Best/Worst Lines/Jokes, Whatever, of 2008

Best line by a pissy pundit? "Don't be such a lesbian," Christopher Hitchens to Andrew Sullivan.

Best throw away line in a blog? "He makes my Afro hurt."
By http://angryblackbitch.blogspot.com/
(One of my favorite non-commercial blogs. I need to update my sidebar.)

Best Commercial Blog: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Hottest Greek Peasant Goddess & Blogger? Arianna Herself.



















Best Pundit with a show? Rachel Maddow.
















Best Pundit with out their own show? Alison Stewart.
















I confess, I am tiring of the game, so I will skip to some of the worst.

Worst political party of all time? GOP.

Worst Candidate for VEEP of all freaking time (in terms of witlessness, vocational inexperience, and if it were not for Spiro Agnew, she'd get worst for personality too) Sarah Palin.

Most undeserved to be called pretty celebrity? Again, Sarah Palin. Face it kids, she is at best average, particularly when you deduct points for that ugly misshapen nose.

Worst Run National Political Campaign? Team Maverick.

Worst joke of the year? That one with the punchline,"Lipstick." Brought to you by Sarah Palin.

Worst line of the year?

"That's why I say I, like every American I'm speaking with, were ill about this position that we have been put in. Where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy. Um, helping, oh, it's got to be about job creation, too. Shoring up our economy, and getting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions, and tax relief for Americans, and trade -- we have got to see trade as opportunity, not as, uh, competitive, um, scary thing, but one in five jobs created in the trade sector today. We've got to look at that as more opportunity. All of those things under the umbrella of job creation."

Sarah Palin. Yew Betcha.

Worst Pundit of the year? That (still in the closet) bald, cross eyed black republican I used to see on MSNBC. I forgot his name but keep him of the TV Please.

Best Comedic Actress: Tina Fey (we be hot for Tina, but not for Sarah. Must be my need for a superior brain for a woman to actually be totally hot.)





http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/video/2009/fey_video200901

And for now, I will end with best Rap Comedy Performance by a Brilliant and Very Pregnant Comedienne: Amy Poehler's Palin Rap.

Saturday Night Live - Update: Palin Rap

I am Sticking With the Bristol Palin's Bastard Child, Theme.

(*delete*)

Ya it was unnecessary, I did have my satire up here for a few minutes, but when I realized the implications of what it means to be born into that family, pity overtook my desire to make fun of those people.

So I am going to leave off the kid, particularly as it is his gamy I am treating as the dangerous entity.

Alaska Governor Officially Grand Ma Ma of a Bastard.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20245389,00.html

How like the perfect example of Redneck Royalty she is.


Like I said months ago, if this (*edited out*) low class, backwoods, Moose eater in a borrowed designer suit ever gets to National Prominence by virtue of office, the USA will be officially the nation of Reality TV Trailer Trash.

So say I.


Edit to add:


Isn't it weird Bristol Palin named her kid after one of her brothers (or at least with the same weird name)?

And I honestly believe that these backwoods rubes do not even know that "Tripp" is a nickname for someone who is styled Bla Bla the Third?

What sort of person would take the numerically based nickname for third in a series of males of a bloodline with the same name, and give that as the proper name to a child?

And I will answer that question; an ignorant person.

Hell, someone should write a sit com based on these moose eaters. But the irony is, the reality will likely prove to be even stranger than the fiction a bunch of Hollywood and/or New York writers could dream up. Afterall, the Hollywood and New York writers are more normal than this family is.

Quickies, and Follow Up . . .

First, the follow up to the RNC ("R" is for racist) wanna be chair's CD. Now the clever imps over at TMZ have dubbed the disc,"The White Album." (It is an easier joke to get, for those of us over the age of 45, and remember the Beatles.)

Peter Yarrow, coauthor of the song that forms the basis for the racist fantasy song chimed in on the debate, over at Huffpo. I paraphrase when I say he was horrified.

I did see one story about the flap titled "Nobody's Laughing," but I bet (*gratuitous pot shot as Sociopathic Succubus Sarah, edited out*).

Changing topic, the Iraq Body Count project released data showing civilian deaths (due to violence) are down, just as a car bomb exploded near a bus stop in the Iraqi capital, killing 22 people, and wounding 54, according to the Associated Press. In a separate incident, a car bomb killed three in a town south of Baghdad.

Don't you just love the good news out of Iraq. I am shocked that the tourist trade hasn't picked up yet (not.)

Lastly, for now (I reserve the right to amend) the Eagles make the playoffs. Now they can't possibly win the Super Bowl in the same season the Phillies won the World Series, right? That is impossible, right?


&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Yes, we have Additional Matter, for today. This likely does not need a new entry as it will turn out to be more quickies, although, with a theme. And to kick it off, props to the ever intriguing Pan Hellenic Peasant Goddess Arianna Huffington (she does refer to herself self-depreciatingly as just a Greek Peasant Girl, sometimes.) Her list of 2008: Things She Wants To Forget serves as the example I will follow (although I might do a more full solong 2008 post later.)

And I agree with her list, in toto, but for the following (but not all inclusive) list of additions and amplifications:

Not only Dick Cheney's views on Water boarding, but his most recent statement on not understanding why he is unpopular. Aww, hell. This is me. I will be blunt. I want to forget that someone who is as colossal a dick as as Dick is, can actually not get it, that they are in fact a total, colossal dick. Naw. Not even close. I don't want to forget it as much as I want him to finally understand how much of a dick he is, and for him to feel very very badly and ashamed about it.

In addition to Ashley Todd and Sarah Palin's mythic real pro America parts of America, the Palinistas, including Obama bumper sticker on the stuffed Monkey Man, "Kill Him," Man, "Terrorist," Man, "He's a Muslim," Crazy Lady, the racist trash who would not vote for a black man on principle, all the Pastors in all the churches who told people either they should vote for "Team Maverick," or that they would go to hell if they voted Dem., and even the sad fact that that ole Archie Bunker Era "He's a commie/pinko/socialist," line of garbage had a resurgence in popularity like it has not in 20 years. (Just for the record, there are two main political Parties in the USA; the Responsible Capitalist Party, a.k.a. the Democratic Party, and the Irresponsible Capitalist Party, a.k.a. Republican Party.)

I know I am getting long here, so I will just say EVERYTHING having to do with Sarah Palin; the woman is to my mind the mental equivalent of Malaria. I despair that I will ever be rid of the malignancy.

Republican liars who pin the economic/financial melt down on the Congressional Democrats. Talk about inappropriate scapegoating, and these peeps have no clue how derivative markets work, and keep forgetting that the derivative markets were basically not regulated at all.

And that leads to Republican crazy liars who say that there was too much regulation of the markets.

And that leads to Republican crazy liars who condemn government and extol the virtues of the free market, saying government messed up everything, even if it was the free market itself that made all those bad decisions and really awful investments in basically speculative if not basically imaginary derivatives, and now it is the government that is actually in a position to rescue the free market from its own bad decisions?

And that leads to Republican crazy liars who bitch and moan about union line workers. They really suck so badly I can not express how much they suck in a matter of years of days.

I am going to stop there.

No. One more thing.

2008 was yet another year that GW Bush failed to capture and or kill (through his administration) Osama Bin Laden. So thanks for nothing, Bush.

