Cheap Labor Republicans

Time to rough up the nutjobs and give the pussies a break for a day.

Too easy to bash Republicans, but it must be done.

Alan Grayson: True American Patriot.

Grayson slams mosque ‘distraction’: Talk about admin that ‘let’ 9/11 happen instead | Raw Story:

"“If we are going to talk about 9/11, why don’t we talk about how not so much the people who died on 9/11 were disgraced by the possibility of an Islamic athletic center several blocks away; how about the fact that they were disgraced by a president who let it happen?' he asked. 'Who went on vacation for the entire month of August after he was warned in writing that Osama bin Laden was actually finding targets in NYC and learning how to take these planes and do terrible things with them? The thing itself said ‘hijacking’ and they did nothing about it.'"

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For that poor dear and brutal victim of the liberal media that made her say n*gger repeatedly on national radio, Dr. (not really) Laura:



Dr. Laura to end radio show, blames ‘Media Matters’ | Raw Story

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Good read and spot on. Cheap Labor Republicans.

Defeat the Right in Three Minutes | Conceptual Guerilla:

"'Cheap labor'. That's their whole philosophy in a nutshell – which gives you a short and pithy 'catch phrase' that describes them perfectly. You've heard of 'big-government liberals'. Well they're 'cheap-labor conservatives'.

'Cheap-labor conservative' is a moniker they will never shake, and never live down. Because it's exactly what they are. You see, cheap-labor conservatives are defenders of corporate America – whose fortunes depend on labor. The larger the labor supply, the cheaper it is. The more desperately you need a job, the cheaper you'll work, and the more power those 'corporate lords' have over you. If you are a wealthy elite – or a 'wannabe' like most dittoheads – your wealth, power and privilege is enhanced by a labor pool, forced to work cheap."

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Tweetie finds a nut.

Matthews: Birthers trying to ‘assassinate’ Obama with lies | Raw Story:

'Are they, no matter how much they claim to be patriotic, really the most un-American of people because they really do want to destroy this president, not because of what he does but because of who he is? Not because of where he was born, but because what his race was when he was born?'

'Or this the big lie they dare not to admit? They know full well he's an American. That they're simply out to destroy him personally. Yes, assassinate him with their lies,' Matthews concluded."

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That is mighty fair and balanced.

News Corp Donates $1 MILLION To Republican Governors Association

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They have to cheat at everything. Everything!

Massive Censorship Of Digg Uncovered � OOO:

"A group of influential conservative members of the behemoth social media site Digg.com have just been caught red-handed in a widespread campaign of censorship, having multiple accounts, upvote padding, and deliberately trying to ban progressives. An undercover investigation has exposed this effort, which has been in action for more than one year."

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Funny how reasonable the get once they get booted from the party.

Confessions of a Tea Party Casualty | Mother Jones

And, again:

Reagan insider: GOP destroyed economy Paul B. Farrell - MarketWatch

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Strict Constitutionalists... oh, wait...

The Washington Monthly:

"By my count, Republican leaders, including George W. Bush, endorsed six different new amendments to the Constitution over the last decade: (1) prohibiting flag burning; (2) victims' rights; (3) banning abortion; (4) requiring a balanced budget; (5) prohibiting same-sex marriage; and (6) allowing state-endorsed prayer in public schools. Jon Chait runs a similar list today, and notes a few I missed, including amendments to require legislative supermajorities to raise taxes, a 'parental rights' amendment, a term-limits amendment, and in one instance, an amendment to give Washington, D.C., a single voting representative."

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Yup

Dan Maes, Colorado Gubernatorial Candidate, Warns Of U.N. Plot To Destroy America With Bike-Sharing Programs

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Obama should recess, but won't.... sorry. Suppose to stick to the Repukes today. But, still....

Republicans block Bay Area judicial nominees:

"Senate Republicans have blocked confirmation votes on two Bay Area judicial nominees, Goodwin Liu and Edward Chen, and returned the nominations to President Obama, who must decide whether to resubmit them when Congress returns from recess next month."

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Fucking scary. Kudos for the 100 that didn't attend.

Troops: Refusing to attend Christian concert got us into trouble | Raw Story

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The horror!

The Daily Mash - OUTRAGE OVER PLANS TO BUILD LIBRARY NEXT TO SARAH PALIN

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Executing Acorn

A public execution of an innocent organization that helps the poor. Republicans and Democrats both complicit in the murder.

And nobody gives a damn.

Exclusive: ACORN leader says critics mounted ‘McCarthy-era war against the poor’ after report clears organization of wrongdoing:

"“This was a McCarthy-era style war against the poor and minorities, nothing more,” the group's former leader told Raw Story.

“This proves the right will resort to anything to maintain power to continue the war on poor black and brown people,” she added."

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Congressional report clears ACORN of wrongdoing — after group forced to disband:

The report found no evidence of fraud, lax oversight or misuse of federal funds."

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Daily Kos: Reagan Revolution Home To Roost -- In Charts

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Take off the oxy...

Sam Bennett: The Oxymoron of the Sarah Palin "Conservative Feminism" Brand:

"Sarah Palin calling herself a conservative feminist is like BP calling themselves a corporate environmentalist. You don't get to just pick up that word and use it the way you want it.

I think we can all agree that feminism is about equality. Where we disagree is whether or not 'equality' extends to all aspects of a woman's life—including reproductive health choices.

To me and the many other women's rights activists who have spoken out on this subject, claiming to support equality for women—without trusting them to make the most important and personal life decisions—is both absurd and insulting."

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Stupid reality.

Rand Paul's ideas crash into reality - Editorial - Kentucky.com: "

There's the time that Paul, an eye doctor, wanted board certification but didn't like the new rules for earning it. So he created his own medical board. He's now certified by the National Board of Ophthalmology of which he's president, his wife is vice president and his father-in-law is secretary.

At the the junction of principle and pragmatism, Paul denounces big government and its costs and intrusiveness, but depends on the little things that big government does for him. Paul's campaign told reporter John Cheves that about half of his medical income comes from payments by Medicaid and Medicare, entitlement programs for the elderly, poor and disabled."

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Mean people asking questions and shit.

GOP Shields Angle And Paul To Avoid Making Them Face Of '10 | TPMDC:

"It's no accident or coincidence that Republicans in Washington are trying to shield Senate candidates Rand Paul and Sharron Angle from the national, and even local, press.

Remember the GOP establishment didn't want these far-right, insurgent candidates in the first place, and now Republicans fear that in the year of the tea party, Paul and Angle could become the face of the party for the midterm elections. That could present an image to voters that screams radical more than it does electable."

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Nice. Entitled assholes.

Billionaire Bad Boys Club: Meg Whitman's Son's Arrest for Beating Up a Girl

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Mighty white of them. Just now? Just getting around to this now?!?

Congressional leadership to acknowledge role of slave labor in Capitol construction - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

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The Shortest Possible Game of Monopoly: 21 Seconds � scatterplot

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NOW they want a Gov't Takeover

Guess who said this. If a student turned this in as part of an essay, they are staring at a solid 'D'.

Not one proper sentence. Read it out loud.

How do you get on every TV channel, every magazine, every radio show? Practice? Nope. Be a complete and utter fucking moron.

