5/29/2009

On Judge Sotomayor

It's sad that we need to have campaign commercials in the middle of spring because scumbag Rethugs are lying sacks of shit and will say anything to keep the country from progressing.

Do Not Attempt To Logically Reconcile the Following Statements

Judge Sotomayor is racist.
Calling Judge Sotomayor an "affirmative action candidate" is not racist.

Do not attempt to logically reconcile the above without being an illogical wingnut.

5/22/2009

Oh, No, They Didn't...

The GOP is not using "O Fortuna," one of the most beautiful and thrilling of all operatic chorus pieces... in a fearmongering campaign.

They are not.

They are.

Fuck you, GOP. That song's too damn good for you.

Dropping a Bomb - of the F Variety

Attention, GOP: Fuck you.

Great Bouncing Limbaughs!



Amber and I were rolling around on the ground laughing at this. It's almost hypnotic.

Also, attention, MSNBC's code monkeys: IFRAME TAGS CANNOT SELF-CLOSE.
Dear Pat Buchanan;

You are not James T. Kirk. You cannot install a subroutine on Hardball to make yourself "right." In light of this, please stop coming back for more helpings.

No love;

An Annoyed Hoosier

5/19/2009

Daniels: Safety Last

From the Richmond Palladium-Item (with props to Thomas): Daniels: Cost of I-69 extension can be cut
A new $3.1 billion price tag for the extension of Interstate 69 between Indianapolis and Evansville can be reduced by ignoring some federal rules, Gov. Mitch Daniels said.

Speaking Monday to a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana in Evansville, Daniels said the Indiana Department of Transportation estimate released last week could be trimmed by bypassing some federal highway construction standards.

"Throw away the rule book to the extent the feds will let you do it," Daniels said he told INDOT officials.
Wait... what now? Could you run that last one by me again?
"Throw away the rule book to the extent the feds will let you do it,"
So let me see if I understand this correctly. Daniels figures that cutting costs and not getting alternative funding if the costs can't be cut is more important than safety.

Governor Daniels, do you remember this? Is this what you want? Well, it you're going to ignore safety standards, then it is what you want, regardless of how much you might spin it.

It's time to ditch Mitch.

You can't stop the Ted.

From Politico: Ted Kennedy's brain cancer in remission
Sen. Ted Kennedy’s cancer is in remission, and he will be returning to the Senate after the Memorial Day recess, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
told reporters Tuesday.

I'm glad to see some good news.

And now my cynical side comes out; I say less than 48 hours before Chappaquiddick is on every asshole Conservative's lips again.

5/14/2009

A Message to CNN

While covering the flap over President Obama's speech at Notre Dame, you hosted noted anti-choice terrorist Randall Terry and Catholic League head bully Bill Donohue.

I'm just wondering, when you talk of issues affecting African-Americans, do you try to get the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Kaln in to give his opinion? Based on who you like to give airtime to, it seems likely.

On Pelosi

Conservatives: "Waterboarding isn't torture! We're saving lives! Ticking time bomb! Ticking time bomb!"
News: "Pelosi may have known about waterboarding-"
Conservatives: "OMGZORZ EVIL BITCH PELOSI IS LIBERAL LYING TORTURER LOCK HER UP IMPEACH HER THROW OUT THE DEMMYCRATZ CUZ THEY KNEW TOO"
Liberals: "Uh, weren't you just saying that waterboarding wasn't torture?"
Conservatives: "WHO CARES PELOSI KNEW SO IT'S EVIL"
Me: "Shut the fuck up."

By the way: For any of you fellow liberals out there who might be thinking that Pelosi needs to be raked over the coals for this, I'd like to congratulate you on once again doing the Right's job for them.

No More Wasted Efforts

I've been nice. Really, I have.

I've covered for this administration pretty wholeheatedly. I've tried to keep everyone from jumping the gun and forming circular firing squads with everything I've got, and I haven't had much success, I'll admit. I keep trying anyway.

But if you're going to do things like this, I'm not going to bother.

