Luckiest Guy

Being better than Republicans is not enough

It's not. And until Democrats/Progressives learn how to fight dirtier/fight-to-win than those other bastards, we'll continue to have our asses handed to us even when we have super-majorities. As it stands now, we don't have anyone fighting for us in D.C.

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Another D.C. hack elevated.

Rhee and the Corporate Takeover of Public Education

The rise, and looming fall, of 'education reformer' Michelle Rhee

In the social sciences, there is an oft-repeated maxim called Campbell’s Law, named after Donald Campbell, a psychologist who studied human creativity. Campbell’s Law states that incentives corrupt. In other words, the more punishments and rewards—such as merit pay—are associated with the results of any given test, the more likely it is that the test’s results will be rendered meaningless, either through outright cheating or through teaching to the test in a way that narrows the curriculum and renders real learning obsolete.

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BobDoleCare sucketh.

Weiner Says SCOTUS Will Rule Against Health Care Law, Paving Way For Public Option | TPMDC

California isn't too far behind. Keep in mind that VT and CA are going this entirely alone. Zilch help or encouragement from D.C. (just a reminder for when they try to take credit). Fuck insurance companies. All of them. Blood sucking SOBs.

Vermont’s Single-Payer Salvation -- In These Times:

"On February 8, newly inaugurated Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin unveiled his plan for a publicly funded single-payer healthcare system, which was introduced into the state’s legislature. If enacted, which appears likely, it will be the first system of its kind in the United States and Vermont would become the first state to abolish most forms of private health insurance.

“In five years, I predict the United States will go through another major debate of how to reform the healthcare system,” Harvard School of Public Health Professor William Hsiao told the state’s legislators in January, noting his belief that the federal reform legislation passed in March 2010 will not solve the nation’s healthcare crisis. “The question for Vermont is, do you want to walk ahead of the United States? Do you want to be a model for the United States?”"

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How to be THE LUCKIEST GUY ON THE PLANET in 4 Easy Steps Altucher Confidential

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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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Loser in Chief

We elected another fucking Republican.

You create the support, Obama. That's what leaders do. We know the kabuki. We know you never wanted this b/c of your deals with big insurance and big pharma.

Loser.

Not another vote, not another dime, not another campaign phone call for Democrats.

If you think I have to hold my nose and vote Dem b/c the alternative is far worse, you've got another thing coming. I'll drag this bitch under the gutter.

Bring on President Palin.

White House slammed after declaring ‘not enough support’ for public option | Raw Story:

"Progressive bloggers and activists are up in arms about White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' assertion Tuesday that 'there isn't enough political support' to pass a public option for health care through Congress.

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Per norm, Greenwald nails it.

This is their game. This IS what they do. Fuck 'em all.

My goal is to make it as painful as possible for any Democrat, especially those jackasses who think they are in the clear b/c they signed some goddamn letter of PO support. I can sign a letter too. Means jack shit.

Daily Kos: Glenn Greenwald: 'This is what the Democratic Party does; it's who they are':

"This is what the Democratic Party does; it's who they are. They're willing to feign support for anything their voters want just as long as there's no chance that they can pass it."

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North Alabama connection:

Slate Magazine - Editorial and Political Cartoons, Comic Strips:

"He served as editorial cartoonist for his college paper and managing editor of the alternative student newspaper while attending the University of North Alabama, where he graduated in 1980 with degrees in Art and History"

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Let's hand it back over to the idiotocracy. Bring it on.

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Because Europe has had many massive wars on its soil and has evolved to eschew militarization and war.... this is a danger to peace. Their peace endangers peace.

Seriously, did we even have an election? Is Cheney really president?

Gates Calls European Mood a Danger to Peace - NYTimes.com:

"“The demilitarization of Europe — where large swaths of the general public and political class are averse to military force and the risks that go with it — has gone from a blessing in the 20th century to an impediment to achieving real security and lasting peace in the 21st,” he told NATO officers and officials in a speech at the National Defense University, the Defense Department-financed graduate school for military officers and diplomats."

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Jon Stewart ‘proves’ Glenn Beck is a commie | Raw Story:

"In the very same speech, Beck shed some light on his success. 'I educated myself. I went to the library and books are free.'

Stewart lowered his head in disbelief. 'Glenn, Glenn, Glenn the library isn't free. It's paid for with tax money. Free public libraries are the result of the progressive movement to communally share books,' he said.

'Community owned! That sounds like communist! You are a communist!' exclaimed an exasperated Stewart."

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Toast Miraculously Spotted On Jesus (PICTURE)

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Tee'ing Off

Before I begin noting some serious Progressive anger in which I wholeheartedly share, check out something neat.... neat for me anyway.

This use to be my old neighborhood dive bar for about 7 years total. You can almost see one of my old cribs at the beginning of the video. Love Tee Off, though it was not as hipster as it is now. Place use to be a serious dive. Flaunted the smoking laws... old, painted ladies hoisted on a bar stool cackling with old, salty men.

I'm going to get one of those chops, soon, though.

Welcome to the Tee Off Bar & Grill

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I don't need to add any additional comments to these posts, because they all sum up my general feelings fairly spot-on.

It is a DailyKos kinda day.

Just Forget About Me

I'm a 28-year-old small business owner currently between health plans, with COBRA subsidies set to expire in about a year. I devote countless hours of my time that I could be spending building my business, to help the Democratic Party instead on a local, state and national level. It makes perfect sense in the current climate to take my vote and my efforts for granted, and mandate me to purchase overpriced insurance, thereby forcing me in all probability to shut down my small business and instead throw myself into the loving arms of a large employer. Or to abandon my political efforts in favor of somehow doubling my current business in the worst economic climate since the Great Depression. That shouldn't be a problem.

But people like me aren't important. You folks in the Senate need to stick up for #1, and take care of what really matters.

Come next November, so will I.

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Daily Kos: No Public Option? I'll See You In Court.:

"- Pull out of my employer-based insurance coverage and cease making payments; - Refuse to pay your penalties for not purchasing insurance from a private company; - Happily go to court over it and have you show me precisely how a mandate to purchase insurance from private insurers is constitutional. It's not a tax; it's not interstate commerce; it's patently not providing for the general welfare; so where precisely are you getting this power?"

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"*Note for Kossacks - I've been supporting and defending Obama this entire time, but eventually you have to draw a line and say 'this makes you a Democrat, and this doesn't.' This is the last straw for me. I will gladly go to jail rather than give one mandated dollar to insurance company vampires. No Public Option means no Health Care Reform. Period."

