The New York Times Rush Limbaugh Interview

Image from source, New York Times

Whether you love Rush Limbaugh or loathe him (I'd land pretty squarely in the latter category), the New York Times interview piece on him is a fascinating read. It's got a fairly straightforward approach--not too deferential, not overly complimentary--but it misses a big point. That being, Limbaugh has no respect for his listeners.

His fans think that his "dittohead" moniker for them, and many comments about them being "mindless slaves" are all in good humor. I think he means it. Why? Because even a brief listen to his show (or early morning updates) betray his tactics. He seems to start with a conclusion, and wrap a story around it. Gas prices are high? It's the Democrats' fault! And here's why. . .

If you are knowledgeable about whatever topic he is deconstructing, you can almost always find several places where he's deliberately misleading his audience, even outright lying. It is impossible for him to have any respect for his audience when he's expecting them to swallow a line of b.s., and believe it to be truth.

I know, I know, where are your examples, Mr. Greenlee? Transcripts, please? Sorry. Too much time spent blogging to go on a Google hunt right now. But I've got ears and I've got a brain. Examples are plentiful. Try MediaMatters.org for countless examples--with transcripts. If that isn't good enough, drop me a line, and I'll dig something up later, 'K? Thanks.

[Excerpt]

Late-Period Limbaugh

. . .I had come to talk to Limbaugh about his role in Republican Party politics. During the primaries he assailed John McCain as a phony conservative and apostate Reaganite. Despite Limbaugh’s best efforts, it now appeared that the Arizona senator would be the nominee. There was speculation that Limbaugh would not support him in November. . .

Read more at: New York Times

Monkey News: Crazy Chimp on the Loose in LA

Photo from source, Asylum

This post is especially for friend and contributor, Stupid Monkey Planet, who has something of a monkey news fetish. And before you write me a comment, yes I know that chimpanzees are not technically monkeys. But colloquially, they are, so just chill out, OK?

That said, this looks like a pretty wicked chimp, so if you live in LA, watch out! And wear a cup. . .

[Excerpt]






Paranoia Alert -- Chimp on the Loose, May Attack Your Boys

You might think all chimps are lovable third basemen that room with the guy from "Friends." But you'd be wrong -- some chimps have been known to rip off human testicles. That's right, peeling the gooseberries. . .

Read more at: Asylum

People Would Rather Barbecue with Barack Obama

Photo from source, Wonkette

OK, I confess. I'm posting this bit from Wonkette almost exclusively for the photo. I mean damn! But it is interesting that people would rather have a barbecue with Barack Obama than with John McCain. Especially with the old "great guy to have a beer with" attitude that America used to have for (reformed alcoholic) George W. Bush.

[Excerpt]

Nobody Wants To Have Barbecue With John McCain

Even though WALNUTS! has the most tantalizing dry-rub recipe this side of Rudolph Valentino, an overwhelming majority of Americans would rather enjoy a tasty side of Barack Obama this summer. . .

Read more at: Wonkette

News of the Weird: Woman Trades Sex for Gasoline

Image from source, Raw Story

And gas has only passed $4 in the last few weeks (if you can believe it). Imagine the things we're going to start hearing if it hits $5, $6 or even $7 as some have predicted. Will we be living a real-life version of Mad Max?

[Excerpt]

Woman exchanges sex for gasoline

A Kentucky woman was arrested Friday on suspicion of selling her body for a $100 gas card.

"When people are selling their bodies for gas, that's pretty sad," said Kenton County chief prosecutor Ken Easterling. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Rachel Maddow on Countdown: Bushed!

MSNBC's rising star, Rachel Maddow again guest hosted Countdown with Keith Olbermann tonight, and did a terrific job. Check out her take on the regular segment, Bushed!

Young Turks: FOX "News" Alters Reporters' Photos?

