Lawrence O'Donnell Rewrites Kentucky's "Noah's Ark" Theme Park

Who knew there were cranes in Noah's day? Image from Inquisitr.

Oh, this is good. As an atheist, it's not often you get something this good from a religious person. And Lawrence O'Donnell is a good (though perhaps not devout) Catholic. Like me, he has a few problems with some of the Bible's wackier stories, notably the one about Noah's Ark.

The Noah story figured prominently in my slide into atheism. In my confirmation classes, it was clear that everyone around me took Genesis, up to that point, as literal truth. I was having enough trouble with that, but Noah's Ark? Plot holes you can drive an ocean liner through. It cannot be taken as a literal story, unless one is a child, one hasn't really thought about the story since he was a child, or with an economy-sized tub of faith spackle.

So anyway, they're building a theme park in Kentucky, based around the Noah story, complete with a "replica" of the ark. Kentucky is apparently going to give this entirely religious production millions of dollars worth of tax credits. To a heathen like me, this is very irritating. So, I was relieved to find Lawrence on my side. And his piece is also quite entertaining. Especially his pronunciation of "Ark Park."
 

So, Finally, Here's What Happened to Lawrence O'Donnell

Image from The Daily Beast

If you follow any particular news/entertainment programs on either radio or television (which is easier to do if you're a conservative fan of such programming, than if you're a liberal), you may be accustomed to programming changes with little explanation. Again, this may happen more to liberals like me whose hosts don't have a rock-solid perch (like say a Rush Limbaugh). Anyway, when something happens, the host is gone, or the format changes, news about what happened is somehow always shrouded in mystery. When radio host Randi Rhodes was mysteriously off the air (two or three times), the only way to get any information was online, and then it was sparse and untrustworthy.

So, when Lawrence O'Donnell, host of The Last Word on MSNBC, suddenly wasn't on the air, it was no surprise that details were few. We were told he'd been in a crash with his brother in a foreign country, and that he was convalescing. That was it, there was no more information. I haven't looked, but I'm sure there were online conspiracy theories on both sides about what happened. That's just par for the course.

On Thursday, Lawrence appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show to announce his return this coming Monday. And now, we have an account of where he was and what happened. It's actually a harrowing, yet interesting story.

[Excerpt]

The Crash and Churn of Lawrence O’Donnell

“What a stupid way to die,” Lawrence O’Donnell thought to himself. A split-second earlier, the host of MSNBC’s 10 p.m. program, The Last Word, had been gazing down at a map on his iPhone, following the progress of his taxi, a Chevy van, as he and his older brother Michael rode to dinner on the resort island of Tortola. It was around 7:45 p.m., Saturday, April 12, the start of what promised to be a lovely vacation in the British Virgin Islands with his big brother, a Boston lawyer. . .

Read more at: The Daily Beast

Lawrence O'Donnell Updates Recovery

Lawrence O'Donnell and his brother were in a serious taxi accident a few weeks ago, while out of the country. Beyond that, and that he and his brother were recuperating, there was very little news. On Wednesday night, Lawrence called into his own show--currently being hosted by Ari Melber--to give viewers an update. Sounding snarky and in good spirits, he relayed that he'd be out until sometime in June, that he's not enjoying physical therapy, and that he'd broken a hip.

 

What Happens in Vegas: Did Greenlee Gazette Influence Policy at MSNBC?

This could have been a coincidence, sure. But was it? After watching The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell on Wednesday night, I tweeted the following:

Pundits! It's pronounced ADD-el-son, not AID-el-son. I can't stand #SheldonAdelson either, but wow, get the name right. @Lawrence
— James L. Greenlee (@GreenleeGazette) March 26, 2014

I tweeted it to Lawrence, because he and his guests pronounced Las Vegas' elderly casino mogul Sheldon Adelson's name wrong over and over again. My tweet looks a little snotty to me now, though that wasn't my intention. It's just that the Adelson name is so well known here, and every time I've heard it on cable news, it's been said incorrectly.

Then a funny thing happened. Thursday and thereafter, every MSNBC host and most guests I've heard, have said ADD-el-son instead of the incorrect AID-el-son. And I had to wonder (much as I did when I think I helped change Wonder Woman's logo back in the day), did my tweet change MSNBC policy?

Lawrence O'Donnell on "The Handshake Seen Around the World"

Lawrence addresses the ludicrous non-troversy of President Obama shaking Raul Castro's hand during Nelson Mandela's funeral. And he shows a goodly number of other presidents and officials essentially doing the same thing. Can no one on the right do a little research before having a knee-jerk reaction?
 

Rand Paul's Plagiarism Charges Continue

Most of the responses I've seen from the right on Sen. Rand Paul's numerous plagiarism charges have been either attempts to shrug them off as "nothing," or they have been to attack the messenger. The messenger in this case was Rachel Maddow, and right-wing attacks on her usually amount to plays on her name ("Mad Cow"), and homophobic slurs. They're just so clever.

