the effortless star power, and the unfettered ambition. McCain unleashed the pitbull with lipstick soon after, and Americans who valued the ability to relate to a candidate (or for the men, good old fashioned T&A) over intellectual acumen started piling in. It was starting to look rocky for Obama, whose own sensational newness had begun to fade by late August. I know that I for one was damn nervous.

Luckily, the fresh face of the GOP war machine had two fatal flaws; she wasn't well versed in affairs beyond Anchorage, and she looked A LOT like Tina Fey. So much so that Tina quickly was able to jump back into her former gig at Saturday Night Live, dress up in a suit and up-do, and start turning public perception of Palin from serious VP potential to parody that spread across YouTube like wildfire. Before long "I can see Russia from my house!" was a national joke.

Of course, Palin did as much damage to her own prospects as Fey, from horrific interviews to racially tinged hate mongering to alleged abuses of power. That aside, it was Tina Fey and the excellent writers at SNL that were able to expose what was behind the curtain. As a bonus, we were able to laugh our asses off in the process.

Thanks Tina, you helped us dodge a bullet.

2008's Heros of the Evolution: Economist Paul Krugman

2008-12-25T01:07:00.004-05:00

If you need an antidote from the gray-faced economists that talk in jargony circles and make your brain hurt, meet Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman.

Krugman is both professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University and op-ed columnist for the The New York Times, but he does a hell of a lot more than that.

He is smart, practical – and most importantly – KICKS TOTAL ASS.

Since 1988 Krugman has written extensively for non-economists. Because of him, I've had the surreal pleasure of sitting in my truck riveted by economic theory. Yeah, riveted. His insights into political movements and their effect on American economic prosperity fly in the face of economics 101, but recent events have backed-up his theories.

In particular, his recent book The Conscience of a Liberal dissects the past 150 years of American history and comes to the conclusion that the GOP's takeover by extreme factions of the right (inspired by Reagan and perfected by Bush 2) precipitated a systematic attack on the advances made in economic equality from FDR's New Deal to the ever-improving middle class of the 1960s. Erosion of health care benefits, lower wages, and the disintegration of the middle-class resulted.

It's an persuasive proposition, and especially prophetic in the 2 years since he wrote the book's first edition. Especially fascinating is that you can watch his theories work in real-time as you read the papers.

What's even better, Politico recently reported that President-Elect Obama has been accessing Krugman's ample intellect.

This is the best financial news I've heard in a long time. Rock on, Economics Geek!

Karl Rove's IT Guru Killed in Plane Crash, Said Recently Threatened by Rove, Had Been Key Witness in OH '04 Election Fraud Case

2008-12-23T01:40:00.018-05:00

I would encourage people to look into this developing story on their own, as there is a lot of conjecture. That said, I am deeply suspicious of anything involving Rove.

So far, web searches are showing this has only showed up on local news. Coverage has been totally missing from CNN, CBS, ABC (except from a brief summary of the crash lifted from the Associated Press), FOXNews, NPR, MSNBC (besides local news stating the crash occurred). The Wall Street Journal did post a press release.

Was the computer guru who helped Karl Rove allegedly steal votes that swung the 2004 election ready to talk? And if so was he killed to shut him up?

From Raw Story:

The Republican consultant accused of involvement in alleged vote-rigging in Ohio in 2004 was warned that his plane might be sabotaged before his death in a crash Friday night, according to a Cleveland CBS affiliate.

45-year-old Republican operative Michael Connell was killed when his single-passenger plane crashed Friday into a home in a suburb of Akron, Ohio. The consultant was called to testify in federal court regarding a lawsuit alleging that he took part in tampering with Ohio's voting results in the 2004 election.

Without getting into specific details, 19 Action News reporter Blake Renault reported Sunday evening that 45-year-old Republican operative and experienced pilot had been warned not to fly his plane in the days before the crash.

"Connell...was apparently told by a close friend not to fly his plane because his plane might be sabotaged," Renault said. "And twice in the last two months Connell, who is an experienced pilot, cancelled two flights because of suspicious problems with his plane."

Connell [was alleged to have been involved] in a ploy to "flip" votes from then Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry to then-President George W. Bush.

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now interviewed Mark Crispin Miller, professor and author, took the story even further into motives:

"Velvet Revolution, a non-profit investigating Connell’s activities, revealed this weekend that Connell had recently said he was afraid George Bush and Dick Cheney would “throw [him] under the bus.” Cliff Arnebeck had also previously alerted Attorney General Michael Mukasey to alleged threats from Karl Rove to Connell if he refused to “take the fall.”

AMY GOODMAN: Alright, well, we had you on right before the election, because that’s when Mike Connell was being deposed. This news that came out of his death in a plane crash on Friday night, talk about what you understand has happened.