****fact-free commentary on Paul and BP****:

"'I think there is certainly a double standard at play here. When Rand Paul had anticipated that he'd be able to engage in a discussion, he being a libertarian-leaning constitutional conservative, being able to engage in a discussion with a TV character, a media personality, who perhaps had an agenda in asking the question and then interpreting his answer the way that she did, he wanted to talk about, evidently, some hypotheticals as it applies to impacts on the Civil Rights Act, as it impacts our Constitution. So he was given the opportunity finally to clarify, and unequivocally he has stated that he supports the Civil Rights Act.'"

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Bob Cesca: Republicans Demand a Government Takeover and Bailout of the Oil Spill:

"The dominant centerpiece to all of this outrage has been the Republican idea that the states and the free market should be left alone to deal with problems and crises on its own without 'socialist' -- or even 'communist' depending on which AM radio station you listen to -- interference from big government and our America-hating president. No government takeovers. Freedom! Liberty! And no stupid volcano thingees also.

Americans dying from a lack of health insurance? Too bad. No government takeover. The economy about to sink into a second Great Depression? Too bad. No government takeover. The Earth growing warmer due to the burning of fossil fuels? Too bad. No government takeover.

That is until last month."

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On Blaming Bush - Paul Krugman Blog - NYTimes.com:\

"And one thing is clear: the financial crisis occurred on Bush’s watch. To demand that everyone let Bush off the hook for where we are now because 16 months have passed under his successor is to defy the overwhelming evidence of history."

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The Ongoing Administration-Wide Response to the Deepwater BP Oil Spill | The White House

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RIP Chester... more tomorrow.

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"Race" Means "Class"

Of all the domestic gripes that I have, Obama's foreign policy and counter-terrorism efforts have been excellent.

You won't hear about it on the TV or read about it dead tree news. They're too busy covering 3k Tbaggers flinging spittle and drawing silly mustaches on pictures of Obama.

The Washington Monthly:

"I realize conservatives don't want to talk about this story, which is probably why major media outlets aren't paying much attention to it.

But that's a shame because when it comes to counter-terrorism, this is a big f'in deal. Here we had a serious terrorist threat -- arguably the most important since 9/11 -- and an al Qaeda recruit who was poised to kill a lot of people. Obama administration officials thwarted Zazi's plan, took him into custody, read him his rights, and gave him a lawyer.

And the results couldn't have been better for the United States. Zazi will spend the rest of his life behind bars, but only after cooperating with federal officials and becoming a valuable source of intelligence.

If Republicans really want to debate the efficacy of Obama's counter-terrorism policies, we can start right here."

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Back to domestic issues.

Damn right! A VERY liberal SCJ. I don't think Obama can screw his base any more without effectively ending his presidency. Enough is enough with the cutesy-by-half baby splitting.

Elections have consequences. We've yet to reap any of those consequences.

Daily Kos: Anything short of a liberal Supreme Court nominee is unacceptable:

"Sorry, but progressives are owed big time for electing a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress and sweeping Obama into the White House. After being brushed aside, and certainly after seeing the damage that extremists on the Supreme Court have done, another 'well qualified nominee' who doesn’t further progressive causes is completely unacceptable and should be viewed as nothing short of giving the finger to progressives.

On the flip side, it is a GREAT way to use political capital in a way to motivate a base that is becoming more apathetic as each blow-off occurs."

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Noted:

Democratic Strategist:

"The Republican right has a deeply disturbing covert extremist agenda for the Supreme Court – end the separation of church and state, undermine the legality of Social Security and Medicare and give individuals the right to ignore any laws they choose."

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Anyone who doesn't think it is a GREAT idea to try these bastards in the city of New York is simply not being genuine.

NYC deserves to try these SOBs. In a civil court, dammit.

Holder says NYC not ‘off the table’ for trying 9/11 suspects | Raw Story:

"'New York is not off the table,' Holder said. 'The Southern District of New York, for instance, is a much larger place than simply Manhattan.'"

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Of course. Teabaggers don't really have a problem with the green as much as they have a problem with the black.

You Don't Really Hate Paying Your Taxes:

"For all the grousing about taxes these days, a new survey concludes that it's doing taxes rather than paying them that really rankles.

A plurality of Americans think they're paying about the right amount in taxes, and a significant majority say they're paying the fair amount.

There is widespread agreement that the rich and corporations are paying too little in taxes. And a majority of Americans think the Bush tax cuts helped the rich the most and should be eliminated

Americans are also vastly more concerned right now about unemployment and the economy than they are about taxes -- or deficits, for that matter."

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Daily Kos: New York Times: "Race" Means "Class":

"Their fierce animosity toward Washington, and the president in particular, is rooted in deep pessimism about the direction of the country and the conviction that the policies of the Obama administration are disproportionately directed at helping the poor rather than the middle class or the rich."

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NY Tea Party gov. candidate sent videos of bestiality, pics of Obama as pimp | Raw Story

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Way to taint your brand, Discovery/TLC.

Cenk Uygur: Discovery Channel Insider: Sarah Palin's Show Is "a New All Time Low for Discovery":

"Last week Discovery had its annual sales conference for ad buyers for all of its 13 networks. The presentation showcases all of their new shows across the different networks. That night the presentation was on Sarah Palin's Alaska.

Our source says 'the whole thing [was] comical.' Apparently the ad buyers were not impressed. This Discovery insider said, 'When the promo was over, people (employees and buyers) were rolling their eyes, snickering, and even laughing. People were laughing and it's not even a comedy. No one took it seriously.'

This person was concerned that given the lack of interest from ad buyers that Discovery would have to dump the show to 'a crappy time slot' to cut its losses. They added, 'Bottom line everyone thought it was a new all time low for Discovery. My guess is the show is going to tank big time.'"

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End Times

A headline birthed from the bowels of hell. This could be the final sign for end times:

Toby Keith joins LL Cool J in surprise at being used for Palin’s Fox News show.

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Speaking of "I'll wear it if someone else buys it" V-PILF:

Post-Palin Alaska has largest debt burden in US:

"Sarah Palin has long sold herself as a fiscal conservative, arguing against the Democrats' health overhaul on the grounds that the nation simply can't afford it.

But when the former vice presidential candidate resigned as governor of Alaska in the summer of 2009, she left the state with a 70 percent debt-to-GDP ratio -- the highest state debt burden in the United States.
.............

By comparison, crisis-stricken California has a debt ratio of less than 40 percent. All the more confounding about Alaska's debt is the fact that it is an oil-producing region with a small population to share in that wealth. Oil-rich Alberta, Canada, for example, collects no sales tax and still managed to retire its debt entirely in 2004."

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Once again, the Onion's satire is prescient. I'm fully on board with abolishing the Senate.

At the very least the filibuster rule needs to be changed.

But, yeah, they make a good case for canning the Senate:

U.S. Government To Save Billions By Cutting Wasteful Senator Program | The Onion - America's Finest News Source:

"'I'm sure when it was first introduced the U.S. Senate seemed like a worthwhile public service that would aid vast segments of the population and play an important role in the years to come,' said Sheila McKenzie, president of the watchdog group the American Center for Responsible Government. 'But in reality, this program has been a complete and utter failure.'

'It simply doesn't work,' she added. 'We've been pouring taxpayer dollars into this outdated relic for far too long.'"

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Now THIS is smart change I can believe in.

