Thursday’s mini-report

October 12, 2006

Today’s edition of quick hits.

* If you haven’t seen “War of the Words,” check this out. (Thanks to D.M. for the tip.)

* Only the Bush administration would conclude that half of $412.7 billion is $248 billion. No wonder the budget is so messed up; these guys are bad at arithmetic.

* In an apparent effort to “avoid any further gaffes,” Sen. George Allen’s (R-Va.) campaign seems to have agreed on a new strategy for the remainder of the campaign: stop the candidate from speaking in public.

* Tim F. asks if maybe, just maybe, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) ran over the AP’s John Solomon’s dog. Given Solomon’s recent work, that’s a reasonable question.

* Frederick Maryland asks if maybe, just maybe, Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) is losing it. Given Shays’ recent comments, that’s a reasonable question, too.

* Religious white people, the key to the Republican base, are moving away from the GOP, at least for now.

* I have a very hard time understanding how this kind of campaign direct mail can be legal.

* Media Matters has a terrific report out today “chronicling the growing wave of misinformation floating throughout the media since the Foley scandal broke almost two weeks ago.” It’s amazing how many myths the right can come up with a) in a short period of time; and b) with a straight face.

* Evangelist K.A. Paul is going to get as much publicity as humanly possible out of that inexplicable meeting with Speaker Hastert yesterday.

* When you listen to conservative talk radio, you can hear official Republican talking points — from hosts and callers.

* Increase the minimum wage, help the economy. What a concept.

* This LA Times editorial isn’t perfect, but it’s right about at least one thing: when Bush said we must fight them “over there,” so we don’t have to fight them “over here,” it is a crude formulation that’s “insulting to Americans’ intelligence.”

* Ezra believes that Christopher Hitchens has gone completely crazy. I didn’t realize that this was still open to question, but I’m glad it’s official now.

* If I were running for governor in California, I wouldn’t want to admit being associated with George W. Bush, either, but with video available, Schwarzenegger sounds like he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

* John Danforth’s perspective continues to fascinate me, and his new podcast on the religious right is worth checking out.

* I can appreciate that residency questions matter in a campaign, particularly at the House level, but I have a hunch voters will understand being away for Navy service.

If none of these particular items are of interest, consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.

“Ezra believes that Christopher Hitchens has gone completely crazy.”

He reminds me of Dylan Thomas…

With all of the alcohol,
None of the poetry,
And a third of the neocortex…

  • Re: Shays: I’m not sure where the relevancy lies in his comments relative the matter at hand, but he sure calls out what a scum bag Ted Kennedy is. And for that I give him kudos.

    Teddy is a perfect example that the “American Dream” is alive and well! You can kill someone while DUIing, run from the scene to sleep it off and then lie about the circumstances of the fatal accident, and still become a long-time, powerful incumbent in the US Senate!

  • I enjoy the substantive post and comments that this blog is known for. I also enjoy the occasional snark. Here’s some I’ve noticed this last week:

    “What, exactly, has Bush’s policy been? Walk loudly and leave your stick in Iraq.” Carpetbagger

    (Unless Diebold has finally perfected the “If Democrat, Then Electrocute,” program in its machines.)
    Comment by The Answer is Orange

    They may think they’re dancing their way out of trouble, but mostly they’re just stepping in more and more cow shit.
    Comment by Shalimar — 10/8/2006 @ 3:34 pm

    If Democrats can pick up on this as the message, then both houses will fall, and we will be able to look back and say, “9/29 changed everything”.
    Comment by Aeolus — 10/8/2006 @ 5:03 pm

    Republican promises to clean up the messes they’ve made, and are still making, are little more than arrogant flatulence.
    Comment by Ed Stephan — 10/10/2006 @ 1:37 pm

    How much more substantive can you get than a gay fetaphile?
    Comment by Vincennes — 10/10/2006 @ 5:17 pm

    The Republicans should be thankful for the Clinton years; otherwise, they would have to find a way to blame all their policy catastrophes on Jimmy Carter.
    Comment by Scott

    And Bush unveils a new fuck-up every day.
    Comment by Alibubba

    It’s a shame that so many have died so that a few neocon egos could live.
    Comment by petorado

    I also read that he suffers with recurrent bouts of skin cancer. McCain. He makes his own skin crawl.
    Comment by The answer is orange

  • and still become a long-time, powerful incumbent in the US Senate!
    Comment by JRS Jr

    Yes and do a damn fine job of it. Lots of flaws but still a better man than George Bush.

  • I’m not sure where the relevancy lies in his comments relative the matter at hand

    I will tell you: No. Where.

    but he sure calls out what a scum bag Ted Kennedy is. And for that I give him kudos.

    Wait. Do you mean give people credit for attempting to change the subject when covering up for a stalker is the issue? Or do you give him credit for saying Hastert can do whatever he wants, provided he stops short of murder?