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F*** these Democrats. Bush gets away with it and they're letting the GOP win on purpose.:

"Did Bush/Cheney face accountability for war crimes and lying us into Iraq?

Did Democrats attack Conservative ideology as totally failed after the roaring 90's for the rich and Great Depression 2.0 for the rest of us in 2008?

No. Democrats would rather 'look forward', which is a Carlinesque term for Cover Up.

No. Instead Democrats wanted to use those failed ideas themselves to build bipartisan support for FAILED ideas that have bankrupted America and our middle and working class.

Apparently, elections DO NOT MATTER, because we are getting ANOTHER unpopular war and we are NOT getting a popular program like the Public Option, and all because Corporations have overthrown our democracy. They didn't need bullets, dollars did the job better than bullets ever could.

To be blunt, Democrats are losing on purpose, and I have had enough of the spineless wusses who want to play pattycake with the lunatics who kick them in the balls. If you aren't fighting back you are THROWING THE FIGHT, and that goes for EVERY DEM, top to bottom."

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Red coat. Red pants. Red hat?! Kinda obvious.

Daily Kos: Today I Tell my Son the Horrible Truth about Santa:

"I do not relish this day.

This is the day I have the Santa talk with my son.

To tell him what and who Santa really is.

Santa...is a socialist. A filthy, filthy socialist.

From his red suit to his anti-capitalist workshop high up in the icy tundra of socialist Canada where they measure every toy with the metric system.

Every year he and his sick snowy commune of jolly elf worker comrades devise yet another assault on capitalism and all that's right with America, dumping toys into the system with no profit motive at all.

And worse, he targets children, attempting to indoctrinate them with songs, free toys, socks full of candy bearing his likeness, and evening television specials all about him and the 'Christmas spirit' and giving...just GIVING!"

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Another day, another pack of goddamn lies.

Fox News' Fuzzy Math Claims 120% Of Americans Have An Opinion On 'Climategate'

Another Fox flub that conveniently hurts Democrats | Raw Story:

You probably think we're talking about last week's flub.

But no -- another day, another Fox News reporting 'mistake' that conveniently supports the news network's editorial bias."

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Energy.

Robert Lanza, M.D.: Does Death Exist? New Theory Says 'No':

"Many of us fear death. We believe in death because we have been told we will die. We associate ourselves with the body, and we know that bodies die. But a new scientific theory suggests that death is not the terminal event we think."

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Forks of Cypress

Murder? Pffft. Freakin' ACORN is signing up people to vote!

I think we know which is more important, now, don't we.

Blackwater Approved $1 Million in Iraqi Payments After Shootings - NYTimes.com:

"WASHINGTON — Top executives at Blackwater Worldwide authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after a September 2007 episode in which Blackwater security guards fatally shot 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, according to former company officials."

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We have a problem. We really, really do.

Wonder if any tall, skinny, white military types have been chased and smashed with a tire iron b/c they were mistaken for Timothy McVeigh.

Marine reservist chases, assaults Greek Orthodox priest who he mistook for an Arab terrorist.

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Damn commies:

Foreign Parts: � AIMER: Getting Sick, Part Five:

"I gulped. 'I don't have insurance,' I told her guiltily.

'Non?' she said, sounding surprised rather than disgusted.

'Well, I have American insurance, but it won't cover me in France.'

'Non?' She stared at me sympathetically. 'I'm sorry, but I must then ask for payment up front.'

'That's okay,' I said, but I was really thinking, What's it going to be? One-hundred euros? One-fifty?

'The bill is twenty euros.'"

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Dirt Underneath

Legal Schnauzer: Republicans Try to Shoot the Messenger on Corruption in Alabama:

"Alabama Republicans, predictably, have tried to discredit GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Johnson after his statements late last week that current governor Bob Riley received millions of dollars in campaign funds from Mississippi gambling interests in 2002.

A Riley spokesman said Johnson, a former member of Riley's cabinet, never was involved in campaign fund-raising and therefore could not know about such matters. The chairman of the Alabama Republican Party called Johnson's claims 'a joke.'

But the Riley defenders forget one inconvenient truth: This story hardly originated with Bill Johnson."

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I read all of these tweets at least once a week. Never gets old. Let's see how badly CBS eff's it up, though.

Twitter To TV: 'Shit My Dad Says' User Gets CBS Comedy Deal (PHOTOS, NSFW)

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Here is my high school history teacher, Mr. Wallace lecturing about the Forks of Cypress is Buttholeville. Mr. Wallace remains one of the best teachers I've ever had. He turned a lot of folks into lifetime history buffs.

One thing not mentioned in the video is that a horse track was once on the land surronding the house. Some of the first Kentucky Derby winners came from the Forks.

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Oh, Irony

The Freedom loving thing to do would have been to let him die freely where he fell.

Socialist took away his freedom to meet baby Jesus. Bastards!

Government health care rescues protesters at anti-government health care rally.:

"More ominously, a man standing just beyond the TV cameras apparently suffered a heart attack 20 minutes after event began. Medical personnel from the Capitol physician’s office — an entity that could, quite accurately, be labeled government-run health care — rushed over, attaching electrodes to his chest and giving him oxygen and an IV drip.

This turned into an unwanted visual for the speakers, as a D.C. ambulance and firetruck, lights flashing, pulled in just behind the lawmakers. A path was made through the media section, and the patient, attended to by about 10 government medical personnel, was being wheeled away on a stretcher just as House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) stepped to the microphone. “Join us in defeating Pelosi care!” he exhorted. A few members stole a glance at the stretcher."

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We can't do one goddamn right thing in this country without some American Taliban fucking it up.

Maddow is right.

Let's also insert into the bill that men will not be allowed any type of penis care at all. Lump on your nut? Suck it up, 'cause Jesus wants it that way.

Maddow: Democratic women will REVOLT over Stupak-Pitts if it is not removed in Conference:

"On Meet The Press today, Rachel Maddow made a point that should NOT be overlooked by Democrats in the House and Senate who wish to remian in their elected offices in 2010 and beyond, and that is the fact that if the Stupak-Pitts C Street anti abortion amendment in the House version of Health Care Reform is NOT removed if/when the bill goes to Conference to be merged with the Senate bill, there will be MASSIVE blowback for the Democratic party from it's female base.