Save yourself.

The Floydism of Republicans


So not long ago, while still trying to get an understanding of the mindset that could possible think Mustardgate was a serious issue to attack President Obama on, I came to a startling, cold realization.

The talking heads of the GOP are Sally Floyd. If you're not familiar with Sally, I'll explain. Sally Floyd is a Marvel comics character who was notable a few years ago for an incredibly stupid list of complaints against Captain America, presented after the Civil War event. Among those, that he doesn't go to enough Nascar races, watch YouTube and the Simpsons, and doesn't know what Myspace is.

Fans were outraged by the sheer stupidity of it all, as to anyone with half a brain, they realized that those are merely fads - and while they may last a good long time, and may even become a part of our national heritage, they don't encompass what America truly is. And I realize that is the lens through which Republicans view the world.

If you aren't up to date with x, y and z - then you're not doing your part as a true American. If you don't fall into column 1, 2 or 3 - then you're not living as a true American. The biggest problem with all of these things, beyond the fact that its incredibly stupid to hold it up as your litmus test of what qualifies one to be an American, is the fleeting nature of these things.

Lets say right now it's 'cool' to hate on latte drinkers, what about in five years, when the fad flips and everyone, including yourselves, are drinking lattes? Of course the hypocrisy will be lost... if they even change at all.

So I'll say it, just as every sane human being would. The fads, or non-fads, or even choices we make as Americans, does not dictate our status as Americans. Our choice of condiments doesn't dictate our status as Americans. Our choice of clothing doesn't dictate our status as Americans. These things are, and always will be fleeting. 10 years ago, the complaint would probably have been over him ordering a CHEDDAR burger, "What is American cheese not good enough for him?" 10 years from now, the complaint may have been over the fact he ordered it medium well.

There's your problem GOP. You don't actually understand America, and as a result, are forced to try and explain it with the current (or sometimes out-of-date) cultural memes. You don't comprehend America's heart, soul, and promise; And that's why you're currently imploding.

On Libertarians

Libertardianism is a failure on every front. It's unfeasible, unworkable, and idiotic. I would suggest to libertardians that they grow the fuck up, move out of their parents' basements, stop jerking their shriveled dicks to that reactionary asshole Rand, and spend a few years working a real job, making real wages (read: shit), and dealing with real problems. That usually snaps them out of their Randian fantasies PDQ.

5/10/2009

President Obama at White House Correspondents' Dinner

You really should watch this. It's good to have a Prez who's funny and not just a babbling moron.


And then, once you've watched that, watch this: Wanda Sykes tearing the GOP a new asshole immediately after.


Note that Sykes' comments are going to be the next GOP talking point. You heard it here first.

5/09/2009

TIME Magazine: "GOP DOA?"

Hat tip to Left in Aboite for the following story: Republicans in Distress: Is the Party Over? - TIME
These days, Republicans have the desperate aura of an endangered species. They lost Congress, then the White House; more recently, they lost a slam-dunk House election in a conservative New York district, then Senator Arlen Specter.
(...)
As the party has shrunk to its base, it has catered even more to its base's biases, insisting that the New Deal made the Depression worse, carbon emissions are fine for the environment and tax cuts actually boost revenues — even though the vast majority of historians, scientists and economists disagree. The RNC is about to vote on a kindergartenish resolution to change the name of its opponent to the Democrat Socialist Party. This plays well with hard-core culture warriors and tea-party activists convinced that a dictator-President is plotting to seize their guns, choose their doctors and put ACORN in charge of the Census, but it ultimately produces even more shrinkage, which gives the base even more influence — and the death spiral continues. "We're excluding the young, minorities, environmentalists, pro-choice — the list goes on," says Olympia Snowe of Maine, one of two moderate Republicans left in the Senate after Specter's switch. "Ideological purity is not the ticket to the promised land."
When even the august and solidly conservative TIME Magazine, child of Hadden and Luce, is declaring that the GOP may well be in its final throes, even I have to admit that things are looking grim for them. This is not out of some level of concern for the GOP itself, or its more strident followers, but for those caught in the middle - the middle-of-the-road conservatives and the centrists who lean Republican. They don't dare tread onto our side, either out of extremist-implanted fear of liberalism as a whole, or because they don't think they'll find a place.