    The water is rushing in, the deck is headed towards vertical, but be sure to lash out at an opponent as you slide into a shark! Yawn.

  • In an apparent effort to “avoid any further gaffes,” Sen. George Allen’s (R-Va.) campaign seems to have agreed on a new strategy for the remainder of the campaign: stop the candidate from speaking in public.

    This is a no-brainer: every day, Webb has a no-questions-barred press conference. Same time, same station, every day. And the theme? “I have nothing to hide, the people deserve to know what I think and where I stand. Why is Senator Allen hiding, what does he not want the people to know about what he thinks and where he stands?”

    The press eats it up, Webb gets good publicity, and Georgie-dipshit looks more like a dipshit every day.

    What’s not to like?

  • Frederick Maryland asks if maybe, just maybe, Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) is losing it. Given Shays’ recent comments, that’s a reasonable question, too.

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Shays supposeed to be the “classy” Republican? Gad, you can smell the stink of the panther sweat of fear on him a mile away and upwind.

    Desperation looks soooooooo good on these bastards.

  • Ezra believes that Christopher Hitchens has gone completely crazy. I didn’t realize that this was still open to question, but I’m glad it’s official now.

    What did he do, lift Hitchens’ face out of the punchbowl of vodka to see if both eyes were still focused in the same direction? Hitchens is proof that once a Trotskyite moron, always aTrotskyite moron, the same way that David Horrorwits proves that once a Stalinist drooler, always a Stalinist drooler.

  • Teddy is a perfect example that the “American Dream” is alive and well! You can kill someone while DUIing, run from the scene to sleep it off and then lie about the circumstances of the fatal accident, and still become a long-time, powerful incumbent in the US Senate!

    No dingbat.

    The American dream is you can murder someone/anyone with your Stupid Urban Vehicle and get off scott free….

    As long as you:

    1) Don’t have any alcohol in your system.
    2) Don’t leave the scene.
    3) Say it was an accident.

    At worst you will have to serve a month or so of community service time. At best… you may have to pay a chump fine.

    This happens in ALL 50 States.

    I’ve long wanted to write an article: How to murder someone in America…. it is as easy as 1,2,3.

    Suggestion: Pay attention to your local newspaper. Watch the punishment given to someone who plows to death someone in a local crosswalk or a cyclist. It will be a chickenshit no-consequence sentence–I GUARANTEE IT. As long as you follow my dictum.

    Ted’s problem was he didn’t follow 1, 2, 3…

    If he had…

    Fat-assed worthless fuck Amercian gadflies like you wouldn’t being picking on him anymore….

  • JRS Jr.:

    Do you notice that just about everyone else’s name is in blue here? That’s because no one here is afraid of what we say and the response it would get (even from you or the other trolls) were you to contact us.

    But you, the guy with the eensy-weensy one-inch ego safely housed in its jockstrap of Republicanism, you daily prove every time you post here that CONSERVATIVES ARE COWARDS. Just like all your heroes like the Home-schooled droolers at Red State refuse to have comment sections in their crayoned wall scrawlings.

    CONSERVATIVES ARE COWARDS – CONSERVATIVES ARE COWARDS!!!!

    Prove me wrong, my little mini-dickless “patriot.” Show us how you aren’t a Chickenhawk like all your heroes are.

  • LOL!!!!! Seems the Republicans are in such disaray that they (like rats abandoning a sinking ship) haven’t time to be cogent.

  • Re: #9

    Laura Bush, when she was 19 or 20, was driving a car and accompanied by a girlfriend, ran a stop sign, hit another car broadside, and killed the driver of that car in the wee hours of the morning. I doubt any alcohol test was done, and she didn’t spend a day in jail. Just an unfortunate accident. Probably didn’t even get a ticket.

  • Re: The NRCC letter – This is also a violation of the Social Security Act (believe it or don’t I write about this sort of crap for a living). The reg is very clear: Don’t even pretend a little to be part of the SSA or any related organization. However, in every case I’ve ever read about, people who misuse SSA logos etc first get a warning to knock it off. Of course, I’ve never heard of anyone so closely connected to the government pulling a stunt like this… Anywho, here’s part of the reg for those of you who need help getting to sleep (emph mine):

    SEC. 1140. [42 U.S.C. 1320b-10] (a)(1) No person may use, in connection with any item constituting an advertisement, solicitation, circular, book, pamphlet, or other communication, or a play, motion picture, broadcast, telecast, or other production, alone or with other words, letters, symbols, or emblems—