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: ...I think we’re obliged to investigate this thing very, very thoroughly. And that means, first of all, taking a close look at some of the stories that were immediately circulated to account for what happened, that it was bad weather. That was the line they used when Wellstone’s plane went down. There had been bad weather, but it had passed two hours before. And this comes from a woman at the airport information desk in Akron. We’re told that his plane was running out of gas, which is a little bit odd for a highly experienced pilot like Connell, but apparently, when the plane went down, there was an explosion, a fireball that actually charred and pocked some of the house fronts in the neighborhood.

When asked about Connell's methods and motivations, Miller said this:

MARK CRISPIN MILLER: [Connell was believed to have said that] one of the primary reasons why he helped Bush-Cheney steal elections was to save the babies. He was an ardent anti-abortionist, it’s true, but he wasn’t quite as hardcore as the others. And in fact, you know, he was a little bit alienated from the others, and that’s one of the reasons why he was inclined to talk, and so on.

FOX News ridicules PETA, Children, Eat KFC

2008-12-22T23:55:00.006-05:00

As someone who takes my little blogging outpost here seriously, I feel obligated to get my info so I can be "fair and balanced". That said, I try and avoid FOX News, as it is neither, though claims both. I just can't take that kind of a hit for readers. Turning into Uncle Rupert's brainchild is a little too much like having my brain starved and raped simultaneously.

That said, many others do. Many consider it their primary source of news/talking points. Fox usually returns their loyalty with standard issue corporate mindfucking, feeding those with lazy minds with plenty of information that supports their simplistic world views. Too harsh?

Here's a case in point: Listen to them rag on PETA during a protest of KFC...

These hosts are so half-witted, I'm shocked that FOX actually archives their videos online. Not only slamming PETA people as "a bunch of lonely people," they give KFC on-screen product placement as well. They also slam the bikini girls PETA is using to attract attention as sexist while having the Ann Coulter look-alike with them in the mini and open blouse.

After that, they go after kids who are trying to get their parents to think more eco-conscious, then top it off by mocking people who think you should avoid having large families.

I would actually feel bad for them, if they went hurting the country.

By the way, KFC has an awful track record in regards to chicken cruelty, etc. It's not just a protest of eating chicken. Here's a clip from last year showing some KFC workers bash the living shit out of some poor animals. Don't watch if you are squeamish.

Story originally found on ecorazzi.

Mr. Spock gets deported

2008-12-22T21:43:00.005-05:00

This animated short, Don't Deport Me, Scotty, is a promo for the human rights organization Breakthrough, and their campaign to restore due process for US immigrants. Nicely done. :-)

Thanks to io9, the awesome sci-fi blog.

In ever so slightly related news, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry – Nurse Chapel of the original Trek, and the voice of the Enterprose computer in most of the movies – has joined her husband and Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in the great beyond. She was 75. Thanks for the great sci-fi, Majel. Full scoop here.

I DARE YOU TO PLAY THESE TWO VIDEOS AT THE SAME TIME

2008-12-21T00:24:00.010-05:00

Both our current and future leaders released some videos recently... I will show you both.

If this Barney thing was made with tax payer dollars, I am going to lose my shit.

Bush's initial reaction to the meltdown...

2008-12-20T23:59:00.006-05:00

As reported in the New York Times

It was Sept. 18. Lehman Brothers had just gone belly-up, overwhelmed by toxic mortgages. Bank of America had swallowed Merrill Lynch in a hastily arranged sale. Two days earlier, Mr. Bush had agreed to pump $85 billion into the failing insurance giant American International Group.

The president listened as Ben S. Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, laid out the latest terrifying news: The credit markets, gripped by panic, had frozen overnight, and banks were refusing to lend money.

Then his Treasury secretary, Henry M. Paulson Jr., told him that to stave off disaster, he would have to sign off on the biggest government bailout in history.

Mr. Bush, according to several people in the room, paused for a single, stunned moment to take it all in.

“How,” he wondered aloud, “did we get here?”

Simply fascinating. Oddly, reminds me of a line from Lord of the Rings. Enjoy!

Your chance to toss a shoe at the President!

2008-12-18T23:08:00.004-05:00

All the fun of beaning a Buster Brown off of W's noggin without the 15 years in an Egyptian prison!

PLAY IT NOW!

Stop Bush from selling off Utah's red rock wilderness

2008-12-18T21:48:00.003-05:00

Actor Robert Redford is mobilizing a campaign against Bush's Giveaway gift of America's Redrock Wilderness to big energy.

Redford states in the Huffington Post:

"In three days, this Friday, 110,000 acres of majestic Utah wild lands go on the auction block, to be sold to the highest bidders in the oil and gas industry. It's a last-ditch effort by a corrupt administration to further enrich its friends in the dirty fuels business. If they succeed, they'll leave a wasteland behind them."

If you agree, you GO HERE and send a message to the Obama transition team, your Congressperson and you Senators and tell them your wishes.

600 pound shark killed for a fin: Is this really necessary?

2008-12-18T21:40:00.005-05:00

A commercial fisherman reccently caught a 663-pound hammerhead off the Coast of Volusia County, Florida. The shark measures more than twelve feet long. To further prove this planet will be much better off when the last human is dead, the asshole decided he just had to kill it.