Don't let the door hit you in your ass on your last trip to the Rose Garden as POTUS.

They Just Freaking Don't Get It. This is Why I Can Not Cut Low Level Republican Race Offenders Slack.

Because in this day and age, to not get it requires either brain damage or a deliberately cultivated sense of negligent indifference.

Now what has got me on my most pet of pet peeve topics again? It's that asshole, RNC candidate Chip Saltsman, and his CD featuring that obnoxious anti Obama "Magic Negro" song, that caused quite a blow back storm when Limbaugh played it on air.

First things first, and I repeat myself. The previous incident earned Rushbo lots of blow back on the order of . . . ya got to be a racist to play that shit, or even merely find that shit funny.

So what does Chip do? He gives out copies of that song as Pre-Inauguration Christmas gifts.

And what is this shitty nasty racist piece of garbage's main line of defense?

It was a joke?

Shit. That line went out the window and on to the garbage heap of impermissible social excuses back when Carrol O'Connor was still taping Archie Bunker performances, for first run broadcast in the 1970s. "It's just a joke," when it is a critical race based joke is not really (I can't resist) Kosher anymore.

But beyond that lame assed, only a racist would use it defense?

And I quote:

Saltsman said he meant nothing untoward by forwarding what amounts to a joke more at Ehrenstein’s expense than at Obama’s.

“Paul Shanklin is a long-time friend, and 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,” Saltsman said.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/rnc-candidate-distributes-controversial-obama-song-2008-12-26.html

To explain, the claim is that the unknown (compared to P.E. Obama) writer of some dumbassed essay published in the L.A. Times is the target of the joke, not P.E. Obama (and for some warped reason he thinks the only audience of concern is other republicans, ignoring people who do not approve of race based jokes, like people of the non white race, and those whites who do know better, and would consider the song equally as odious and offensive.)

So Chip is not even just a poor excuse for a human, on account of the being a Racist Republican, and not getting the who and why they would take offense part, but also is a shameless liar too.

Come to think of it, I therefore support his candidacy for being head of the RNC.

Truth in Advertising, all that. It would not only be fitting to have the RNC led, in 2009, by a oafish racist and unskilled liar, but think about how much further into a laughingstock he can lead the RNC?

I Must Confess That I Am Not Full of the Christmas Spirit This Year.

I'll resist taking the bah humbug point of view, but I am not feeling the goodwill towards men, mostly on account of all the bad will (and awful behaviour) I have seen and read about or seen on TV or the net this past year. If we kept score in terms of Real Christian Goodwill vs Skanky Nasty Trashy Selfish Meanness, I would say that Skanky Nasty Trashy Selfish Meanness won the year, 2 to 1 (Just here in America.)

But a boy can hope, can't he? We all can hope (assuming we are not on the Skanky Nasty Trashy Selfish Meanness team) that next year will see a noticeable improvement.

I am not holding my breath, or betting any money on it, though.


In any event, have a merry what ever it is you choose to celebrate.

Ok. So I Have Been Working on a Religious Post, for the Past Few Days.

And I believe I made some good points, but honestly, none were new. So I deleted the post.

Instead, let's mock Sociopathic Succubus Sarah (ahh . . . . it is such an easy thing to do, I know. It is the intellectual equavalent of Comfort Food.)

Ok. The latest news is not so much directly concerning Succubus Sarah but her government.

Have ya heard about the patently obviously racist emails floating around the Alaska Gvt. servers?

Alaska officials are investigating racist jokes about President-elect Barack Obama that have been circulating on state government e-mail accounts.


Three of the racist messages were confirmed by the state's information technology division after an electronic search of the government's e-mail system, Administration Commissioner Annette Kreitzer said Wednesday.

"It's embarrassing to the state," she said.

Kreitzer said she alerted the office of Gov. Sarah Palin - the failed Republican vice presidential candidate - about the e-mails.

Bill McAllister, Palin's spokesman, said in an e-mail that the matter concerned individual actions taken by a handful of state employees among thousands.

"My understanding is that the Department of Administration is following up on this with the individuals who took action to forward the offensive e-mails," he said. "This is, of course, a confidential personnel and disciplinary matter that has nothing to do with the governor's office."

The Rev. Alonzo Patterson said he's heard Palin make several positive comments about Obama since the election.

But as Alaska's top official, the governor would be wise to address the anti-Obama e-mails distributed by state workers, said Patterson, a Baptist minister who also is state chairman of the Alaska Black Leadership Conference.

"They're doing that in a state setting," he said. "She should condemn it."


My comment: well, since she has already proven to my satisfaction that she is a racist, I am not in the least bit surprised that fighting racism in her administration is such a low priority that she has not used up one stinking minute to condemn this.

More Succubus Sarah related news. Her daughter's allegedly soon to be mother in law busted for six felony counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance.


Hmm. Now you might think that would make for an awkward Rehearsal Dinner. Imagine the toast. Levi's dad gets to say something like "Sherry wishes she could have been here, and God knows, I wish she were here to plan the damn thing. What the fwk do I know about throwing a party but fer bring'n the beer and the guns? But as we all know she can't be here because my son's bride's momma's thug cops busted her and tossed her ass in jail. Hey bartender. Make sure the Palins pay for their own drinks, damnit."

Ya. Life happens.

Lastly, for Succubus Sarah related banter, I mention the absurd comparisons being made between Caroline Kennedy and Sarah Palin? My God, what stupidity.

Let's consider just a few of her good points. She is not a racist. She can pay for her own designer wardrobe, and can shop for herself at any fancy NY store (hell, she definitely knows where the good boutiques are, on Madison and Park Avenues too!) No sane rational person would have a hard time imagining her to be the smartest person in the room, even if the room was a randomly chosen room of college graduates. Not only can she name several U.S. Supreme Court cases, she wrote two books on Constitutional Law. She certainly knows that South Africa is a country. She knows better than to wink at the TV camera during a debate. She may have been so cute at age 10 that she inspired Neil Diamond to write a song about her, but she is enough of a serious and purposeful adult that she will definitely not resort to acting cute to get attention/votes.

She does not know how to kill moose. She does not know how to field dress a moose. She likely never has even tasted moose chilli, leave alone makes the shit.

You could trust her to translate the menu in a French Resturant, pick the wine, and you can be sure of having some very intelligent converastion with her about art, science, literature, popular trends, government, law, philosophy, ect.

Not only can she find European countries on a map, but she has visited many of them.

She would not make a comparison of herself to a female dog in public, even as a joke.

And I could go on with the serious or sarcastic points, but Ms. Kennedy is no lightweight. But as an observation, I find it disturbingly humorous how rank and file, dirt under their nails, uneducated Republicans question the qualifications and fitness for elective office of trained lawyers. Lord knows, the one thing law grads are usually well qualified to do the first day out of law school is be a legislator. That is because that for most lawyers, the most time they spend studying actual laws is the three years in law school (unless their career is one where they are deeply involved in either the legislative process, or need to spend a lot of time keeping up with the specific laws that concern their sub field.) Again, Ms. Kennedy is no lightweight and she is well up to the job of being a U.S. Senator. That does not mean I say she is better qualified than the others who want that open seat, but she does have a resume and experience that makes her selection a very rational choice, even without the Kennedy name. Hell I would trade my resume for hers, any day of the week, no doubt!

I Am Officially Sick of the Bigoted Kind of Religious People, Today.

