Right Wing Politics

If only some government agency could have predicted the potential for violent right-wing extremism.....

Holocaust museum shooter reportedly white supremacist James von Brunn.:

"This afternoon, a gunman apparently shot at least one person at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. MSNBC is reporting that the suspected shooter, who also sustained gunshot wounds, is James Von Brunn, a white supremacist born in 1920. Brunn has been approvingly cited on Stormfront, a national white supremacist website. He is apparently the author of a tract called, “Kill the Best Gentiles,” which his website describes as “a new, hard-hitting expos�of the JEW CONSPIRACY to destroy the White gene-pool.” Brunn, a WWII veteran, also wrote a screed on President Obama’s citizenship that was re-posted to popular right-wing message board Free Republic:"

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...oh, wait, one actually did:

Will Republicans Admit That Their Partisan Outrage Over The DHS Report Was Misplaced? | Media Matters Action Network

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Almost the sanest thing ever stated on FAUX News.... until they tie it to the blogs and ignore the fact that the fuel for these fires is coming directly from their 'news' organization. From the Becks. From the Hannitys. From the Limbaughs.

The accountability rest squarely on FAUX News and its associated ilk.

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Really? You think? You mean the report that FAUX reflexively dismissed out of some partisan outrage?

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But what do they know anyway....

Health Professionals Tell Congress They Want Single-Payer:

"At a long-awaited House subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, health-care professionals made it clear that they believe a single-payer system to be the best and perhaps only workable option for health care reform.

'Single-payer is the only reform that can control health care costs,' said Walter Tsou, a University of Pennsylvania professor and an adviser to Physicians for a National Health Program. The last 50 years of government policy have protected insurance industry profits at the expense of taxpayers, doctors and hospitals, he said.

'Our most famous radical document begins with the words, 'We the People.' Not 'We the Insurers,'' he said. 'It is time for our own generation's revolution."

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More like this, Democrats. Keep in mind that this is a Freshman Senator. We need more progressive Freshman Democratic Senators.

Senator Calls Out Frank Luntz From Senate Floor:

"Here we go. Frank Luntz's memo, that's his memo on how to kill health care, came out in April. It says - talking point number five - 'Health denial care horror stories in Canada and other countires do resonate, but you have to humanize them. You notice we recommend the phrase 'government takeover' rather than 'government run' or 'government control.'' Why? Because government takeover sounds even scarier.

So what did we hear in the chamber from our minority leader just recently? I quote - 'Americans are concerned about a government takeover of health care and for good reason.' And it goes on. So recognize that that is a point that's coming from a document about how to kill health care, not a responsible debate about the plan we have in front of us."

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WTF is he talking about? $10 for anyone that can decipher this tortured analogy.

God, I love Michael Steele.

The gift that keeps on giving.

Minnesota Independent: News. Politics. Media. � ‘Big tent’ no more: RNC’s Steele says GOP is a hat:

"Here’s more evidence that the GOP is still struggling to find fitting metaphors to talk about itself. The party was likened to a miffed Eminem by Gov. Tim Pawlenty at the College Republicans’ national confab over the weekend, while at another of the convention’s sessions, RNC chair Michael Steele was coming up with imagery of his own. Steele told the audience that “no one knows what the hell it means” when the GOP refers to itself as a “big tent.”

So he offered another analogy: The GOP is a hat.

Some people wear a hat frontwards, others cocked to the left, he explained. Some wear it backwards, he added, echoing a past statement, “because that’s how they roll.” But “the strength of the party is in this: … the fact that you’re willing to put the damn thing on… The problem we’ve had as a party is: too many of our friends, neighbors, colleagues are taking the hat off, because we’ve decided we don’t like the way they wear it… The GOP is not about how you wear the hat, but the fact that you want to wear the hat.”"

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

HA!

GOP Leader Rep. Eric Cantor Predicts Republican Landslide in 2010 - ABC News:

"These may be dark days for the Republican Party, but a top GOP congressional leader predicted today that Republicans would trounce Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections and could take back control of the House of Representatives."

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Damn, those conservatives sure do love to hate on some America.

Ed Goes Ballistic over GM "Socialist" Boycott

Hewitt: I won't be visiting a GM or Chrysler lot, now matter the quality of the product. The only way to fight socialism, is to Boycott GM.

Ed: We are talking about hundreds of thousands of Americans. And this is what they have? They openly say, if you‘re angry. No, I think the word is "if you hate Obama." If you hate Obama. If you can‘t stand the fact that he‘s having success as a president. If you just hate the fact that this guy has got a 60-plus percent approval rating. He‘s trying to save American industry.

