Sharron Angle FAIL

This ad from Sharron Angle is laughable, coming from a woman who claims that jobs are not the responsibility of a US Senator. She doesn't say what she'd do to fix the problem--or what Harry Reid should have done. It's just an over-the-top, "Harry's bad" ad. Sorry, Sharron. Unless you'd tell us what you'd do differently (minus the crazy you usually put forth), I'm still voting for Harry.

Fact Checking JD Hayworth

J.D. Hayworth is a wack-a-doodle former Congressman from Arizona. He is also a right-wing radio host. Hayworth is running in the primary against former presidential contender, John McCain. It might have been an easy bet that anybody could beat McCain this go-around, considering that Republicans were always soft on their support for him, and blame him for our current state of Democratic rule.

But, Sarah Palin (R-Facebook) is stumping for McCain, so conservatives are pretty torn. But those same people who are so enamored with Palin are also nutty enough to embrace Hayworth. . .who is nutty indeed. Recently, he made a false claim about Massachusetts' gay rights law, and also implied that gay marriage could lead to equine matrimony. That's marriage to horses. Mmmmmkay. So you've got nutters who are very torn. Recently, Hayworth appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show, and was taken to task for his statements. Rather than put you through that interview, here instead is the aftermath.

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Newt Gingrich Worried About Tea-Baggers' Plans

Image from source, Politico

For a while, the GOP faithful were getting jazzed about their chances in the 2010 elections and beyond. They've been pretty open about rooting for President Obama's and the Democratic Congress' to fail, so that their waning popularity could usher in a new conservative age. But increasingly, with their slate of cartoon characters (Palin, Huckabee, et. al), and the prominence of the tea bagging fringe, their chances don't look too promising.

I'm not 100% thrilled with the state of politics today, either. There are things Obama and the Democrats have done (or not done) that make me unhappy. Democrats seem to lose their will to be Democrats once they have power. They come off as too wimpy, too eager to please right wingers. From my perspective, the right wingers aren't going to be happy no matter what Democrats do, so ignore them, and do what you promised! Still, my unhappiness doesn't change my will to vote, and to vote Democratic. No way am I going to help vote Republicans back into power. My memory isn't that short.

[Excerpt]

Newt Gingrich warns of 'destructive' GOP primaries

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich predicted disaster for his party if the conservative wing of the GOP continues to field independent candidates to the right of the party’s nominee. . .

Read more at: Politico

News to No One: Sarah Palin Gives Underwhelming Speech

Image from source, Think Progress

Full disclosure: I have a headache, and researching blog topics is hurting mightily. So, while this post may seem to some like a cheap shot (Palin bashing again?), it'll have to do. Plus, the picture is hilarious. Ouch. I may be back later if I can find a Tylenol 3 or something. . .

[Excerpt]

Palin gives a lackluster speech in Wisconsin, frequently uses ‘bogus’ or ‘awesome’ to discuss weighty topics.

During the summer’s debate over health care reform, right-wing activists and lawmakers latched onto former Alaska governor Sarah Palin’s false claim that President Obama and congressional Democrats were proposing government “death panels” that would “pull the plug on grandma.” While Republican leaders largely abandoned this myth, Palin revived it on Friday during a speech at a Wisconsin Right to Life fundraising banquet. In her remarks, Palin “repeatedly suggested that liberal social policies could lead to de facto euthanasia.” The speech was closed to the press and audience members were not allowed to bring cell phones, cameras, or any recording devices, but a few reporters still managed to sneak in. Politico reports that Friday’s speech was less than inspiring. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Keifer Sutherland Reminds Us That 24 is Just TV

Photo from source, Huffington Post

What should be obvious to everybody, except maybe Rush Limbaugh, and his legion of wingnuts, 24 is just a show. Jack Bauer is a fictional character. US Foreign policy should not be set by the writers of an implausible--if vastly entertaining--TV program. Duh, right?

But Keifer Sutherland was still forced to spell all that out to a reporter, just in case somebody doesn't get it.

[Excerpt]

24's Kiefer Sutherland Insists On Distinction Between Television And Reality

". . .If your ethics in the military, in your training, is going to be counterminded by a one-hour weekly television show we've got a really big problem. . ."

Read more at: Huffington Post

Supreme Court to Consider Barack Obama's Citizenship

The ridiculous conspiracy theory about Barack Obama's citizenship will be brought up before the Supreme Court today, thanks to Justice Clarence Thomas. If the issue is actually brought before the court, the wingnuts will be thrilled. If it is not, they will be frothing mad. Here's hoping for the frothing. . .