Corporations in the U.S. are far from being great innovators. They do one thing only. Hoover up money. They want cheap, disposable labor. Gov has a role here.

White House Launches Push For Workplace Flexibility:

"Once you realize that, there are a bunch of employer practices and policy proposals that suddenly make a lot of sense: Encouraging telecommuting, giving people time off for family emergencies, enabling flexible schedules, allowing employees to swap shifts, and so on.

At the White House on Wednesday, Michelle and Barack Obama held a summit meeting to discuss, as the president put it, 'what we can do -- as business leaders and advocates, as employees and as government officials -- to modernize our workplaces to meet the needs of our workforce and our families.'

As part of his push, Obama cited a new White House report which concludes that flexible workplace rules could increase productivity."

...............

"'[U]ltimately, it reflects our priorities as a society -- our belief that no matter what each of us does for a living, caring for our loved ones and raising the next generation is the single most important job that we have. I think it's time we started making that job a little easier for folks,' he said."
...........

"Advocates of greater workplace flexibility consistently said their biggest obstacle is managers who can't let go of the need to exercise authority over employees -- in person. 'Sometimes flexibility requires sharing control,' said Peter Berg, a Michigan State University professor who tracks workplace issue. 'Sometimes there's a sense [among managers] that we don't necessarily want to share control.'"

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Idiots. Git a brayn Morans!

Teabonics - a set on Flickr:

"These are signs seen primarily at Tea Party Protests.

They all feature 'creative' spelling or grammar.

This new dialect of the English language shall be known as 'Teabonics.'"

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Speaking of idiots... sorry, I meant, Speaking of asshole idiots.

Hilarious. Big High Five to the fraternity.

Glenn Beck fans’ cars towed during ‘revival’ event | Raw Story:

"Glenn Beck told his audience in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday that Americans are 'worshipping cars.'

If that's so, then his audience must have felt it was sheer blasphemy that their cars were towed from a nearby parking lot as they listened to the controversial commentator speak.

According to WFTV channel 9 in Orlando, 53 cars were towed out of a fraternity parking lot at the University of Central Florida on Saturday night, and all of them belonged to people who were attending Beck's American Revival Tour appearance at the nearby UCF Arena."

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So, how would this work re: repossession?

Calif. woman gets 6 months for fake breasts heist:

"An Orange County woman's new breasts cost her six months in jail. Yvonne Jean Pampellonne was sentenced Monday in Westminster for using a fraudulent line of credit to obtain $12,000 in cosmetic surgery, including breast implants and liposuction."

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When Men Were Free

We are ending the age of Reagan, finally.

Economic Scene - In Health Bill, Obama Attacks Wealth Inequality - NYTimes.com:

"Beyond the health reform’s effect on the medical system, it is the centerpiece of his deliberate effort to end what historians have called the age of Reagan.

Speaking to an ebullient audience of Democratic legislators and White House aides at the bill-signing ceremony on Tuesday, Mr. Obama claimed that health reform would “mark a new season in America.” He added, “We have now just enshrined, as soon as I sign this bill, the core principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their health care.”"

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Here's a dose of the beginnings of the Reagan Age. Sound familiar?:

The Washington Monthly:

"Reading Blankley's panic-stricken screed, I was immediately reminded of Ronald Reagan's 1961 attacks on JFK's Medicare proposal. At the time, Reagan said the plan would lead federal officials to dictate where physicians could practice medicine, and open the door to government control over where Americans were allowed to live. In fact, Reagan warned that if Medicare became law, there was a real possibility that the federal government would control where Americans go and what they do for a living.

Reagan added, '[I]f you don't [stop Medicare] and I don't do it, one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America when men were free.'"

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Our modern day Reagan/Bush/Air-fucking-head-violence inciter.

Sarah Palin's PAC Puts Gun Sights On Democrats She's Targeting In 2010

Which leads to...

FBI investigates Virginia incident - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com:

"Law enforcement authorities are investigating the discovery of a cut propane gas line at the Virginia home of Rep. Tom Perriello’s (D-Va.) brother, whose address was targeted by tea party activists angry at the congressman’s vote for the health care bill."

...And....

Bart Stupak Received Threatening Messages for Health Care Vote (Listen) - Political Hotsheet - CBS News:

"The calls placed to Stupak's office reveal the extreme anger members of Congress are facing.

'Congressman Stupak, you baby-killing mother f***er... I hope you bleed out your a**, got cancer and die, you mother f***er,' one man says in a message to Stupak.

'There are millions of people across the country who wish you ill,' a woman says in a voicemail, 'and all of those thoughts that are projected on you will materialize into something that's not very good for you.'"

Daily Kos: GOP has blood on its hands

The backlash: Reform turns personal - Jake Sherman and Marin Cogan - POLITICO.com

These baggers are insane and dangerous. The first Dem that's maimed or killed, consider it war.

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People like the health insurance reform. Who knew?

DNC Rakes In Over $2 Million Since Bill’s Passage | The Plum Line:

"A DNC source emails that the committee has pulled in over $2 million in online contributions since the bill passed on Sunday."

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Once an asshole, always an asshole.

Think Progress � Bush wipes his hand on Clinton’s shirt after shaking hands with Haitian residents.:

"After the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in January, President Obama asked former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to lead the U.S. relief effort in that country. The two men viewed one of Haiti’s “massive tent cities” yesterday, in a trip — their first one to the country together — to “remind donors of the immense needs facing the recovery effort.” BBC aired video of Bush and Clinton’s visit, and Mediate noticed that at one point, Bush appeared to wipe his hand off on Clinton’s shirt after shaking hands with a crowd of Haitians. Watch it:"

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Once a Nazi Youth...

Warned About Abuse, Vatican Failed to Defrock Priest - NYTimes.com:

"Top Vatican officials — including the future Pope Benedict XVI — did not defrock a priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys, even though several American bishops repeatedly warned them that failure to act on the matter could embarrass the church, according to church files newly unearthed as part of a lawsuit."

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In a few years stories like this will be quaint....

NFL Draft Class's Marijuana Use 'Epidemic,' Scouts Say:

"The 2010 NFL Draft class is a highly regarded group of pro football prospects, but some NFL scouts worry that a problem lies beneath the surface. Sports Illustrated reports that 'numerous NFL personnel evaluators' are worried by the number of players with marijuana use in their past. According to one source, nearly a dozen potential first-round draft choices could be red-flagged for using the drug in college."

.... because of this:

Pot legalization headed for Nov. ballot:

"The California Secretary of State is expected today to certify a measure that would ask voters this November whether marijuana should be legalized and regulated for adult recreational use."

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Chillbilly

This is the very definition of 'Oh Snap'.

Grayson ABUSES V-PILF.

"Smartest Republican leader since W".

Must read the entire smack down. Do not fuck with Grayson. God, I wish we had a Senate and House full of Graysons.

Grayson goes for the jugular: ‘Alaskan chillbilly’ smartest GOP leader since W. | Raw Story:

"Grayson said that the Alaskan chillbilly was welcome to return to Central Florida anytime, as long as she brings lots of money with her, and spends it. 'I look forward to an honest debate with Governor Palin on the issues, in the unlikely event that she ever learns anything about them,'"

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But, but, but Rendell! Rendell's wife doesn't engage in overt, partisan politics supported financially by a decision her husbanded handed down, ignoring 100 years of law, on the Supreme Court.