Simply put, if women's rights are restricted by a Democratic Majority in Congress and a Democratic President in the White House, the women who make up the Democratic base will either sit n their hands in 2010 or hold a massive revolt which will cripple the Democrtaic party in future elections."

And: Douchbags on parade.

YouTube - The GOP Health Care Plan: "I Object!" - Feat. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA)

Also:

NEW POLL: Dems Who Oppose Public Option Bill Today Will Lose Obama Voters in 2010

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I'm still lamenting the massive missed opportunity to come in with guns a blazing. Doubt I'll ever see another such opportunity in my life time. We could have made some real change.

Bill Maher: Is This as Good as It Gets From Obama?:

"Yeah, I'm disappointed, too. I thought we were sweeping into power; I thought change meant Change. I believed all that talk about another First 100 Days, a la Roosevelt. Well, that didn't happen. The question is, is this as good as it gets from Obama, or is he pacing himself? He may have a four and eight-year plan and they included a first year of just gettin' to know you and not gonna rock the boat too much. Well, Mission Accomplished on that.

It's still too early to lose hope in a guy as smart and talented as Barack Obama. But I would counsel him to remember: If you're going undercover to infiltrate how Washington works, so you become one of them for a while, to gain their confidence, well, it can be just like all those movies where a cop goes deep, deep, DEEP undercover with drug people and -- fuck, he's a drug addict, too!"

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We do have this going for us, though.

U.S. becomes top country brand under Obama: survey - Yahoo! News:

"SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Barack Obama has done it again. The president's starpower has made the United States the place most people want to visit and do business with, according to an annual survey that ranks nations like retail brands.

'The Obama effect has seen the United States earn the coveted top spot for the first time in the fifth annual index,' FutureBrand, which is part of Interpublic Group of Companies, said in a statement."

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Yup, about right.

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Hilarious.

Think Progress � Is Glenn Beck Being Treated By SEIU Nurses?:

"In recent days, Beck has been hospitalized for appendicitis. As Alternet’s Alexander Zaitchik points out, the staff treating the ailing pundit is likely under the auspices of SEIU nurses:

The security-conscious Beck has not disclosed the name of the facility, but it’s a safe bet that it is staffed by proud members of a storied union: New York’s Local 1199, aka United Healthcare Workers East, which belongs to the Service Employees International Union. The SEIU has organized all of Manhattan’s major hospitals, including every facility to which Beck could have conceivably been sent.

Beck certainly isn’t complaining about being treated by nurses who were organized by the union he regularly demonizes. On his Twitter account, he praised the staff that is attending to him:"

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These have zero to do with public safety and all to do with stuffing corporate pockets full of cash. Want some 'freedom' teabaggers? How's about getting a law banning these things on the ballot in every city in the U.S.

Controversial speed cameras cause gear-grinding among irked drivers

You rip open the envelope and there it is: Another darned photo-enforcement traffic ticket.

The photograph, the zoom-in on the tag, it's you, baby. Your car. Two weeks ago. Forty-one in a 30-mph zone.

It's from your favorite municipality. You can pay $40 now or $80 later. You can also contest it, the infraction letter says, and that's a laugh. You remember seeing that the folks who went down to fight their automated tickets in Montgomery County got convicted 99.7 percent of the time. Like a Soviet election, you think, a sham, a joke, and you, the chump in the parade.

There's something that doesn't smell right about these tickets, but you're not quite sure what.

Is it the huge profits the government and their cohorts, the camera manufacturers, make on them? The District doubling the number of tickets it issued just two years ago, raking in $36 million last fiscal year? The fact that Redflex, one of the big manufacturers of these cameras, posted a 48 percent jump in revenue last year while the rest of the economy tanked?

People get worked up. Put these cyborgs on a ballot, and the voters beat them to the pavement.

Three cities Tuesday -- two in Ohio, one in Texas -- voted to rip the things down. In College Station, Tex., the camera manufacturer and their subcontractors reportedly spent $60,000 campaigning to keep them in place, more than five times the amount raised by the opposition, and lost anyway. Voters in Chillicothe, Ohio, went against the cameras at a rate of 72 percent. In Heath, Ohio, the mayor got caught removing anti-camera campaign signs from an intersection. He, and the cameras, got sent packing.

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Blockheads

I no longer have any faith that any effective health care policy will pass.

I'm baffled as to why I can not be covered by a public option. It ain't public if only 2 percent are eligible.

You know what 'freedom' really is? It is not having to work for a goddamn corporation in order to have health insurance.

But, then again, there are 3 types of lies: Lies, damn lies and statistics. - Twain.

Public Option Plan Will Cover Few Americans, New Statistic Reveals:

"WASHINGTON — What's all the fuss about? After all the noise over Democrats' push for a government insurance plan to compete with private carriers, coverage numbers are finally in: Two percent.

That's the estimated share of Americans younger than 65 who'd sign up for the public option plan under the health care bill that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is steering toward House approval."

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Jesus-Fucking-Christ.

I'll be cool with this if these 'prayer healings' are the ONLY type of health care Christians get to receive. I'll pay for that. Damn right.

Healthcare provision seeks to embrace prayer treatments -- latimes.com:

"little-noticed measure would put Christian Science healing sessions on the same footing as clinical medicine. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state."

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Enjoy, douche. And Welcome.

Think Progress � Former McCain adviser nervous about moving into the individual health insurance market he once touted.:

"Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a senior policy adviser to Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) presidential campaign, “remains unemployed — and his COBRA health coverage is running out,” the Washington Post reports. “Irony of ironies, it gets worse. Holtz-Eakin, who is about to start shopping for insurance on the individual market, is 51. And he has one of those pesky ‘preexisting conditions’ that insurance companies often cite in denying coverage”:

Holtz-Eakin said he’s been paying about $1,000 a month to extend the private health insurance he received on McCain’s campaign through the government’s COBRA program, but that will expire in a few months. This is the first time in his life he has not had employer-provided health coverage. “I worry about where I go next in the way many Americans do,” he said."

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Some goodness... but not near enough. These were the gimmes that come with winning the office. Too be expected.

Democrats' Quiet Changes Pile Up - WSJ.com:

"Rep. Tom Price (R., Ga.), a conservative leader in the House, concedes that, in some cases, Republicans are being outflanked. 'The administration is pushing so many things so rapidly it's difficult to concentrate on all of them,' he said."

