Must Reads

Bob Cesca: Despite America's Temper Tantrum, It's Still a Center-Left Nation

Paul Krugman: I’m Ellsworth Toohey!

Sean Cockerham: Senate Candidate Miller Explains Views on Federal Spending

The Rude Pundit: Random Observations About the House GOP's "Pledge to America"

Gail Collins: Unhold Us, Senators

JHW22 recommends...

Summary of New Health Care Reform Law

FactCheck.Org: FactChecking ‘The Pledge’ - Republicans' "Pledge to America" falls short on some of its facts.

President Obama's Weekly Address - September 25, 2010

Crossroads on the Economy

Fields of Comedy Gold

Posted by JHW22

They say comedy is only good when it's true. That is why Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart are considered to be, by many, a valid source of information. Not only are the hilarious, but they are honest. They present situations in the most basic, unshielded sense of reality they can manage. They make us laugh as they make us think.

Today, Stephen Colbert testified before Congress in regards to migrant field workers, after he volunteered for one day picking beans and corn. He was one of fewer than 20 Americans who signed up for the "Take Our Jobs" public awareness campaign to walk a mile in a migrant farmer's shoes.

His testimony was "in character" and as funny as his show during the opening statements and bits throughout the Q & A session but the moments that were most powerful were when Stephen Colbert, the person, made eloquent, sensible and humane statements about how we treat people doing the hardest work.

The complete hearing is over two hours and is valuable but if you only have time for recaps, The Raw Story has done a good job.

Editor's Note:

Thanks, Jennifer for posting this. I watched part of the hearings live and while most of the coverage was about Colbert's opening statement or the fauxrage about making the hearings a mockery (while the GOP invited Sesame Street's Elmo to testify a while back), very few, if anyone, actually commented on the substance of the hearings - not only about what Stephen Colbert said, but the other invited panelists as well.

And this, of course was my favorite moment, not because I am a religious person, but because of the hypocrisy of those who hide behind The Bible when it suits them:

Sesame Street Bans Katy Perry

Being a new father of a baby girl, I found this rather odd.

Katy Perry's video with Elmo will not be shown on Sesame Street because "she's showing too much cleavage."

"In light of the feedback we've received on the Katy Perry music video which was released on You Tube only, we have decided we will not air the segment on the television broadcast of Sesame Street, which is aimed at preschoolers. Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on You Tube."

Seriously? Are parents projecting their sexual angst on this video? This costume is tame in comparison to what Katy Perry usually wears, and shame on the parents who can't get over their own sexual misgivings that they would complain with comments like, "You can practically see her t*ts. That's some wonderful children's programming" and "my kid wants milk now." Ridiculous.

When I was three or four years old, I don't think I was preoccupied with hot chicks and their boobs. That didn't happen until I was at least eight.

What do you think?

Al Franken on DADT

Here's the full speech that Senator Al Franken made on the Senate floor. An impassioned speech and a must see.

Jon Stewart Plugs His Book on O'Reilly Show

I don't know if Jon's going to get many sales from the O'Reilly crowd, but these interviews are always amusing to watch just for the pathetic attempt of O'Reilly trying to be funny in the presence of a sharp-witted and highly intelligent comedian.



(H/T GottaLaff)

Cartoon of the Day

S#*! Sarah Palin Says (Tea Party Demographic Edition)

Actually, no, Sarah. It's basically one party.

"A recent poll by YouGov for The Economist suggests that the movement's supporters are older, whiter, richer and far more likely to be Republican than Democrat."

Photos That Make Me Lose My Shit

Fair and balanced.

Republicans Block Debate on DADT

NY Times: Senate Republicans voted unanimously blocked debate of the bill — the huge, annual authorization of military programs — after the majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, said he would attach a number of the Democrats’ election-year priorities to it while also moving to limit the amendments offered by Republicans.

The vote was 56 to 43, with Democrats falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster and take up the bill. The Arkansas Democrats, Senators Blanche L. Lincoln and Mark Pryor, sided with all 41 Republicans in opposing debate.

Shut Up, Harry

Why can't we go more than a couple news cycles without someone making stupid comments that only cause more distraction from real stories?

Senate Majority Leader and pulchritude appreciator Harry Reid believes that New York Senator Kirsten Gillebrand is his “hottest” colleague.

Heckjuva job, Harry.

Adding... Speaking of distractions...

Quote of the Day

"So the challenge, I think, for the Tea Party movement is to identify, specifically, what would you do?...It's not enough just to say get control of spending. I think it's important for you to say, I'm willing to cut veterans' benefits or I'm willing to cut Medicare or Social Security benefits or I'm willing to see these taxes go up. What you can't do, which is what I've been hearing a lot from the other side, is we're going to control government spending, we're going to propose $4 trillion of additional tax cuts, and that magically somehow things are going to work."

~President Obama in the CNBC Town Hall meeting.

What The Fuck Is Newt Talking About?!

"We should have a federal law that says sharia law cannot be recognized by any court in the United States," Gingrich said to a standing ovation from the audience. The law will let judges know, Gingrich said, that "no judge will remain in office that tried to use sharia law."

~ Newt Gingrich fomenting Islamophobia at the Values Voter Summit

Imposing Sharia law? Removing judges who use Sharia law? What the fuck is he doing? Is he just taking advantage of the rubes or has he seriously gone off the deep end? And how idiotic are the yahoos applauding this nonsense? I just don't get the end game.

Values Voters: Mike Pence?

A straw vote suggests that social conservatives favor Indiana Rep. Mike Pence to head a Republican presidential ticket...

Everyone's favorite Mama Grizzly came in dead last with 7% of the vote. Even Newt Gingrich beat her with his anti-colonialism, birther crap. She also came in second in the VP straw poll, also losing to Pence. So what they're saying is they like her polarizing style, but don't trust her in the Oval Office.

Mitt Romney came in third with 13% behind Mike "Screw Your Pre-existing Condition" Huckabee.

This Is Horrifying

Washington Post: Members of U.S. platoon in Afghanistan accused of killing civilians for sport

...According to charging documents, the unprovoked, fatal attack on Jan. 15 was the start of a months-long shooting spree against Afghan civilians that resulted in some of the grisliest allegations against American soldiers since the U.S. invasion in 2001. Members of the platoon have been charged with dismembering and photographing corpses, as well as hoarding a skull and other human bones.

The subsequent investigation has raised accusations about whether the military ignored warnings that the out-of-control soldiers were committing atrocities. The father of one soldier said he repeatedly tried to alert the Army after his son told him about the first killing, only to be rebuffed.

Winning hearts and minds.

Stories like this show how a few bad apples can make the entire military look bad, endanger fellow soldiers and jeopardize missions years in the making.