This is awesome. As soon as I post the video below, (it's been out for a week or two) out comes a new parody!
By the way, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush have endorsed John McCain today.
Monday, February 11, 2008
No We Can't! McCain Parody Video
Rep. Tom Lantos Dead at 80
MercuryNews.com: Rep. Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in Congress, died early Monday after a six-week fight with cancer, his spokeswoman said.
Spokeswoman Lynne Weil said this morning that the 80-year-old Lantos died at Bethesda Naval Medical Center in suburban Maryland. He was surrounded by his wife Annette Lantos, daughters Annette and Katrina, and many of his 18 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
His wife said in a statement that her husband's life was "defined by courage, optimism, and unwavering dedication to his principles and to his family."
Obama's Already Been Tested By Clintons
Jumpypants brought this up regarding Obama's lack of experience and Hillary Clinton saying as much on 60 Minutes (only click on the link if you can stomach Katie Couric's softball interview and another "Day One" quote). Her argument is that he'll be unprepared to handle the Republican Smear Machine which she has experience in dealng with. The problem is that any vetting the Republicans do to Obama has already been done... by the Clintons.
Daily Kos' davefromqueens has a laundry list.
NY Times: Army Buried Study Faulting Iraq Planning
Michael Gordon reports that the RAND Corporation submitted a study in the summer of 2005 critical of and identifying problems with every organization or leader involved in the reconstruction of Iraq. The report was buried by the Army.Asked why the report has not been published, Timothy Muchmore, a civilian Army official, said... “After carefully reviewing the findings and recommendations of the thorough RAND assessment, the Army determined that the analysts had in some cases taken a broader perspective on the early planning and operational phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom than desired or chartered by the Army... Some of the RAND findings and recommendations were determined to be outside the purview of the Army and therefore of limited value in informing Army policies, programs and priorities.”
In other words, the report was too detail-oriented to be of any use to the government. We don't want details. It just needed to state that all was well in the rabbit hole. Anything other than that could undermine the propaganda.
Could it also be due to the fact that the study was critical of George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell and Gen. Tommy Franks?One serious problem the study described was the Bush administration’s assumption that the reconstruction requirements would be minimal. There was also little incentive to challenge that assumption, the report said.
“Building public support for any pre-emptive or preventative war is inherently challenging, since by definition, action is being taken before the threat has fully manifested itself,” it said. “Any serious discussion of the costs and challenges of reconstruction might undermine efforts to build that support.”
Another problem described was a general lack of coordination. “There was never an attempt to develop a single national plan that integrated humanitarian assistance, reconstruction, governance, infrastructure development and postwar security,” the study said.
Lack of coordination? On only has to look at Hurricane Katrina and the FEMA fiasco to know that "lack of coordination" is the Bush administration's middle name. Besides, it's hard work to coordinate the running of a country when all coordination recources are being used for voter supression, firing US attorneys, rendition, torture, rigged elections and caging lists, not to mention the coordination of hiding the truth in any study done or report published (or not published) from the American public.
T Minus 344 Days
While hunting for quail in Texas on February 11, 2006, Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shoots his hunting partner Harry M. Whittington with 200 pellets of buckshot... in the face.
Obama Wins Grammy
Barack Obama couldn't lose anything this weekend! Not only did he take four states, he also won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling) beating out Maya Angelou, Alan Alda, Jimmy Carter and ... Bill Clinton.
Obama won for "The Audacity Of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream".
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Roy Scheider Dead at 75
Roy Scheider, a versatile and appealing actor who appeared in more than 70 films, including Steven Spielberg's Jaws and William Friedkin's French Connection, died on February 10 at 75.
Matt Taibbi: The Chicken Doves
Great story by Matt Taibbi at Rolling Stone about the spineless Democratic Congress and how they sold us down the river.The story of how the Democrats finally betrayed the voters who handed them both houses of Congress a year ago is a depressing preview of what's to come if they win the White House. And if we don't pay attention to this sorry tale now, while there's still time to change our minds about whom to nominate, we might be stuck with this same bunch of spineless creeps for four more years. With no one but ourselves to blame.
By no means is he suggesting to vote Republican, just to vote for the right Democrats.
Obama Leading In Maine - Edwards Meets With Candidates
With 59% of the precincts reporting, Barack Obama is leading Hillary Clinton 57%-42%.
I think that'll seal it for Obama in Maine. Meanwhile, CNN reports that John Edwards met with Hillary Clinton Thursday, and is meeting with Barack Obama Monday, to discuss a possible primary endorsement.
