phttt-more from the lunatic party

Who REALLY cares if the president mentions/thanks God in a Thanksgiving speech?  That is  what FOX News/Republicans were screaming about last week.  With all of the problems this country is facing, throwing out such a red herring is ridiculous.  I'm going to call a press conference and announce that I am OUTRAGED  that the president did not mention UFOs  or thank aliens from space in his Thanksgiving speech. 

Silly thoughts on Herman Cain's name

Or "Desperate for Anything Easy and Mildly Interesting  to Blog About"

"Herman Cain loves Koch Cain"

"Herman Cain or Hurricane?"

Moammar Loves Condi

From the Huffington Post:

"Among the many bizarre items uncovered as Libyan rebels ransacked Muammar Gaddafi's Tripoli compound: an album filled with photos of former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.  The discovery was perhaps not surprising given Gaddafi's much-professed admiration of Rice, MSNBC is noting. "I support my darling black African woman," Gaddafi told al-Jazeera television in 2007, according to The Guardian. "I admire and am very proud of the way she leans back and gives orders to the Arab leaders...Leezza, Leezza, Leezza. I love her very much. I admire her and I'm proud of her because she's a black woman of African origin."

In 2008, Rice historically became the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Tripoli since 1953. She and Gaddafi are reported to have enjoyed a private dinner, during which a State Department report indicates the Libyan leader also showered his visitor with an estimated $212,000 worth of gifts -- including a diamond ring in a wooden box, a lute and an accompanying DVD, and a locket with Gaddafi's own picture inside.

Also included among the gifts: "Wonder-Womanesque wristbands" and an autographed copy of his revolutionary Green Book with an inscription that expressed his "respect and admiration," according to The New York Times.

There are, of course, strict rules about the acceptance of gifts by public officials but when it comes to foreign leaders, diplomatic concerns take priority, as "non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government."

Though Rice praised the meeting with the Libyan leader as "a historic moment," her gift to Gaddafi was considerably less opulent: a plate with the U.S. seal, The Atlantic notes."  

How creepy is this?  Poor Condi, this may creep her out for the rest of her life. 

AUGUST 30, 2011Cheney’s Book Features Foreword by Satan
‘Couldn’t Put it Down,’ Says Prince of Darkness

NEW YORK The Borowitz Report

Publishing circles were abuzz today with the news that the new memoir by former Vice President Dick Cheney features a foreword by an unusual contributor: Satan.

In his introduction, the Prince of Darkness said he rarely reads political memoirs but made an exception in the case of Mr. Cheney “because we had worked so closely together in the past.”

When he began to read the Cheney manuscript, however, the Lord of Misrule said he was “surprised” by what he found.

“Quite honestly, I couldn’t put it down,” Satan wrote. “It was almost like a book I would have written myself.”

In what could be construed as minor criticism of the book, Satan admitted he was “miffed” that Mr. Cheney took total credit for the idea of invading Iraq, but added, “We were such close collaborators at the time, it may be hard for Dick to remember whose idea was whose – half the time we were finishing each other’s sentences.”

While Satan said he is unlikely to make a habit of writing introductions to books, he said that he could foresee making another exception in the future: “I’ve heard Rupert Murdoch is working on his memoir.”

Elsewhere, after Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) said God created last week’s earthquake and hurricane to punish America, God issued this rebuttal: “Actually, that’s why I created Michele Bachmann.”

My Angst

Why oh why are we letting a tiny little group of ignorant, uninformed  people dictate our nation's policies? 

Give. Me. A. Break.

