Stephen Colbert Up in Double Digits!

Photo from Wikipedia.org

Yes, it's a "joke" campaign, much like Pat Paulson, CC Goldwater and Stephanie Miller, and some might say Ralph Nader. But surprisingly, he's actually having an impact. Will "truthiness" win out? Go, Stephen Colbert!

[Excerpt]

Comedian Colbert Reaches Double Digits As Third-Party Candidate

Comedian Stephen Colbert is not a threat to win the presidency, but the odds are that that his satire will win plenty of laughs and maybe even some votes.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that Colbert is preferred by 13% of voters as an independent candidate challenging Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Rudy Giuliani. The survey was conducted shortly after Colbert’s surprise announcement that he is lusting for the Oval Office. . .

Read the whole story at: RasmussenReports.com

Penn & Teller Take On Frank Luntz

A while back, I posted an editorial on Frank Luntz, pretty much expressing my disdain for the man and his tactics. More and more, Luntz has become the FOX "News" go-to guy when it comes to polling, and in analyzing the latest campaign gaffe.

This past Sunday, he was running a polling group during the Republican Presidential debate. The group was seemingly stacked to get the results he wanted. FOX "News" desperately wants to steer it's sheeple away from Ron Paul. It's not working very well, but they're trying!

Anyway, now is an excellent time to show you a clip from Penn & Teller's Bullshit!, a debunking show on Showtime. In this clip, Penn & Teller (OK, just Penn) tells us exactly why we shouldn't trust Frank Luntz--or polls themselves for that matter.

Media Consolidation Plan Blocked

Media consolidation is, in my view, an enormously bad thing for America. Having just a few companies own the vast majority of the media causes a sameness to the news that is most disquieting. Think about it for a minute. If you turn on any of the cable news programs, from Hannity & Colmes, to Live with Dan Abrams, to The Situation Room, and you will see--for the most part--the same set of stories on any given day. Countdown with Keith Olbermann is alone in the wilderness, in reporting and commenting on news stories the others aren't touching. Kudos to Keith for carving out a niche.

But somehow, all the newspapers and news shows seem to agree on what is newsworthy, and very little else gets through. That, I believe, is because most of the media is controlled by 5 or 6 companies. And now the FCC is trying to loosen the rules to allow even more consolidation. Thankfully, a couple more Democratic Senators have found their cojones, and are trying to stop it.

[Excerpt]

US senators threaten to block media ownership plan

Two U.S. senators on Wednesday threatened to introduce bipartisan legislation that would block the U.S. Federal Communication Commission from acting quickly to ease rules governing media ownership.

Sens. Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, and Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican, said they were studying possible legislation that would nullify an FCC decision expected on Dec. 18.

"I would expect those of us who feel strongly that this is the wrong approach will attempt to find a way to block an action that we think is inappropriate," Dorgan told reporters at a press conference.

Read the whole story at: Reuters.com

41% Can't Name a GOP Candidate

Photo from source, RawStory.com

This is a story that rather surprised me. Apparently, there is a large group of Americans who have no idea who is running for President. . .at least on the Republican side. Only 19% couldn't name a Democratic candidate (and what rock are they living under?), while a whopping 41% can't come up with a Republican one.

This sounds like a good thing, but really, how disconnected is the American public anyway? I know I'm doing a political blog this year, so I'm more plugged in by default. But I'd like to think, had I never hit upon the idea to start this blog, that I'd still be a little more informed!

[Excerpt]

Poll: 41% of Americans unable to name any GOP candidates

. . .According to the Pew report, "The Republicans' disengagement, if not disillusionment, with the campaign is borne out by the fact that many more Republicans are able to recall unprompted the names of Democratic frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama than can name Rudy Giuliani and other leading GOP candidates."

Read the rest at: RawStory.com

Terrorist Watch List Troubles

Photo from source, VOANews.com

What good is a "Terror Watch List," if it grows to such proportions that it is impossible to "watch" all those on it? Like everything else to come out of this administration, it's a mess. A big useless mess.