Clinton Campaign Manager "Steps Down"
NY TIMES: Patti Solis Doyle has stepped down as Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign manager, the campaign announced on Sunday.
She will be replaced by Maggie Williams, a senior adviser to the campaign.
Ms. Solis Doyle will stay on as a senior adviser and “will continue to be a key part of the campaign,” said Mo Elleithee, a spokesman.
Smooth transition, I'm sure. But it does seem odd, doesn't it? A little panick perhaps? The campaign claims it is not a "shakeup."
I got a real kick out of this:
The announcement of Ms. Solis Doyle’s replacement came minutes after Mrs. Clinton was grounded by what her campaign said were high winds at Dulles Airport. After arriving at the airport for a charter flight to Roanoke, Mrs. Clinton, her staff and the traveling press corps were not allowed to board the plane.Well, Senator Clinton, you're too important to let fly in this dangerous weather, but fuck these other plebians. They fly coach anyway.
A spokesman for Mrs. Clinton said high winds at the airport had forced “a number of planes” to be kept on the ground, and that some planes that had taken off today had suffered structural damage. (Other planes at the airport were taking off as Mrs. Clinton’s motorcade drove away, en route to Washington.)
Frank Rich on Clinton's Hallmark Town Hall
...However boring, this show was a dramatic encapsulation of how a once-invincible candidate ended up in a dead heat, crippled by poll-tested corporate packaging that markets her as a synthetic product leeched of most human qualities. What’s more, it offered a naked preview of how nastily the Clintons will fight, whatever the collateral damage to the Democratic Party, in the endgame to come.
For a campaign that began with tightly monitored Web “chats” and then planted questions at its earlier town-hall meetings, a Bush-style pseudo-event like the Hallmark special is nothing new, of course. What’s remarkable is that instead of learning from these mistakes, Mrs. Clinton’s handlers keep doubling down.
Mets Original Sign Man Dies
NY TIMES: Karl Ehrhardt, who through championship seasons and woeful ones and grand slams and botched plays let the Mets know what he thought of them by raising block-lettered signs from his box seat behind third base at Shea Stadium, died Tuesday at his home in Glen Oaks, Queens. He was 83.
...On Oct. 16, 1969, when left fielder Cleon Jones caught the final out of the World Series, a choked-up Sign Man held up, “There Are No Words.”
...In an interview with The New York Times in 2006, Mr. Ehrhardt said, “I just called them the way I saw them.”
Matthew Artus, Metsblog: So raise a glass for Karl Ehrhardt, and think of him the next time you hear the Cowbell Man banging away - because it's these small gestures that make going to a baseball game all the more memorable.Four days til pitchers and catchers.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Obama Wins Nebraska, Washington & Louisiana...
...and the Clinton Camp spins.The latest Clinton Campaign spin, straight from the press office, in an email to reporters that seeks to set the expectations for the night:
And this through Bob Cesca from the Obama website:
Tonight there are contests in three states that the Obama campaign has long predicted they would win by large margins. According to a spreadsheet that was obtained by Bloomberg News, the Obama campaign predicted big victories in Washington State, Nebraska and Louisiana.
The Obama campaign has dramatically outspent our campaign in these three states, saturating the airwaves with 30 and 60 second ads. The Obama campaign has spent $300,000 more in Louisiana on television ads, $190,000 more in Nebraska and $175,000 more in Washington.
Although the next several states that hold nominating contests this month are more favorable to the Obama campaign, we will continue to compete in them and hope to secure as many delegates as we can before the race turns to Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania. The Obama campaign submitted an urgent request for assistance to the Secretary of State's Division of Elections today, after receiving widespread reports from Democrats across Louisiana who reported that they were not allowed to vote because their party affiliation had been switched.
Is this being reported? Why is it that we worry ourselves about every fucking Iraqi purple finger but we let this shit happen in our own country while shugging our shoulders?! It's disgusting.
Looks like Huckabee is ahead in LA too.
Huckabee Wins Kansas
Mike Huckabee is the winner of the first state to report results today: Kansas.
Don’t expect results to come quite so easily in neighboring Nebraska, where the Democrats are trying to caucus. The Omaha World-Herald’s liveblog details overcrowded sites, with some caucuses being moved to parking lots and other sites running out of registration forms.
Great Schmuckabee quote: "Am I quitting? Let's get this settled right now. No, I am not... Folks, I didn't major in math, I majored in miracles and I still believe in miracles." That's great, Mike. We already have someone in the Oval Office who says he can hear Jeebus and can't count to 20 unless his shoes are off. Thanks for the reminder.