If you hate him that much, don‘t buy a GM and don‘t buy a Chrysler. Now the thing that bothers me, this is the crowd that was on the president because they didn‘t—he didn‘t wear a lapel pin. This is the crowd that wrap themselves in the flag and said that the liberals weren‘t American.

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Loves me some Lawrence O'Donnell.

Another Lawrence O'Donnell Teaching: This Time On Joey "Book Boy!" (Updated 2x: The Video):

"'Liberals ended slavery, liberals got woman the right to vote, liberals created Social Security, Medicaid and a minimum wage, they wrote the Civil Rights Act, , the Voting Rights Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, they have done all of those things in at every moment, for every one of those things in this country, what did conservatives do, they opposed every one of those things, including your right to vote (pointing at Mika).'"

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Heh. Palau.

Palau to take Guantanamo's Chinese detainees - Yahoo! News:

"WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Palau agreed to accept 17 Chinese Muslims who have languished in legal limbo at Guantanamo Bay, indicating a resolution to one of the major obstacles to closing the U.S. prison camp."

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Ah, CL. I knew ye when you were but a nascent local posting board.

Craigslist expects record revenue: $100 million:

"Defying its anti-commercial reputation, Craigslist is expected to rake in $100 million in revenue this year, the most ever for the classified advertising site, according to a new report."

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Ladies, FYI, I'm available for 'end of world' sex. Better hurry. 3.5 billions years will be here before you know it. And you don't want to get crushed by Venus without first having experienced my... rhymes with 'Venus'.

Earth-Venus smash-up possible in 3.5 billion years: study

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Memorial Day Aught-Eight

Update: Nine Bullets is back and better than ever!

Keepin' it short and sweet on the Memorial Day Holiday. Hope you all get to grill up some mighty fine road kill. Or that you get to nurse a sweet, sweet hangover if you had your festivities last night.

Finding Suggests Alien Life May Exist:

"There's nothing special about the Sun that makes it more likely than other stars to host life, a new study shows. The finding adds weight to the idea that alien life should be common throughout the universe."

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Solitaire: most popular game of all time

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best of craigslist : PINK PLASTIC LAWN FLAMINGOS:

"three pink plastic lawn flamingos, the momma, the daddy and two
babies. in good shape except the momma has a bullet hole. will
trade for a good dog or weed eater, will also consider any kind
of alcohol as long as it ain't been opened up."

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Moonshine

Speaks for itself.

Why is it against the law to make moonshine?:

"Two Georgia men pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of operating a moonshine still in the Chattahoochee National Forest. One of the bootleggers faces up to 35 years in prison for his crimes: making the brew, selling it, and not paying taxes on the proceeds. Back in college, the Explainer had friends who brewed their own beer, and that wasn't against the law. So why is moonshine still illegal? Because the liquor is worth more to the government than beer or wine. Uncle Sam takes an excise tax of $2.14 for each 750-milliliter bottle of 80-proof spirits, compared with 21 cents for a bottle of wine (of 14 percent alcohol or less) and 5 cents for a can of beer. No one knows exactly how much money changes hands in the moonshine trade, but it's certainly enough for the missing taxes to make a difference: In 2000, an ATF investigation busted one Virginia store that sold enough raw materials to moonshiners to make 1.4 million gallons of liquor, worth an estimated $19.6 million in lost government revenue. In 2005, almost $5 billion of federal excise taxes on alcohol came from legally produced spirits."

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I'd like to think this was true, but this UK reporter doesn't live here. If the country would put my tribe in charge, then things would be much, much better.

Will never happen.

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Keeping the faith:

"It may be daring to say it but America seems to be experiencing an atheist moment. Although 'In God We Trust' was declared the national motto by an act of Congress more than 50 years ago and has been stamped on the currency for longer than that, some considerable doubt has developed of late. If you look at the bestseller list over the last year, you'll find a number of books on atheism - to the surprise of the publishing industry."

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"I said it's hard out here for a mec....'

Actors Studio host Lipton was a pimp in France:

"James Lipton, the host of U.S. talk show, Inside the Actors' Studio, once worked as a pimp in Paris, France."

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Via JennB. If only parking cops gave out classic funk records instead of tickets..... The world would be a much better place.

best of craigslist : To the person who put a Rick James album on my windshield...:

" Yesterday (9/11) I was running errands in downtown. I had a lot on my mind and was not having the best day ever. After returning to my car 15 minutes after the meter expired, I expected to find a parking ticket. But no, in place of a parking ticket was a Rick James vinyl... SCORE! "

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It's close to midnight.....