[Excerpt]

Problems with US Terrorist Watch List Prompt Concerns

The terrorist watch list, compiled by U.S. intelligence agencies, is used by the U.S. government to bar individuals who pose a threat to national security from entering the country through land border crossings, airports and seaports.

But in a new report, the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, has found problems with the list. [snip]

The chairman of the Senate committee, Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, expressed concern about the growth of the terrorist watch list, which the GAO report says has grown from 158,000 in June 2004 to 860,000 today. . .

Read the story at: VOANews.com

Valerie Plame on Countdown with Keith Olbermann

Since the term "swiftboat" became a verb, there has never been person more a victim of swiftboating. Make that persons, as her husband was the actual target. What was done to Valerie Plame and Joseph Wilson was criminal, made worse by the fact that no one short of Scooter Libby is likely to be charged. And we know how that ended up.

Here's Valerie Plame's appearance on Tuesday night's Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

Books I Can't Wait to Read: Brotherhood of the Disappearing Pants

This book is sure to be a hoot. It's by the authors of Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O'Reilly, and Fair and Balanced My Ass. Both of those books are hysterical and informative, and with this particular target, they really can't miss.

The Brotherhood of the Disappearing Pants: A Field Guide to Conservative Sex Scandals by all rights should be a multi-volume set, and the way things are going, it one day will be. Thankfully, the authors have also started a website, which you can go to here.

NOTE: One of the authors will be on The Thomm Hartmann Show on Air America Radio Wednesday, October 24 at 2:00pm EST.

[Excerpt]

Author Rounds Up Conservative Sex Scandals

Sex scandals certainly aren’t anything new. Politicians and public figures have been canoodling since the beginning of time. The frequency and potency of sex scandals, however, seems to be on the rise.

No surprise, then, that it only took Joseph Minton Amann and Tom Breuer about six months to write The Brotherhood of the Disappearing Pants: A Field Guide To Conservative Sex Scandals. Why just conservative sex scandals? Says Amann, “Liberal scandals aren’t as fun. And, honestly, it doesn’t look like there are as many.”

Read the rest at: Queerty.com

More on Hannity and Ron Paul

Image captured from source, RawStory.com

I wrote my own story on this yesterday, but I thought I'd give you another take on it. And, I confess, I wanted to show the screen capture I got of the video included in the site.

I think it's particularly hilarious how he looks like Nathan Lane from the birdcage: "you know everything because you're a man, and I know nothing because I'm a woman!"

[Excerpt]

Hannity disses Ron Paul victory in Fox post-debate poll

Fox News host Sean Hannity dismissed a text messaging poll from his own network after presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) scored a decisive victory among television viewers of Sunday's Republican debate.

"You've got your Ron Paul folks out there, so I'm not a big believer in that particular poll," said Hannity after the results were announced. . .

Read the whole thing at: RawStory.com

Blackwater Pro Shop: Dress Like a Mercenary!

Have you ever wanted to dress like a mercenary? Now, not only can you look like a Blackwater contractor, you can dress your baby up too! Hat-tip to The Rachel Maddow Show for the idea. All photos are from the actual Blackwater ProShop website. Check it out.

More Faux Outrage: Obama and the National Anthem

They're at it again. The conservative punditry is all worked into a lather about Barack Obama not covering his heart during the National Anthem (or Pledge of Allegience, they keep going back and forth). I guess they got tired of talking about the flag pin. The funniest thing I've seen on the issue is a photo of Chimpy McFlightsuit trying to get the maneuver right. . .and failing as usual.

Photo from Newshounds.us, where you can also read a bit more about it.

Action Alert: Do Something About FISA Bill

I received the following letter today, and urge anyone reading this to take action.