Tentative Deal Is Reached in Writers’ Strike
NY Times: An end to Hollywood’s long and bitter writers’ strike appeared close on Saturday, as union leaders representing 12,000 movie and television writers said they had reached a tentative deal with production companies.
Just in time for the Academy Awards.
T Minus 346/345 Days
"But the true strength of America is found in the hearts and souls of people like Travis, people who are willing to love their neighbor, just like they would like to love themselves."
-Springfield, MO, February 9, 2004
Friday, February 8, 2008
Holy Joe Stripped
And then there were 795.
Holy Joe LIEberman has been stripped of his Democratic superdelegate status.
Democratic State Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said Lieberman will not be replaced. Now if they'll only strip him of every Democratic Committee chair he holds...
Holy Joe LIEberman has been stripped of his Democratic superdelegate status.
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who endorsed Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for president, will be disqualified as a superdelegate at the Democratic convention "under what is informally known as the Zell Miller rule." In 2004, Miller -- then a Democratic senator from Georgia -- attacked Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) in a speech at the Republican National Convention. The DNC "responded with a rule disqualifying any Democrat who crosses the aisle from being a super delegate."
Democratic State Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said Lieberman will not be replaced. Now if they'll only strip him of every Democratic Committee chair he holds...
Shuster Apologizes But Clinton Threatens MSNBC
Last night, David Shuster made an inappropriate comment while interviewing a couple of analysts regarding Chelsea Clinton's role in her mother's campaign and calling the hosts of The View as well as superdelegates trying to garner support for Hillary Clinton.SHUSTER: ...there's just something a little bit unseemly to me that Chelsea is out there calling up celebrities saying, "Support my mom." And, apparently, she's also calling these super delegates... doesn't it seem like Chelsea's sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?
Now we all know what he meant by that comment and it was a definitely a slip of the tongue and inappropriate for Shuster to use that particular slang phrase. Had Shuster said Chelsea was "being used" instead of being "pimped out," there would be absolutely no story here. But apparently the public flipped out to the extent that MSNBC has suspended Shuster from all NBC broadcasting except to apologize for the remark, which he has done.
Story over, right? WRONG.
Now the Clinton campaign has threatened not to participate in any MSNBC sponsored debates.
In a conference call with reporters, Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson on Friday excoriated MSNBC's David Shuster for suggesting the Clinton campaign had "pimped out" 27-year old Chelsea by having her place phone calls to celebrities and Democratic Party "superdelegates" on her mother's behalf.
Wolfson called Shuster's comment "beneath contempt" and disgusting.
"I, at this point, can't envision a scenario where we would continue to engage in debates on that network," he added.
I now call "BULLSHIT" on Wolfson. Who the fuck does he think he's kidding? If Hillary Clinton doesn't want to participate in the debates, then fine. We're done with it. They won't participate on MSNBC, but they're ready to debate on Fox News? Are they fucking insane?
Just last week, Clinton was begging for a chance at weekly debates as her funds were running low and the contests would provide free exposure, but now that she's gotten an influx of internet cash after revealing that she has signed a $5 million personal check to keep her campaign going, NOW the campaign is threatening MSNBC? Really?!
You know what, Hil? Go ahead. Shoot yourself in the foot, because that is exactly what you're going to do if you decide to renege on MSNBC. Obama will say no to Fox, and you'll be back at square one, with maybe one debate on CNN. All this after MSNBC has suspended Shuster from any NBC broadcast due to the comments for which he's already apologized.
You've had 18 fucking debates already! I'm sick of hearing "ready to lead on day one," and "35 years of experience," so unless you have a new talking point, I think I've heard your entire schtick multiple times. I don't need to hear it another five times before March 4th. Debate exposure at this point is only going to benefit you, so if you really want to pull the trigger before removing your gun for its holster, be my guest.
T Minus 347 Days
"In my judgement, when the United States says there will be serious consequences, and if there isn't serious consequences, it creates adverse consequences."
-Meet The Press, February 8, 2004
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Huckabee On Colbert - Updated!
I just watched Mike Huckabee on the Colbert Report playing air hockey with Stephen Colbert using a Texas-shaped air hockey puck. What the fuck? I shouldn't eat so late.
Hopefully, video to follow.
UPDATE: Video!
...And Conservatives FREAK OUT!
This made me chuckle.
There was a palpable sense of shock both in the audience and among the advisers [at the Conservative Political Action Conference] after Mitt Romney abruptly announced on Thursday that he was exiting the presidential race.What was originally thought to be a small earthquake on the east coast at the time of Romney's announcement wound up being Rush Limbaugh falling out of his chair at the radio studio.