.....and something evil's lurking in the dark

Let's start off fun today.

If I have to go to prison, I want it to be in the Philippines.

Why? More time working on choreography and less time getting butt raped.

Behold 1500 Philippines inmates performing "Thriller". Awesome.

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Can you feel the love?

Political Wire: Bush Hits 25% Approval

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Excellent article in the NY times. Hard to pick which part to snip so be sure to read the entire thing

Just What the Founders Feared: An Imperial President Goes to War - New York Times:

"The nation is heading toward a constitutional showdown over the Iraq war. Congress is moving closer to passing a bill to limit or end the war, but President Bush insists Congress doesn’t have the power to do it. “I don’t think Congress ought to be running the war,” he said at a recent press conference. “I think they ought to be funding the troops.” He added magnanimously: “I’m certainly interested in their opinion.”
.......
Given how intent the president is on expanding his authority, it is startling to recall how the Constitution’s framers viewed presidential power. They were revolutionaries who detested kings, and their great concern when they established the United States was that they not accidentally create a kingdom.
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John Jay, the first chief justice of the United States, noted in Federalist No. 4 that “absolute monarchs will often make war when their nations are to get nothing by it, but for the purposes and objects merely personal.”

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Olbermann at his very best.... You can tell he's paying attention because he is pissed.

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Christians! Honest to God, real Christians. So refreshing.

These are the good guys.

Religious group praises Edwards' response to gay marriage question - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

"I'm Rev. Reggie Longcrier, I'm the Pastor of Exodus Missionary Outreach Church in Hickory, North Carolina. Senator Edwards says his opposition to gay marriage is influenced by his Southern Baptist background. Most Americans agree it was wrong and unconstitutional to use religion to justify slavery and segregation and deny women the right to vote. So, why is it still acceptable to use religion to deny gay Americans their full and equal rights?"

"In answering Rev. Longcrier's question, Senator Edwards made an important commitment to not allow his personal religious beliefs to restrict the rights of any American," added Rev. Creech. "We congratulate him and encourage all leaders and candidates to give serious consideration to this issue and how they will represent the interests of this nation."

"Millions of gay Americans struggle every-day against the misuse of religion to perpetuate prejudice and inequality," said Creech. "These individuals don't just fight bigotry when they're denied the right to marry their partners, they combat it on the street, in the workplace, in their children's schools, and in every other aspect of their lives. Religion-based prejudices pervade and profoundly shape the daily experiences of these people and I'd like to commend my friend Rev. Longcrier for furthering the national dialogue for those and all Americas on this critically important subject."

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How to create an Angry American. Must see.

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A small, tinsy-eensy bitty bit of sanity returns.

Government To Lift Lighter Ban On Planes:

'Taking lighters away is security theater,' Transportation Security Administration chief Kip Hawley told The Times in an interview."

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I leave you with gas.

best of craigslist : Wanfu Date Farts

... I just hope I have the courage to let my bowels loose with an echoing noise of displeasure next time I hear something I don't appreciate.

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tran-scen-dent

tran·scen·dent

Pronunciation: \-dənt\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Latin transcendent-, transcendens, present participle of transcendere

Date: 15th century

1 a: exceeding usual limits : surpassing b: extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience cin Kantian philosophy : being beyond the limits of all possible experience and knowledge2: being beyond comprehension3: transcending the universe or material existence

Much more coming Friday.... or Monday... depending on how much damage I do tonight.

tran-scen-dent. All that needs to be said for the moment...

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Stuff you should read:

Daily Kos: Help Fight Fake History That Powers The American Right:

"IN 2004, The Texas Republican Party platform declared the United States to be a 'Christian nation'. Christian nationalism is probably the driving ideology of the Christian right, and that ideology rests on a falsified version of history that tens of millions of Americans believe to be true. This post concerns that problem and introduces readers to one historian who rightfully deserves to be called a hero for her work combating that falsified American history."

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Cliff's Corner - AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

Another Week. More preposterousness to report.

Well, that illustrious group of geriatric honkeys known as the Republican presidential wannabes disembarked last night in what is for them the political equivalent of Taj Mahal, The Torture Museum in Amsterdam and a night out in Bangkok trolling for "massages" all rolled into one: Ronnie's Library. Also known as The House That Illicit Funds From Iran-For-Hostages Built. So what did we learn from this inevitably regal event?

1) Being a Republican means not only that Bin Laden is "Wanted Dead Or Alive" but also that "Bin Laden Is Going To Pay And He Will Die" (Romney) and you'll "Follow Bin Laden To The Gates Of Hell" (McCain). Because among your atavistic-anthropoid base, talking like you're in a John Wayne movie makes up for the fact that you guys couldn't catch The West Nile Virus--while sunning on the banks of The Nile, in the Full Monty and more sweat-drenched than Bill Bennett dreaming about the Bellagio.