If they band together, and build a new party apart from the decaying remains of the old, they may yet be able to keep conservatism going. If they don't and they fail to join, or they let themselves be pushed farther into conservatism and into the dangerously extreme territory being currently occupied by the "mainstream" Republicans, then they are assuredly doomed.

The modern, Reagan/Bush/Bush Jr./RushSeanBillGlenn brand of extreme conservatism, the kind that gave Reagan room to declare government the enemy, gave Bush I the drive to invade in the Middle East to protect our oil interests, and gave Bush II the means to dismantle America from its center outward while we cowered in fear, is dying. There are no two ways about it. They will either splinter into multiple groups, each working for its own goals, or they will realize their mistakes and return from the brink of madness.

Santayana said, "Fanaticism consists in redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim." One wonders whether the realization of their forgotten aim will dawn on the GOP's fanatics before or after they've lost all the moderates.

5/08/2009

PETA Rides Mustardgate's Coattails: Are You Convinced Yet That They're Attention-Whoring Scum?

Straight from the horse's ass: PETA sends stinkburgersveggie burgers to Ray's Hell Burger in the wake of "Mustardgate".

Are you convinced yet? PETA sees a story getting coverage and jumps right the fuck onto it. They know that this is going to get them attention, and for once I hope it does, because if we can get the GOP and the Petards taken down in one great swoop, it'll be a great day for those of us who aren't toally fucking batshit loco.

Seriously, PETA is a bunch of idiots. They know that publicity stunts and sexism sell, and they know their rabid, spoiled, teenage hordes won't care what happens as loing as the attention keeps coming. I'm hoping this administration will do something with their terrorist-supporting, criminal, threatening, sexist, stupid asses.

OR maybe the problem will solve itself - like I said, if we can tie them to the anchor we call "Mustardgate", they'll sink like stones.

, , , , , , , , , ,

Alan Keyes: F**king Crazy Criminal

Alan Keyes, Obama Birth Certificate Obsessive, Arrested On Charges Of Trespassing | TPMDC
One-time presidential candidate, failed MSNBC talk show host, and U.S. Senate hopeful Alan Keyes was one of 22 people arrested this morning on charges of trespassing. The group--26 in total--had convened to protest President Barack Obama's upcoming commencement speech at Notre Dame University.
Sadly, there's no indication of whether or not the key to Keyes' cell will be "lost". Worse yet, I know this is going to fuel his paranoid insanity - he'll claim it's "oppression" and "censorship" and that Obama had him personally arrested or something.

Hopefully, they'll give him a psychological once-over before he's allowed to be free, and realize he's crazy as a shithouse rat and has a serious case of Obama Derangement Syndrome.

On John Edwards

Am I really supposed to care about this whole thing? I mean, am I honestly supposed to get all indignant and pissy?

I really don't, and I really can't. I just don't give a damn about it. It's a personal matter, not a pressing issue.

On "Mustardgate" and the Death of the GOP

The conservative movement is dead.

Its remaining loyalists, however, are a collective version of Herbert West.

Move your dead bones, GOP.

On So-Called Thoughtcrime

If hate crimes are thoughtcrime, then murder is thoughtcrime as well.

Not-Joe the Not-Plumber leaves the GOP

From Crooks and Liars: Even Joe The Plumber Is Sick Of The GOP, Announces He's Leaving The Party
Samuel Wurzelbacher, better known as Joe the Plumber, tells TIME he's so outraged by GOP overspending, he's quitting the party — and he's the bull's-eye of its target audience.


And all I can think is "ABANDON SHIP!", as member by member the GOP implodes. I've been thinking it since the election occurred and shared it with people I know - and now I'm going to say it here. The GOP is going to split up into several parties before too long. I may end up being wrong, but for the moment, I'm going to put my money on that.

