Drama in Massachusetts: Guess Who FOX "News" is Rooting For?

I'm off this evening to see Garrison Keillor at UNLV here in Las Vegas, so I won't be able to monitor the election results out of Massachusetts, darn it. As of this writing, Scott Brown has a small lead. Other than the election of President Barack Obama, every vote I eagerly watch seems to go the same way: "my" side has a slight lead, it slowly dwindles, and then the "other" side gains, and ultimately wins. Maybe it will be the reverse tonight?

I don't know much about either candidate, only that Brown was a nudie model back in the day, and that he's soft-pedaling his political stance as "moderate" when he's more likely from Teabagistan. Throughout the day, I checked a couple of times on the major news sites to see if there was any news. Most of them featured large stories about Haiti, with a small link somewhere about Massachusetts. Not FOX "News"! The race in MA was front-and-center (OK, maybe front-and-upper-left). The image is from earlier today. Such drama. Later in the day was an image of a polling place with grim reapers voting, and a headline along the lines of "Dead Men Voting?" Subtle. Keep it classy, FOX!

Goodnight for now, I'll try to check in later.

Better Late Than Never: Jib-Jab's 2009 Year in Review

Because I forgot. . .

Never a Year Like 09' - JibJab
Uploaded by JibJab. - Click for more funny videos.

50 Best Protest Signs of 2009

Nothing will ever top "Get a Brain, Morans!" but a few do come close. . .

[Excerpt]

The 50 Best Protest Signs Of 2009

We saw some really great protest signs in 2009. Thanks to our President for being a socialist, gay people for being gay, and Kanye West for interrupting Taylor Swift. . .

See them all at: BuzzFeed

NY-23: Hoffman Un-Concedes Race

Image from source, Think Progress

I've gotta wonder if we might not have another Norm Coleman/Al Franken type battle in the birthing here. Glenn Beck (and Sarah Palin) would like very much to see this swing their way after the initial apparent defeat. And frankly, a reversal would be--not embarrassing, exactly--but something akin to it.

[Excerpt]

Hoffman ‘Un-Concedes’ The NY-23 Election After Prodding From His ‘Mentor’ Glenn Beck

On Nov. 3, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman conceded the special election in New York’s 23rd district after finding out that he was losing considerably to Democrat Bill Owens, who has already been sworn in and cast an important vote for health care reform. However, “a standard process of correcting human errors in election night spreadsheets” has narrowed Owens’ lead over Hoffman from more than 5,000 votes to about 3,000, and the New York Board of Elections is counting around 10,000 absentee ballots. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

How FOX "News" and the Teabaggers Lost NY-23

As I wrote earlier, the mini-election yesterday was a mixed bag with enough political stuff to let both sides crow a little, and cry a little. Amazingly enough, it's being touted more as a GOP win than a Democratic one, even though that is very debatable. The most puzzling development is the downplaying of the loss of New York's Congressional District 23, a race that had a massive hard right-wing push for a "Conservative Party" candidate. They ended up losing a seat that has been held by Republicans since there were still Whigs around. Wow.

How Fox News and the teabaggers lost NY-23

A video montage showing how Fox’s coverage of the special election in New York’s 23rd Congressional District empowered Republican teabaggers to push aside moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava in favor of a hard-line conservative candidate Doug Hoffman, allowing the first Democratic victory in the district since the Civil War:

Source: DailyKos

Kalamazoo, Michigan Upholds Gay Rights in Vote

As of this writing, there is still no result in Maine or in Washington on the gay rights issues on the ballots there. Having been battered 0-30 in various state votes, a win in Maine would be a pleasant surprise, but I'm not ready to get my hopes up. This is, as I've stated numerous times before, something that shouldn't even be up for a popular vote.

Still, there is some good news. In Kalamazoo, Michigan, a gay rights measure passed. How 'bout that?

[Excerpt]

Kalamazoo, MI Gay Rights Ordinance VICTORY!

Kalamazoo residents approve nondiscrimination ordinance

“Our campaign started with a very basic idea, and today voters confirmed that we are One Kalamazoo,” said Campaign Manager, Jon Hoadley.

With only absentee ballots outstanding, 65 percent of Kalamazoo voters have approved Ordinance 1856 by a vote of 6,463 to 3,527, adding protections for gay and transgender people to the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance. This margin is larger than the number of outstanding absentee ballots that are currently being counted. . .

Read more at: iQreport

2009 Is Already a Crazy Year!

Image from source, Wonkette

Here in Las Vegas, some guy went absolutely crackers (related to the economic crisis), and tried to rob the Boulder Station using a bomb threat. So, a whole casino and hotel full of people had to spend the waning moments of 2008, and the ringing in of 2009 in the parking lot! But that's not the only nutty New Year's behavior, oh no. Want to see what else the year has brung us? Check it out. . .

[Excerpt]

America Greets 2009 By Going Insane

Maybe it’s just that there’s no “real” national news on January 1, or maybe America is collectively leaping off the foreclosed skyscraper of destiny, but the amount of full-on crazy suicidal behavior over this New Year’s holiday is enough to make calm people hide in their basements with a sack full of assault rifles. . .

Read more at: Wonkette