Screams of "no" and tears came from the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington D.C. One attendee lamented the "bombshell."
As the speech was made, Romney's wife sat quietly in the front row. Cameras zoomed in on her mostly expressionless expression, occasionally broken by a slight smile. But not all of the campaign's associates were as composed. Behind the curtains, Bay Buchanan wiped the moist from her eyes. "This is rough," she told the Huffington Post, "very rough."
Boy, they really can't stand John McCain!
Commenters at Michelle Malkin's site were not faring much better.
(h/t Bob Cesca)
Mitt Romney Drops Out
Well, he "suspends" his campaign.
"In this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror... beep, bop, boop, ditditdit... I feel I must now stand aside... beep, bop... for our party and our country. Does not compute. Does not compute. Does not compute.''
Maverick Skips Stimulus Vote
Republican presidential candidate John McCain skipped a difficult Senate vote Wednesday on whether to make 20 million seniors and 250,000 disabled veterans eligible for rebate checks as part of a proposed economic stimulus package.
Senate Republicans blocked the passage - final vote 58-41. The "support the troops" party decided that extra money for disabled veterans and seniors, or extending unemployment benefits is just too much stimulus apparently. (60 votes were needed to pass. Harry Reid voted no in order to be able to bring the bill up at a later time.)
So let's do the math. 58 yeas, Reid's would've been 59. 99 Senators who voted. One Senator didn't vote. Where as Mr. Straight Talk, my friend?
...Asked Wednesday morning to comment on the pending vote, McCain talked about the need to pass a stimulus measure quickly. Later, on his plane, he said he was not sure he would make the vote.Yes, that's what we need in a new leader, ducking out of difficult choices when he is most needed to make a decision. His plane landed at Dulles at 5pm. Reports say it was plenty on time to get to the 5:45pm vote. But he had a couple of "meetings." Even his own staff was confused as to whether he was going to make the vote or not.
"I haven't had a chance to talk about it at all, have not had the opportunity to, even," McCain said. "We've just been too busy, focused on other stuff. I don't know if I'm doing that. We've got a couple of meetings scheduled."
Whichever way McCain may have voted, it would have been a difficult choice given his status as the Republican presidential front-runner.
Senate Democrats cleverly bundled the rebates for seniors and veterans, key voting blocs, with expanded unemployment benefits and home heating subsidies for the jobless and poor. President Bush and Republican leaders, as well as conservatives McCain was scheduled to woo on Thursday, vehemently oppose the expanded benefits and subsidies.
That put McCain in a bad political spot. Voting "no" with Republican leaders would have offended millions of Social Security recipients and the disabled veterans not scheduled to receive rebates. Voting "yes," on the other hand, risked alienating Bush, GOP leaders and conservatives already suspicious of McCain's political leanings.
"While he says one thing on the campaign trail, when the time came to act, John McCain was absent," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. "America doesn't need four more years of a president who puts what's good for him ahead of what's good for our country."
T Minus 348 Days
"We're concerned about AIDS inside our White House - make no mistake about it."
- Washington, DC, February 7, 2001
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Clinton Cash Crunch
The Clinton campaign is running low on funds as Obama continues to outspend Hillary. And now Hillary Clinton has acknowledged that she has loaned the campaign $5 million out of her own pocket in addition the $13.5 million that was raised in the month of January. Compare that to the $32 million that Obama has raised in the same month. They're also on pace to raise $30 for February.
This is why Clinton would like to have a weekly debate for the next four weeks: free advertising.
I love this though:The Clinton camp was eager to take the luster off of Obama's status as a "movement candidate" who has generated unprecedented activism and fundraising through the Internet. Clinton strategists went out of their way to label him an "establishment candidate" and worked to pitch her message to online activists.
So what is it? Is he inexperienced or is the "establishment" candidate? You can't have it both ways, Hillary. And have you noticed how she's mentioning her website multiple times in every speech now? I think Mark Penn's figured out there's money to be made by the little donors on the internet. Too little, too late.
Conservative Blowback Against McCain
This is what I'm talking about. No need to fear about the Democratic party still undecided about their nominee when the GOP are eating each other.
From Crooks & Liars:
"Obama won significantly more votes than GOP candidate John McCain — in many cases, winning more votes than the top two Republican candidates combined."
"The media is showering John McCain with praise, but never mention the fact that he got far fewer votes than Democratic candidates in most states — Clinton took in over one million more votes than he did in California alone."