But plagiarism is not a frivolous, "nothing" charge. And this wasn't one speech, or even a series of them. It's cropping up in Paul's writings in many, many places.

 

A Little Fun at Ted Cruz's Expense

I've already shown you Right Wing World's reaction to Ted Cruz's Senate fauxlibuster. I showed you why it's pointless. And here are are couple of people having a really good time with the whole thing:

 

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Lawrence O'Donnell to Anthony Weiner: "What is Wrong With You?"

Did you watch The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell on Monday night? If you didn't, I've got to tell you, you missed probably the most interesting live interview you're likely to see all year. It was riveting, but at the same time repelling. It was uncomfortably awkward, but I couldn't turn away. And I had food on the grill! Suffice it to say, Lawrence wrung all the drama that was left out of Anthony Weiner's failed mayoral campaign, and Weiner--who I'd have felt for, before he proved to be such a douchenozzle--didn't come off so well. You could argue that Lawrence didn't come off well either, but I really think he accomplished exactly what he set out to do.

[Excerpt]

‘What is wrong with you?’ Weiner answers O’Donnell

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Democratic NYC mayoral candidate joined MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell for his last television interview the night before the Democratic primary election. O’Donnell had one big question for him, asking the disgraced former congressman, “What is wrong with you? . .”

Read more at: The Last Word


And if you just didn't get enough from that clip, here's the web exclusive:
 

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School Gunman Stopped by Unarmed (Awesome) Woman

This is a pretty awesome story! An unlikely happy ending to a tense and awful situation. Due to some quick thinking, and a genuinely warm manner, this lady helped save the day, and very probably several lives, maybe even her own. And she didn't need a gun to do it.

[Excerpt]


Nice Time: Good Guy With A Calm Voice Stops A Bad Guy With A Gun



 Here’s an actual hero: Antoinette Tuff, a clerk at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in Decatur, Georgia, who talked Michael Brandon Hill into laying down his semiautomatic rifle and abandoning his plan to commit suicide by cop yesterday. Hill had come to the school expecting to shoot up the school and then to die in a shootout with police; instead, Tuff talked to him for an hour while teachers, staff, and 870 children waited in the locked-down building. . .

Read more at: Wonkette

And in case you want to see a little more on the story, here's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell's take, which is pretty awesome too.

 

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The Real IRS Scandal Now is in a Lawsuit

When FOX "News" (and the rest of Right Wing World) believes they have a good scandal for the Obama Administration, they won't let it go, even when it fizzles out ("Benghazi!!!" anyone?). This isn't surprising when you realize that they still believe all kinds of debunked information. So, it is predictable that they're still harping on the "IRS Scandal," you know where conservative groups were "targeted," but it turns out it wasn't just conservative groups? And that no conservative groups were denied, but some liberal groups were denied? That one.

There is a scandal in there, but it's not the one they wanted it to be. The real scandal may not even be known to typical FOX viewers. It's that 501(c)(4) organizations "operated exclusively for the promotion of 'social welfare', such as civics and civics issues," etc. A huge chunk of these groups, be they conservative or liberal do not meet that definition. Like at all. In fact, it has been laughable how political many of the groups are. Finally. . . .FINALLY. . .somebody is trying to do something about it.

[Excerpt]

The ‘real IRS scandal’: Now, a lawsuit

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Rep. Chris Van Hollen is preparing to file a lawsuit in federal district court challenging the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service over the agency’s interpretation of the 501(c)(4) law that determines tax-exempt status for social welfare organizations. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

Mitt Romney Claims He Didn't Make "47%" Comment

By now, we're not surprised by a politician who denies saying what he plainly said. Meet the Press not to mention The Daily Show have long made hay pulling old speeches out to prove a candidate is wrong or has lied. But when the statement in question is one of the most glaring, most obvious pivot points of the race? What point is there in lying about it now? I mean, I know that Mitt Romney had a truth-telling problem (especially for a Mormon), but this one really takes the cake.
 

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Sign Lawrence O'Donnell's Petition to Restore IRS "Exclusivity" 501(c)(4) Language

I'm on board with this. No way, no how should the IRS in 1959 have decided to interpret a Congressional law saying "exclusively" as "primarily." Of course, no way, no how should "primarily" be so difficult to figure out. Tea Party groups are primarily political, not primarily public welfare organizations. Full stop. Same with "Occupy"-type groups of course. But there would be no ambiguity whatsoever if the "exclusive" language was restored, or rather just followed.

[Excerpt]

Lawrence O’Donnell urges viewers to sign IRS petition on White House website

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A new report on the handling of applications for 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status rewrites presumptions made by House Speaker John Boehner and Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa on the so-called IRS “scandal.” In recent weeks, both had suggested there was criminal activity involved in the targeting of Tea Party groups, possibly extending all the way to the White House. . .