Tell Your Senators: No Amnesty for AT&T and Verizon Lawbreaking

Democrats in the Senate appear to have caved again to the Bush administration's fearmongering tactics. This time, they've negotiated a 'compromise' fix to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) sought by Bush that grants full retroactive amnesty to the telecom giants for participation in his illegal program to spy on Americans.

But why amnesty? Bush wants retroactive immunity for the telecom companies to thwart civil liberties lawsuits that threaten to expose his own violations of the original FISA law. If these lawsuits aren't allowed to go forward, we may never know the extent of the Bush administration's illegal efforts to spy on American citizens without the required warrants.

Senator Rockefeller of West Virginia -- flush with new contributions from telecom company executives -- has pushed a draft bill through the Senate Intelligence committee. But Senator Dodd of Connecticut has courageously stood up and requested a "hold" on this bill until the retroactive immunity is taken out.

Regrettably, though, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid does not seem ready to respect the Senate's tradition of honoring another Senator's "hold," so Senator Dodd may be forced to actually filibuster the bill. To show support for Senator Dodd on this issue, all of our senators need to hear that we support him in resisting retroactive immunity for violations of our constitutional rights.

Thank you for working to build a better world.

Will Easton, Manager
ActForChange.com/Working Assets

White House Cut Deal on FISA

This story is getting interesting. So the White House cut a deal with the Senate Intelligence Committee to pass a FISA bill, along with immunity for the telecommunications companies? And they didn't let the Judiciary committee in on the details? Hmmm.

It will be interesting to see if the White House cuts the same deal with the Judiciary, or if they have to come up with a new strategy. I guess it depends on if that whole wire-tapping dealie had scooped up some intel on the Intelligence members, eh?

[Excerpt]

Senators Say White House Cut Deal With Panel on FISA

Senate Judiciary Committee members yesterday angrily accused the White House of allowing the Senate Intelligence Committee to review documents on its warrantless surveillance program in return for agreeing that telecommunications companies should get immunity from lawsuits.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), the ranking Republican, said any such agreement would be "unacceptable," signaling that legislation granting immunity to certain telecom carriers could run into trouble. Leahy and Specter demanded that the documents, which were provided only to the Intelligence Committee, be turned over to the Judiciary Committee as well. . .

Read the whole story at: WashingtonPost.com

More Money in Iraq Unaccounted For

Photo from source, Reuters.com

Did you ever see the episode of Roseanne, where Roseanne and Dan went to Las Vegas? Roseanne is at one of those sliding quarter machines, and says, "how hard can this be?" She then asks Dan, over and over again for quarters: "Gimme another one!"

Bush is in the casino. As reported earlier, he's once again asking for billions more, all the while things like this are going on:

[Excerpt]

U.S. cannot account for billion-dollar Iraq contract

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The State Department does not know specifically what it received for a billion-dollar contract with security firm DynCorp International to provide training services for Iraqi police, a U.S. watchdog agency said on Tuesday. [snip]

"As a result, INL does not know specifically what it received for most of the $1.2 billion in expenditures under its DynCorp contract for the Iraqi Police Training Program. INL's prior lack of controls created an environment vulnerable to waste and fraud," SIGIR said in an interim review. . .

Read the whole thing at: Reuters.com

Onion News: Key to Campaign is Bullshit!

Leave it to a news parody site to speak the obvious truth. Hat-tip to TowleRoad.com, where I first saw this video. Enjoy.


Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue For 2008 Voters

Arianna Huffington: Right-wing Fringe Now Mainstream

Arianna Huffington really nails it with this column. I've been ranting for years to anyone who'd listen that the loony fringe of the Republican Party has been portraying itself as mainstream. By contrast, moderate leftists--even centrists--seem far left by comparison. But Arianna says it better, so take a look:

[Excerpt]

Midnight in America: the Mainstreaming of the GOP's Lunatic Fringe

The most significant takeover of the past decade isn't to be found among the telecoms, the big oil companies, or in Silicon Valley. The reconfigured entity is headquartered in Washington, but we can see and hear the results everyday on your television, radio, and computer screen. And America is much the worse for it. I'm talking about the takeover of the Republican Party by its lunatic fringe.