Limbaugh and Ingraham, the galvanizers of the right wing, are now leading the sheeple right off the cliff. And that's fine with me.
And now James Dobson has come out and said if McCain is the nominee, he will not, in good conscience, cast a vote for President for the first time in his life. The evangelical right is staying home. And that's fine with me too.
Here is Dobson's statement as read by Laura Ingraham:
(h/t Crooks & Liars)
False Perception
I rarely disagree with Bob Cesca. He's an excellent writer with my kind of humor but in his latest post, I couldn't disagree with him more.Regardless of who won or lost yesterday, every day this battle continues is a good day for the Republican chances in the general election.
...those of us arguing and spitting at each other over the merits of our candidates could be turning what used to be an historically exuberant primary nominating process into an irreparably damaged Democratic Party in November.
...I can't help but to think that the DNC is considering some serious options here for the good of the party. They have to step up at some point and throw their considerable weight around (think cash) because if this goes to the convention, as more and more people are suggesting, John McCain is the next president.
Since when has the Democratic Party ever marched in lockstep? The idea that a fractured Dem Party heading into the spring, let alone the convention, would create the opportunity for a crumbing GOP to seize the day is something I'm just not willing to buy into.
Within the next 2-3 weeks we'll have a better idea of who the nominee will be and judging by the amount of money raised, enthusiam generated, and what I predict will be the continuing uptrend in polls, Obama will be the nominee. He received 42% of the vote in California, a state in which Clinton was far ahead just a few weeks ago, even with early voting before the Obama surge.
McCain's pro war stance is in opposition of 70%+ of the voters. His "moderation" is so abhorrent to the GOP base, that Limbaugh and Coulter are vehemently against him, the latter saying she would campaign for Clinton if McCain won the Republican nomination, for Christ's sake! The backbiting by the GOP candidates is much worse than what's happening on the Democratic side and GOP voters are so discouraged, their voting numbers are 25% of what the overall Dem numbers are. McCain is actually the most divisive candidate for their party.
I think panicking this early is the mistake that would make the Democrats look weak and unorganized. The masses coming out to vote shows us the opposite and we will all proudly stand behind either candidate in the general election when the time comes.
New Mexico Still Up For Grabs
With 98% of the precincts reporting by noon today, Obama leads Clinton by just 71 votes.
Obama: 65,036
Clinton: 64,965
Edwards: 2,002
Richardson: 1,164
Uncommitted: 398
Obama & Clinton Trade Victories...
...reports the New York Times....It was a night of drama as millions of Democrats cleaved sharply between two candidates offering them a historic first: The opportunity to nominate a woman or an African-American to lead their party’s effort to reclaim the White House. Yet it was also a night when neither Mr. Obama nor Mrs. Clinton could decisively lay claim — or even secure an edge — to the nomination, assuring an electoral fight that will unfold for weeks to come.
Mrs. Clinton won 584 delegates in Tuesday’s vote, bringing her total to 845, according to a count by The Associated Press. Mr. Obama won 569 delegates for a total of 765, The A.P. reported. A candidate needs 2,025 votes to win the nomination.
T Minus 349 Days
"There is no such thing necessarily in a dictatorial regime of iron-clad absolutely solid evidence. The evidence I had was the best possible evidence that he had a weapon."
- Meet the Press, February 2004
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Super Tuesday Results
Trying a little live blogging here. Sort of a futile excercise when no one but me is reading. I'll do as much as I can until dinner time... you gotta love take out.
7pm - NBC projects Obama wins Georgia. Exit polls show Obama getting 43% of the white vote and 49% of voters aged 40-59.
7:20pm - Early delegate estimates: 35 for Obama. This number is off - 103 total in the state.
7:25pm - Republicans too close to call in GA. Three way race: with 3 precincts reporting, McCain 38%, Romney 28%, Huckabee 27%
7:37pm - The MSNBC ticker is reading the GOP caucus in West Virginia as 100% reporting and Huckabee wins with 52%, Romney coming with 47%. Eight states close their polls at 8pm EST. Much more then.
8pm - Obama projected winner in Illinois. Clinton projected winner in Oklahoma. Romney takes Massachusetts, McCain takes New Jersey and Connecticut.
8:04pm- McCain takes Illinois.
8:13pm - Too close to call in NJ, CT, TN, too early to call in AL for the Dems.
Too close to call in MO, OK, TN and too early to call for the GOP.
Taking a break. More later.