And that means, as is always the case, that religious people who believe what ever they believe but have no desire to evangelize or convert others, or in any way shape or form badger or force others to respect any aspect of their faith, are still A-OK to me.

But those religious people who do evangelize, try to convert, and who badger if not try to force other people to respect what they believe? They suck. Well, to my mind, they suck.

Now I know what some of you out there are thinking. You are thinking something like, "Gee, what kind of person believes in a particular religion but does so so passively, so quietly, so non judgmentally, is so non confrontational?" Here is my answer to that. I call that kind of person kind, I call them well-mannered, I call them polite, decent, respectful of others rights and more specifically, respectful of others rights of privacy and their own convictions. I call that kind of person a true believer in their faith. And if other conditions are met, I call them a true Christian.

If you have been following this blog you might know that I routinely do not capitalize Christian and there is a reason for that. So many of the people I see either here in the digital realm, or on the TV, or actually in the actual real world who call themselves Christians, don't seem to be acting at all remotely close enough to Christ-like, as in following in the example of Christ, that I basically dispute their status of such.

And now that I am done with that part, I will say that I do get why as a political matter it is a good move for P.E. Obama to invite Pastor Rick Warren to deliver the invocation for the Inauguration. It is a great move to start of the Obama Administration with that sort of cross-the-divide gesture. And it is not a matter of law, government, or even policy, so it is only a symbolic gesture. So I am really not all that bent out of joint about it being Rick Warren, although I am not a fan of either Rick Warren's religious or socio-political views.

But if I wanted to get my nose out of joint it would be for P.E. Obama passing over my very very very very distant Cousin; The Reverend Professor Peter J. Gomes.

His official bio is here.

And here is a bit, from his wiki article:

Gomes surprised many when he revealed in 1991 that he is gay, [2] and has since become an advocate for wider acceptance of homosexuality in American society. However, he has stated that he has remained celibate.

A lifelong Republican, Gomes offered prayers at the inaugurals of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. However, in August 2006 he moved his registration to Democrat, supporting the gubernatorial candidacy of Deval Patrick, who would later become the first African-American elected governor of Massachusetts. (Gomes, 2006) In 2008 Henry Louis Gates featured Gomes and his family on the PBS documentary African American Lives 2. A DNA test showed that Gomes is related to the Fulani, Tikar, and Hausa peoples of West Africa. Gomes is also descended from Portuguese Jews through his paternal grandfather who was born in the Cape Verde Islands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_J._Gomes


Hmm. Yes. Picking Rick Warren is reaching across the big political divide, but picking cousin Gomes is like hitting the jackpot, with the number of constituencies who can claim him as one of theirs.

Quickies (and it is a slow news day. Are we in the Year End Doldrums now?)

Kudos to Newt Gingrich, for dressing down the RNC Chair, Duncan, for the slimy anti-Obama Blago Scandal ad.

Hate to the shit bag who torched Sociopathic Succubus Sarah's church. I am no fan of that kind of Christian Nationalist, Extremist, Armageddon Death Cult kind of outfit, but am less of a fan of felonies. So I hope the some bitch who did the torch job gets (I can't resist the pun) burned for it.

Speaking of burn notices, the bitches who are saying that arson job was done by some liberal left winger to get back at Succubus Sarah? I hereby serve them a burn notice for that weak-assed shit.

I mean, WTF? I can't say it is beyond being possibly true, but since it is sorta hard to cross the state line from any other U.S. State to go vent one's Liberal Left Winger rage at Succubus Sarah, as a member of Team Maverick, for loosing the election and being sent right back there to bumfwk Alaska? Ya, given how unlikely that scenario is, when one takes a mere 5 seconds to ponder it's sheer witless improbability, I think one should instead whip out their personal replica of Occam's Razor, and deduce that the most likely thing is that the arson is a local crime committed by a local, and might have nothing at all to do with either Succubus Sarah or anything at all politically themed.

Likewise, let's serve a burn notice on Succubus Sarah, for making it all about her (Gawd, that horrid woman is so horrid.)

Since I am in the mood to serve burn notices, Sean Hannity, for dismissing Hall and Oates as has-beens, following their acidic rewrite of, and Daily Show performance of their hit song, "She's Gone," to commemorate the departure of Alan Colmes from the soon to be solo act of the Hannity and Colmes show.

Hannity. Now you might make boo-koo bucks from both your radio and TV work. But don't take the fact that the techs and guild members in show biz refer to the person in front of the camera or microphone as "The Talent," personally. If a TV show featured a live, real, barnyard pig rolling around in and eating it's own excrement, it would be considered as "The Talent," of that show. So Mr. Hannity . . . you sirrah have no talent what so ever, unless being an opinionated bigot and blowhard are now considered talents.

Hall and Oates Accomplishments:

"They are best known for their six #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Rich Girl", "Kiss on My List", "Private Eyes", "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", "Maneater", and "Out of Touch","

"In total, the act had thirty-four singles chart on the US Billboard Hot 100. As of 2006, Hall and Oates have seven RIAA platinum albums, along with six RIAA gold albums."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_&_Oates

And their stuff still sounds good, damnit.

So Mr. Hannity, before you knock anyone as a has been, tell us. WTF have you got for any sort of talent, bitch? You just called bona fide Musical Legends has beens? What arrogant, delusional, narcissistic nerve.

Oh. Now is the right time to post the vid.

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

Hall & Oates Pay Tribute to Alan Colmes

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Ok. That is enough for today.

We Can Call This a Working, Tentative Quickie. I Reserve the Right to Add to it, in Advance.

First idea and topic of the day.

How scumbaggy were the scumbag Republicans who thwarted the Auto Industry Bridge Loan (and in the case of the Southern, Right To Work for less money at foreigner owned and operated factories -- in other words, every bit as corrupt as Blago, Republicans?)

Even no less reputable a Republican (by Republican standards, at least) as Bill Kristol fundamentally disagrees with their stand, or is at least willing to call bullshit on them.

Last week, Senate Republicans picked a fight with the U.A.W. on union pay scales — despite the fact that it’s the legacy benefits for retirees, not pay for current workers, that’s really hurting Detroit, and despite the additional fact that, in any case, labor amounts to only about 10 percent of the cost of a car. But the Republicans were fighting Big Labor!

Disdain for Detroit.

Hey. Ya'll know I like to highlight it, whenever a Republican gets something right. And that usually coincides with calling bullshit on some other GOPers, if not repudiating some of the more hateful and bigoted things that come out of the GOPs various factions.


Second Item and Issue of the day. Palin is in the news again (even if she isn't really.)

Now, I have read some of the sychophantic, co-dependent, generally-dysfunctional, and otherwise non compos mentis remarks criticizing Sen. McCain for not swearing that he would support Succubus Sarah in her as-yet unannounced run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. And today, in a rare happening (and I confess I was more interested in checking out Gretchen's gams live, on my 32" tv for a change) I was watching FOX & Friends. Naturally Gretchen was more aghast that Sen. McCain was not swearing a blood oath in support of Succubus Sarah, but the dudes were mostly also (feigning) expressing suprise. However, Brian Kilmeade pointed out that Al Gore did not support Lieberman after their ticket lost, so it is not all by itself rare for ex ticket mates to not take a "Till death do we part," vow.