Reagan's GOP has been replaced by the dark, moldering, putrefied party of Bush, Cheney, Rove, Limbaugh, Coulter, and Malkin. Morning in America has given way to Midnight in America.

Read the whole thing at: HuffingtonPost.com

Jon Stewart on Bush's World War III Threat

Testing out the new TheDailyShow.com video embedding, and this is a good one to try first. Enjoy.

Sean Hannity in Denial About Ron Paul

I didn't catch last night's Republican Debate on FOX "News." I honestly didn't even know it was on, and Sunday night television is too good to watch something like that. Anyway, I thought I'd say just a little something about what little I did catch from the special edition of Hannity & Colmes, which was on right after the debate.

When I flipped on the TV, there was Alan Colmes, reading the results of the FOX "News" text-messaging vote on who had won the debate. Far out ahead (38%, if I remember correctly), was dark horse, Ron Paul. Hannity was immediately apoplectic, protesting that it was rigged, phony, the Paul supporters always do that, whatever.

Hilariously though, it was FOX's own polling that produced the result! Also, FreeRepublic.com, one of the most ardent supporters of FOX on the internet, regularly suggests that its members "Freep" polls, to boost numbers on their side. The Paul supporters are just doing as they're told!

So if the poll was "Freeped," where were all of the Rudy and Mitt fans? Why didn't they Freep the poll too? What Sean is really complaining about is that Ron Paul's base is so energized, they are capable of getting out the vote.

Rachel Maddow: Value Voters Debate

This isn't Rachel's most recent Campaign Asylum video, but it's new to me. And if you haven't seen it, it's new to you too! And she's addressing the "crazy Christians" issue in the Republican Party.

And no, that is not intended as a disparaging comment toward all Christians (though I'm not a fan of religion in general). You know who I mean. And so do they.

Wildfires in California, Worst Ever?

Photo from source, News.AOL.com

I don't mind when a big story takes over the news, if the story is legitimate. This one counts. But how long will it be before the primary focus becomes something like, "Fire Brings Brad Pitt Back to Jennifer Aniston, Both to Rebuild Burned House," or "Paris Hilton's Dog Singed, the Inside Story!"

[Excerpt]

Wildfires Force at Least 250,000 to Flee

SAN DIEGO (Oct. 22) --Wildfires fanned by fierce desert winds consumed huge swaths of bone-dry Southern California on Monday, burning dozens of buildings and threatening hundreds more from Malibu to San Diego, including a jail, a hospital and nursing homes.

Read more here: News.AOL.com

Bush Asks for $189 Billion

Photo from source, CommonDreams.org

Sure, why not. $189 Billion, or you don't support the troops! Of course, a few billion for sick children would be wrong, because somebody might get something they don't deserve. And get rid of those tax-payer funded sinkholes like PBS and crap like that. I want my taxes to go for something tangible! Like, well I'm not sure what the tangible results of the Iraq War would be, if we gave him the money or not. But I do know we as a nation are sort of twiddling our thumbs, acting like it's monopoly money.

If you are a conservative who supports this war, and supports all the funding the President asks for, don't you dare EVER complain about where your tax dollars are going again. Got me?

[Excerpt]

Bush Asks For Another $189 Billion To Fund His Wars

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush asked Congress on Monday for $189.3 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, another huge request that faces deep skepticism from lawmakers opposed to prolonging the Iraq conflict.Bush’s request covers day-to-day military operation and is for fiscal 2008, which began on October 1, congressional aides said.

House of Representatives appropriators said earlier this month they would not even consider the war funding request until early 2008, and that they wanted to link it to a plan to bring U.S. combat troops home. . .

Read the whole story at: CommonDreams.org