Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Mr. Integrity Missed an Important Lesson From My Dad.

Joe Miller lied. Hardly a groundbreaking story.

What I want to know is why his dad never taught him (like my dad taught me) to never put anything incriminating in writing.

He could have called his bosses, or "man[ned] up" and admitted his mistakes in person. But no, he sent an email.

Now if only someone could teach the voters of Alaska to spell Murcowski, er I mean Markosi? Sarkozy?, then Joe Miller might actually be in trouble.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Rand Paul Supports Crushing Opponents...By Any Means Necessary.

So last night at a debate, a member of MoveOn.org - a young woman - was forcibly thrown to the ground by at least two adult men. One of those men then went on to intentionally step on her head. INTENTIONALLY!

See the video here:


Obviously there are so many problems with this situation. But the most glaring is that Rand Paul, when asked about the incident, essentially compared the woman's passions (she was there to award Paul a fake honor through MoveOn) and the men who forced her to the ground and stomped on her.

Here is the video of him sidestepping anger at the situation:



Rand Paul should be ashamed of himself. Not because this was done in his name, that he cannot control. Rather because by taking the sidelines on this, rather than taking the high road - even if the high road means coming down on your own supporters, which sometimes is simply does - he condones it being done in his name in the future.

As far as the perpetrators of this heinous act are concerned, they were just looking out for Rand. He may not have said "thank you," but he sure as hell did not say "stop!"

Monday, October 25, 2010

Iran Has Officially Joined Our Coalition.

Iran is giving bags of money to Hamid Karzai to help him run the country's government.

Republicans should love this. It means that we can continue to stay in Afghanistan and lower the cost of the war for the American people.

We get to have our cake and eat it too. If only the country baking and serving our cake weren't part of the Axis of Evil. Maybe we can get England or Israel to pack those bags. I am sure that Karzai would be happy to run his government with British Pounds. Sheckels on the other hand, maybe not.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Man, Some Republicans Are Really Rich...and Really Want to Be Elected.

So far in this election cycle, three Republican candidates have spent a combined $243 million on their own campaigns. Has anybody told them the salary of the jobs for which they are fighting? Basic math says it might not be worth it.

This nearly quarter-of-a-billion-dollars does not include outside money; this is money only from their pockets that went directly into their own campaigns.

Here is the breakdown of the three:
Meg Whitman, Republican candidate for governor is California, has spent $163 million. That is of course ebay money. As of now, she is down 13 points to Democrat Jerry Brown.

Rick Scott has spent over $60 million on his campaign. He is a former health care executive. Wonder his take on the health care bill? His race for Governor in Florida is currently too close to call.

And Linda McMahon, of World Wide Wrestling fame, rounds out the trio by spending just $41.5 million in her Senate race in Connecticut. While that is significantly less than Whitman, as Politico points out, it is over twice as much per voter when compared to Whitman in California. She is currently down by 18 points.

Now just for some context, here are a few things that Meg Whitman's share alone ($163 million) could have bought:
-About 5400 fighter drones. (They are about $30,000 a pop.)
 -The movie Titanic. Well almost.( Full cost was almost $200 million, but with interest and everything, I figured it was close enough.)
-The public school system of Newark, NJ over one and a half times. Or the ability to get Aaron Sorkin to write a movie about you. (Maybe it could be called The Socially Conservative Network?)
-A little less than one day of the Iraq War.
-An absurd amount of jobs in the state of California, Florida and Connecticut. (Hard data unavailable.)

Just for a moment, imagine if these three people had spent this money trying to create jobs, not the three jobs they are fighting for, but rather jobs for millions of American in their homes states and beyond.  A quarter of a billion dollars could do a lot of good in the world. Maybe more good than the best politician, no matter how well-intentioned or suited for the job, could ever hope to achieve.

Just maybe.

A GOP Lover's Quarrel? Karl Rove Being Taken Out of Context?

Apparently Karl Rove and Rush Limbaugh, good friends according to one, but not necessarily according to the other, are fighting. 