But now to the analysis of this very witless pro Succubus Sarah, head up one's own ass sort of bigoted thinking. (And I am not saying the following just to be mean to Palinbots; this is fact time kids.)

* She is not in any race for any office yet.
* She could be arrested, indicted or convicted of various crimes in the next two years.
* She could go down in flames in scandal.
* She could not run.
* And ya know? As cynical as McCain's selection of her was, if either owes the other any thing, she owes him. 4 months ago she was Virturally Unknown out of Alaska, Caribou Barbie. Now she is (for better or worse) Internationally Known Caribou Barbie.

So much for bullet points. And I am not going repeat any of the many criticisms I have against that horrid woman, but I do have a bit of reality, a virtural wet blanket for those who ignore her negatives and think of her as the leader for the 2012 race.

Remember people. You are the Republican Party. All your alleged ideology and faux values and hypocritical protestations of moral superiority are delusions as the core idea of the Republican party is Play Dirty. Be an asshole. Be a scumbag, if that is what it takes to get ahead. And keeping that in mind, know and fear the following:

Succubus Sarah has never run in the national GOP primary. No matter how unfair, no matter how hard you think she was treated by the mean old Main Stream Media and the partisan Left Wing, all that is going to pale in comparison to the savage rape she will get from several other GOP contenders for the nomination.

As the old line goes: Ya Ain't Seen Nothing Yet.

Remember What I Said About Not Counting Out the Republicans?

They may be hurt, as an effective political party, and even as an ideological entity, but there is one thing they know how to do, how to be, and we are seeing evidence of that already; they now how to be scumbags, and they are getting cranked up on that shit already.

Firstly, and I refer to my last blog post here, the way they killed the Auto Industry Bridge Loan. That was a perfect example of Republican scumbaggery. And even if they had some stated reasons for what they did (and even if their loyalty to foreign home state auto makers and anti worker/anti union bigotry was glaringly obvious), those reasons were as thin as tissue paper.

For another example, consider the stated opposition to the Holder nomination for Attorney General. Again, even the reasons they are broadcasting do not even meet the minimally objectively justifiable test. But they are already circling the wagons, and passing out the weapons and ammo on this one. Why? Again, this is not even a matter of core ideology.

They want to re fight the battles of the Clinton Administration. Oh, and they are more their true and happy selves when they are in scumbag mode, but that goes with out saying, but what really seems to be the engine driving the train is the desire to go back to familiar hate mongering turf, and re fight the fights they had with the Clinton Administration.

It's pathetic. Truly. But Republicans really are not interested in making government work. That is not what they are about. You still see/hear various Republicans, be they rank and filers or alleged party leaders parrot that (basically witless) Reagan quote about how government is the problem, not the solution. That is what Republicans are about; they admit that much! So the prospect of stalling the appointment of a well qualified nominee based basically only on account of their having been a (not exactly political, not exactly policy, nor not exactly high profile) deputy in a previous Democrat government, should not surprise anyone who pays any attention to American Politics.

They really do not care if they look like partisan obstructionists. In their warped scumbag minds, that is their chief mission, when the other team is in charge of the Exe. Branch. So here goes, America. Are you ready for the slime fight?

I hope Team Obama is ready. I know they are busy setting and/or fine tuning an agenda, and dealing with all the nuts and bolts and leaky pipes of a transition, but I hope they have tasked some smart people with . . . now what did they call it in law school? Anticipatory Defenses. Yes. Merely planning a forward looking and hopefully workable, attainable, sustainable plan for governing the Nation, and making effective headway against the problems and issues of greatest concern, is not going to be enough. Even having a well-functioning rapid response team to deal with Republican scumbag moves, is not going to be enough.

As much as it is possible, and for an example of what I mean, like the folks over at the Pentagon have people working out war game scenarios in order to have defenses and counter moves already mapped out, Team Obama needs to try to stay one step ahead of these scumbags. And at minimum we (well you know which side I am on) need to have and see some strong push back against the Republican scumbag moves. And even if we do not use the word scumbag in public, on TV, or talking to reporters, or when making speeches, we need a clear message that is a true description of what the worst (and I admit all are not playing this game to the same extent at least) of these Republicans are all about and what they are up to:

They are not interested in seeing government work. They are not vested in seeing a positive outcome for our Nation. They care less about the general welfare of the Nation and it's people than they do about their ideology. They would rather see America's problems get worse, and the American People suffer terribly, if that is the price to be paid, for some petty partisan victory.


That is the polite and complete restatement of what I mean, when I call them scumbags. As little respect I have for that sort of Republican, I am not going to say something like,"They Must Be Stopped! Crushed! Eliminated!" I will avoid that sort of claptrap, myself. But I can say this much; as I am personally vested in seeing government work, in seeing the Nation's problems effectively managed, if not solved, I think these scumbag Republicans need to be thwarted. That is to say that their obstructionist goal of standing in the way of effective government and the betterment of the general welfare must stopped, more than they should be.

So let me say it another way. As long as they are ineffective in their obvious scumbaggery, I do not care if they are out there acting and looking like the scumbags they are. I just do not want them to be able to get in the way of effective government.

Some people say that our society, if not species, it getting meaner, and more tolerant of human noxiousness. But I still believe that the number of people who tolerate, if not embrace the Republican brand of scumbaggery is still rather small. So I do not mind it, if they run around looking like scumbags. That is truth in advertising, actually.

Vile, Evil, Ideologically-Motivated Scumbag Republicans Hate Workers. Union Workers, Particularly. But Not Only.

And that is why the Detroit Auto Rescue package died; the scumbag Republican Senators decided to dig in on getting the workers to agree not only to the idea of a cut in wages, but by a date certain. Immediately. Or no deal.

After all, that is the real problem in the Detroit Auto Industry, isn't it? The actual wages paid to actual line workers. Ya. That's the key to the entire economic and business problem; wages!
That is what (those evil scumbags are saying) has caused these losses that not only jeopardize The Big Three's economic viability, but like ripples in a pond, the effect of a GM and or Chrysler bankruptcy could send very nasty shock waves through the rest of the economy.

And beyond the contempt these scumbag Republicans are showing for union auto workers, and the general effect that the tanking of GM and/or Chrysler could have on the American Economy, there is the net result of the bankruptcy that they say might be the best solution here:

creditors don't get paid (right away at least.)

Just what the American Economy needs right now, is for a couple of the largest corporations to NOT have to pay their bills right away. Ya. That is the shot in the arm a troubled economy needs; companies not getting paid for parts shipped/services rendered, and that could lead to some of those companies not being able to pay their vendor-companies for parts shipped/services rendered.

Ya. That is what the American Economy needs, right now. Brilliant!

And since we as a nation have had corrupt politicians on the brain for the last few days, I wish those Republican Senators from the (cynically-called) right to work states had been under surveillance for the past couple weeks, at least. I wonder how many of them have had conversations with the Big Three's essentially-foreign competitors, and if any of those Senators made anything remotely close to an assurance they would look after the interests of those home town foreign auto makers, I would like to see them arrested too.

Scumbags.