Michael Kieschnick: How to Bribe a Supreme Court Justice:

"Ponder that for just a moment. The wife of a Supreme Court justice has organized a political non-profit linked to Tea Party activists whose activities can be supported to an unlimited extent by corporations whose donations need not be disclosed to the public. Similarly, Mrs. Thomas is under no obligation to disclose her compensation to anybody.

None of this appears to be illegal in part due to the recent Citizens United court ruling by the Supreme Court that freed corporation contributions from certain key restrictions. That radical and controversial decision passed by a 5-4 vote, and surprise, Justice Thomas voted yes.

When the Times asked Mrs. Thomas about this interesting situation, she responded with the traditional right wing charge of the media imposing a double standard on conservatives, pointing out that the elected governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, is married to a federal judge. She conveniently left out that any political contributions to Mr. Rendell are both limited and fully disclosed under Federal law, and that Judge Rendell scrupulously avoids any political activities."

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Horrible people only concerned with putting money in their pocket. Freedom of speech my ass.

Turley criticizes Justice’s wife for ‘injudicious’ Tea Party activism:

"Constitutional law expert Jonathan Turley on Monday assailed the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas for her growing role in Tea Party political activism.

'It's, in a word, injudicious,' Turley, a professor of law at George Washington University, said on MSNBC's Countdown With Keith Olbermann. 'The fact that this is news is an example of the self-restraint used by most spouses [of Supreme Court Justices] previously.'"

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Boogity-Boogity!

Then watch his Texas shuffle after he already knows the damage has been done.

Worthless, manipulative fucks.

Texas Republican Gohmert: Demons Have Invaded The Capital:

"Speaking shortly after he riled up a crowd at Tuesday's Tea Party protest, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) declared that 'demons' - yes, demons - have invaded the capital (and likely the souls of Democrats), forcing lawmakers to mislead the public about the content of the health care bill.

'Well it would take a demon to be this dishonest about a bill,' the Texas Republican told the Huffington Post. 'If they would just read the bill, they would see what they are saying is dishonest.'

Asked to expand a bit more on what he meant, Gohmert stepped back a bit from a literal interpretation, though still floating the possibility that Democrats were possessed. 'Well, somebody is making people be dishonest and it is a play on words, too,' he said."

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Oh, yeah. Highway's mean.

List ranks best, deadliest U.S. roads - CNN.com:

"Meanwhile, Alabama was ranked as the deadliest state for speeding, followed by Mississippi and South Carolina."

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Yawn.

Is California Becoming a Third World Nation? - Japhy Grant - California Stars - True/Slant:

"The rest of the nation has a tendency to overstate the troubles of California when it’s doing badly and understate its successes when it does well. 13% of the U.S. GDP comes from California. Alone, it would be the world’s 5th largest economy. However, the real sin committed by the other 49 states is a failure to acknowledge the primacy of California in the national economy.

A quick tour through recent history proves my point. The first tech boom of the 90s, the second tech boom, and the real estate bubble all not only started in California, they ended there, too. The nation’s fortunes rise and fall with California’s in a way know other state (ok, maybe Texas on a bad day) can match."

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A small, children's tea party.

DNC mocks tea party numbers - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com: "

Tea Partiers planned to 'flood the halls of Congress' to protest health care legislation, a plan that prompted Democratic leaders to instruct their members to respond with politeness and Twinkies.

The 10 a.m. Washignton, D.C. rally, though, wasn't quite on the scale of some earlier events. The communications director for the Democratic National Committee, Brad Woodhouse, emails that his count is 300 attendees.

'I've been to birthday parties that drew more people,' he emails. 'More people attended my wedding than went to the tea party kill the bill rally on the hill."

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Promising

Daily Kos: Breakthrough: artificial photosynthesis:

"Plants take CO2 and water to create sugars, using sunlight as the energy source, in a process called photosynthesis. Scientists have been trying to replicate photosynthesis in the lab for a long time.

It looks like they've finally succeeded – and the artificial process is a lot more efficient than the natural one. This may have major implications for energy and food production, as well as carbon capture and storage, a way to mitigate climate change."

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The very definition of 'Shit out of luck'.

Tra-la-la.... beautiful day at the beach, cool tunes on, endorphins kicking in from the run. Nothing could be more perf-WHACK.

The Associated Press: Plane kills jogger in SC beach emergency landing:

"HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — A 38-year-old father of two was jogging and listening to his iPod when he was hit from behind and killed by a small plane making an emergency landing on the beach, officials said Tuesday.

Robert Gary Jones of Woodstock, Ga., died instantly Monday evening when he was hit by the single-engine plane, which had lost its propeller, said Beaufort County Coroner Ed Allen. The pilot's vision was blocked by oil on the windshield.

Jones apparently did not see or hear the plane, which was 'basically gliding,' the coroner said."

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Release of Methane Is Under Way

Because you deserve a break today, try rocking your skull with the entire stream of The Big To-Do!

Drive-By Truckers The Big To-Do Order Page

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Nothing to see here folks. Please keep walking towards the cliff. Free teabags at the bottom.

Study Says Undersea Release of Methane Is Under Way - NYTimes.com:

"Climate scientists have long warned that global warming could unlock vast stores of the greenhouse gas methane that are frozen into the Arctic permafrost, setting off potentially significant increases in global warming.

Now researchers at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and elsewhere say this change is under way in a little-studied area under the sea, the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, west of the Bering Strait."

Move along, move along. It is only a major food source that is being depleted. Did I mention the free teabags?

t r u t h o u t | Growing Low-Oxygen Zones in Oceans Worry Scientists:

"Washington - Lower levels of oxygen in the Earth's oceans, particularly off the United States' Pacific Northwest coast, could be another sign of fundamental changes linked to global climate change, scientists say."

At lease Jesus loves you.... even though you are a big douchebag... hey, free teabags!

Humans must be to blame for climate change, say scientists - Climate Change, Environment - The Independent:

"Climate scientists have delivered a powerful riposte to their sceptical critics with a study that strengthens the case for saying global warming is largely the result of man-made emissions of greenhouse gases.

The researchers found that no other possible natural phenomenon, such as volcanic eruptions or variations in the activity of the Sun, could explain the significant warming of the planet over the past half century as recorded on every continent including Antarctica."

Gotta eat something with our teabags.

Humans driving extinction faster than species can evolve, say experts | Environment | The Guardian:

"For the first time since the dinosaurs disappeared, humans are driving animals and plants to extinction faster than new species can evolve, one of the world's experts on biodiversity has warned."

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I remember when I had hope in this guy.

Dr. Marcia Angell Tells Bill Moyers: Obama Gave Away The Store. Too Little, Too Late. | Crooks and Liars

Honestly, at this point, I don't even care whether or not this crappy healthcare bill passes. I see so many serious problems with it, and I simply do not have any trust in the integrity of the Obama administration and the commercially-sponsored Congress to fix them.

The only reason I can see for supporting the bill is political - and no, I don't think that's an insignificant reason. (I'd guess it's the only reason Wendell Potter still supports it.) However, as Dr. Marcia Angell points out, the bill is such a confusing mess, what are the odds that its passage will work in the Democrats' favor? It's a complete and utter crap shoot, and for that, I blame the consistent lack of leadership from the top. I have never been so disgusted with the political process in my entire life:

From Bill Moyers Journal:

BILL MOYERS: So, has President Obama been fighting as hard as you wished?