[Excerpt]

SCOTUS: Clarence Thomas Asks Court To Consider Obama's Citizenship

In a highly unusual move, U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has asked his colleagues on the court to consider the request of an East Brunswick, N.J. attorney who has filed a lawsuit challenging President-elect Barack Obama’s status as a United States citizen. . .

Read more at: Joe.My.God

From Idea to the News: How a Conservative Meme Travels

Image from JayeSchlesinger

The route of political memes from the right seems to go like this lately:

- Arch political blogs like Free Republic ferret out what they think is a big story. Examples include the Bill Ayers or the ACORN stories.

- Right-wing talk radio is either simultaneous or immediately follows the bloggers, talking for three-hour stretches, daily, hammering the story.

- FOX "News" follows, or once again hits simultaneously, as there is cross-over with some of their hosts and guests.

- The story doesn't spread very far into the mainstream at first, beyond letters to the editor columns, and other political blogs. But if the story has legs, it begins to seep into the mainstream, which becomes unavoidable after. . .

- Eventually, the story makes it into actual conservative politicians' quotes, sometimes all the way to the top. In today's world, that means John McCain's campaign.

So a segment of the population that used to be decidedly fringe, now have become sort of mainstream, though it usually takes a lot of effort from all of the above.

While I've seen this happen, I've missed a critical step. Today, I happened by (OK, trolled) the wing-nutty Free Republic site, in this case on the topic of a supposed "surge" of support for McCain in Pennsylvania. See, this is the new story they want to push, that a state that has voted for 20 years for Democrats is poised to switch to McCain.

But they can't let that just naturally happen. FReepers aren't like that. They fancy themselves as puppet masters, and to a degree, they are. It is a usual game for them to "FReep" a poll, to make their views seem more popular than they are. They've learned the old "perception is reality" tactic from Karl Rove. And here is a direct quote from their site, to try and affect public opinion in Pennsylvania and beyond. Check it out:

"Freepers! Google the topic 'Pennsylvania Newspapers' and go throught [sic] he list and start posting in forums. Put tons of links to stories posted here."

So next time you think that public opinion is swinging to an unlikely place, don't be so sure.

Source: FreeRepublic

Here's Why I'm a Liberal Blogger, by Default

I'm just sayin'. . .

[Excerpt]

What's new: Limbaugh is No. 1 with right-wing bloggers

Right Wing News -- Limbaugh is tops among "right-of-center" bloggers: Asked to select their "favorite people on the right," representatives of 50 right-of-center blogs put the top five in this order:

1: Radio host Rush Limbaugh.
2: Commentator/writer Ann Coulter.
3: Blogger/commentator Michelle Malkin.
4: Commentator/author Mark Steyn.
5: Former House speaker Newt Gingrich.

Source: USAToday.com

Michael Savage Has a Mental Disorder

Photo from dKosopedia.com

I haven't yet said (at least I don't think I have) anything about Michael Savage on my blog to date. But it must be said that out of all of the far-right-wing crazies out there (now masquerading as mainstream), he's the wing-nuttiest. Michael Weiner (his legal name) is hands down the craziest, possibly most dangerous of the right-wing talkers on radio. He's second or third in the overall ratings for talk radio, and he's absolutely certifiable. Don't believe me? Read on. . .

[Excerpt]

Savage: "You're telling me there's no possibility of a conspiracy by the Democrats" to cause Roberts' seizure?

On the July 30 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Michael Savage reacted to news that Chief Justice John Roberts had suffered a seizure that day by raising the possibility that "his health was in some way tampered with by the Democrats." Savage said, "Something's wrong with this picture," after noting that Roberts' seizure occurred just three days after Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) said he would seek in general to reject any future Supreme Court nomination made by President Bush. Schumer told the American Constitution Society (ACS) in a July 27 speech: "I will recommend to my colleagues that we should not confirm any Bush nominee to the Supreme Court except in extraordinary circumstances." Schumer said that, since the confirmation of Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, the court had come to represent "what a diminishing clique of conservative ideologues wish for.

Savage asked, "Am I to believe there's no connection between Charles Schumer on Friday saying he would never appoint, or never, excuse me, approve another Bush appointment to the court, to any court? And then the chief justice suffers a so-called seizure two days later? You're telling me there's no possibility of a conspiracy by the Democrats to have caused this seizure in some manner?" He added: "Tell me it's not possible, and I'll tell you you're a liar.""

To read more (and listen to audio, if you have the stomach for it), go to: MediaMatters.org