Gossip Around the Christmas Tree (Rocky Mountain Mike Song Parody)

I'm not much for the General Petraeus affair, or any of the Real Housewives-type drama around it. But I dig Rocky Mountain Mike's parodies, and always could use a fresh spin on "contemporary" Christmas tunes! I missed this one while away in Ohio. Enjoy.

Gen. Petraeus Grilled by the Senate (Again)

Image from MoveOn.org

Politician/Rock Star/General David Petraeus appeared again in front of the Senate again today, to report on the "progress in Iraq." So what does it all mean? Well apparently, we're doing so well that we have to stay longer--or things are so tenuous that we have to stay--or things are going badly enough that we need to stay. I'm not so good at sorting it out. That's why I like to leave these things to the experts. . .

[Excerpt]

Max Bergmann: Petraeus Testimony: Summing Up Today's Hearing on Iraq

Here's a wrap up of the entire day of hearings. Only 14 hours til tomorrow...

1. Petraeus and Crocker refuse to tell us what our long term strategy is in Iraq, holding to the weak excuse that they can't make predictions into the future. But they have no problem making scary predictions into the future about what will happen if we withdraw. Contradiction? We think so. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

A Word on Political Speech

I don't want my readers (all two dozen of you) to get the wrong impression about the recent spate of articles about Rush Limbaugh and his comments about "phony soldiers." Faux outrage runs thick on both sides of the political divide, and I want to clear up my position on it.

I believe that all of the protestations of the MoveOn.org "Petraeus/Betray Us" ad were big heaping helpings of faux outrage, being used to refocus public attention away from the real issue: the sad state of the Iraq War/Occupation. And it is only the latest in a long string of phony outrages and diversions.

My reporting of the Limbaugh comments do not come from a place of outrage--not exactly. While I do find his comments outrageous, it's sort of his schtick. I'm not personally any more offended than I am by his comments on any other particular day.

What I am trying to point out is the hypocrisy between the two stories. Republicans (and apparently some cowed Democrats) were soooo incensed by the MoveOn ad, that both houses of Congress actually passed meaningless condemnations of the ad and its tactics. Hey, I even got an "Action Alert" from the Christian Coalition of America today, listing every Democrat that voted against it!

For those same people to give Limbaugh a pass on his "phony soldiers" comment is textbook hypocrisy. At the same time, condemnation--by Congress--of unpopular political speech is textbook un-American behavior. Political speech is probably the speech requiring the most protection. So, Limbaugh can say what he wants. He just doesn't get to be hypocritical without being called on it.

Move On "Betray Us" Ad vs. Ann Coulter

Image from source, BraveNewFilms.com

I'm going to revisit MoveOn.org's General Petraeus/Betray Us ad one more time, because this article provides one of the best counterpoints I've seen on the issue.

The MoveOn ad provoked tons of outrage, and possibly more press than the "Petraeus Report" itself did. The right-wing blowhards (read: Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh) demanded that Democrats distance themselves from the ad. Sadly, several did. But what about the Ann Coulter question?

FOX "News," features Ann Coulter regularly, in most of its programs. Even their "business" show, Your World with Neil Cavuto, hauls her in (usually in her little black dress) to report her extensive knowledge. Ugh.

Anyway, Ann's divisive, outrageous, off-the hook comments are too many to mention. How often are conservatives called to task for her comments? Does Rudy Guiliani have to denounce her to remain legitimate? Ridiculous, you say? Then why should Hillary Clinton have to do the same for a newspaper ad?

[Excerpt]

Republican Hypocritical Hysteria: MoveOn = Despicable. Ann Coulter = Awesome!

Seriously, since when has anyone given a damn about a newspaper ad? Or any advertisement at all? There wouldn't be this much attention for a Super Bowl commercial featuring Kevin Federline exposing Janet Jackson's boob at a dogfight.

The hysterical republican and media reaction to MoveOn's "Petraeus or Betray Us" ad truly illustrates how idiotic republicans want the discussion on Iraq to be. The fact that republicans had more to say about a newspaper ad — and that's all it was — than the content of the supposedly pivotal Petraeus testimony that was supposed to validate their failing, counter-productive surge/escalation "strategy" also illustrates how republicans have little interest in getting America out of the clusterfuck royale we call the Iraq war. It also cements the fact that republican hypocrisy is limitless, their priorities are whacked, and their only solution to the Iraq war is to stall and misdirect. They'd rather talk about a newspaper ad. [snip]

But neither democrats nor MoveOn need to apologize for or condemn anything. Not until republicans apologize for and condemn Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michelle Malkin, Bill O'Reilly, John Gibson, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, etc. etc. But lets start with Coulter. . .

Read all about it at: BraveNewFilms.com