MARCIA ANGELL: Fighting for the wrong things and too little, too late. He gave away the store at the very beginning by compromising. Not just compromising, but caving in to the commercial insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry. And then he stood back for months while the thing just fell apart. Now he's fighting, but he's fighting for something that shouldn't pass. Won't pass and shouldn't pass.

What this bill does is not only permit the commercial insurance industry to remain in place, but it actually expands and cements their position as the lynchpin of health care reform. And these companies they profit by denying health care, not providing health care. And they will be able to charge whatever they like. So if they're regulated in some way and it cuts into their profits, all they have to do is just raise their premiums. And they'll do that.

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Coulda just stopped after 'unwilling'.

Senate Democrats Unwilling To Fight Widely-Opposed GOP Nominee To Legal Services Corporation

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Moving on from the do-nothing pussies to the hammer slinging assholes:

Fiction or Fo'Realz. You never know with FAUX News.

Fox 5 anchor delivered false report to help Jack Bauer | Raw Story

Including McCain!

McCain's DADT Support Letter Signed By A Bunch Of Dead Guys

Burnett, I swear to god. Don't do it.

Sarah Palin talking to networks about television show on Alaska - Yahoo! Canada News

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Funny Ha-Ha

Two excellent pwnages by Stewart and Tom Hanks. Must see TV... on your computer.

Jon Stewart Exposes Fox News 'Balance,' Goes After Sarah Palin And Megyn Kelly (VIDEO)

Daily Kos: Tom Hanks is much smarter than you, Mika! (And a lot more)

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And I promise that pink puppies appear when I poot.

Obama promises progressives he’ll revisit public option after bill passes:

'Revisit'. Such a lovely word.

Hey Obama, if you hadn't started at 'Cave the fuck in' then we wouldn't need to 'revisit' jack shit. We'd already have a Public Option on the books.

Obama: Continuing the Democratic tradition of compromising our beliefs into oblivion.

"Obama told the group of House members he thought the public plan didn't have the votes this time, but reportedly assured them he'll revisit it after the bill's passage, warning that failure would imperil the issue for a generation."

So scared Republicans will say mean things. Man the fuck up, Obama. Jesus, this is getting sad.

Try these motherfuckers in an American Civilian Court in NYC just like we would anyone else. If our judicial system is so fucked (see Supreme Court for an argument 'for') then our nation is fucked regardless. Might as well stick to the Republicans regardless.

In reversal, Obama aides eye 9/11 military trial: report:

"In reversal, Obama aides eye 9/11 military trial: report In a U-turn, White House aides are poised to recommend holding military tribunals for the alleged co-plotters of the September 11 attacks, the Washington Post said Friday."

Caver in Chief.

Matthew Yglesias � Obama Prepping KSM Cave-In:

"I’m not going to attempt to defend this. I’ll merely note that it’s hard enough to have any kind of civil liberties in this country when the opposition party is pushing for them. When what you have is an opposition that’s pressuring incumbent officials to seize more power for themselves the incentive structure is nuts and the constitution is going to be shredded.

As recently as the 1990s, Congressional Republicans liked to stand up for civil liberties against some of the (tame, by post-9/11 standards) power-grabs by the Clinton-era Justice Department. But the dynamics of the Obama Era are toxic, especially because Democrats are so used to losing on national security that they can’t tell when they’re winning. It’s a depressing situation all around. And anyone in the White House who thinks the right-wing can’t just gin up some new “soft on terror” talking point is living in a dream world."

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I really hate blogging about this dip-shit, but her hypocrisy is truly a stunning thing to behold.

44 - Palin says her family went to Canada for health care when she was young:

"Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, a fierce opponent of Democratic health-care reform efforts who has said America under President Obama is headed toward socialism, told a Canadian audience her family used to go to Canada to get medical care when she was growing up.

'My first five years of life we spent in Skagway, Alaska, right there by Whitehorse. Believe it or not -- this was in the '60s -- we used to hustle on over the border for health care that we would receive in Whitehorse. I remember my brother, he burned his ankle in some little kid accident thing and my parents had to put him on a train and rush him over to Whitehorse and I think, isn't that kind of ironic now. Zooming over the border, getting health care from Canada,' Palin said a speech Saturday night, according to the Calgary Herald."

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Really? Wonder why?

Admiral Mullen: foreign policy is too dominated by the military / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com:

Oh yeah:

Blackwater RNC Fundraiser: RNC Will Hold Fundraising Meeting At Contractor's Compound:

"The Republican National Committee plans to hold an April fundraiser at a Moyock, N.C. compound owned by the military contracting firm formerly known as Blackwater, Politico reports."

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Not funny at all. They do not 'do' comedy. Humor starts with the truth then is twisted it into the absurd. Conservatives start with a lie and end with a lie. Not so much of the funny there.

The Zaz � The Conservative Comedian Challenge!:

"The Smothers Brothers? No liberal comedy since then? Please. Liberals fucking own comedy bitches.

If you don’t like it, don’t watch and read our shit. Go watch Glenn Fucking Beck and his testicle retracting comedy tour. Maybe George Will is doing the Def Comedy Jam at The Apollo. Why do I feel the need to even write that which is self-evident? Why must I use an allusion to The Constitution I know Tea-Baggers won’t get in the latter sentence? Do they even understand the difference between the words, former and latter? I know that confuses the little fuckers."

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Teabagger Hero

You know what this means, right. Everybody wants this, right?

Polls: In Key States, Public Option Far More Popular Than Senate Plan | The Plum Line

Time for the march of the pouty, douchebag conservadems. If we, the people want it, then, guaranteed the Liebermans/Nelsons/asshole dems will stop us from getting it.

I really hate those guys.

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Two in a row from Atrios b/c he was tearing it up last night.

A-to-the-men:

Eschaton:

"Nobody Cares

As Bowers says, people don't give a crap about process. No matter what they say in polls, they don't give a crap about bipartisanship. The best it does is have the bipartisan fetishists in the press write nice things about you, but even that hasn't happened.

More than that, in my humble blogger opinion, bipartisanship is bad. Achieving it often requires splitting the baby type compromises. It spreads the blame around by making everybody and therefore nobody responsible. It obscures the real differences between the parties, and those differences are good because they provide voters with a real choice.

I'm not suggesting that lawmakers should never vote with the other side, but in general voters and democracy are much better served by having political parties with clear, if not extreme, differences."

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Hahahaha.

How fast before he's kissing teabag sack on FAUX News.

Baggers are PISSED. Again.... Hahahahaha.

Eschaton:

"Teabagger Hero

Scott Brown just sided with Dems and voted for cloture on the jobs bill...

Jobs Bill VOTE: GOP Filibuster Fails As Scott Brown And Others Break With Party

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V-PILF gets Corky schooled.

"Like a loaf of French bread". Classic. I love this chick.

Family Guy actress hits Palin for carrying son around ‘like a loaf of bread’ | Raw Story:

"'In my family we think laughing is good,' actress Andrea Fay Friedman quipped. 'My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life. My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes.'"

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Mr. 27% approval sure is getting all Democraty lately.