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You raised one of these 'extreme blockheads', asshole.

Nice work.

Gorbachev: Bush 41 called Reagan ‘extreme,’ said GOP supporters ‘blockheads’ :

"Vice President George H. W. Bush confided in Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that he believed Ronald Reagan was an 'extreme conservative' supported by 'blockheads and dummies,' the former Soviet leader claims.

'In 1987, after my first visit to the United States, Vice President Bush accompanied me to the airport, and told me: 'Reagan is a conservative. An extreme conservative. All the blockheads and dummies are for him, and when he says that something is necessary, they trust him. But if some Democrat had proposed what Reagan did, with you, they might not have trusted him,'' Gorbachev said in an interview with The Nation."

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Well, well, well.

Report: Racy sex tape ends Prejean’s lawsuit against beauty pageant:

"Carrie Prejean, the dethroned Miss California 2009 who stirred up controversy by expressing her views against gay marriage, has dropped her lawsuit against the Miss California contest because of an 'extremely graphic' sex tape, says a report at the celebrity gossip site TMZ.

'Carrie Prejean demanded more than a million dollars during her settlement negotiations with Miss California USA Pageant officials -- that is, until the lawyer for the Pageant showed Carrie an XXX home video of her handiwork,' the Web site reported."

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Alcohol abuse.

A fork lift driver in Moscow was sampling too much of his own product when he drunkenly plowed his vehicle into the stock shelves of vodka and cognac in the storeroom where he worked. The result was a spectacular crash in which $150,000 worth of liquor rained down around him. Amazingly, he escaped with nothing but a leg injury. We doubt he can say the same for his job."

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Behind the Curtains

Was it 'dead' or was FAUX News (with Conrad and Faucus) trying to kill it?

Don't think for a second that it isn't the latter.

Perfect example of FAUX as a political organ and NOT a 'news' channel.



Even more:

List of Pundits who Declared the P.O. Dead (more added)

And of course, the biggest asshole in the land felt he wasn't getting enough attention.

He should be stripped of his committees, stripped of his seniority, then kicked out of the caucus.

We. Told. You. So.

Lieberman Says He’ll Filibuster Health Care Reform If Public Option Remains

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The Republican Party's National Slogan (with extra Rush douchiness)

So we stand by the fabricated quote because we know Obama thinks it anyway.

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CIA misled Congress five times since 2001, say Intel Dems - TheHill.com:

"The CIA misled Congress at least five times since 2001, according to Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee.

The Democrats said CIA officials had either lied or withheld information from Congress. They also said CIA officials did not fully inform Congress about the use of enhanced interrogation techniques during a September 2002 briefing, which would validate House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) claim that she was lied to about the program."

From May 14, 2009. See how is works? See the men pulling the strings?

Nancy Pelosi: CIA lied; Boehner: Who?: The Swamp:

"House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) held his own news conference afterward, and asserted that he strongly doubts that the CIA lied to anyone in Congress about interrogation tactics on which congressional leaders were fully briefed.

'I think the problem is that the speaker has had way too many stories on this issue,'' Boehner said today. 'She's posed more questions than she has provided answers...

'When you look at the number of briefings that the speaker was in, and other Democrat members of the House and Senate, it's.. pretty clear that they were well aware of what these enhanced interrogation techniques were,'' Boehner said. 'They were well aware that they had been used. And it seems to me that they want to have it both ways. You can't have it both ways.''"

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By all truthful estimates, not more than 60-70K. About the same as the recent gay rights march. But that one didn't get covered on FAUX, though.

Another Conservative attempt to rewrite history. They really do suck.

House Republicans Pander To Tea Party Movement With Frivolous Resolution Inflating 9/12 Protest Numbers

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Better Things to Do

I think maybe for the first time in my life time....

Progressive won a battle?!? Check that. Progressive finally decided to fight a battle?!?

Hopefully this snowballs and they won't crawl back into their shell.

But, kudos, progressives, kudos. More, please. And if you could do it on your own without the progressive blogosphere having to whip the crap out of you every time. My arms are tired.

Durbin: Progressives Forced Our Hand On Public Option:

"Democratic leaders were forced to include a national public health insurance option as part of health care reform by progressive Democratic senators who refused to support anything less, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said on Monday."

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This is a cluster that best not be repeated with the health bill.

Dems put off the application of the sweeping credit card reform passed earlier this year until the beginning of next year. Plenty of time for CC companies to mightily screw consumers in the mean time.

If reform bills are passed, then they should apply on day one.

Dollars and Sense : Who's the real deadbeat -- you or the credit card company?:

"* Levying extra fees on card holders who pay off their balance every month

Yeah, you read that last one right: next year, Bank of America is going to start charging people who pay off their balance on time. It's no secret that credit card issuers hate people who don't carry a balance -- 'deadbeat' isn't a complimentary term -- but this really adds injury to insult. Given that most Americans can't establish a credit history without credit card activity, it seems like establishing or maintaining a good credit history just got a little more difficult"

Then, you won't have to do this. Glad Dodd is doing it, but this shouldn't even be an issue.

Reform starts on Day One.

Dodd introduces bill meant to freeze credit card interest rates immediately - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

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A little too late Mr. Freedom Fries.

CongressDaily - Atonement

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President McCain, I'm sure, will be on all of the Sunday blathering head shows to explain why consumer protection is teh suck.

It should be very apparent that with anything the Dems try to attempt, the Repubs will paint it as 'Gov't control'.

It is not like the telecoms don't have a monopoly as is.

McCain introduces bill to block Net neutrality | Raw Story:

"Republican strategy is to paint Net neutrality as government 'control' of Internet

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) introduced a bill in the Senate on Thursday that would effectively allow Internet service providers to slow down or block Internet content or applications of their choosing.

The move came the same day as the federal government decided to move forward on an official Net neutrality policy that would prevent ISPs from making those types of decisions.

The FCC's new rules would prevent ISPs, for example, from blocking or slowing bandwidth-hogging Web traffic such as streaming video or other applications that put a strain on their networks or from charging different rates to users.

McCain's bill, the Internet Freedom Act, would block the Federal Communications Commission from making Net neutrality the law of the land. The rule preventing ISPs from slowing down certain types of content would create 'onerous federal regulation,' McCain argued in a written statement."

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Torture porn loving arseholes.

Though, what a great comeback.