CNN's Personal No Fly Zone

Being the news and political junkie that I am, I have spent many hours glued to the television these last few weeks.  First it was Wisconsin and Egypt, then Japan and Libya.  From the beginning of the Libyan rebellion, when Muammar Qaddafi’s military started firing on civilians, broadcast media asked frequently and  fervently, " What  about a no fly zone?" and  "Some say that a o fly one is necessary for the Libyan people  (blah blah blah ). . ."   CNN  reporters and anchors were almost hysterical in their angst over the no fly zone, wanting, no, needing the president to establish the no fly zone.   I got so tired of hearing about it.  When UN announced the no fly zone, the press then started with the "too little, too late" questions.  It was irritating to hear them ask, "Why did it take so long?" and "Why didn't they do this last week?"   Hmmm . . . Let's give that one some thought.  Maybe they had to convince the other countries on the UN Security Council (China and Russia) to abstain rather than vote no to avoid a  possible subsequent Security Council veto?   Okay, perhaps the people asking these questions had never heard of the UN  or felt that the questions had to be asked.  (Although I note for the record, that the press asked Bush & Company NO Questions during the run-up to and prosecution of the Iraq war.)   

Then came the typical, "What is our exit strategy" questions. (Again, not asked by the mainstream media of Bush & Co. . . I'm just sayin'. )   The reporters and anchors appeared genuinely confused, as did the Republican politicians they interviewed, as to why the US was involved in the conflict.  They demanded to know if it is to protect the Libyan people or to get rid of Muammar Qaddafi?  Don't you think that's kind of a no brainer?  We're there for both reasons and we will be done when Qaddafi is done!  The president cannot just come out and say that because there are world-wide political consequences.  So CNN, keep your pants on.  Remember, you asked for this no fly zone.  Don't act so stupid when it happens. 

                                                                                                        

Most Americans Against Spending Cuts to Social Programs

Pew Poll: Majority Sentiment Clear, "Leave Our Social Programs Alone!"

The Lowest Common Denominator

 I think it is fascinating that Joe the plumber, intellectual pea brain, was the keynote speaker at the tea party anti-union rally in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday.  What does that say about this group?  What is up with that anyway?  Why would a group of political activists pick such a pea brain for their inspiration?  Let’s think about that for a moment.  Well, it is the same group that picked a self-proclaimed witch who told three separate lies about colleges she went to; candidates who believe that Dearborn, Michigan is governed by Shari'a Law; that Mexican drug cartels were beheading people in the Arizona desert; and who, while criticizing an opponent for opposing the teaching of creationism in the schools, did not know that the establishment clause is in the constitution.  These are the same people who insist on carrying guns to presidential campaign rallies and into the local statehouses, just to prove they can.  These are the same people who, despite all of the evidence to the contrary, believe that the president was not born in this country.  This is the lowest common denominator approach to politics.  Instead of electing the best and brightest to solve our nation’s problems and steer us into the future, tea partiers gravitate toward the least experienced, least intelligent, least educated, least talented candidate.  They are impressed by the candidate's ordinariness and average to below average abilities.  It is important to tea partiers that they  would feel comfortable having a cup of coffee with their candidate and that they can identify with the candidate.  They want someone just like them.  Someone they can relate to.  

A Movement

Reuters reports that the 55,000 people attended the protest rally against the governor's attempt to destroy the public employee unions Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin and that of those 55,000 attendees, only 5000 were tea partiers, who were brought in on 10 buses to protest the protesters.  (Bussed in, hmmm . . . kind of reminds me of November 2000 Bush Gore election when protesters were being boarded onto buses in Atlanta, bound for Florida to intimidate election officials down there.)  On Friday, 30,000 people were present in Madison to protest the governor’s plan.  I recall all the media attention that the tea partiers received  in their early days when only 17, 25, 60, but never more than 100 people, would show up at tea party rallies.  Despite the small crowds, the media dubbed it a movement, and became so obsessed with it that their coverage actually created a movement.  Without the obsessive media coverage, none of those people would have bothered to attend those rallies.

So, why hasn’t the media declared this a revolution, revolt or populist uprising?