Schwarzenegger Rips Romney, GOP For Stimulus Hypocrisy:

"'I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around, and pushing back on the stimulus money and saying, 'This doesn't create any new job,'' said Schwarzenegger. 'And then they go out and do the photo ops, posing with the big check and they say: 'Isn't this great, look at the kind of money I've provided for the state and this is money to create jobs, and this has created 10,000 new jobs, this has created 20,000 news jobs, and all those kinds of things.' It doesn't match up.'

It's hypocrisy, said host Terry Moran. 'Exactly,' Schwarzenegger replied.

Case in point:

Republicans Voting Against Stimulus Then Asked Obama for Money - Bloomberg.com

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Hilarious and exactly why I advise anyone to never watch those Sunday passion plays that are suppose to serve as some type of 'news' and 'commentary'. Those fuckers live in there own little village.

Turn the tube off and read your news.

The Bobblespeak Translations: Meet the Press - February 21, 2010

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Oh boy. I hope the people who put this together see some jail time.

Student claims school spied on him via computer webcam | Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/19/2010

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My own extensive study has confirmed these results, especially if accompanied by a six pack of pale ale.

Marijuana Provides Pain Relief, New Study Says:

"SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- The first U.S. clinical trials in more than two decades on the medical benefits of marijuana confirm pot is effective in reducing muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis and pain caused by certain neurological injuries or illnesses, according to a report issued Wednesday."

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Sleep on it

In news of 'No-shit, we've known this from the get-go'.....

Rumsfeld decision let Bin Laden escape: Senate report | Raw Story:

"WASHINGTON (AFP) – Osama bin Laden was 'within the grasp' of US forces in late 2001 but escaped because then-defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld rejected calls for reinforcements, a hard-hitting US Senate report says

And, further, in news of 'No-Shit, we've stated that this was the reason from the get-go'....

But, dirty fucking hippies can only be right after the fact... when it is too damn late to do anything about it.

Daily Kos: Dem Congressman: Bush "Let bin Laden Get Away" to Justify Iraq Invasion:

"'Look what happened with regard to our invasion into Afghanistan, how we apparently intentionally let bin Laden get away. How we intentionally did not follow the Taliban and al-Qaeda as they were escaping,' Hinchey said. 'That was done by the previous administration because they knew very well that if they would capture al-Qaeda, there would be no justification for an invasion in Iraq.'"

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70 + 63 + 60 = 100?

And not 1 FAUX viewer blinked.

Math iz hard.

Whoops: Fox graphics department goes rogue on Palin poll:

"According to a recent Fox news poll, her backing for the GOP nomination has swelled to 70 percent among party voters, anchor Byron Harlan said.

According to the poll, the other top candidates for a 2012 bid on the Republican ticket are Mike Huckabee, with 63 percent and Mitt Romney with 60 percent."

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She's the worst.

Palin Plane Tour: Using Private Jet, Forcing Staff To Take Bus:

"Sarah Palin's 'Going Rogue' bus has logged thousands of miles as it crosses the country, promoting her memoir. But Palin herself has been traveling by private jet, using the bus only for brief stops and media appearances."

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It must be the media's fault. HAS to be.

Insider: Sarah Palin uninformed on Latino issues - Jonathan Martin - POLITICO.com:

"A top adviser on Hispanic issues to John McCain’s presidential campaign said Sunday that a joint interview with McCain and Sarah Palin planned for Univision last fall had to be canceled because Palin was unprepared to discuss Latin America policy.

“She did not feel comfortable speaking about issues regarding Hispanics and Latin America,” GOP consultant Ana Navarro told Univision anchor Jorge Ramos in an interview. “Those are not topics that come up frequently in Alaska. So she asked to cancel the interview and, unfortunately, you were already there.”"

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Rigth, Matt?

Matt Taibbi - Taibblog – Yes, Sarah, There is a Media Conspiracy - True/Slant:

"Is the media out to get Sarah Palin? It seems like most of the letters I get are insisting that I admit it. “Surely you can’t deny,” writes one woman from Florida, “that no political figure in American history has had to put up with what Sarah Palin has had to put up with from the mainstream media.”

Now, this is the part of this red-blue schtick where I’m supposed to strike back without thinking and re-hash the history of, say, the Monica Lewinsky scandal in rebuttal and then, as the argument progresses, do the whole “I know you are but what am I?” thing until the end of time. I’ve decided from now on that I’m just not going to go there with any of this culture-war bullshit. It’s exhausting. I mean, hell, if you want to argue over who’s more justified in wallowing in media victimhood, that’s not a fight I mind losing. Mazel tov!

I would, however, like to point out a few things, none of which really involve taking sides in this particular cat-fight. In no particular order:"

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It really sucks that Alabama sucks so freakin' hard.

Not a vagina amongst them.

GOP gubernatorial candidates favor jail time for abortion doctors | Breaking News from the Press-Register - al.com:

"MONTGOMERY -- Doctors who perform abortions on demand would face time in prison if most Republicans running for governor in Alabama had their way."

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After all of the crap above, I'm thinking I want the opposite. De-boost my memory.

Want to Boost Your Memory? Try Sleeping on It - Yahoo! News:

"Can't remember where you put your keys? Here's a tip for you: record the sound of your jingling keys and put it into your iPod. Then get someone to play it to you at night, while you are deep asleep. Chances are it'll help you remember."

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Sorry Stupid

Of all of the things that I'm unhappy about, I do need to keep this article in mind more.

I mean, when he was inaugurated, it is not like he had a budget surplus and relative peace on earth.

Obama is having the best first year of any president since Franklin Roosevelt. - By Jacob Weisberg - Slate Magazine:

"This conventional wisdom about Obama's first year isn't just premature—it's sure to be flipped on its head by the anniversary of his inauguration on Jan. 20. If, as seems increasingly likely, Obama wins passage of a health care reform a bill by that date, he will deliver his first State of the Union address having accomplished more than any other postwar American president at a comparable point in his presidency. This isn't an ideological point or one that depends on agreement with his policies. It's a neutral assessment of his emerging record—how many big, transformational things Obama is likely to have made happen in his first 12 months in office."

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Ladies, ladies.....

Conservative revisionist history knows no bounds.

Perino: No Terrorist Attacks In America Under Bush (VIDEO)

Ah, Sarah, will you ever cease being a parody of yourself.

Think Progress � Palin quits before finishing the 5K Turkey Trot race.

Dana + Sarah =.....

Daily Kos: We're sorry you're stupid, but you're not allowed to hold back the rest of the class anymore.:

Dear misinformed Conservatives, we are sorry that you have been lied to by the Corporate Media. We are sorry that the scare tactics work on you every single time, we're sorry that you don't know anything about American history or even recent events. We are sorry that you can't help but stare at the National Enquirer while on the line at the grocery store, but you're not going to hold the line up anymore. The world won't let you.

"While you were out in la-la land, Neo-Conservatives have stripped down, sold off and outsourced America. Our Debt came from the war in Iraq that came from the torture evidence we ripped out of the terrorists, and the economy collapsed because we de-regulated, privatized and outsourced everything. Every Conservative since Teddy Roosevelt has been a total crook, and damn near every Democrat is too. Our American political and economic systems are flat out broken, and now that that part is out of the way, we can move on to some basic problems in logic most media brainwashed Conservatives suffer from, so, here are some facts based on evidence for you to meet.