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

Some user comments on this video say it better then I could:

"Commercial fishing has nothing to do with subsistence or sustainability; it is motivated by unbridled greed, just as surely as the yuppies trading derivatives on Wall Street."

"as an avid fisherman i can tell you that anyone who keeps a fish just to sell its fins and have the fish mounted is a neanderthal. the fins are the only edible part of a shark because its meat smells and tastes of amonia. the fins are an unnecessary delicacy that have to specially cured. a taxidermist makes a fiberglass replica and only needs the specimen for measurements and markings. something a fishermen can do with a tape measure and a camera before releasing the fish.
catch and release or only keep what you can eat ."

"I live on the coast where this shark was caught. Although we do have a high proportion of shark attacks here in Volusia County, the attacks are usually concentrated in areas where sharks feed like Ponce Inlet, a popular surfing spot. Vary rarely do hammerheads attack humans here. Sad end to a beautiful animal."

"Sad. Just sad."

Barney Frank slams Obama over Warren

2008-12-18T21:27:00.005-05:00

Rep. Barney Frank (D - MA) is so upset in President-Elect Obama's choice for Reverend Rick Warren to participate in his inauguration.

In the Huffington Post, Frank states:

"I am very disappointed by President-elect Barack Obama's decision to honor Reverend Rick Warren with a prominent role in his inauguration."

Mr. Obama has explained his choice clearly:

"A couple of years ago I was invited to Rick Warren's church to speak despite his awareness that I held views that were entirely contrary to his when it came to gay and lesbian rights, when it came to issues like abortion," he said. "Nevertheless I had an opportunity to speak, and that dialogue I think is part of what my campaign's been all about, that we're not going to agree on every single issue, but what we have to do is to be able to create an atmosphere where we can disagree without being disagreeable, and then focus on those things that we hold in common as Americans."

Rep. Frank, perhaps your time would be better spent on the economic meltdown we are in, rather than spending your time writing critiques on the President-Elect's judgement. After all, as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, this disaster is happening on your watch.

I don't agree with Obama's choice either, but I do have some faith in his leadership, which is more than I can say for you at the moment.

PLEASE keep your eye on the ball and let the rest of us backseat-drive Mr. Obama until Jan 20. You can complain all you want then.

Iraqi Fun Fact: Tossing shoes is a way of honoring national hero

2008-12-15T23:57:00.005-05:00

Did you know that Curly was a Suni? Check it out:

Sarah Palin's home church was badly damaged by arson

2008-12-14T20:04:00.003-05:00

As much as I loathe the woman politically... this is deplorable on many levels. Kids were still in the church at the time.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin's home church was badly damaged by arson, leading the governor to apologize if the fire was connected to "undeserved negative attention" from her failed campaign as the Republican vice presidential nominee.

Damage to the Wasilla Bible Church was estimated at $1 million, authorities said Saturday. No one was injured in the fire, which was set Friday night while a handful of people, including two children, were inside, according to Central Mat-Su Fire Chief James Steele.

He said the blaze was being investigated as an arson but didn't know of any recent threats to the church. Authorities didn't know whether Palin's connection to the church was relevant to the fire, Steele said.

"It's hard to say at this point. Everything is just speculation," he said. "We have no information on intent or motive."

STORY

Iraqi Throws Shoes At Bush During Press Conference – "This is a goodbye kiss, you dog!"

2008-12-14T19:39:00.006-05:00

An Iraqi television journalist hurled two shoes at President Bush on Sunday during a joint news conference Bush was holding with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki to mark the signing of a U.S.-Iraq security agreement.

Bush had just finished his prepared remarks in which he said the security agreement was made possible by the U.S. surge of troops earlier this year, whhen the journalist, Muthathar al Zaidi pulled his shoes off and hurled them at the president. "This is a goodbye kiss, you dog," Zaidi shouted.

Bush dodged the shoes and was not struck. Bodyguards quickly wrestled Zaidi to the floor and hauled him, kicking and screaming, from the room. Two other Iraqi journalists were briefly detained after one of them called Zaidi's actions "courageous."

CNN notes that this is considered an insult among Muslims.

The White House transcript from the news conference labels the incident an "audience interruption."

President Bush said. "Okay, everybody calm down for a minute."

Then, indicating Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the president continued: "First of all, thank you for apologizing on behalf of the Iraqi people. It doesn't bother me. And if you want some — if you want the facts, it's a size 10 shoe that he threw. (Laughter.) Thank you for your concern, do not worry about it."

"I don't know what the guy said, but I saw his sole," he joked.

Not bad on that last pun, actually. I'll giggle at that while my house gets foreclosed.

STORY

Fetishists around the world in morning

2008-12-12T12:56:00.006-05:00

Bettie Page dies at 85 (1923 - 2008). She had a heart attack last week and after a week on life support, did not recover. Thanks for the... well... thanks!