Revealed: Like McCain, Bush is ‘Jack Bauer kind of guy’ | Raw Story:

"The actor [said], 'He grabbed me at a baseball game in the US. A big guy came up to me and said, 'Excuse me, the President would like to speak with you.' I went over, and it was George W. Bush, and he said 'Hey Carlos, when are you coming out of that coma? All I can do is watch that show of yours. Are you coming back?' I was like, 'You don't have anything better to do?'"

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Because Jesus loves mountain top removal, poison water and polluted air.

That's how J-dog rolls. It is true. Corinthians 7-11.

Sen. Graham: ‘We need to use the coal that God has given us’ :

"Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) has announced that he is willing to support some form of climate change legislation, but only if the current Kerry-Boxer bill is overhauled to look a lot more like a traditional Republican program of energy independence.

'There will be no climate change bill with my vote unless you have offshore oil drilling,' Graham told Fox News on Thursday. 'I won't vote for any climate change bill that doesn't allow a dramatic increase in nuclear power. I'm not going to vote for any climate change bill that doesn't allow us to use our coal deposits.'"

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Que Jimmy Hendrix guitar solo.

Inside The Tripper's Brain: Scientists Create 3D Maps Of Brains On Drugs (VIDEO)

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Balloon Shrinkage

This is heart breaking. I grew up here.

Such a great, and old golf course. So many vivid memories.

Alas, even if it is bought it looks as if the course will be lost forever.

Sad day.

Florence Golf and Country Club, I hope ye shall remain somehow.

Country club up for sale | TimesDaily.com | Florence, AL:

"But its golf history is certainly unsurpassed in the Shoals.

According to Ross, the state's second oldest country club has produced around 80 golf scholarships.

And Stewart Cink, the reigning British Open Champion, grew up playing the course. He's donated money to the club in the past and is part of the ownership group.

During better times, the club sported more than 500 members and held one of the most popular invitational golf tournaments in the area."

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They really just can't stand having a black prez.

So desperate they'll believe anything:

Fake Obama Thesis Story Goes Viral, Because Of Stupidity:

"Okay, let's get you up to speed on the incredibly true story about how a bunch of right-wingers got taken in by some satiric blog post on Barack Obama's college thesis, written ages ago, and frantically presented it as real.

Months ago, some blogger crafted a fake news story about how Time Magazine's Joe Klein had obtained ten pages of a thesis written by Barack Obama, in which he wrote about how the Constitution was 'inherently flawed.'"

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The Obama administration is either genius how they are playing this, or shockingly incompetent/evil.

For the life of me, I can't figure out which, which makes me lean a bit towards the first option.

However, if the final bill does not contain a strong, no trigger, PO on day one, then there is no reform.

Sources: White House Pushing Back Against Senate Public Option Opt Out Compromise | TPMDC:

"Multiple sources tell TPMDC that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is very close to rounding up 60 members in support of a public option with an opt out clause, and are continuing to push skeptical members. But they also say that the White House is pushing back against the idea, in a bid to retain the support of Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME).

'They're skeptical of opt out and are generally deferential to the Snowe strategy that involves the trigger,' said one source close to negotiations between the Senate and the White House. 'they're certainly not calming moderates' concerns on opt out.'

This new development, which casts the White House as an opponent of all but the most watered down form of public option, is likely to yield backlash from progressives, especially those in the House who have been pushing for a more maximal version of reform."

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When Democrats Attack.

No with more Awsum!

Rep. Alan Grayson Grills Republican Congressman On Constitutionality Of Anti-ACORN Crusade

Watch Franken slice and dice the nice wingnut lady (updated w/transcript)

Pelosi Calls Out Tenther Reporter: ‘Are You Serious?’:

"CNSNews.com: “Madam Speaker, where specifically does the Constitution grant Congress the authority to enact an individual health insurance mandate?”

Pelosi: “Are you serious? Are you serious?”

Listen here:

Pelosi is right to be dismissive of the fringe right-wing theory behind this question, which has no basis in the Constitution itself. Article I of the Constitution gives Congress the power “[t]o regulate commerce…among the several states” as well as the authority to “make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution” its power to regulate commerce.-Een ultra-conservative Justice Antonin Scalia acknowledges that these constitutional provisions give Congress sweeping authority to enact laws that regulate “economic activity.”"

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All too often I feel exactly the same.

Balloon Juice � Blog Archive � Not for the Weak Stomached:

"This is the stupidest country in the world. Bring on President Palin. We deserve her."

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Shrinkage.

Men who voted for McCain saw testosterone drop: study | Raw Story

: "WASHINGTON — Men who voted for Republican John McCain in last year's US presidential election saw their testosterone levels fall significantly when they learned he had lost to Barack Obama, a study showed Thursday."

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You think Compton would be a tough place to live? Sheeeeet, it ain't got nothing on livin' in the NorCal.

I almost spilled a little wine when I read this.

Hot Air Balloon Hits Bicyclist On Napa Road - cbs5.com:

The California Highway Patrol was at the scene of an accident involving a bicyclist and a hot air balloon in unincorporated Napa County.

The incident was first reported at about 9:30 a.m. on Henry Road at Dealy Lane west of Napa, near the Napa-Sonoma county line.

CHP Officer John Short said the bicyclist had possibly suffered a shattered ankle and lacerations to the neck, nose and hands. He did not have any other details on the incident."

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Really Friendly Skies

Yep, there's an asshole for that:

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If Republicans came up with 'Grab a Mop' you'd see it plastered everywhere. Such a great political slogan to slap your opponents with.

Of course the Dems came up with it and you haven't heard it uttered since Obama said it.

Great stuff. Too bad they aren't willing to use it.

Obama To Critics: Don't Tell Me I'm Holding The Mop The Wrong Way:

"On Thursday night at a DNC fundraising dinner in San Francisco, President Obama took a new analogy in addressing his critics. 'Another way of putting it is when, you know, I'm busy and [Speaker] Nancy [Pelosi]'s busy with our mop cleaning up somebody else's mess -- we don't want somebody sitting back saying, you're not holding the mop the right way.' Obama paused for applause. 'Why don't you grab a mop, why don't you help clean up.'

Obama continued riffing -- 'You're not mopping fast enough. That's a socialist mop' -- but sobered up quickly. 'Grab a mop -- let's get to work.'"

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The United States of America. Where the best ideas are always dismissed before even being considered.

Our news media sucks.