I know there is a large measure of "Look to your own peeps," sort of thinking in the job of congress critter. Hell, some people say that that is the main part of the job. But still. Those scumbag Republican Senators, particularly from the (cynically-called) right to work states, have gone so far over the line here, that what they have done is not all that different than Blag the Operator's pay to play scheme. But in this case, the Senators likely have been paid already, in large campaign contributions from certain home town foreign auto makers, and now they are doing the playing. And this is not merely some sort of 'hold on to jobs in our state, or see them move to another state,' thing. This is using the power of the United States Senate to not only reduce competition for the home town foreign companies in the marketplace by helping the competition go belly up, or at least, on it's knees, but also as a possible result, give them the chance to pick up some brands/factories/companies/what ever, at fire sale prices, too.

That is the corrupt part. The perfidious part is that they, these scumbag Republicans, are not only willing to screw the auto workers, but also the vendor-creditors of the Big Three, and their vendor-creditors and workers, and their vendor-creditor's and workers. And none of that is good for America, particularly with the economy in as fragile state it is currently in.

That is why they are scum.

Scary Scary . . . A Short Trip Into the Mind of a Republican Bigot.

I had to run the tape a couple times to make sure I heard Gretchen Carlson correctly. She was on Bill O'Reilly's show, partaking in a discussion about that most phony of holiday themed topics -- the WAR on Xmas.

Anyway, here is what she said as exactly as I can quote it, about those Godless people who do not share her views about Xmas:

"I'm all for freedom of speech, but not on December 25th."


In other words, to her, people are allowed to have different beliefs and thoughts, PROVIDED she gets to control when and how those different beliefs can be expressed.

And they wonder why peeps like me call them bigots. Un freaking believable.

Maybe someone should tell her that not only was Jesus Born In June, but the main reason Dec. 25th was picked for Xmas was on account of the major Roman Pagan Feast of Saturnalia was held at the end of the calendar year, and the early church fathers tried to replace that licentious, sensual depravity of a feast with something more sober and serious.


Anyway. . .

Now That I Have Bothered to Learn Something About Blag the Operator . . .

he must be insane, and I mean brain-tumor or biochemically insane.

He knew that he had been under investigation for being corrupt, starting about two or more years ago.

He is a lawyer.

Now you don't have to be a lawyer to know the following but every lawyer knows the following to be true. The more people who know about a crime, the more likely you will get caught (as any co-party or conspirator or just numb nuts who knows about it can trade that info down the road.) And no matter how many times you think you got away with it, the more crimes you commit, the grater the chances are of getting nailed, geometrically. And lastly, once the Feds start looking they can go on and on for years. You do not want the attention of a Fed Prosecutor. And he has been on their radar for years.

I really do not know much about him, but again if he really is not really crazy, he is one of the most stupid human beings ever to get that far in Govt. before crashing and burning.

Dem. Gov. Indicted for being a Corrupt, Greedy Bitch. Event Hailed as an Xmas Miracle for Depressed Republicans.

But what did some Republicans do, instead of merely and happily, and honestly enjoy their suprise Xmas gift? The got all dishonest, and sleazy about it. (I know, redundant or at least expected, that.)

Firstly, as widely reported, that blow hard of a bigot, Sean Hannity, could not keep to merely and gleefully reveling in the joy of seeing Blag the Operator (I haven't seen that one, or any thing close to it used yet. It's MINE) arrested and humiliated. Instead he ran off on yet another of his dishonest lying liar tangents. He dug up Ted Stevens' as an example, but not in a 'Gee we should be happy when corrupt pols get nailed,' way, but instead to cry over the unfair treatment Ted got??? WTF?

According to Hannity, Ted got the fast track to trial and conviction because of some liberal plot. However, the fact is Ted's trial was expedited per request of the defendant and his counsel.

Talk about being both integrity and fact challenged. Hannity is not only an embarrassment to the GOP, and all humanity, but also to all of the Order of Primates.

Then there is Rush Limbaugh. I caught some of his radio show, while in the car yesterday. Now again, not being content to enjoy the totally unexpected Xmas present of a huge Democrat scandal, Limbaugh goes further and not only suggested P.E. Obama was involved in the scandal, but went further to say that U.S. Atty Fitzgerald should go to the Obama Transition team office, and arrest everyone there.

Based on what?

What a sick piece of garbage, he is. He is is not only an embarrassment to the GOP, all humanity, and all of the Order of Primates, but all of the Class of Mammals.

Well I am sure that over the next few days that more of the classless and and ungrateful Republican pundits' dishonest and slimy spew will bubble up and out. At this point, all I have to say is this. Some people. Give them a freebie and what will they do? Why they will mug your momma, pee on your couch, set your car on fire, and then have the nerve to ask you for another cookie.

And as a last note here, do you remember what I said yesterday about the difference between how a Dem responds to a scandal with their own team, as opposed to the way Republicans do?

Well here is how the fine peeps over at an obviously much more established Dem blog, Crooks and Liars, phrased it:

"I think it's now safe to say that Illinois has stolen from Alaska the title of Nation's Dumbest Governor."

I could not have said it better myself.

What the Hell is Wrong With The Bitch?

Ill. Gov. Blagojevich arrested on federal charges.


Here now see the difference between how a democrat deals with a crook on their team, as opposed to a republican (well I am only really speaking for me here, but work with me. Ok?)

My view on this?

Screw him. Convict him and send his ass to jail.

What the hell was wrong with him anyway? Did he NOT get the memo telling him everyone close to Sen. Obama, either personally or merely politically, has been under strict observation for the past year? And the bitch tries to sell the senate seat?

Ok. He likely was corrupt and more than a little crazy to start. But add to that, he is one stupid bitch.

Screw him again, and twice on Sunday.

He's Back, and Not by Popular Demand; the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Let me set this post up. Nope, I am not a fan of his. I do not consider myself willing to act as an apologist (since I am not on the payroll, the usual rule applies and that means I will defend ideas but not people for free.) And I did in the past say I thought he could very well be a racist in his heart, but most of the asinine things he said were not even in the racism ballpark, and at worst, were right on the line. And it has become an article of faith among the right wing that he is clearly a racist. Let me check the record of the loony things he has said:

The "Chickens are coming home to roost," quote. Not about race, and ironically was part of a rant against violence and hate.

“[The United States] government lied about their belief that all men were created equal. The truth is they believed that all white men were created equal," quote from his “Confusing God and Government” sermon. It is essentially a factually true statement. The United States was founded as a racist nation with legal race based slavery. Pointing that fact out is not racist. Oh and that is the same sermon he accused the U.S. Gvt. of inventing the HIV virus to kill non-white people. That in of itself is not racist; it is insane, but not clearly racist.

And on and on.

Do I believe he is very resentful about the way (actually and sorta not exactly) blacks and other people of color have been treated by 'white' America's rich and powerful leaders? Ya damn right Skippy I believe that.

Do I think he might actually harbor some general hate towards white people, generally? Maybe. I haven't seen clear evidence of that, but I have seen a lot of playing the victim sort of impotent raging and ranting. Yes, make no mistake that the history of America is one of white privilege over blacks and other non whites, and there are many many examples of that. (And as a side note, there is no need to make up conspiracy theories to pad the tab; there is enough of an actual record of shameful and excuse less racist harm being done in America, that making shit up is not only not needed, but is clearly counterproductive to the cause.)

Like it or not, take my word for it or not, but attitudes like that (and I mean the resentfulness, mostly, and to a lesser extent, the tin-foil hat conspiracy stuff) are as common in the African American Community as a love of NASCAR is among working class southern and mid western whites.