ACORN is NOT a bigger problem than Blackwater, Haliburton, KBR, Goldman Sachs, The Bank of America, Citigroup, and the Loch Ness Monster combined. The Republican party lost in 2008 because the were corrupt, incompetent criminals. They lost, so deal with it.

Socialism is NOT the problem, not even on the radar. Socialism is what rich people scream if anything threatens their profit."

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Bad dog.

Dog Recovering After Eating 130 Nails - Orlando News Story - WKMG Orlando:

"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Ashley Saks couldn't believe what she saw when the veterinarian brought her the X-rays. Her 2-year-old Basset Hound Roxy had ingested more than 100 nails.

“I counted about 130, but I don't know how many she threw up before she was taken, so it could've been more,” Saks said."\

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Weeeeeeee!

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Monkey See, Monkey Fling Do-Do

Wow! FAUX New's lying finally becomes news?!? What a world.

Fox News again accused of airing misleading video - Yahoo! News:

"For the second time in just over a week, Fox News is coming under fire for misusing old news footage. The latest flap is leading some people to charge that the cable news network is intentionally misleading its audience, while Fox claims a 'production error.'"

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The most terrifying thing you'll read all day.

Daily Kos: Don't Get Palin's Appeal? Try a Little Harder:

"Each time I read a diary or a comment that wonders out loud how someone as 'stupid' as Sarah Palin could be appealing to anyone, I shake my head in disbelief.

In 2004, this website was clogged up with comments and diaries about another politician most people believed to be 'too stupid,' to succeed. 'How can anyone be a supporter of someone so stupid? Someone who sounds so dumb and has done so many stupid things?'

Then, after that 'stupid' guy was re-elected, the Democratic Party went into an identity crisis tail spin.

Have we forgotten all this? Apparently we have.

Still don't get Sarah Palin's appeal? Try a little harder and you will."

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Because, how do you reach through the painful stupid of these people and bring them to the light? I just don't know and that really bothers me.

They are going to believe what they want to believe, facts be damned.

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And they are so fucking angry about.... well, something all the time that they even turn on V-PILF.

These folks do not live in the land of reason.

Video of Angry Wingnuts Booing Sarah Palin, Calling Her a “Quitter” & Chanting “Sign Our Books” | Rumproast

Teabaggers just aren’t happy about anything these days. I guess the Noblesville, Indiana Going Rogue book signing didn’t go very well yesterday because 300* or so of the 1000 people with wristbands were asked not to tread on Sarah Palin and then she tried to make a getaway with Baby Trig and several duffel bags full of cash but wingnuts have learned to protest about everything these days, so they were having none of it. This is the best thing you will see about horrible, horrible Sarah Palin on the internets all day and until the end of time.

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Amen, Conyers.

Conyers Rips Obama, Emanuel For 'Bowing Down' To GOP On Health Care

Health reform's human stories - Countdown with Keith Olbermann- msnbc.com

New Orleans, La. — - It happened as I watched a 50-something woman walk out, after spending several hours being attended to by volunteer doctors. "She's decided against treatment. A reasonable decision under the circumstances," the doctor tells us as she heads for the next patient. The president of the board of the National Association of Free Health Clinics tells me why: "It's stage four breast cancer, her body is filled with tumors." I don't know when that woman last saw a doctor. But I do know that if she had health insurance, the odds she would have seen a doctor long ago are much higher, and her chances for an earlier diagnosis and treatment would have been far greater.

After watching for hours as the patients moved through the clinic, it was hard to believe that I was in America.

Eighty-three percent of the patients they see are employed, they are not accepting other government help on a large scale, not "welfare queens" as some would like to have us believe. They are tax-paying, good, upstanding citizens who are trying to make it and give their kids a better life just like you and me.

Ninety percent of the patients who came through Saturday's clinic had two or more diagnoses.
Eighty-two percent had a life-threatening condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or hypertension. They are victims of a system built with corporate profits at its center, which long ago forgot the moral imperative that should drive us to show compassion to our fellow men and women.

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Can't they take one day off from being a massive collective of douchebags. Just one day.

This action only serves the credit card companies.

GOP senators block effort to freeze credit card interest rates:

"Republican senators on Wednesday blocked an effort to debate a bill that would prevent credit card companies from raising interest rates ahead of new regulations coming into force next year.

The move angered congressional Democrats who were pushing for an emergency freeze on credit card rates.

'I’m extremely disappointed that the financial health of millions of American taxpayers has been completely brushed aside by a handful of Wall Street banking interests in the US Senate,' Rep. Betsy Markey (D-CO) said, as quoted in the Coloradoan."

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Now, something that makes sense.

Some 'Awwww' for your Monday:

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Next Week on 'Death Panels'......

What Duncan says:

Eschaton:

"Deep Thought

Nobody could've predicted that electing a black man president would drive this country completely fucking insane."

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This is hilarious and point on. Must read.

Commie Countries 101.

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Not All Socialist Countries are Alike:

"The really weird thing about Canada is, even though the government is paying the bill, they aren't actually providing the health care itself. Instead, they have private doctors for that, just like we do here.

I know this might be confusing for some of you, so let's try an analogy. This is a VISA card:"

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Yup. Damn Limey Commies killing their genius cripples. Just like our death panels will do.

Man, I sure would like the head job on that 'death panel'. I could do some real good for the world.

Stephen Hawking: "I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS.":

"When Investor's Business Daily attempted to scare readers away from 'socialized medicine' by claiming Stephen Hawking wouldn't be alive today if he relied on the British health care system, they neglected a couple of things. 1) Hawking does rely on the British National Health Service. 2) Hawking can speak for himself.

'I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS,' he told us. 'I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived.'"

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Well, then, VPILF seems to have been creating her own 'death panels' in that job she just upped and quit on .

Troubled Alaska health programs face federal restriction: Health | adn.com:

"State programs intended to help disabled and elderly Alaskans with daily life -- taking a bath, eating dinner, getting to the bathroom -- are so poorly managed, the state cannot assure the health and well-being of the people they are supposed to serve, a new federal review found.

The situation is so bad the federal government has forbidden the state to sign up new people until the state makes necessary improvements.

No other state in the nation is under such a moratorium, according to a spokeswoman for the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services."

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For it before he was against it.

Matt Taibbi - Taibblog – Newt Gingrich Changes What’s Left of his Mind on End-of-life Care - True/Slant:

"He’s pretty unequivocal here. Well, what happens when suddenly the Republican party decides it wants to scare the shit out of a bunch of old people by telling them the new health care bill is going to include a provision in which “death panels” ask them “when they want to die”? Now all of the sudden Gingrich is violently against the same programs he was so windily praising earlier this year."

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4 B4 against.

Daily Kos: Dubya's 1999 Texas "death panel"

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Neat.

NASA Spacecraft Reveals Mysterious Object Punching Through One Of Saturn's Rings:

"What is going on with Saturn's rings? It appears that recent images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft reveal what seems to be a small object that has ripped through one of the planet's otherwise flat rings. The purpose of the NASA mission, the BBC explains, was to observe 'an equinox on Saturn, in a bid to learn more about the gas giant's ring system.'