    (A) the words “Social Security”, “Social Security Account”, “Social Security System”, “Social Security Administration”, “Medicare”, “Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services”, “Department of Health and Human Services”, “Health and Human Services”, “Supplemental Security Income Program”, or “Medicaid”, the letters “SSA”, “CMS” , “DHHS”, “HHS”, or “SSI”, or any other combination or variation of such words or letters, or
    (B) a symbol or emblem of the Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or Department of Health and Human Services (including the design of, or a reasonable facsimile of the design of, the social security card issued pursuant to section 205(c)(2)(F), or the Medicare card the check used for payment of benefits under title II, or envelopes or other stationery used by the Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , or Department of Health and Human Services) or any other combination or variation of such symbols or emblems,

    in a manner which such person knows or should know would convey, or in a manner which reasonably could be interpreted or construed as conveying, the false impression that such item is approved, endorsed, or authorized by the Social Security Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or the Department of Health and Human Services or that such person has some connection with, or authorization from, the Social Security Administration, the Health Care Financing Administration, or the Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Just watched “War of the Words”,

    In the words of Drill Sergeant Chavez:

    “Out-fucking standing”

  • “In an apparent effort to “avoid any further gaffes,” Sen. George Allen’s (R-Va.) campaign seems to have agreed on a new strategy for the remainder of the campaign: stop the candidate from speaking in public.” — CB

    I wish Allen was (were?) as intransigent as the Chimperor, and less easy to muzzle… He used to hand us a gift a week (“a hoof and mouth disease” someone called it on RaisingKaine), and now it’s all gone… Sob.

    “You can kill someone while DUIing, run from the scene to sleep it off and then lie about the circumstances of the fatal accident, and still become a long-time, powerful incumbent in the US Senate! ” — JRS Jr, @2

    How silly of me… I thought you were talking about the Chimperor, until I realised that the Mighty Brush Cutter never served in Senate; having screwed up every job he ever touched, he jumped straight to the top rung of the US political scene.

    “JRS Jr.:
    Do you notice that just about everyone else’s name is in blue here? That’s because no one here is afraid of what we say and the response it would get” — Tom Cleaver, @10

    Erm… Not so. Y’all’s names are in blue, because y’all have websites; my name is in black, because I’m ‘puter-illiterate. I have a website — of sorts — but all it has on it is photos of my lace designs. And it takes my son’s yearly Christmas visit to get the dratted thing updated. I’m *not* hidin’; I’m just dimwitted when it comes to technology… I cain’t even embed a URL in a word or phrase, the way the rest of you can.

    Doesn’t mean I’m ball-less (I *am*, of course, but that’s because of my sex, not my lack of courage)

  • lol@libra…

    And extra points for “Chimperor.”

    That’s a new one on me….

    Makes me want to get down my vintage copy of Pierre Boulle’s “Planet of the Apes” and have a read.

    By the way… I stand by my prescription for murder.

    It really is as easy as one two three…
    So long as your weapon of choice is an automobile and you aren’t drunk and you don’t peel away.

    With 40,000 dead annually in this counry from that source… it is pretty clear, this culture openly tolerates that wanton destruction to the tune of 109 souls a day.

    Now why don’t you all be good people… and go turn on the telly and watch another hour or so of car commercials. You really do need all that horsepower ya know, and those big SUVs… they are also great for ripping up the countryside, and God knows… the countryside wants ripping up…

  • I am blown away that this story, which came out in the conservative NY Sun today, isn’t mentioned on CNN, USA Today, or the NY Times. Isn’t this what one might call some pretty big news?

    Note the fancy euphemism for “lost”: “…ruled out the prospect of victory.” And note too that their findings and recommendations are going to be released after the election. Who blabbed? This should be all over the headlines: The commission headed by the Bush family consigliere says we can’t win in Iraq, that democracy will not be planted there, and that we should get our asses out.

    I would strongly urge everyone to distribute this widely.

  • Sorry cleaver, I actually have a job, commute from a CT suburb into NYC and have 3 kids so don’t quite have the time to muse and bitch to the extent that you do. But I must say, your web site looks absolutely glorious… who helped you pick those fancy colors and font??? You must be so proud of your achievements in life!

    I do enjoy “trolling” through a handful of left and right leaning web sites to see what folks are thinking re: the matters at hand. I must say, this seems to be one of the more rabid of the lot… I usually don’t elicit such a warm response.

    I will leave you with this.. Just stay rabid y’all! That’s really going to help you pull in the moderate masses you need to actually win a national election… it’s working wonders in Connecticut these days!

  • “Laura Bush, when she was 19 or 20, was driving a car and accompanied by a girlfriend, ran a stop sign, hit another car broadside, and killed the driver of that car in the wee hours of the morning.” — Annie

    BTW, the dead driver of the other car happened to be Laura’s boyfriend. Just goes to show that in Texas you can kill your boyfriend and still become First Lady.

    Has it ever occurred to the trolls who constantly bring up Ted Kennedy, Gerry Studds, and Barney Frank and their continuing electoral success that the trolls are really just displaying their hatred of democracy? Studds, Kennedy, and Frank were/are not political appointees. They are duly elected by the voting public of their respective constituencies. Their margin of victories show that they receive votes from more than just Democratic voters. But to JRS and his ilk, they shouldn’t be elected even though a majority of voters have voted for them. Always good to see the true views of a an alleged supporter of American Democracy.

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