9:15pm - Obama takes Delaware. Clinton wins Tennessee and Massachusetts! This after the Kennedy endorsements... perhaps a few days too late? Two trains of thought: Speculation is that the message of change that Obama touts was possibly hampered by the Kerry and Kennedy establishment. Point two is that Obama was only polling at 22% an MA before Kennedy's endorsement so anything more than a 22% return is a boost.
Delegates won so far: Clinton 93, Obama 43.
Chuck Todd trying to figure out the delegate math.
MSNBC predicts New Jersey for Clinton at 9:20pm. McCain projected winner in NY. Looks like McCain is picking up speed.
9:25pm - Obama is the projected winner in Alabama.
10:28pm - NBC projects Obama to win Connecticut! That's big. It's almost a 50/50 split.
10:33pm - Romney's speechifying in Massachusetts about a run to the convention and predicting a victory. He has fallen down the rabbit hole.
Here are the results so far:
Democrats-
Clinton: MA, NY, NJ, TN, OK, AR
Obama: CT, IL, DE, AL, GA, MN, ND, KS
Republicans-
McCain: NY, NJ, CT, IL, OK , DE
Romney: MA, UT
Huckabee: GA, WV, AR, AL
Severe weather in Tennessee caused polls to close early. Possible tornadoes. Two fatalities reported so far. Arkansas was hit as well.
10:50pm - Hillary Clinton speaking about the little people. The Republicans want more of the same.
10:54pm - Obama is ahead in Idaho 75% to 23% and ahead in Minnesota with 64% of the vote after 40% of the precincts have reported in both states.
11:02pm - California too close to call for both parties. AZ goes to McCain (duh...). Romney wins ND. Obama wins MN and ID.
11:06pm - Huckabee's being interviewed by Chris Matthews and claims he's not dropping out until someone wins the 1191 delegates needed for the GOP. He's staying in until St. Paul unless the trip is meaningless.
Recap:
Democrats-
Clinton: MA, NY, NJ, TN, OK, AR
Obama: CT, IL, DE, AL, GA, ND, KS, MN, ID, UT
Republicans-
McCain: NY, NJ, CT, IL, OK , DE, AZ
Romney: MA, UT, ND
Huckabee: GA, WV, AR, AL
11:15pm - David Axelrod thinks the Obama camaign will have trouble in CA because of early voting. Most of Obama's surge has come within the last two weeks. Hillary wins AZ. With 2% of CA reporting, Hillary is up with 57% of the vote but according to CNN, Obama is capturing not only the black vote, but the white vote!
11:25pm - Delegate count: Clinton 170, Obama 128. 2025 needed to win the nomination.
Tim Russert: "It's far from over." The Clinton campaign thought Super Tuesday would be the definitive night to propel them to the nomination.
11:32pm - Romney projected winner in MN.
11:37pm - John "My friends" McCain speaking in Arizona...zzz... "We must get used to the idea that we are the Republican frontrunner for the nomination of President of the United States... and I don't mind it one bit."
11:43pm - Obama speaking now in Chicago. Huckabee wins Tennessee! California still too close to call. Obama: "There's one thing on this February night, that we don't need the final results to know: our time has come."
11:58pm - Romney wins Montana... what is that? Three delegates?
12:04am - Obama has finished another stirring speech. I'm signing off now but will try to stay up for the California result.
Goodnight.
12:12am - I'm back. Hilllary Clinton and John McCain are projected to win California. Looks like Romney might be out considering he needed it badly.... Apparent winner in MO is McCain. Still waiting for the Democratic winner.
12:22am - Obama leads Clinton in MO by 4600 votes with 98% reporting.
12:26am - Obama leads by 4926 votes in MO.
12:30am - MSNBC: Tomorrow will be a day of "frank discussions" in the Romney camp after big blows in California and Missouri.
12:38am - The spin begins. Clinton campaign spokesman Jay Carson says they always thought this race would be tight and they withstood this massive surge by the Obama camp. In actuality, Obama has overcome double digit deficits in a just a few weeks and Clinton was lucky to win as much as she did in my opinion. Had Super Tuesday been next week or had California not vored early, the outcome would be completely different. And we'll find out over the course of the next week with more primaries and caucuses to go.
12:40am - Barack Obama is the apparent winner in MO! Carson still spouting the "ready to lead on day one" talking point. Claire McCaskill speaking for the Obama camaign retorted that we need someone with the right judgement to lead on day one.
12:43am - Obama wins Alaska.
Okay, now I'm going to bed even though Chris Matthews just asked me not to. Maybe he likes my musk and has a man crush on me.
Worst Dow Jones Day In A Year
Did Bush have a speaking engagement?