Karl Rove keeps on forgetting that the Tea Party is amazing and that he actually loves it. Despite many comments to the contrary. His good friend Rush just helped him remember how important the Tea Party actually is for America.

So Rush Limbaugh, Karl Rove and America thank you for all the work that you do. Keep on keeping us honest.

But just for context, here is a partial list of comments that Karl Rove has made over the last few weeks disparaging the Tea Party (and Christine O'Donnell), er... I mean, being taken out of context disparaging the Tea Party (and Christine O'Donnell). In no particular order:

"If you look underneath the surface of the Tea Party movement, on the other hand, you will find that it is not sophisticated. It's not like these people have read the economist Friedrich August von Hayek."

"It's a little unsophisticated at times, a little insistent, a little demanding."

"Derided by elitists as phony, the tea-party movement is spontaneous, decentralized, frequently amateurish and sometimes shrill."

Speaking about Christine "O'Donnell: 
"I think she's right on the issues but I think the voters of Delaware are not going to want to know just if you're right on the issues but if you have the character and record and background that gives me that you're the right person for the job."

Still on Christine O'Donnell:
Look, everybody in their life sometimes has difficulties and honesty and candor is going to be the best remedy. She can’t get away with simply saying my answer is on my website or it’s puzzling to me why the IRS would file a lien for me when I didn’t pay my tax necessary 2005.

Yep, still on O'Donnell (did these two date?):
It does conservatives little good to support candidates who, at the end of the day, while they may be conservative in their public statements, do not evince the characteristics of rectitude and truthfulness and sincerity and character that the voters are looking for.


Do you have any that I missed? Post them here.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Glenn Beck Just Has a Special Way with Words.

Glenn Beck, the master orator, finds a new way to respond to Nancy Pelosi's agenda. See it here. It's brilliant.


See the video here.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Juan Williams Does Not Trust the TSA.

Juan Williams, a Fox News analyst, recently came out in support of Bill O'Reilly's  appearance on "The View" by asserting that he gets nervous when he sees Muslims on a plane. I guess that means that he is okay with them on a bus or in a shopping mall, but not in the skies.

First question, is his problems with Muslims or with the TSA. What difference does it make who is on the plane if they got through security checks, right? I guess that Juan Williams does not trust the Transportation Security Administration.

More importantly, does Juan Williams not know, or simply not accept, that he is an African-American man living in America. Does he not know that there are plenty of people in this country (unfortunately) who get nervous when they see a black man walking down the street?

This is a fact-of-life and it is possible that nothing will change that. But to not understand that hatred and bigotry overlap, regardless of whether it is about "you" and "yours" or someone else is just near-sighted.

Juan, it is time to pull out the bifocals and see the world as it really is, connected. Hatred of one promotes hatred of anyone else.

He's no Basil Marceax.com, But this Guy is Pretty Cool.



I LOVE the facial hair, but what is with the gloves?

Friday, October 15, 2010

Is this Life, or Reality TV?

It was just announced that Terry Jones, the crazy Florida preacher who was going to burn the Koran, and then did not burn the Koran, will be getting a free car from a former New York Giant-turned New Jersey car salesman for not igniting the Muslim holy book, and with it potentially the nation and the world. 

Apparently Brad Benson offered everyone's favorite mustached-crazy a car if he called off the burning. Now we have to assume that a call from General David Petraus saying that he wouldl be directly responsible for deaths on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan might have played a role in the preacher's decision. Not to mention the $200,000 bill the local government is apparently serving him for additional security regarding his church.

Regardless of why he called it off though, he is accepting the car from Benson, who after thinking if over, is going to go ahead and issue him a 2011 Hyundai Accent (I am guessing that the accent is Middle Eastern?). 

But wait, none of this is the best part. The best part is that Terry Jones (our preacher) promises that he is going to donate the car to an organization that helps battered Muslim women. 

Could he not have just held a fundraiser to buy a car for the battered Muslim women in the first place, you know, as a way to commemorate 9/11 in his own unique way. Maybe cupcakes and sparklers. America loves individuality, as long as fire and holy kindling are not involved, you know?