I've caught several of the shows in the FOX "News" lineup, but I've never seen--in fact have never been interested in seeing--the oddly named FOX & Friends. Apparently, it is their morning show, and if what I've read in the blogosphere is correct, it's a pretty worthless show, even by FOX's rather loose standards.

But there's worthless, and then there is completely unprofessional. Some reporters out there wrote an unflattering news story about FOX "News" (shocking!), and so the F&F show wants to make them look bad. Petty, but OK. But then they drastically alter the photos of the reporters--without acknowledging that fact--and pass them off as real? Is there such a thing as fake fake news?

Jonah Goldberg, Patriotism and Nationalism

I've written in the past about author (and frequent FOX "News" guest) Jonah Goldberg, and his strained notions of patriotism. And during this Presidential campaign, the topic has arisen many, many times. But with Goldberg, FOX "News," and often times among the general public, patriotism is being confused with nationalism.

When Sean Hannity blathers on (for the umpteenth time) about Michelle Obama calling America "a mean country," or not being proud of her country, he's implying that saying such things is not patriotic. As though America is never mean. As though one must be constantly proud of America to love it.

Hannity is not the only one of course, but he is a consistant espouser of nationalism dressed up as patriotism. And it's time people recognized the difference. This article does a good job of explaining it, if you are unsure yourself.

[Excerpt]

The Far-Right's Patriotism Problem

. . .For a people to be controlled, they must first be robbed of honest discourse and open debate. Distorting language and stripping it of real and honest meaning is the first tool and the best mechanism for transforming a democracy into an authoritarian state. An informed populace is a dangerous populace. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Top 10 Awesomely Bad Bush Moments

Photo from Think Progress

Top 10 lists are always subjective, and usually have little to offer beyond some mild entertainment value. But a list like this serves to remind us of just how unbelievably bad the George W. Bush Presidency has been. There have been so many bad moments (see Countdown with Keith Olbermann's "Bushed!" segments), it can be difficult to remember them all.

So, historically speaking, this Top 10 list does serve a function. Though a Top 100 list may have been just as easy to write. Check it out.

[Excerpt]

The 10 Most Awesomely Bad Moments of the Bush Presidency

In a lot of ways, choosing the Bush administration's 10 greatest moments -- disastrous failures, all -- is about as pointless as picking out your 10 least favorite hemorrhoids: There are entirely too many of them, and taken together they all add up to a throbbing mass of pain. But unfortunately, history demands that we at least make the effort so that future generations will understand why we perform voodoo rituals cursing Bush's memory before we go to bed every night. . .

Read more at: AlterNet

Hat-tip to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link.

Larry Craig & David Vitter: Marriage Poster Boys

OK, now this is funny. . .



Source: Jesus' General

Red State Update: Guns (An Editorial)

In my continuing effort to lighten the hell up around here (while maintaining a focus on politics and news), here's another installment of Red State Update, commenting on the recent Supreme Court gun decision. . .

New Barack Obama Ad: Dignity

It's pretty good. But will it convince all of those e-mail hoax believers? Maybe if someone sends it to them in an e-mail, with a request to send this to all of your friends!

What a Great Idea: Guns in Atlanta Airport!

UPDATE 08-03-08: This post has garnered a lot of hits lately. If you're reading this would you mind dropping me a comment as to what you were searching for when you found it? I'm just curious. Thanks!

Image from Open Clip Art

I mean seriously, what could go wrong?

I have very little problem with law-abiding citizens owning guns. I grew up around them, learned how to shoot and respect them at a young age, heck, I even loaded shotgun shells for Dad. They were always part of our household, and they were never, never toyed with.

But somebody please tell me, what is this passion people have for guns? I understand wanting them for protection, and for sport. But when it comes to the 2nd Amendment, some people treat it like religion. And, OK, if that's your thing, go to it. Just explain to me why the 2nd Amendment brings out such fervor, while violations of the first, fourth and others don't even raise a peep?

