Celebrity Women for Obama (MoveOn Ad)

Scarlett Johansson, Eva Longoria, and Kerry Washington are here to tell women why they should not vote for Mitt Romney, and why they should vote for President Barack Obama. Gotta say, I agree.

Ann Coulter Blames Obama "Hitler" Signs on Liberals

The funniest thing about this video to me is that Ann Coulter believes there are whack-job "outliers" in the tea party movement, or that the nuttiest of the fringe are liberals in disguise. How would one be able to tell the difference between a "mainstream" or a "fringe" tea bagger, exactly?

The other noteworthy thing about this video, is that President Obama is clearly pointing out the inherent WTF? things about the tea bagger movement, in this case the Hitler imagery as it pertains to health care reform. It makes about as much sense as the "Socialism" signs with Obama as The Joker. Again, WTF?

George H.W. Bush ALSO Asked for Input from Kids

I'm sure that in the next day or so after President Obama addresses the school children, this bizarre controversy over it will dissipate. But it bears repeating that not only have other Presidents done similar speeches, they've also done the very things that the right wing is now so upset about. Watch.

Newsflash: George H.W. Bush Spoke to the School Children

The crazy idea of the President of the United States of America addressing the nation's school children still has people in a lather. But like every other ridiculous controversy this year, there is little thinking involved. As I posted earlier, Ronald Reagan, patron saint of the Republican Party not only addressed school kids, his really was a political message. George W. Bush was in a classroom on the morning of September 11, 2001, for goodness' sake, in one of his many embarrassing moments.

I'm not sure if Bill Clinton addressed kids in this way, but I wouldn't be surprised. One thing is for sure, George H.W. Bush did, and it's on his official Presidential Library web site. So, when you hear some wingnut say that this sort of thing is unheard of, link them to the following:

[Excerpt]

Remarks to Students and Faculty at Alice Deal Junior High School (1991-10-01)

Thank you, Ms. Mostoller, and thanks for allowing me to visit your classroom to talk to you and all these students, and millions more in classrooms all across the country. (Ed: emphasis mine).

You know, long before I became President I was a parent. I remember the times that my kids came up with a really tough question or a difficult decision. I tried my best never to shut them down with a quick ``no.'' I would simply say those three magic words that made that problem disappear: ``Ask your Mother.'' [Laughter]

Let me tell you why I've made the trip up from the White House to Alice Deal Junior High. I'm not here to teach a lesson. You already have a very good teacher. I'm not here to tell you what to do or what to think. Maybe you're accustomed to adults talking about you and at you; well, today, I'm here to talk to you and challenge you. Education matters, and what you do today, and what you don't do can change your future. . .

Read more at: George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

Sheldon Whitehouse Urges Investigation of Bush Administration

Image from source, TPM Muckraker

Sheldon Whitehouse is always good for getting liberals like me all excited about actual justice for Bush Era crimes. If only he could get his colleagues to jump on board. While I sympathize about the potential media circus, and the political ramifications, some things just shouldn't be swept under the rug. What Bush has done, and what President Obama will end up giving precedent to is an utterly unaccountable Executive Branch. What could a President ever do again that would be worthy of investigation, let alone impeachment?

[Excerpt]

Whitehouse: Torture Probe Should Look At Bush Officials

. . .[I]n America, high office does not put one outside the law. Indeed, it borders on unethical for a prosecutor to refuse to investigate the corpus delicti of a crime because of concern as to where the evidence may lead. . .

Amen, brother.

Read more at: TPM Muckraker

How Obama Can Get Control of Health Care: Talk Down to Us

I'm watching a recording of last night's Real Time with Bill Maher. It is another "shake up the format" episode, where Bill has one-on-one interviews instead of a round-table. Which is fine, but it almost feels like the show ought to have a different name. Anyway, after the Jay-Z segment (surprisingly interesting, given that I'm not a rap music fan), Bill interviewed Bill Moyers, with the chief topic being health care.

Moyers was of the opinion (not that he's wrong) that President Obama hasn't been forceful enough, or clear enough with his health care reform message. Moyers thinks that Obama has been too wonky, and not talking in plain enough English for the American people to understand. He later says "we're not less intelligent than other people." Uh, as even Bill Maher would say, Americans are stupid. Or, to be less general, the stupid rise to the top.

I'm not sure what percentage of our population would fit into the stupid/willfully ignorant/intellectually incurious category. But whatever topic is being discussed--unless it's unusually one-sided, like our patriotism right after 9/11, and arguably then too--it is this category of dummies that seem to carry the banner for the "conventional wisdom" of the day. You know who understands this? FOX "News," Rush Limbaugh (et al.), and Republican politicians.

Look at how successful they've been lately, with health care reform. Democrats, understandably, are by-and-large for the idea. Being the party of we rather than me, of Constitutionally supporting the "general welfare." You know: helping people. But Republicans seem to be more of a "I got mine; you get yours. Or don't, I don't care" party. Definitely a party of me. And increasingly, they're a party of being viscerally against anything that comes from a Democrat, whether it is in their best interest or not.

So, when Rush Limbaugh spews forth the reason they are to be against something, they bite, whatever the bait is. That's why (unemployed) Sarah Palin was able to take a fake issue invented by a lesser-known conservative--death panels--and inflate it into a bona fide issue. The rhetoric keeps getting dumber and dumber. The protests and anger gets frothier and more mindless. So now we're at the point where the crowds of conservatives are little more than a pack of zombies in a George Romero movie. And those things never end well.

So maybe it's time to fight stupid with stupid. Maybe President Obama needs to start talking to us like second graders instead of adults. Democrats always try to talk to America like it is educated, rational and logical. BORING! We are not. We live in a culture where a comparison between the intelligence of Palin and Obama can actually be treated like apples-to-apples. Where Joe the Plumber can be raised to the level of political scientist. We like bullet points, sound bites, and catchy names.

So, Mr. President, enough with "public option" or "single payer." Too complicated. Talk to us more on the level of "fire bad, tree pretty." Death bad! Health good! Goodness knows the radio-talkers, FOX-bots and the GOP have no respect for the public, maybe you shouldn't either.