Right now the GOP is apparently not 'pure' enough for folks like Not-Joe, and too way out wacky rightwing for anyone who leans moderate. They're hemorrhaging their base from both sides, not a good position for them to be in.

A Burger With a Side of Obama Derangement Syndrome

Dijon Derangement Syndrome: Conservative media attack Obama for burger order | Media Matters for America
SUMMARY: Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Mark Steyn criticized President Obama as an elitist because he ordered a burger with "spicy mustard" or "Dijon mustard."
This? This is what they're reduced to?

That does it, I'm agreeing with Craig, the conservative movement is hereby dead and these are its last words.

A BFI Movie Recommendation

Go see Star Trek. Go now. Don't wait.

GO!

5/06/2009

O'Reilly the Hateful Harassturbator Lies About the Hate Crimes Bill (or, "O'Reilly Opens His Mouth")

From Media Matters for America: O'Reilly smears hate crimes bill with false claim that pedophiles could be protected
On the May 5 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly falsely claimed that pedophiles could be protected under the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act -- which defines as a crime acts of attempted violence "motivated by prejudice based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of the victim." Specifically, O'Reilly said: "[Y]ou could make an argument that a pedophile has a disease, and because the disease is there, he's a target or she's a target."
I think it's pretty odd that Billo the Clown has a hate on for the Hate Crimes Bill, especially since if he honestly thinks that it'd protect perverts, then he should be all for it.

Or have we forgotten this?

Mike Pence: Fumbling Anti-Science Moron

From Pharyngula: Republicans can't even admit their anti-evolution leanings
Chris Matthews ask Representative Mike Pence a simple question — "Do you believe in evolution?" — and Pence spends 5 minutes squirming avoiding giving an answer. He changes the subject repeatedly, to global warming and stem cells, and tries to pretend that the Republican party doesn't have a serious problem with an anti-science agenda, which he himself is demonstrating.

I remind all present - again - that I have never voted for this idiot, and wouldn't if I had the chance. I take no responsibility for his coninued infection of Washington with his particular brand of sheer, mind-boggling stupidity, his support of racist bigot radio hate-spewers, his war-mongering, his lack of tact and inability to show respect to those whose lives he indirectly helped end, his collaboration with the scum of the earth, his need for discrimination, &c.

That said, I once again register my insistence that I would never vote for him, solely because he is a dishonest, mendacious, lying, spineless, science-denying weasel.

An Observation

Every time I post, I drive people away.

Every time Phage posts, he brings people in.

Arlen Specter: Whoops, I Forgot I'm a Democrat Now

CQ Politics | Specter Says He ‘Misspoke” on Minnesota Senate Race
The political whirlwind that surrounded Sen. Arlen Specter ’s switch from the Republican to Democratic party had him forgetting which team he is rooting for in 2010.

But after voicing support for Republican Norm Coleman in his contested Minnesota Senate race, Specter said he misspoke in a New York Times magazine interview and is supporting Democrats.
(...)
“In the swirl of moving from one caucus to another, I have to get used to my new teammates,” he said. “I’m ordinarily pretty correct in what I say. I’ve made a career of being precise. I conclusively misspoke.”

Asked who he’s backing now in elections, Specter said, “I’m looking for more Democratic members. Nothing personal.”
Uh... huh. Sen. Specter, did you forget that, here in the Democratic Party, we try not to pull the Republican pattern of saying something horrid and then backpedaling with "it was a joke" and "I was misquoted"? I mean, I'll admit "I misspoke" is at least something of an admission of error, but you could at least try to be more careful and maybe not joke about something this serious.

Next time, just come right out and say what you mean, and don't mess around if you screw up - be expeditious and say you were incorrect right away.

Just a tip.

Samuel "Joe the Plumber" the Unlicensed Contractor, Tax Cheat, and Non-Business-Owning Small Business Owner Wurzelbacher Needs to Add "Bigot" to His Name

From Reverent & Free: R&F Retraction
I'd like to retract something I wrote about Samuel "Joe The Plumber" Wurzelbacher last October.

