Must Reads

Mutant Poodle: Dennis Kucinich and the Agent’s Fallacy

Bob Cesca: The Tea Party Is All About Race, Part 2.  Read Part One here.

Linda Greenhouse: Clarence Thomas, Silent but Sure

Rep. Alan Grayson: HR 4789 and The Public Option: The Way Forward

Glenn Greenwald: The Democrats' Scam Becomes More Transparent

Mary Bottari: Progressive Senators Fight for Real Reform

Amitabh Pal: Elections Don’t Justify Iraq War

President Obama's Weekly Address - March 13, 2010

Education for a More Competitive America & Better Future

Harry Reid's Wife In Accident

If you pray, pray for Harry Reid's wife.

AP: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's wife remained hospitalized Friday with serious injuries suffered when a tractor-trailer rear-ended the minivan she and their daughter were riding in on a suburban Virginia interstate, officials said.

Landra Reid, 69, suffered a broken back and neck in Thursday's crash, but her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. Mrs. Reid and their daughter, Lana Barringer, 49, were taken by ambulance to Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va. The daughter was released Thursday night, hospital spokesman Tony Raker said.

The Palinization of Politics

We've all gotten used to Sarah Palin accusing the media of playing "gotcha journalism" while simultaneously using the press to her advantage until there's some pesky reporter asking questions for which she hasn't written the answer on her hand. Now it looks like others are catching on, but they're not getting away with it.

Former eBay President and CEO and current California Gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman took it to another level when she called a press conference for the publicity but refused to answer questions and actually threw out the press once it became inconvenient.



(H/T Jonathan Turley)

More Like This, Please

Fuck bipartisanship. The GOP isn't voting for the health of the people anyway.

Rather Explains His Watermelon Comment

...in a column at The Huffington Post.

"...I was talking about Obama and health care and I used the analogy of selling watermelons by the side of the road. It's an expression that stretches to my boyhood roots in Southeast Texas, when country highways were lined with stands manned by sellers of all races. Now of course watermelons have become a stereotype for African Americans and so my analogy entered a charged environment. I'm sorry people took offense.

But anyone who knows me personally or knows my professional career would know that race was not on my mind...

...I can understand why someone who just happened upon my comments could take offense or want clarification. But what has caused this comment to "go viral" is the trumpeting of an online and cable echo chamber that claims the banner of news but trades in gossip, gotcha, and innuendo. Furthermore, even for those who brook no prejudice, when everything is condensed to 140 characters or a small YouTube clip, many people who got this "news" did so without any context, just a headline that popped up on their phone or inbox."

Sorry Dan, but this isn't the 60's, you've been on the national scene for 50 years now, and times have changed. I'm not calling you a racist, but was you said was perceived as such, as you well know. Your comment going viral was not the fault of an "online and cable echo chamber." Had you chosen your words more carefully, you wouldn't be explaining yourself.

Still, I can't help but wonder if the "selling watermelons" analogy would have been used had the President been, you know, white.

Eric Massa, WTF?!

I hate to kick a man when he's on the verge of/in the middle of a nervous breakdown, but what the hell is up with Eric Massa? He punched a one-way ticket to Crazytown yesterday with his appearance on Glenn Beck last night (an instant classic) followed up with a Larry King appearance, but refused to go on Countdown being hosted by Lawrence O'Donnell.

But seriously, I feel sorry for the guy. There's something definitely wrong there. His excuses for the past couple of weeks ranged from resigning due to health reasons, to being forced out because he wouldn't automatically vote for whatever the Democrats wanted him to vote for, to re-enacting a shower scene between he and Rahm Emanuel akin to Caged Heat, to "forcing himself out," to taking responsibility for er, "rough housing" with some of his aides. And then confusing his Navy time for a stint with The Village People?

Man, when you outcrazy Glenn Beck on his own show, you've got issues.

Adding... Glenn Beck, hoping to take down the White House and Congress with Massa, got nothing! (...heh.) And then he apologized to his audience for "wasting an hour of their time" at the end of the show. Why bother? He wastes their time every night.

But It's Not About Racism (The Tennessee Hospitality Edition)

"Walt Baker, the prominent CEO of the powerful Tennessee Hospitality Association who was a key figure in gaining approval of the controversial $585 million convention center, sent the kind of "joke" email last night -- comparing First Lady Michelle Obama to Tarzan's Cheeta..."

At least the story has a happy ending. Walt Baker was fired.

(H/T GottaLaff)

But It's Not About Racism (The Dan Rather Edition)

Seriously, Dan Rather? Is this the first metaphor that came into your mind? You couldn't use "can't punch his way out of a paper bag" or "can't hit the broad side of a barn" or "couldn't hit the water if he fell out of a boat"? Nothing like that? The first thing that came out of your feeble brain was this?!

"...part of the undertow in the coming election is going to be President Obama's leadership, and the Republicans will make a case, and a lot of independents will buy this argument, 'Listen he just hasn't been...' Look at the health care bill. It was his number one priority, it took him forever to get it through and he had to compromise it to death, and a version of 'Listen, he's a nice person, he's very articulate' this is what's going to be used against him. But he couldn't sell watermelons if you gave him the state troopers to flag down the traffic."

I'm watching this clip over and over and trying to wrap my head around Rather's rambling. Is he stating that this will be the Republican argument or was that last line a little joke gone wrong? I think it's the latter, which is very sad indeed.

Socialist Sarah?!

This weekend, Sarah Palin, who not four months ago said Canada should switch to a privatized health care system, admitted in a Calgary speech that she and her family would "hustle" over the border into Canada to take advantage of their government health care.

"We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada. And I think now, isn't that ironic?"

What's ironic is her use of the word "hustle." She certainly knows about that, doesn't she? I suppose she forgot to scribble not to disclose that little tidbit of information on her telepalmer.

Supporting establishment politician John McCain, calling the Tea Party illegitimate and how they should choose one of the establishment parties and now this? How soon before the teabaggers jettison Socialist Sarah after realizing that she is nothing but a grifter who will do or say whatever it takes as long as it works to her advantage?

Unfortunately, the answer is "never." Palin will laugh this off like she tried to justify the GOP crib notes on her hand, actually comparing it to God using a Bic on His hand,  and all the Palin puppy dogs will lap it up.

Eve Harrington had nothing on this opportunistic sociopath.

Stupak Abortion Lie is Getting Coverage

Via JHW22:
...Jonathan Karl and Diane Sawyer took action at ABC World News. They covered Rep. Stupak’s lies in their truth squad segment Friday night.

Jonathan Karl: "We've taken out the 10 pages or so that deal directly with abortion. It begins on page 2069 and sets out very specific rules on abortion coverage...

[Nancy] Pelosi is right in that the bill makes it clear, there can be no federal money for abortion except in the cases of rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother... There's a provision that says if you choose a policy that covers abortion you have to pay $1.00 a month out of your own pocket to pay for the abortion coverage. The insurance company is supposed to keep that dollar separate, but Stupak says that line will always be blurred.

Stupak makes a further claim: 'When you read the legislation, one dollar per month for all enrollees must go into a fund for reproductive care, which includes abortion coverage.' That's actually wrong. In fact, you only pay the one dollar abortion fee if you choose a plan that covers abortion. To anti-abortion advocates like Stupak, the only acceptable solution is a complete ban on abortion coverage by any insurance company that accepts any federal money at all."

Kudos to Jennifer for being on top of this story. She pounded the pavement... er, keyboard, and made phone calls until someone listened and the story picked up steam. There is a large list of media contacts on her Kos diary if you'd like to rattle the cage as well, or thank ABC for getting the story right.