Anyway . . . I am going to go off in another direction with my own criticism of The Rev. Wright, and this is not going to be personal to him, only, but I am going after the larger group he is a member of; fire and brimstone preachers.

Let's get real here. Lots of Protestant denominations have a long (well for a good hundred years or so at least) history of not only tolerating crazy-talking preachers, but they seem to get off on that shit. I do not get the appeal myself. Granted, I am not church people, and I am used to Catholic Priests who have to worry about their boss, their boss's boss, and their boss's boss's boss (never mind God.) That keeps most Catholic priests from going off script with their sermons.

But in some of these Protestant denominations, there is a (to my mind, totally weird) custom and practice of people getting popular not in spite of their predeliction to go off all bat shit crazy, but get popular principally on account of the fact they are prone to going all bat shit crazy. And then they get popular enough to start their own churches? That to my mind only exacerbates the problem. So, as a practical matter, if a flamboyant, histrionic, or bat shit crazy preacher man or woman can pack in the pews with their own flavor of fire and brimstone, do you think they are going to have a change of heart, and start reading from the Good Book, and tell the flock to obey God's law and the golden rule, now go home and be nice, ya'll, leaving it at that?

Now does my short general critique of fire and brimstone sermonizing serve as a defense for The Rev. Wright or any other bat shit crazy preacher's bat shit crazy sermons? Hell no. People are to be held to their conduct. However does context matter? Hell ya. And should we remember that certain denominations and or traditions (again to my mind weirdly) have a high tolerance if not affection for that bat shit crazy kind of sermon? Yes. And I admit that knocking all them who do the fire and brimstone bat shit crazy routine works very well for me (I am fair across the board), and I say to others, ok. You can pick and choose which flavor of fire and brimstone is past the line to you; just please try to be consistent about it, ok?

But as a last thought on the matter, I do think that the world would be a better place if there were less bat shit crazy people, either in the pulpit or out.

So Much To Comment On, So Little Time . . . How About Some Quickies.

(Firstly, thanks to Willie Wonka for the "So Little Time," joke.)

Item one: more about Caribou Barbie's (or as I am wont to call her, Sociopathic Succubus Sarah) Excellent Wardrobe.

With her legs, Palin didn't need a makeover.

I particularly agree with the writer's remarks that for TV you need the hair and the makeup done right, however maybe not all that expensively. For the kind of money they spent, you can get some top draw talent for a year, not merely 3 months (if even that long.) And I agree with her when she says all Caribou Barbie really needed was:

A few pencil skirts (she has great legs), fitted jackets or a knit dress or two, simple accessories and she'd have been fine - far better, in fact that Cindy McCain, whose over-the-top designer wardrobe reminded me of the clothes worn by Krystle Carrington in Dynasty. They did not say "woman of the people". No wonder the Republicans got trounced.

But at least there was truth in advertising in the way they shopped Palin. They were quite honestly about it all being a dog and pony show.

And for a home town (or should I say state) perspective:

Sarah Palin: The Gift That Keeps On Taking.

For a taste of this writer's commentary, consider the following, which is the core of the writer's case for calling Palin Governor Grifter:


Palin, before her nomination, accepted gifts valued at $25,367 from industry executives, municipalities and a cultural center whose board includes officials from some of the largest mining interests in the state. Some of the “gifts” included a $2,200 ivory puffin mask, a woven grass fan worth $300 and a $150 ivory necklace. This may explain her pro Pebble Mine stance.

Alaska Grifter Total: $85,798
VP Grifter Total: $330,000
Total Grifter Total: $415,798

My comment, not so much about the writer's piece but my continuing interest in Caribou Barbie? Well, she might not be the most obvious, composite, and complete cartoon example of what is wrong with the Republican Party, but for now, she seems the obvious choice.

Anyway, moving away from Succubus Sarah, how about the ex CEO of Merrill Lynch, daring to want more money for being such a rotten manager?

Merrill Lynch & Co. chief John Thain has suggested to directors that he get a 2008 bonus of as much as $10 million.

Dude must be a republican!

And even if there were more interesting things happening in the world that I have no control over, I will skip that and move on to things happening in the smaller world that is my own life.

Tonight is Opera night.

Now I do have an orchestra seat, but it is back orchestra. Now if you are not familiar with the Metropolitan Opera House, here are the core facts. The full audience capacity of the hall is just short of 4000 (including standing room.) My ticket is in row Z. Row A is the row closest to the stage. So even if I am not going to be close, at least the sight lines should be very good.

Depressed, Psychotic, Hate-Mongering, Racist Republicans Have More Reason to be Depressed.

Court Rejects Obama Ineligibility Appeal

Supreme Court Won't Review Charge That Obama Ineligible To Be President Because He Is Not A "Natural Born Citizen"


“This is the least surprising move by the Supreme Court in years," said CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen. "No serious legal scholar believed that the Justices would take the case and overturn the election.”


SCOTUS to Psycho Racist Anti Obama Litigant: Piss Off!


My thoughts? On the one hand, it almost makes me think that we should have greater limits on the crazy people in the country, but on the other hand, as long as I don't have to get too close to them, they do have entertainment value. But this stuff, the level of baseless hate that some of these psychotic racist republicans shows, is cause for despair. Now among black people there is this old joke:

"There are ONLY two things I have to do . . . stay black, and die."

And I bring this up for the following reason. It seems to me that what these psychotic racist republicans have against PE Obama is the fact he is black, won the election completely fair and square, and lastly, he is a democrat.

Granted, merely that last one, being a democrat, could be cause for sturm and drung, among the psychotic minority of the GOP. Add to that the winning fair part? Well, that part is only a limit on the nature of the psychotic hate mongering vitriol that will be spewed by the psychotic minority of the GOP. Let us not forget that they tried to set the stage for contesting the validity of the election with all that Anti Acorn shit. And since Acorn is an urban organization, primarily, it is a black organization, primarily, so ya know we are getting right back to the racist shit.

But in the end, I think it really is the being black thing that has the psycho racist republicans so upset. I can not recount how many op-eds and personal posts I have read on line where the core complaint from these psycho racist republicans was essentially frustration at being at risk for being labeled as a racist, due to (hate-mongering and vicious and usually baseless, as most personal insults are baseless) heaping hate on Obama.

Now firstly, what sort of person spends time worrying about their ability to engage in hate speech in public being infringed? Answer: a hate monger. People who do not spew hate do not worry about loosing license to engage in hate.

Next, what sort of person spends time worrying about being labeled a racist? Answer: someone who is habituated to thinking about others in racist terms, and likely to make , if not has a history of making, borderline or even more obviously racist hate-mongering insults, slurs, and vitriol. People who stay far and away from uttering anything close to a racist hate-mongering slur or vitriol do not have a reason for worrying about loosing license to do so. So they do not worry about that shit.

But here we are. We have just seen the second to last best hope for the psycho racist faction of the republican party to derail the Obama Administration before it begins. I say second to last as there still is another petition on deck that will likely fail as expectantly as the one kicked out of the SCOTUS today. But getting down to the essentially core of the argument in both suits (and God help me, I actually did some reading even of some of the filings in the other suit):

"He can't be allowed to be POTUS. Just Look at him. He ain't One Of Us.

That is not good enough? Well shit damn. Then he can't have been born an American or be a Natural Born American. Why do I think that? Just look at him; he ain't One Of Us."