Discover Magazine's take on it:"

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Hairdrying the Myth Away

No need to post this, really. The default assumption is that when the GOP cites anything you can be sure that A. It is complete bullshit B. It is complete bullshit C. All of the above.

Research Firm Cited by GOP Is Owned by Health Insurer - washingtonpost.com:

"The political battle over health-care reform is waged largely with numbers, and few number-crunchers have shaped the debate as much as the Lewin Group, a consulting firm whose research has been widely cited by opponents of a public insurance option.

To Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House Republican whip, it is 'the nonpartisan Lewin Group.' To Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee, it is an 'independent research firm.' To Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the second-ranking Republican on the pivotal Finance Committee, it is 'well known as one of the most nonpartisan groups in the country.'

Generally left unsaid amid all the citations is that the Lewin Group is wholly owned by UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation's largest insurers."

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Max Baucus is the fakiest of the fake Democrats.

This guy is pure awful:

Daily Kos: Report: Baucus Drawing Outrage in Dem Caucus.

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As one who marks up a good 60 papers a week, this is hilarious. Vanity Fair marked up VPILFs actual resignation speech.

She talk pretty... not.

Palin's Resignation: The Edited Version | vanityfair.com

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I gotta get me one of these.

A hair dryer. Brilliant!

Atheists choose 'de-baptism' to renounce childhood faith - USATODAY.com:

"In a type of mock ceremony that's now been performed in at least four states, a robed 'priest' used a hairdryer marked 'reason' in an apparent bid to blow away the waters of baptism once and for all. Several dozen participants then fed on a 'de-sacrament' (crackers with peanut butter) and received certificates assuring they had 'freely renounced a previous mistake, and accepted Reason over Superstition.'"

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Because... well, I don't have much else to blog about today. My apologies for the Foxworthyness:

Redneck Games Slideshow: Vote

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Mars Flight Simulation: 6 Men Endure 105 Days Of Isolation In Simulated Flight:

"MOSCOW -- Russian engineers broke a red wax seal and six men emerged from a metal hatch after 105 days of isolation in a mock spacecraft, still smiling after testing the stresses that space travelers may face on the journey to Mars."

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Fillmore Slim Pickin's

I have very little in the que to write/snark about today. Traveling and some sort of recent holiday that celebrates gunpowder have kept me off line more that usual. Did you guys know that you can actual go do stuff and not just read about or write about doing stuff? Crazy... but fun!

Prediction for the week: Celebrities will die. Most assuredly.

I caught a performance by Fillmore Slim this weekend. First time seeing Fillmore perform after learning about him several years ago from the Hughes Brothers film American Pimp. He can rocks some blues, y'all.

Cell phone camera pic, but proof :

So, anyway....

No more VPILF to kick around anymore... we'll, I'm sure she'll still be plenty kickable again, soon enough.

Alaskans say Palin had gone fishin’ on the job

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Due to a very recent personal work change (and not a good one) I can attest to the validity of this article:

Even 'Recession Proof' Schoolteachers Feel Pinch of Employment Downturn - WSJ.com

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At least there's some cool tech news:

Tiny New Battery Is Printable - Yahoo! News:

"A new battery, small and thin, weighs almost nothing and can be printed in a process similar to silk-screening shirts."

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Going to see Mr. Hood and the Screwtopians on Wed. Be on the look out for some pics.

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Swagga, Flava, Yo-Yo

Well, this only took a day......

Would you support a Progressive challenger against Arlen Specter? | Crooks and Liars:

"On the very day Arlen Specter became a Democrat, he lamented that not enough right-wing Bush judges got confirmed, he opposed workers' right to organize, and he compared himself to Joe Lieberman. The DSCC and Pennsylvania Democratic Party will be supporting Specter in the primary.

If there is a potential progressive challenger to Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania, they are probably scratching their head right now asking, 'Would I have any chance at all if I ran, or is the fix in?'

What can progressives to do create an environment where this person feels they can run? Legally, we can't put money in a pot for a fictional candidate. But we can pledge now that if a real progressive steps up, we'll get their back. So, here's a little experiment. I just created a Facebook fan page (like a Facebook group) called 'I support a real progressive against Arlen Specter.'"

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Riiiiiight. Good luck with that.

Jim Inhofe: Specter Switch Will Bring Republican Revolution In 2010 (VIDEO):

"Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said Wednesday that Sen. Arlen Specter's defection from the Republican Party is 'the first visible evidence' that the GOP will crush the Democrats in the upcoming 2010 midterm elections.

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Cunt. Sorry. Call 'em like I see 'em.

Virginia Foxx: Story of Matthew Shepard's Murder A "Hoax" (VIDEO):

"'I also would like to point out that there was a bill -- the hate crimes bill that's called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay. This -- the bill was named for him, hate crimes bill was named for him, but it's really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills,' said Foxx.

A Foxx spokesman didn't immediately return a call. The Matthew Shepard 'hoax' notion is a popular meme on right-wing blogs.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation is dedicated to reducing hate crimes.

The New York Times reported in 1998: 'According to the local police and prosecutors, the two men lured Mr. Shepard out of a bar by saying they were gay. Then, the Laramie police say, the pair kidnapped Mr. Shepard, pistol-whipped him with a .357 Magnum, and left him tied to a ranch fence for 18 hours until a passing bicyclist spotted Mr. Shepard, who was unconscious.'"

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CNN. The first name in tortured fucking 'news'.

Black people cringe everywhere as Kyra goes 'wigga'.

Don't these people ever get embarrassed?

CNN Story On Obama's "Swagga" The Most Embarrassing Ever? (VIDEO):

"We all expect a bit of fluff from cable news considering they have 24 hours a day to fill and there are only so many events to be 'rocked' by, but when we hit a point at which CNN is spending Obama's 100th day in office 'assessing his swagga' something is amiss.

T.J. Holmes sat down with four men who were never identified by name or title (as if we weren't supposed to care about who they were, just that they were black) to talk about Obama's 'swagga.' They were sweet and did the best they could with such a ridiculous topic, but anchor Kyra Phillips was way over the top. She asked for the theme song to 'Shaft' to be played, she talked about Obama's 'flava' and she insisted on getting a fist bump at the end. Here's are her choicest moments..."

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Not that it is on my regular viewing schedule anymore, but I did enjoy catching the show occasionally. This cinches that I'll never watch again.

'Thangs just ain't the same for gangstas'

Sarah Palin to Appear on American Chopper - TV News, Sarah Palin : People.com

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Nail on head.

Obama Skeptical Of Today's College Grads

Last Friday President Obama called for the United States to have "the highest percentage of college graduates" of anywhere in the world. But in more recent remarks, Obama seems to harbor some skepticism of what today's college grads can do.

In an interview with the New York Times' David Leonhardt published Wednesday, the president said that his grandmother, whose education ended after high school, could write a better letter than some of today's college graduates.

"[S]he was able to become a vice president at a bank partly because her high-school education was rigorous enough that she could communicate and analyze information in a way that, frankly, a bunch of college kids in many parts of the country can't," the president said. "She could write a better letter than many of my -- I won't say 'many,' but a number of my former students at the University of Chicago Law School."

The problem, Obama seemed to be saying, is a slippage of standards: "[W]hat it means to have graduated from high school, what it means to have graduated from a two-year college or a four-year college is not always as clear as it was several years ago."

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