It's All In The Framing: NY Times Admits Shutting Out Single Payer Coverage | Crooks and Liars:

"Ever wonder why the single most sensible, economical and democratic way to provide health care to every person in the US was never really mentioned in the rhetoric whirlwind of public options, opt-outs, co-ops, triggers and free market embracing?

Part of the reason why is that the media refused to mention it:

The media analysis group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) issued an action alert September 22 titled 'NYT Slams Single-Payer' that described lopsided reporting in a New York Times article about 'Medicare for all,' a form of a single-payer health care system. FAIR noted that the article, titled 'Medicare for All? ‘Crazy,’ ‘Socialized’ and Unlikely', laid out a list of arguments against single-payer while failing to include any balancing responses from the option's supporters."

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It is an ugly, ugly world in which they live.

Democracy Corps � The Very Separate World of Conservative Republicans

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Softball campaign promise kept.

I think I may need to go for a little doctors visit soon.

AP Newsbreak: New medical marijuana policy issued:

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.

Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws.

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Reeaalllly, now. Did not know this, but damn good to know.

Revealed: Two California airports allow passengers to fly with pot:

"A little noticed policy at two California airports allows properly qualified passengers to fly the friendly skies carrying up to a half pound of marijuana, news agencies revealed Friday.

'The policy [at Oakland International Airport] is spelled out in a three-page document quietly enacted last year by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office,' Mercury News reported. 'It states that if deputies determine someone is a qualified patient or primary caregiver as defined by California law and has eight ounces or less of the drug, he or she can keep it and board the plane.'"

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Just a matter of time.

How's about we really start pushing hemp growth to aid our farmers, too.

But, I guess once the hard stuff is legal, no road blocks will remain to growing the industrial stuff.

Gallup poll finds record support for legalizing marijuana:

"New data from U.S. polling firm Gallup shows nearly half of Americans -- a record number -- are in support of legalizing and taxing marijuana for recreational use by adults."

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High-larious.

21 Awful Tattoos and What They Say About You | Sloshspot Blog

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Opt-Out Public Option

Now this is a brilliant idea as long as the strongest possible, no trigger, no co-op PO is in the bill.

Political genius, too.

Wanna be all anti-gov? Your state can just opt the fuck out. We blue states will be more than happy to take all of the businesses that will flee your backward asses.

States rights? Well, here you go! Have at it, Randians.

Dems Discussing Public Option With Opt-Out Clause: The Silver Bullet?:

"But instead of starting with no national public option and giving state governments the right to develop their own, the newest compromise approaches the issue from the opposite direction: beginning with a national public option and giving state governments the right not to have one."

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Daily Kos: Opt-Out Public Option: EPIC WIN:

"Rarely do the Left and the Right have a head-to-head opportunity to prove out, in real time, the relative superiority of their respective value systems and legislative choices, with real and immediate consequences not only for the partisan legislators involved, but for the legitimacy of a Party's entire ideological underpinnings.

An opt-out system will allow Republicans to use their own psychotic, sociopathic momentum to carry them to their doom. With apologies to the long-suffering citizens of those states who may have to wait a few more years for needed help on healthcare, I say let each state do as it pleases, and let the chips fall where they may.

And within a decade, the writing on the wall will be so clear even in Alabama and Mississippi that not only will we have a national public plan, but we might even see some deep South red states turn blue as a result."

-----------

"With full apologies due to my fellow Democrats in deep red states, I must nevertheless admit that I really love the idea of an opt-out public option.

Not because it's the best idea by any means. A robust single-payer plan would be the best idea. Not because tens of thousands of real Americans won't die and go bankrupt in states with morally bankrupt legislators.

But it would do wonders to completely reframe the entire debate over the public option and healthcare in general by allowing, at long last, those states with Randian ideological pedigrees to truly 'go Galt', in a head to head test of ideologies to see who comes out ahead and why. And if we play our cards right, it might just be the ticket to Democratic victories in the South."

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They would have never fixed it regardless. To the GOP there is absolutely nothing wrong with the way things are now. Nothing. Insurance companies are making money hand over fist while the rest of us eats cake.

Think Progress � Rep. Ryan admits GOP was negligent on health care for 12 years: ‘We should have fixed this under our watch.’:

"FRANK: I just want to ask Paul one question. … When did you figure that out? Because apparently for the 12 years that the Republicans were in control — eight of which had a Republican president — that hadn’t occurred to you. So I’m glad you now understand that. Can you tell me at what moment the revelation occurred?

RYAN: First of all, I introduced on this subject about six years ago.

FRANK: You had control of the Congress. Why didn’t the Republican Congress fix it?

RYAN: I will have a moment of bipartisan agreement. We should have fixed this under our watch and I’m frustrated we didn’t."

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And to personalize the issue, my friend Steve sent this to me yesterday.

It is an interview with his sister from 1992. Cheryl had breast cancer and, surprise, the insurance companies denied her specific treatments. In 1992. Let's see, wasn't there a Democrat in office who tried to reform health care back in 1992 and wasn't it the Republican party who put all of their money and effort into killing any type of reform.

Cheryl died in 1996.... from breast cancer.

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So they want to trump up some shit on ACORN with silly hidden cameras.

Two can play that game.

Exclusive: Gun show dealers caught on video selling to people who tell them they'd fail a background check | Crooks and Liars

Unlike the phony ACORN undercover operation -- which only offered for public view a single instance of actual miscreancy, and refused to report the several instances in which they were turned away -- this report is clear that some gun vendors adhered to the law.

But some 19 out of the 30 vendors approached sold to investigators who said they'd probably fail a check. Along the way, they bought semi-automatic handguns and assault rifles. All told, 39 of 51 attempts to buy a gun illegally were successful. Several vendors told their buyers that they probably wouldn't pass a check either.

Only 11 vendors said no.

There were exchanges like this caught on tape:

"I don't need your address."

"No background check?"

"Nothing. Just show me that you're from Ohio."

"That's good about the background check because I probably couldn’t pass one."

"I don't care. All's I got to do is demand you show me your license."

"You don’t care about the background check, right?"

"Nope. Nope. I wouldn't pass either, bud." [grin]

"Is that right?"

This is why some 30 percent of all illegal gun traffic in the United States emanates from gun shows. It's long past time to shut this travesty down.

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A bit high minded, but an interesting perspective.

Daily Kos: A World Without Republicanism

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Wingnuts will believe anything as long as it feeds what they already believe.