In short, the main and only actual reasoning behind these Anti-Obama Lawsuits is racism, pure and simple. And anyone who says different is not only a damned liar, but a psychotic racist.

Quick hint for anyone paying attention. How can you tell the difference between a sane republican and a crazy racist one? The sane ones might still be sad over the election, but they are at minimum dealing with it like a sane adult. The psychotic racists are easy to spot at least; they are still angry and still spewing hateful invective, and are either predicting failure, or even worse, already trying to undermine the Obama Administration.

Remember what I said in the last post? The sane ones need to (for the sake of their party) cut the rot out here. It is not wise to let that shit fester. Personally I think it is already way past the point where it is 100% fair to start judging the sane ones based on the fact they have not kicked the crazies to the curb. Personally I will not benefit from the GOP purging it's ranks of the crazies, but ya know? I think the nation will be better off it the psycho racist crazies are even more marginalized. There are just some beliefs that are past the boundary of tolerance, and hate mongering and racism are clearly that sort of beliefs.

It is So Nice and FAIR, What Rudy Guliani Says Here

That I almost regret the anti-guiliani song I wrote, nearly a year ago (but no one has ever heard performed.)


He says the election of America's first black president should be welcomed by Republicans as well as Democrats.


"Even those who voted against him, like me, say 'We're very thankful this has happened. This is the consolation prize'," he said.

"In having lost in terms of the ideology we wanted, or the person we wanted - John McCain - the benefit that we got was an America that can say to the world we've overcome the worst thing in our history.

"If you look at America - which I believe is a great nation, a beautiful nation, a nation of altruistic goals and very often great altruistic accomplishments - one of the terrible marks against us is slavery and racism, and I think that's a great thing for America to have overcome.

"And I believe that will gain us a tremendous amount in the world community. We can now be an honest nation and not a hypocritical one."

Giuliani Hails Obama Presidency.


It is a breathtaking and nonpartisan and optimistic and salutatory message. I almost wish I could say to him, personally, "Rudy, I thought I would never say something like this, but if more Republicans were like you, the party might not be a mere hop skip and roll away from being an Assholes-Only Hate-Mongers' Club."

But alas, that is far from being the case. As long as the hate-mongering (many of the flock) and basically racist (far too many of the flock) republican leaders, pundits, and rank and file persist in those horrible and actually baseless slurs, like the socialist/Marxist/commie shit, never mind the even worse baseless garbage some of those insane and insanely angry people are spewing? I will continue to feel 100% justified to run down the republican party as if at best it was a particularly pathological group of essentially sociopaths, and at worse raving psychotics. I am not saying that all republicans are hate-mongering, racist psychotics, but I am saying there are way to many people like that in the republican party. And unless the republicans cut out or otherwise remove the rot from within their own body, the body of the party will continue to stink of the rot of rotting flesh.


Again, who would have thunk it? Rudy is the standard bearer for the classy, well-behaved, objectively decently-mannered faction of the GOP.

Guess that leave Sociopathic Succubus Sarah as the "Spiritual" as well as nominal leader of the Sociopathic Wing.

Ok kids. Remember what your momma said about being judged by the company you keep.

What's the Difference Between Belief in "American Exceptionalism," and Republican Racism?

It's a rhetorical question. Both are features of the same hate mongering, bigoted, selfish and mean spirited self and group view that a certain segment of American Society is more likely to embrace. Or, to elaborate, we are talking about the segment that is not yet embarrassed enough about either to stop themselves in early or mid thought and remind themselves,"That is what Bad People think. I do not want to be a Bad Person. So I am telling myself thinking that way is wrong. Don't do it."

And yes, after the thought came to mind, I googled just to confirm that I was not at all being inventive in making this connection:

Attitudes toward inequality: Racism and other varieties of American exceptionalism.

It is not as if I am paying to read the whole paper. But I will say that the dysfunctional delusional idea of "American Exceptionalism" has been on my mind for a few days. This has been the case since reading some republican's shopping list of right wing 'values and principles,' and finding that crazy shit on his list. But in watching some talking heads talk about PE Obama's "Pragmatism" today, I was struck by the fact that our Foreign Policy will soon be going in the exact opposite direction that it was during the Bush years; the delusionalism of the myth of American Exceptionalism.

Just to make sure the point is well made, I am for one very excited to have our country abandon a delusion-based Foreign Policy, and pursue a pragmatic course, instead.

Most Despicable and/or Stupid Republican of the Week; Most Admirable Republican of the Week.

Most Despicable and/or Stupid Republican of the Week (and I think she covers both prongs, so she's a two-fer special doubly dis respectable degenerate), Ms Buchanan, the U.S. Attorney in Pittsburg who says she will not tender a letter of resignation (as is custom for the appointees of the previous administration, during a full transition.)

U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan Speaks (Sorta): I'm a Maverick Too, Dontcha Know.

She is stupid if she thinks a notoriously pro Bush, politically driven, U.S. Attorney is going to be offered the chance to keep the office. Furthermore, her reputation as a Federal Prosecutor is no where near the level where that is remotely likely. Next, not only is her partisan reputation well known, but she is the genius of judgment who hired Monica Goodling, and even if only on the edges, but still is connected to the U.S. Atty Firing scandal.

And she is descipable for failing to follow custom here. It is one thing to want to keep the job, but it is another thing to just decide on one's own, that the usual rules and practices do not apply to one. We have a name for people like that; professional asshole. If she really wanted to keep the job she should have formally tendered her resignation, but contacted people in the Transition Team and made her case that way, not go all mavericky.

And that just gets us right back to her being stupid. I mean really? Is that the way sane smart people try to impress the new boss, by acting like a loose cannon?

Now for the Admirable Republican of the week: Michael Medved wins, for being objective enough to take and make a well deserved critical observation against Republican Media and Republican coarseness, both all at once.

"Increasingly, interests of commercial talk radio in a fractured market diverge from the needs of a viable national movement. A radio show (locally or nationally) that draws just 5% of the available audience can achieve notable success in ratings and revenue, but a conservatism that connects with only a disgruntled, paranoid 5% of the public will wither and die.

Yes, the nation expects (and deserves) tough partisan battles in the years ahead, but it matters greatly who's viewed as initiator of the conflict. George W. Bush suffered throughout his presidency from perceptions that he never delivered on his "uniter not divider"rhetoric and that he and Karl Rove, not the Democrats, introduced the toxic atmosphere into Washington."

Will talk radio get wake-up call?
Appealing to the right-wing fringe is no way to build a political movement.

I think what he says there is spot on, and I predict it will go no where soon, in making the GOP reform itself, and for once and for all time purge itself of the 5% (he says, I would say more like 30% or so) of the party who are accurately described as the disgruntled and paranoid.

Now if I really want to go all deeply analytical I would say that in using the 5% figure Medved is missing the obvious. If the Loony Fringe of the GOP was only about 5% they likely would not be in such dire straits now. But the objective truth is even if the Loony Fringe is not that huge as to comprise a simple majority of the Party, they have infected the rhetoric if not ideology of the party as badly as a tropical virus infects a human body. It is not a matter of one organ or two getting hit, but the whole body suffers. And one of the worst effects of the Loony Fringe on the GOP as a whole is that their thuggish, asshole-ish, selfish, mean-spirited and ill-mannered low-rent vulgar standards of conduct are now more pervasive and more the norm for the GOP than ever before, seemingly. Not to say that GOP is now an Assholes Only Club, but since mean spirited vulgarity is so common and pervasive these days, there is a clear risk that if they do not clean house and clean up their act, they could very well end up as a Vulgar Assholes Only Party.