What was it that Bush the Incompentent said in his State of the Union Address?NY Times: Stocks plummeted on Wall Street on Tuesday after a business survey provided another strong signal that the United States may be in the early stages of a recession. The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 370 points.
The Institute for Supply Management reported that activity in the non manufacturing sector contracted in January for the first time since March 2003. The institute’s non-manufacturing business activity index fell from a seasonally adjusted 54.4 in December to 41.9 in January — the lowest level since October 2001. Readings below 50 indicate a contraction.
Boy, am I glad we're all getting $300 to offset that "non-manufacturing business activity."In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth. But in the short run, we can all see that that growth is slowing. So last week, my administration reached agreement with Speaker Pelosi and Republican Leader Boehner on a robust growth package that includes tax relief for individuals and families and incentives for business investment.
UPDATE: Just heard Tom Brokaw say this was the worst stock market day in two years.
Super Tuesday - Note To Dems: Don't Panic!
Go out and vote today.
There's this strange idea out there that has seemingly come out of nowhere overnight, that if the Democratic nominee isn't decided upon fairly soon, the appearance of a fractured party going into the convention will shift the tectonic plates, cause the earth to rotate off its axis, followed by disatrous earthquakes and cataclysmal tsunamis and give John McCain a victory in the general election in November.
Paul Krugman: Via Duncan Black, Clinton’s people think this might go to the convention. I hate this thought. I feel obliged to write about the Dem horserace because there are real policy issues at stake, and I think it’s important to highlight those issues. But I hate doing it; I hate the whole nastiness between people who should be able to realize that they’re fundamentally on the same side. I really really want this thing to be over.
Calm down, Paul. Nastiness? Yes, there are substantive policy issues between Barack and Hillary, but they were playing pattycake at the California Debate compared to the McCain-Romney slugfest on the other side.
Call me naïve, but wasn't this the the original intent of primaries and caucuses? Now that the ordinary people, the plebians, are speaking out and making this a real horse race between Clinton and Obama, the pundits are getting all nervous about it. Isn't this the way it's supposed work?
I don't remember ever being engaged enough in previous primaries to care to vote because our candidates were basically chosen for us ahead of time, so why bother? But now the unfounded threat of a Democratic Party with no candidate by February 5, nine months before the general election, is supposed to propel McCain? I don't buy it.
Monday, February 4, 2008
The Hillary Hate Factor - Part II
A few months ago, I wrote about the Republican party's rabid hatred of Hillary Clinton, and how it has manifested itself out of thin air. I didn't think I'd be writing a "Part Deux". (Of course, at the time, I mentioned Huckabee in that post and how he seemed to "have his head on straight" and how John McCain had no chance of winning the Republican ticket. ...Boy, how things change in a few months.) But I digress.
The Republicans are down. They've suffered a horrible blow by the neocons and by the betrayal of the Bush administration. They've been embarrassed by scandal after scandal showing the "family values" politicians revealed as hypocrites, from David Vitter to Larry Craig. Evidence of their apathy and disgust for the party they once held dear is clear by the lack of voter turnout on the Republican side in the primaries and caucuses.
Now comes a new op-ed from Stankey Fish and he brings up the incoherent hate that Hillary Clinton draws from the wingnut right. And in my opinion, this is a major issue in this election.
You may dislike her policies (which she has not been reluctant to explain in great detail). You may not be able to get past her vote to authorize the Iraq war. You may think her personality unsuited to the tasks of inspiring and uniting the American people. You may believe that if this is truly a change election, she is not the one to bring about real change.
But the people and groups Horowitz surveys have brought criticism of Clinton to what sportswriters call “the next level,” in this case to the level of personal vituperation unconnected to, and often unconcerned with, the facts. These people are obsessed with things like her hair styles, the “strangeness” of her eyes — “Analysis of Clinton’s eyes is a favorite motif among her most rabid adversaries” — and they retail and recycle items from what Horowitz calls “The Crazy Files”: she’s Osama bin Laden’s candidate; she kills cats; she’s a witch (this is not meant metaphorically).
...Back in November, I wrote a column on Clinton’s response to a question about giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. My reward was to pick up an e-mail pal who has to date sent me 24 lengthy documents culled from what he calls his
“Hillary File.” If you take that file on faith, Hillary Clinton is a murderer, a burglar, a destroyer of property, a blackmailer, a psychological rapist, a white-collar criminal, an adulteress, a blasphemer, a liar, the proprietor of a secret police, a predatory lender, a misogynist, a witness tamperer, a street criminal, a criminal intimidator, a harasser and a sociopath. These accusations are “supported” by innuendo, tortured logic, strained conclusions and photographs that are declared to tell their own story, but don’t.