Bill Ayers having a laugh at wingnuts, bloggers say | Raw Story

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Somebody had to parody this silliness.

McNaughton Fine Art

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Real Stupid Americans

Sign Dr. Dean's petition. He's the man with the only plan regarding health care reform.

AmericaCantWait.com

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They are so practiced at hypocrisy they don't even realize when they are being so laughably obvious.

Prevent funding then bitch about shitty service. Oy.

Tea Baggers Who Feel They’re ‘Taxed Enough Already’ Gripe About Inadequate Service In…Public Transit:

"“These individuals came all the way from Southeast Texas to protest the excessive spending and growing government intrusion by the 111th Congress and the new Obama administration,” Brady wrote. “These participants, whose tax dollars were used to create and maintain this public transit system, were frustrated and disappointed that our nation’s capital did not make a great effort to simply provide a basic level of transit for them.”

A spokesman for Brady says that “there weren’t enough cars and there weren’t enough trains.” Brady tweeted as much from the Saturday march. “METRO did not prepare for Tea Party March! More stories. People couldn’t get on, missed start of march. I will demand answers from Metro,” he wrote on Twitter.

In his letter, Brady also complained that overcrowding on the metro trains
“forced an 80-year-old woman and elderly veterans in wheelchairs to pay for cabs” — in other words, to rely on the non-government-run transportation system, which tea party protesters would presumably want to support."

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"Here in my czar
I feel safest of all
I can lock all my doors
Its the only way to live
In czars"

Stupid fake outrage.

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Stupid fake outrage.... gets redundant.

Daily Kos: Greenwald Nails it on ACORN(Update with action item!):

"While most of the media is busy pushing rightwing talking points on the ACORN scandal, Glenn Greenwald puts the story into the proper perspective.

ACORN has received a grand total of $53 million in federal funds over the last 15 years -- an average of $3.5 million per year. Meanwhile, not millions, not billions, but trillions of dollars of public funds have been, in the last year alone, transferred to or otherwise used for the benefit of Wall Street. Billions of dollars in American taxpayer money vanished into thin air, eaten by private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, led by Halliburton subsidiary KBR."

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I miss Kids in the Hall.

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I could never make this shit up.

O’Reilly endorses the public option, which he previously called ‘socialism.’

Fly him Courageous.

‘Media Courage Award’ recipient Bill O’Reilly bans the media from his speech.

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The reddest state in the Union.

Real Americans.

Real Stupid Americans.

75 Percent of Oklahoma Students Can't Name the First President - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |:

"OKLAHOMA CITY -- Only one in four Oklahoma public high school students can name the first President of the United States, according to a survey released today.

The survey was commissioned by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs in observance of Constitution Day on Thursday.

Brandon Dutcher is with the conservative think tank and said the group wanted to find out how much civic knowledge Oklahoma high school students know.

The Oklahoma City-based think tank enlisted national research firm, Strategic Vision, to access students' basic civic knowledge.

'They're questions taken from the actual exam that you have to take to become a U.S. citizen,' Dutcher said."

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Of the Freed, By the Freed, and For the Freed

Rare Chance to Own a Wes Freed - DBT Original Poster

These watercolor/mixed media originals of DBT posters are all around 14''x 18'' , including the vintage 1948 2''x4'' frame.

Best act quickly because these should be snatched up PDQ.Willard's Garage: DBT poster art originals , for sale

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Best line from yesterday's Web:

Ant: Taylor Swift got joewilsoned!

heh.

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Stoopid Government! Keeping us civilized.

Daily Kos: "Get the government out of my life!":

"Let's return to 1,100ad, when tribal warlords called all the shots, and everyone else just starved, or died of illness or injury. When there were no government rules and regulations for safety of the food supply, no attempts to maintain a society of laws and justice, and no public services to take your taxes and 'waste them' by government organizing and operating the most complex factors in society to create a safe and healthy environment. (Oh, wait!! You think you'll be one of the warlords, don't you? Sucker...)"

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It is deafening.

Lincoln Mitchell: The Silence of the Republicans:

"A clear line can be drawn from the red-baiting and Muslim-baiting of Obama during the campaign, to the birther movement, to shouting down Democratic members of Congress at town hall meetings to the accusation that the President of the United States was a Nazi because he sought to expand health care to a greater number of Americans to Joe Wilson's behavior last week. Parenthetically, it should be noted that other American presidents who have sought to expand health care coverage to more Americans include Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman, two presidents whose anti-Nazi credentials are reasonably strong.

The Republicans, to their credit, have done a remarkable job of lowering the bar for what passes as acceptable political dialog in recent months. It is hard to believe that only a few months ago people were outraged that Rush Limbaugh, the blowhard in chief of the right wing of the Republican Party, suggested that he wanted to see President Obama fail. After what we have seen the last few months, Limbaugh's comments seem positively bipartisan in nature."

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Yup.

Physician Views on the Public Health Insurance Option and Medicare Expansions - RWJF:

"In every region of the country, a majority of physicians supported a combination of public and private options, as did physicians who identified themselves as primary care providers, surgeons, or other medical subspecialists. Among those who identified themselves as members of the American Medical Association, 62.2 percent favored both the public and private options."

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Nice. Those are some fuck up family values conservative sport.

When Getting Beaten By Your Husband Is A Pre-Existing Condition:

"Under the cold logic of the insurance industry, it makes perfect sense: If you are in a marriage with someone who has beaten you in the past, you're more likely to get beaten again than the average person and are therefore more expensive to insure.

In human terms, it's a second punishment for a victim of domestic violence.

In 2006, Democrats tried to end the practice. An amendment introduced by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), now a member of leadership, split the Health Education Labor & Pensions Committee 10-10. The tie meant that the measure failed.

All ten no votes were Republicans, including Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming), a member of the 'Gang of Six' on the Finance Committee who are hashing out a bipartisan bill. A spokesman for Enzi didn't immediately return a call from Huffington Post."

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Damn right! Guns are for pussies.

Police: College student kills intruder with sword :

"In the garage, the student told police he discovered a man and when the student told the man to get out, the man accosted him, Guglielmi said. The student defended himself with the sword, cutting off the man's hand and causing a severe laceration to his upper body, he said."

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Atta boy. Future Republican in the making.

Fuck up. Lie about it. Blame it on the terrorist.