And finally, since the Supreme Court says you now have an unfettered right to a gun, why aren't you happy? You want to carry them around everywhere, schools, bus depots, and now the airport? A place where every other Constitutional right is routinely tossed out the window?

[Excerpt]

Lawsuit Filed To Carry Weapons In Atlanta Airport

ATLANTA — The nation's busiest airport dueled with gun rights advocates Tuesday over whether a new Georgia state law allows visitors to carry firearms at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Bill Moyers: Iraq War WAS All About the Oil

Well, we kinda thought so, didn't we? I mean we know that the original reason George W. Bush gave us for going to war in Iraq wasn't true. And none of the umpteen subsequent reasons really worked either. And you have to admit, anyone connected to oil has made out like a bandit. So maybe, a more accurate answer would be, it was all for the money?

[Excerpt]

It Was Oil, All Along



Oh, no, they told us, Iraq isn't a war about oil. That's cynical and simplistic, they said. It's about terror and al-Qaeda and toppling a dictator and spreading democracy and protecting ourselves from weapons of mass destruction. But one by one, these concocted rationales went up in smoke, fire and ashes. And now the bottom line turns out to be ... the bottom line. It is about oil. . .

Read more at: Truth Out

Hat tip to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link.

Blogiversary: 13 Months! 2870+ Posts!

We're entering the second half of 2008 already, if you can believe it. And I've now completed the first month of my second year blogging. Statistics-wise, it was my second-best month, missing #1 by just 70 or so clicks (dang those 30-day months!).

Fortunately, the resolution of the Democratic primary a few weeks ago hasn't made the news stop. There have been more things to write about than I've had time to study! And I know that things have gotten a trifle heavy around here lately. Being primarily a political/news commentary blog, I'm at the mercy of what's going on, and it hasn't been very pretty. But I've tried to lighten it up with a heavy dollop of snark.

This month, I'll try to inject a little more fun into things. There have to be some lighter news items out there, and if not we'll plumb the depths of my pop-culture archives. Thanks for reading, and as always, bring your friends!

Car Sales Drop to 15-year Low

Image from source, Reuters

This really isn't a shock, is it? I mean, the big automakers have been pushing big SUVs and big cars for an awfully long time. Long after the writing was on the wall, they still don't have a lot of little cars in their lineups.

The Other Half and I were just talking about this recently. What do the CEOs of these companies do to earn their big fat bonuses? Is there no contingency plan for changes in the economy or oil supply (or both, like we're dealing with now)? This has happened before, but it would seem that they've kept with the plan that people would keep wanting big cars and trucks. Not so smart.

[Excerpt]

U.S. auto sales hit 15-year low

U.S. auto sales plunged in June to a 15-year low, but a month-end clearance sale helped General Motors Corp (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) retain its No. 1 spot and steer clear of the wipeout many had feared, sending its shares higher. . .

Read more at: Reuters

Bloggers Beware: Big Media is Watching

I operate this blog like many other bloggers do. I find interesting stories, I write my thoughts on the issue, copy and paste the headline and a snippet of the article, and usually a picture--all attributed, and linked to the original source. I try to go a step further, and put quite a bit of thought into my own commentary. I make an honest attempt to make the posts largely my own, and then give the reader the opportunity to read what inspired me to post it.

It's all rather quid pro quo, as far as I'm concerned. I get something interesting to put on my blog, the original authors get more eyeballs on their work. I myself have been excerpted on other blogs and consider it to be quite a compliment.

But not everybody feels that way. The bigger content providers--AP for one, but not only them--are cracking down on the practice. And they're even making their own rules apart from existing "fair use" laws. This will severely inhibit a lot of bloggers, will reduce traffic on the very sites that are crying foul, and has the potential to turn many blogs into boring news aggregators like The Drudge Report. Ugh. Stay tuned.