Why GOP Governors Want to Break the Unions

There is nothing altruistic about it.  Although Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker claims that the state is in crisis and needs the money it stands to gain from this action, he neglects to explain that the previous Democratic governor left office with a surplus in the state treasury.  In less than two months in office, Walker has burned through the surplus left by the previous governor.  He has also created a budget shortfall by giving out tax cuts to the wealthy.  Had he not given out those tax cuts, there would be no shortfall.  So, why is he is blaming public employees unions for the budget shortfall?  Because the Democrats out raised the Republicans in 2006 and 2008 campaign contributions and the big three public employee unions were the biggest donor groups to the Democrats.  And the Democrats won those two years.  By eliminating public employees’ collective bargaining rights, you eliminate the unions or at the very least, the large amounts of money that they have available to donate to Democrats.  The GOP will continue to rake in obscene amounts of money in corporate donations.  Without the union money, the Democrats will not win.  That is why GOP governors Florida, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and are elbowing their way down this path. 

Time to Change the Channel

I find myself watching Fox news tonight.  I don't know why-it's on and I don't want to think about what else to watch.  First, there was Sean Hannity, followed by Greta Van Susteren, both engaging in fear mongering, suggesting over and over again that the Muslim Brotherhood is going to take control of Egypt and other countries in the middle east.  Now, Glenn Beck declares that the revolution in Egypt is a communist plot by Obama's friends . . . What kind of nuts do they have over there at Fox?! And why do the nuts even have a platform to perform on? 

Civility Movement May Be Lost on Right Wing

In the days that followed the Tuscon shootings, I  listened to the media talk about the ugly, violent rhetoric that has permeated the airwaves these last couple of years.  The thing that irked me about these discussions is that one of the republican panelists almost always said something to the effect of "Let's face it, both sides are guilty of this," a statement that with one exception, was accepted by the host at face value.  My response is "No, let's not face it, both sides are not guilty."   We can think of many dozens of examples of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and others not only spreading lies to incite the right wing, but also inviting  sedition, revolution and violence. The right wing has only cited one example to support their claim that democrats do it, too-Alan Grayson's speech on health care reform in which he explained the republican plan for health care.  There was nothing incendiary about that speech.  Democratic party politicians are always civil.  With the notable exception of Randi Rhodes, most liberal talk show hosts have, for the most part, been civilized in their discussions.  

Someone pointed me to a website, http://www.nolabels.org/, which is a group of moderate republicans and moderate democrats who want to support a more bi-partisan, civilized way of governing.  This sounds like a great idea if they can influence the right wing to stop their crazy talk and lies.  I joined this group, but with a mindful eye on the right wing and what they do to tone down their talk.  I have always believed that the democrats are too nice and not sufficiently assertive; and that the party has suffered for this.  I am not confident that the the right wing is going to be tamed by No Labels and other such groups.  I hope that I am wrong.

Fox News: Leading the Lambs

A new University of Maryland study found that Fox News viewers are significantly more likely than others to believe false information about American politics.  The study judged how likely consumers of a number of different news sources were to believe misinformation about a wide range of political issues.  Specifically, Fox News  viewers were "significantly more likely" to believe the misinformation disseminated by Fox News, such as: most economists estimate the stimulus caused job losses; most economists have estimated the health care law will worsen the deficit; the economy is getting worse; most scientists do not agree that climate change is occurring; the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts; most Republicans opposed TARP at the time Congress voted on it; and that it is not clear that Obama was born in the United States.  Also according to the study, increased viewership of Fox News led to increased belief in such false stories. 

Anecdotally, many of us have known this for years.  You will note that I discussed this issue specifically with regard to members of my own family in my September 2, 2010 post.  It is nice to have some independent, scientific research to cite to now.

This is America . . .

. . . where Sarah Palin has the constitutional right to graphically encourage the shooting and killing of her political foes. It is now more than a day following the tragic, right wing inspired shooting of Representative Giffords, and Palin continues to promote her graphic map with the gun targets trained on Democratic politicians around the country.