Is that likely? Can the party sink that low? Is it that close to hitting rock bottom on the decency scale? As my choice for Republican Asshole of they Year would say, yew betcha!

More Republican Racism, That Way Too Many Republicans Would NOT Consider Racism.

Pay attention to what Elisabeth Hasselbeck says about Deepak Chopra:



Now before I comment about how and why she was acting like a classic low-level racist republican, I will state the obvious (and this is definitely a huge part about how these racist republicans can be in denial that they are indeed racists.) She is not the most over the top of racists. She is not advocating violence, or denial of civil rights of a group of people or individual people based on their being members of a different ethnic group than hers. And she did not use any of the usual racist bigoted slur words, either.

And that is part of the disconnect with these lower-level racist republicans. They persist in believing under the individual and group supported delusion that as long as they are not (caught, as often the case is they remember not to go over the top) acting over the top, that they get a pass, or otherwise do not commit an act deserving of the name racist, and the shameful status that goes with that name.

And in answer to that hate-enabling belief, I have a pointed message for all the racist republicans who believe that shit (and them who cut them slack.)

You are not being held to a set of rules like those for a round of Archery. The appropriate set of rules would be more like that for a round of Horseshoes; close gets you the point!


Now I am ready to get into the nature of the gross offense that Elisabeth Hasselbeck made there, as shown in the clip. And to make my point as clearly as possible, I am going to pose a rhetorical question. You know when someone is being purposefully and deliberately condescending to you, don't you? You know it when someone is doing the "I'm better than you are," thing to you, by the generally dismissive and insulting tone and words, don't you? Well that is the perfectly accurate way of describing Hasselbeck's offensive and racist swipes at Chopra. Intent to insult and diminish are clearly there in tone and chosen insulting words. The fact that she put a cross ethnic spin on it (that little flourish about burning a bowl of incense) just makes it clear that this was not only a personal insult but a racist flavored insult.

Let me translate her little presentation there.

"I, Elisabeth Hasselbeck am a white American chick, and that foreigner said something that challenges my personal bigoted views about America. It offends my bigoted sense of personal and nationalistic pride to be challenged by some non white culturally different foreigner, so I insult him and his inferior to American culture, by making some crack about his inferior culture."

And let's be honest here. Ya know that she knows that. Ya know she meant it. But would she admit it? Not there in front of the TV cameras and the studio audience, but it is not at all hard to see her tacitly admitting that, in the right company. And that is really what is going on inside the heads of so many of the racist republicans. One the one hand, they know that they have to avoid being obvious about the real deep level of racist beliefs they still hold, but on the other hand it is so deep that it is going to leak out. And Ms. Hasselbeck sprung a mighty big leak there, no doubt.

And before I end this post, I want to call her out on what is not, I admit, a singularly personal or even republican failing. Unfortunately this defect is universal in existence, which is to say, people from all walks of society are offenders. And what I am talking about here is that generic root bigotry and intolerance that can be described as (and apologies to Jon Stewart -- I saw a vid of him today speaking of such), "You said something I don't agree with -- so you are a dick," thinking.

Now do I think Elisabeth Hasselbeck was first and foremost attacking Chopra for being Indian? Hell no. But because he dared say something that challenged her (warped, I do say, but since I am already going long here, I will pass on the topic of her jingoistic, culturally, if not racially oppressive) world view? Well, merely on account of challenging her warped world view, he (in her pea brain) deserved lots of shit. But it was her acting on her ideological bigotry and going into attack mode that freed the racist in her, that lives just below the surface. She may not be a total hater, or even a half way monstrous hater. But she made it clear that she has a well enough nurtured contempt for 'others,' and it seems that holds true on matters of ideology, and culture, and ethnic background, which is the same as if it were purely on account of race. It is equally offensively excuse less.

But no matter the racial or ethnic or cultural dimension being obviously in play or not, we are going to see a hell of a lot more of this shit from the republicans. Like that article I mentioned a few posts back about the Joe McCarthy Gene, that I translated to asshole gene? Let's make no mistakes here, and let's not gild the lily. The hate and contempt that republicans have for anything or anyone that differs from their narrow, insular and bigoted views is all they have. So that is all we will be getting out of them for a while, I guess.


And some people actually wonder why I spend so much time worrying about racist republicans, and the dominionist theocratic allegedly christian nationalists here in America. I worry as I am awake enough to know them bastards do not know how to live and let live. How did I describe it earlier in this post? Culturally, if not racially oppressive? Ya. Even if the republicans are out of power, for now, I am not going to relax about that threat. It never goes away now, does it? Instead it is like malaria to the body of the nation. You might get better, but you are never cured of it.

The Decision is In (Barring G.W. Bush Starting a New War, or Doing Someting Equally Outrageous Before 12/31/08.) The Winner, By a Small Town . . .

Real Patriotic America Country Mile, for Republican Asshole of the Year Award goes to none other than Gov. Sarah Palin. (As this is the Official Award, I use her proper name and title. It is NOT as if I am going to send her a certificate, ya know.)

{Revised}

I did some further digging, and found out that not only was I right in describing her former "church" as an Armageddon Death Cult, I was actually being kind in describing it as such. She actually has been hanging with christian nationalists, at least that is what is said here:

Sarah Palin used AK tax dollars to fund dominionist churches

(And I hope that improper use of State money gets properly investigated.)

But above and beyond her dishonest if not possibly unlawful direction of State funds to her cult buddies, how exactly bad are these cult buddies (and by extension, her?) This is the sort of un democratic, anti American garbage that is being "taught" at her current church (not the other bunch of wackos with their Master Commission, Joel's Army Warrior for God crap. This is what is going on at the allegedly more mainstream nondenominational Wasilla Bible Church.)

Focus on the Family's The Truth Project

Lesson 9 - The State: Whose Law?

Of all the social spheres, the state, to which God grants the power of the sword for the punishment of evil and the preservation of the good, has the greatest potential to go awry if it oversteps its authority. The civil magistrate must always remember his place under the sovereignty of God – otherwise, havoc will ensue.

Lesson 10 - The American Experiment: Stepping Stones

America is unique in the history of the world. On these shores a people holding to a biblical worldview have had an opportunity to set up a system of government designed to keep the state within its divinely ordained boundaries. Tour #10 follows the history of this experiment and explores what happens to freedom when God is forgotten.

http://www.thetruthproject.org/events/A000000068.cfm

And for more about christian nationalism, go here:

http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/5/11/151212/239

Ya, and some people were ranting and raving about how we should not make guesses about how her religion would influence her performance of the job of a government executive.


I don't know which is the greater evidence of being crazy delusional; what these crack pot christian nationalists believe, as far as all the non-gospel garbage they believe, or the complete and totally fallacious view they hold that they are mainstream christisans and normal rational people?

So, above and beyond other prior stated reasons Succubus Sarah gets the Republican Asshole of the Year Award for being a Dominionist christian nationalist, and basically trying to get over on the whole nation, and being essentially dishonest and deceitful about her self and her so called values.