Is the Mission Accomplished yet?

2) Being a Republican means 30% of your candidates for Leader Of The Free World (or so it used to be) don't believe in evolution, even though all you have to do is look at James Inhofe to know that Intellgent Design is simply not possible.

3) Being a Republican means you one day find yourself thinking, you know what, I need a massage. Should I go with the Swedish or perhaps the deep-tissue? Nah, I think I'll go with the hooker.

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Craigslist Founder: People Who Run Printing Presses 'Screwed':

He told the crowd to start taking cues from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert who hold politicians and lobbyists to the fire. 'We should see the equivalent of that in newspapers,' Newmark instructed adding that he also listens to NPR, reads the San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, watches CNN, has a 'bizarre fascination with Keith Olbermann' and checks in with blogs like Gawker and the Huffington Post.

When asked by one audience member if he were to start a newspaper today what would it look like, Newmark said, 'I haven't really thought about it.' He did say it would involved lots of investigative reporting in 'big areas,' would be Web friendly and easy to print out. "

Gay Vegetables

AAW Correction:

Too good to be true. But an excellent idea for pay-for-view:

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | From the editor's desktop:

A steady stream of people complaining about a rogue story doing the rounds on the web about a lion and midgets fighting. All in the worst possible taste and the instigator had placed it on a news template that looked exactly like a BBC News one."

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What the hell is up with all the gay pastors in Colorado?

Pastor resigns over homosexuality

Must be all the soy.

I like Kos' take on the soy bit of right-wing insanity:

"Did you hear? Soy makes you gay. Or that's what the wingnuts now say. That's why all Asians whose diet consists heavily of soy products (like tofu) are gay and their population is dying out. Like in China."

I've been saying this for years, but all these vegetables will kill you.... or make you gay:

Vegetables nearly as dangerous as under-cooked meat, study says:

Fresh raw vegetables like lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and green onions were responsible for the illness or deaths of nearly 19,000 people nationwide over a five-year period.

Vegetables are nearly as dangerous as under-cooked meat when it comes to transmitting deadly food illnesses like E. coli, salmonella and hepatitis, according to a study of federal outbreak records by Scripps."

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New homeland security buzz: Bomb-sniffing bees:

Burns- 'I suggest you leave immediatly'

Homer- 'Or what? You'll release the dogs? Or the bees? Or the dogs with bees in their mouths, and when they bark they shot bees at you?'"

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best of craigslist : Please Hear My Prayer

The Coolest 8 Year Old In The World

Do it, Gore! He's my man all the way. It would do the country a world of good to elect this man who should have been President in 2000.

Gore chases Oscar nod, possible 2008 bid:

"NEW YORK - Al Gore is waging a fierce campaign for recognition and an Oscar statuette for his global warming documentary, while reviving talk that he's pursuing a bigger prize: the presidency."

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If Gore doesn't run then I'm voting for this 8 year old......

The Coolest 8 Year Old In The World Talks About O'Reilly



....Cause you know the kids are alright:

In New Congress, Seniority Takes Back Seat to Spirit:

"They call themselves the �30-Something Working Group,� a loose collection of House Democrats in their 30s and 40s who have begun making waves.

During the campaign season, the group took to the floor of the House nightly to give speeches during a period known as special orders, when lawmakers members are permitted to speak for up to an hour about any topic after the day�s business is complete."

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I've been a Craigslist user since 1999 when I first moved to San Francisco. It has been amazing to see the growth of the site. In San Francisco there is virtually nothing you can't find on CL.

If Craig wanted to make money and/or take this company public it would make Yahoo/Google combined look like your local dollar store.

Craigslist Meets the Capitalists:

"Jim Buckmaster, the chief executive of Craigslist, caused lots of head-scratching Thursday as he tried to explain to a bunch of Wall Street types why his company is not interested in “monetizing” his ridiculously popular Web operation. Appearing at the UBS global media conference in New York, Mr. Buckmaster took questions from the bemused audience, which apparently could not get its collective mind around the notion that Craigslist exists to help Web users find jobs, cars, apartments and dates — and not so much to make money."

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San Francisco Values: Fighting off a Great White Shark that drags you 15 feet underwater.

Brush with shark not a first for Dillon Beach victim

Texas Values: Letting blind people hunt.

Bill would allow legally blind Texans to hunt

And San Francisco is suppose to be out of touch?