Me : "...I'm sure he's a swell guy."

I was wrong. He's a fucking bigot.

This has been a R&F Retraction.
Oh Craig, surely you're overreacting, it can't possibly be that b-
Q: In the last month, same-sex marriage has become legal in Iowa and Vermont. What do you think about same-sex marriage at a state level?

JTP: At a state level, it's up to them. I don't want it to be a federal thing. I personally still think it's wrong. People don't understand the dictionary--it's called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It's not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we're supposed to do--what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we're supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I've had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children.
Samuel, I hereby order you to shut up.
On behalf of America, shut up.
On behalf of those of us who realized your fifteen minutes were up the moment you lied about who you were to ask a lying, loaded question to our current President, shut up.
On behalf of those of us who don't care about Fox Noise's worship of you for being a good little liar, shut up.
On behalf of those who have watched you gain your undeserved fame for your mendacity and willingness to say what the other bigots want you to say, shut up.
But most of all, on behalf of those of us who tire of the hate, the bigotry, and the endless repetition of hateful, harmful lies, shut up.

Samuel Wurzelbacher, shut the hell up.

5/05/2009

A Particularly Relevant Political Observation

If someone couches everything they stand for in terms of "freedom", you should be extremely wary of them, as they probably don't even know the meaning of the word.

On Local Radio

I was looking at 1190 AM WOWO's Program Lineup when an idea suddenly came to me, a realization of amazing proportions.

You and I both know (presuming you live around here) that WOWO is, by and large, Ft. Wayne's home for insane right-wing horseshit. That shouldn't be too surprising to anyone. What came to me is this: When the sanest program you have in your lineup is Coast to Coast AM, your radio station has some serious problems.

5/02/2009

Back Again

"Every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in."

Douchebag: Ben Nelson

From HuffPo: Ben Nelson Plans To Oppose Public Health Plan
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said Friday that he will oppose legislation that would give people the option of a public health insurance plan. The move puts him on the opposite side of two-thirds of Americans.

(...)Nelson's problem, he told CQ, is that the public plan would be too attractive and would hurt the private insurance plans. "At the end of the day, the public plan wins the game," Nelson said. Including a public option in a health plan, he said, was a "deal breaker."
Uh-huh. So you, a guy who gets his healthcare at our expense, think we shouldn't have a public option because it'll hurt the poor, put-upon insurance companies.

Well, fuck you soundly, sir. I'm going to go way out on a limb here and guess thaty you've never really had to worry about not having insurance because it's too expensive, or because you can't get insured because of a "pre-existing condition", or been told that there's some convoluted section in the half-point-size print of your policy that says they don't have to pay for some illness or injury that has brought you to the brink of financial ruin. If you're so damn convinced that the "free market" can provide, then why don't you give up your publicly-funded healthcare?

And why, pray tell, is he really opposing it? Well, it might have something to do with the money he gets from the big insurance companies. They pay him the big bucks so he can stay in office, and in return he sells us out to the greedy corporate insurers.

Ben Nelson, you are a douchebag.

GOP's Latest Fear Tactic: "Be Afraid of Who Obama Meets With - Congressional Hispanics!"

From Think Progress: Hispanic Caucus offended by images in Boehner’s fearmongering video.
On Wednesday, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) released a fearmongering video, asking if Americans “feel safer” under President Obama. But one image in the video has caused outrage in Congress. After a shot of Obama shaking hands with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the video cuts to an image of Obama meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus(.)
Oh, Lordy. They couldn't be digging that hole they're in any faster without the aid of dynamite, power tools, and an army of trained moles. Is this what it's come to, GOP? Smear-and-fear videos and bashing your own Congressional colleagues?

Fuck it, they're done. Warm up the bus, this game is over.

On Souter's Retirement

Better it was now than a year ago. Now if only Scalia and Scalito - I mean, Alito - would get the hell off the bench, we'd be good.