Read more at: The Last Word

Lawrence O'Donnell Rewrites Rudy Giuliani's Take on National Security

There are certain people who should have no credible say on politics or national security. They include almost anyone from the George W. Bush administration, and Rudolph Giuliani. And yet, they keep popping up like bad pennies. Here's Rudy, lisping Sylvester the cat impersonator, traipsing through the Boston Marathon bombing area, trying to pretend like he's some kind of anti-terrorism expert. He failed. Rather spectacularly. He was lauded at the time, despite his failings. Will history correct the record? With the help of Lawrence O'Donnell, maybe we'll get it right.

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Chris Christie Buries Special Election on a Wednesday in October

Image from ABCNews

When Senator Frank Lautenberg died this week, Chris Christie, the New Jersey Governer was on the hotseat to nominate a successor. Christie is currently doing a tightrope dance (tricky for anyone, but him?) with his image, both trying to be his brash, gruff self to some people, and a cuddly teddy bear to others. He clearly has Presidential aspirations, and he has to be weighing every decision he makes. So, rather than appoint a Senator, he's going to have it put to a vote. But not in just any election. That could be risky for a number of reasons. So, he's burying the vote in a special election (which costs millions) just a couple of weeks ahead of the real election. Some critics are understandably interpreting this move as bald fear on Christie's part. Which is amusing for lots of reasons.  I couldn't decide which of these clips would irritate Christie worse, so I'm running them both. First, Rachel Maddow accuses Christie of being a wussy. Then Lawrence O'Donnell does. They're both highly entertaining.

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Lawrence O'Donnell Points Out (Again) The REAL IRS Scandal

I might be getting a little too repeaty with my Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell posts, but this subject bears repeating, and needs to be spread far and wide. The real IRS scandal is the fact that these Tea Party groups were accepted for their tax exempt status in the first place, not the fact that they were investigated (and should have been).

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Lawrence O'Donnell on Selling Guns to Children

Earlier, I wrote a post about the company that sells "Cricket" and "Chipmunk" guns--real guns--to children. I think it's a pretty good post, but I have to hand it to a pro like Lawrence O'Donnell. There's a reason he has a television show, and I have a humble little blog. Check him out.

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Lawrence O'Donnell Proves Ron and Rand Paul to be Liars

Great segment from The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell from Tuesday night's MSNBC show. Not only does the host prove explicitly that Ron and Rand Paul are liars, he points out that they're not actually very good examples of libertarianism.

 

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Lawrence O'Donnell Rewrites O'Reilly vs. Limbaugh

I don't usually post two clips from the same show in a row, but this one is too sweet to resist. And yes, we're still on the gay marriage subject. Don't worry, there will be other topics soon, and this one will back-burner until June. Probably. Anyway, enjoy this terrifically enjoyable dressing down of both Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh. Who apparently hate each other!

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On The Alleged Biblically Ordained "One Man, One Woman Marriage"

From The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell comes this deliciously entertaining rip on conservatives, and their desperate attempt to claim that "one man/one woman marriage" is Biblically ordained. Forget that what the Bible says should be utterly irrelevant as it pertains to civil law, and civil marriage. The problem is, such a thing is not made clear within the Bible. Certainly not in The Ten Commandments as doofus Texas Governor Rick Perry states. In fact, the Bible is chock-a-block with appalling examples of marriage, not to mention polygamy and the like. Adam and Eve (genetically clones, raising all sorts of gender questions) aren't depicted having a wedding, and they had to have spawned incestuous kids, and/or spawned with them. Anyway, Lawrence does a fine job pointing all of this out.

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Sarah Palin: Comedienne

Iconic imagery from Twitchy

You know, everyone has to have a special talent, we've just long misjudged what Sarah Palin's is. Her political acumen rather sucks. Her extemporaneous responses are terrible. She's not particularly good at keeping her cool, or managing family scandals. But she is an excellent performer. We made a lot of fun of her mastery of the "pageant answer," the art of responding without exactly answering a question. And her word salad speeches are legendary. But this woman knows how to play to an audience, and more than that, to her specific audience.

In this "greatest hits" montage from Palin's CPAC performance, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell really displays her abilities. Her jokes aren't particularly good, but her delivery is, and her knowledge that these jokes will thrill this crowd. It's really a special kind of talent (though I don't doubt she had help), to wring "humor" out of the tired subjects that right wing world likes to rage about. She even made Mayor Bloomberg's soda ban part of her double-barreled assault on liberals, even though Bloomberg isn't a liberal! Even her sips of soda were well timed. Don't get me wrong, I still think she's a clod and a simpleton, but she does have talent.

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Where right-wing world went wrong in their lionization of Palin is in their misguided notion that what they see in her translates to a general audience. It doesn't. The "sly" reference to Obama's citizenship is only funny to this small slice of the electorate that actually believes there's something to that. The mean-spirited jabs are only comedy gold to the mean-spirited right.

It will be interested to see how much further Sister Sarah can drag out this peculiar and limited brand of celebrity.