Ala. boy fakes kidnapping to hide bad grades:

"An 11-year-old boy gets high marks in storytelling after staging a hoax to cover up his bad grades. Police said the boy faked his kidnapping Friday to avoid bringing home a bad report card, saying that a man with a pistol snatched him after he left Ed White Middle School. The boy said the man forced him into a 'beat-up car' and threatened to kill him.

The student said he escaped by jumping out of the car but wasn't able to grab his bookbag, which contained the report card."

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Happy Birthday, Emmett

Today we welcome to the world Emmett M. Hood, the brand new edition to Patterson, Rebecca and Ava Hood's fam.

Emmett and mom are doing fine.

And Emmett has one heck of a birthday date.

Congrats, Hoods!

Why 09/09/09 Is So Special - Yahoo! News:

"Any grade-schooler could tell you, for example, that the sum of the two-digits resulting from nine multiplied by any other single-digit number will equal nine. So 9x3=27, and 2 7=9.

Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. For example: 9x62 = 558; 5 5 8=18; 1 8=9.

Sept. 9 also happens to be the 252nd day of the year (2 5 2)...

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What Krugman says.

Hoping for audacity - Paul Krugman Blog - NYTimes.com:

"Oh, and about the public option: yes, it should be in the speech — and not just because it will lower costs. From personal discussions I know that the individual mandate really gets peoples’ hackles up,because they see it as a giveaway to the insurance industry (you may recall that many Obama supporters made precisely that case during the primary). Yet the individual mandate is necessary — so it’s crucial to have the counter-argument that look, people can choose the public option. Yes, some senators will fight against that option tooth and nail — but that’s for later."

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Fuck. You.

Without a Public Option on day one, I'll never pay this. Ever.

And the comparison to auto coverage in this case is pure bullshit.

Fines Proposed For Going Without Health Insurance:

"Just as auto coverage is now mandatory in most states, Baucus would a require that all Americans get health insurance once the system is overhauled. Penalties for failing to get insurance would start at $750 a year for individuals and $1,500 for families. Households making more than three times the federal poverty level – about $66,000 for a family of four – would face the maximum fines. For families, it would be $3,800, and for individuals, $950."

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Not the kind of public option we need.

Soldier Who Re-Enlisted For Health Care, Killed In Afghanistan (VIDEO):

"Army Spc. Gregory James Missman died in Afghanistan after suffering wounds from an improvised explosive device in July.

Missman, 36, re-enlisted in the military after being laid off from his job as a computer consultant. Missman served in the Army 11 years earlier.

According to Missman's father, health care is what pushed his son back into service. After losing his job, Missman's young family, a wife and son were no longer insured."

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And I promise you this person has no clue as to the definition of 'irony'.

Raw Story � Healthcare supporter bites off opponent’s pinky:

"“A hospital spokeswoman says the man lost half the finger, but doctors reattached it and he was sent home the same night,” the AP reports. “She says he had Medicare.”"

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Such a cool world sometimes.

Lost world of fanged frogs and giant rats discovered in Papua New Guinea | Environment | The Guardian:

"A team of scientists from Britain, the United States and Papua New Guinea found more than 40 previously unidentified species when they climbed into the kilometre-deep crater of Mount Bosavi and explored a pristine jungle habitat teeming with life that has evolved in isolation since the volcano last erupted 200,000 years ago. In a remarkably rich haul from just five weeks of exploration, the biologists discovered 16 frogs which have never before been recorded by science, at least three new fish, a new bat and a giant rat, which may turn out to be the biggest in the world."

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Pro-Votes

In case you missed it, AAW had a birthday last week:

Alabama Ass Whuppin': 4 Years of Ass Whuppin

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Free Market, y'all! Free to rape our asses of all of our money.

The Associated Press: Competition lacking among private health insurers:

"WASHINGTON — One of the most widely accepted arguments against a government medical plan for the middle class is that it would quash competition — just what private insurers seem to be doing themselves in many parts of the U.S.

Several studies show that in lots of places, one or two companies dominate the market. Critics say monopolistic conditions drive up premiums paid by employers and individuals.

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Bunch of fucking Commies.

New Poll: 77 Percent Support "Choice" Of Public Option:

"More than three out of every four Americans feel it is important to have a 'choice' between a government-run health care insurance option and private coverage, according to a public opinion poll released on Thursday.

A new study by SurveyUSA puts support for a public option at a robust 77 percent, one percentage point higher than where it stood in June."

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Your polls in Montana are starting to look pretty shitty, ay, Max?

Love your conviction.... fake ass mofo.

Daily Kos: Sen. Baucus: �"I want a public option too."

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Michelle Bachmann: Pro-Choicer... uh....

Bachmann: No Government Control Over My Body! | TPMDC:

"Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), who is a a staunch champion of the religious right and an opponent of President Obama on all things under the sun, has a new line against the Democrats on health care: Keep the government off my body!

The shit that spews from the mouths of Republican babes.... amazing.

Keep the government off my body... unless I need the government to be all up in my body so I can get me some toothless votes.

Fucking A.

Michele Bachmann for Congress:

"Since her election to Congress two years ago, Bachmann has authored the Positive Alternatives Act (HR 4852) and cosponsored numerous pro-life bills, including the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (HR 3442), Ultrasound Informed Consent Act (HR 5032), and the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (HR 1063)."

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Remember when they called us dirty fucking traitorous hippies for stating this... yeah, those weren't the days.

Tom Ridge: I Was Pressured To Raise Terror Alert To Help Bush Win

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Home grown Republican Terrorist.

Idaho GOP leader, Wells Fargo contractor, pulls .357 Magnum on delinquent homeowner:

"The Republican Party chairman of Boise County in Idaho was arrested Thursday for aggravated assault after he pulled a gun on a man whose house he was photographing.

Charles McAffee, 33, was among Idaho's anti-tax tea-party activists, and is a member of the Idaho Republican Party Central Committee. He was arrested after pulling a handgun on a homeowner whose mortgage his employer sought to photograph for being delinquent. His employer is a contractor for Wells Fargo."

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I need one of these pants visits.

"Putpockets" give a little extra cash - Yahoo! News:

"LONDON (Reuters) – Visitors to London always have to be on the look out for pickpockets, but now there's another, more positive phenomenon on the loose -- putpockets.

Aware that people are suffering in the economic crisis, 20 former pickpockets have turned over a new leaf and are now trawling London's tourist sites slipping money back into unsuspecting pockets."

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