[Excerpt]

Bloggers: Big Media Is Watching

The Associated Press unleashed a firestorm in the blogosphere earlier this month when it demanded that a political site take down AP content it said violated copyrights. Bloggers, including Michael Arrington of TechCrunch.com and Markos Moulitas of Daily Kos, cried foul, saying the AP's move threatened the free flow of information over the Web. The furor abated a few days later when the AP tempered its demands. . .

Read more at: Business Week

Stand With Christopher Dodd Against Telecom Immunity

It's a shame that someone like Senator Christopher Dodd never really had a shot at the Presidency. While I'm eager to see Barack Obama become President--and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt about his FISA bill stance--Dodd is one of the few Senators out there actively trying to beat this thing.

If you feel like I do, join him in his fight to head this thing off. It may be futile, but you'll feel a little better.

[From Christopher Dodd's call to action letter]

For the last nine months, when retroactive immunity has surfaced, we have been able to delay its passage.

We were able to stop it in December because I had an army behind me.

Two months later, it stalled again -- this time in the House.And last week, we managed to delay action one last time.

But when the Senate returns from the July 4th recess, we will vote on FISA legislation that includes retroactive immunity for telecom companies that may have illegally helped the Bush administration spy without warrant.

It's a bad bill and we need action to stop retroactive immunity from becoming law. I've introduced an amendment with Senator Feingold to strip immunity from the bill. This amendment has the support of Majority Leader Reid and Senator Obama, but it needs 51 votes to pass.

Will you sign on as a citizen co-sponsor of our amendment?

Sign on now!

Together, we can prevent this assault on our Constitution. Let's do it one more time. With your help, we can stop the further erosion of the rule of law.

We'll be in touch soon.

Chris Dodd

Editor Marks 13-Month Anniversary by Taking Day Off!

Actually, that's not true, not exactly. I'll probably have time to put one or two things up before the end of the day. But it's going to be light, due to dinner plans. I'll be back after that to get some stuff up for the morning. In the meantime, please enjoy this little bit of frivolity. . .

Life comes at you pretty fast. . .

Homophobia Humor: Track Star Tyson Gay?

Image from source, Joe. My. God.

Homophobia can be hilarious. Don't believe me? Well this story has to do with a "news" organization that has banned the word "gay." You see, they think that gay people are sad, pathetic individuals, and that the word "gay" is a misnomer. So, they substitute the clinical word "homosexual" every time the word appears.

That is silly, but whatever, right? The humor comes in when you have a story featuring an Olympic track star named. . .get ready for it. . .Tyson Gay. Naturally, poor Tyson is now named Tyson Homosexual. Oh, those silly fundies. . .

[Excerpt]

Tyson Homosexual

OneNewsNow, the "Christian news service" covertly owned by the AFA, receives syndicated content from providers like the Associated Press and edits instances of the word "gay" to read "homosexual." Although the site is registered to the conservative, anti-gay organization, the fact is not disclosed anywhere on the site. . .

Read more at: Joe. My. God. Warning: Some images may Not be Safe For Work (NSFW).

George W. Bush's Balloon Has Yet to Land

Image from source, Think Progress

And his infamous bubble just will not pop. For years, George W. Bush's critics have alleged that he lives in a bubble, insulated from unpleasant facts. And now, after languishing in the polls for many, many months, it would appear that the bubble is still intact.

There are things you don't tell Grandma. Certain things might upset her, and it's best just to let her believe that everything is fine. But the President?

[Excerpt]

White House: Polls are flawed, Bush sees a ’shift in attitudes’ toward him.

When he travels around the country, Bush feels less “antipathy” than he used to in the crowds, along the motorcade routes, and expressed by the individuals who talk to him at his events. “He feels there has been a shift in attitudes out there that’s not reflected in polling data,” the aide says. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

For a little reality on the situation, check this out. This is a list of the various polls (even the very much in the tank FOX "News") from the last four months. The very highest approval rating in the whole list is 35%. The highest disapproval rating is a whopping 73%.

Source: PollingPoint.com