Compared to this, the Swift Boat campaign against John Kerry was a model of objectivity. When the heading of a section of the “Hillary File” reads “Have the Clintons ever murdered anyone?” — and it turns out to be a rhetorical question like “Is the Pope Catholic?” — you know that you’ve entered cuckooland.
This is why we need someone the likes of Barack Obama, who can bring people together, not that I'm necessarily a "can't we all get along" type of guy (as my friends will attest). I'm sure Hillary Clinton is perfectly capable of leading the country. Judging by the polls and the information gathered after completed primaries so far however, the numbers indicate that Obama can attract more crossover votes than Clinton, moderate Republicans as well as Independents, and in my opinion, the chances of a Democratic victory come November are much better with Obama as the Democratic nominee.
Am I deluding myself in believing that Obama can overcome the racism he will face (and has probably already faced) as we draw nearer to post time? Or perhaps the question should be: Are the American people ready to overcome racism in the face of one of the most important choices a voter will make this generation? Only time will tell.
Bush Unveils Budget and Lunacy
Lame Duck Georgie the Loon has unveiled his spending plan for the 2009 fiscal year: $3.1 Trillion package. THREE. POINT. ONE. TRILLION. DOLLARS. And guess what it includes? Yes! Increased military spending, permanent tax cuts for the wealthy and $196 billion in savings from Medicare and Medicaid.Even with those savings, Bush projects that the deficits, which had been declining, will soar to near-record levels, hitting $410 billion this year and $407 billion in 2009. The all-time high deficit in dollar terms was $413 billion in 2004.
Democrats attacked Bush's final spending plan as a continuation of this administration's failed policies which wiped out a projected 10-year surplus of $5.6 trillion and replaced it with a record buildup in debt.
"Today's budget bears all the hallmarks of the Bush legacy - it leads to more deficits, more debt, more tax cuts, more cutbacks in critical services," said House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt, D-S.C.
..."The president proposes more of the same failed policies he has embraced throughout his time in office - more deficit-financed war spending, more deficit-financed tax cuts tilted to benefit the wealthiest and more borrowing from foreign nations like China and Japan," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D.
The chimp is certifiable. And yet, somehow Republicans are always accusing Democrats of loose pocketbooks. Unbelievable.
Clinton & McCain: Wage Garnishing and More Corporate Tax Breaks
What the fuck?! You turn your back for one minute to relax and watch the Super Bowl and the politicians think no one is looking or listening.
The New York senator has criticized presidential rival Barack Obama for pushing a health plan that would not require universal coverage. Clinton has not always specified the enforcement measures she would embrace, but when pressed on ABC's "This Week," she said: "I think there are a number of mechanisms" that are possible, including "going after people's wages, automatic enrollment."Whaaaa?! Is that how you plan to provide universal heath care? Great. Here comes the GOP: "A vote for Hillary is a vote for garnishing wages." Clinton did say that such measures would apply only to workers who can afford health coverage and that her proposals for subsidies will make it "affordable for everyone." But it's too late now. The sound bite is out there.
And here's the Maverick telling "Fox News Sunday" he would veto any tax increase passed by a Democratic-controlled Congress. McCain, who opposed President Bush's first two tax cuts, now says Congress should make the reductions permanent, and that there also should be further tax reductions for business investments.
Yes! Yes! More tax breaks for the weathly and for corporations! That's what we need! At least that's some straight talk for ya.
Yes! Yes! More tax breaks for the weathly and for corporations! That's what we need! At least that's some straight talk for ya.
T Minus 351 Days
"You work three jobs?... Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that."
-Omaha, Nebraska, Feburary 4, 2005, to a single mother of three
Sunday, February 3, 2008
The Greatest Upset Ever
I'm in shock. The underdog New York Giants have beaten the heavily favored and undefeated (until this game) New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII (that's 42 for you non-Romans) 17-14. The Pats were favored by 13 points.
As I was driving to work this morning, I flipped on WFAN, the all sports station in New York and all I heard was the following (paraphrasing): "Let's face facts. After all the hype of the last two weeks, and after everyone has calmed down and faced reality, the Giants really have no shot at winning this thing." And I thought, "Well, hell. Why don't they just forget all about playing the game and just give the trophy to the Patriots? After all, why play? Someone could get injured and if there's no sense in trying to win the game, if indeed it's a foregone conclusion, then just give up now."
As I was driving to work this morning, I flipped on WFAN, the all sports station in New York and all I heard was the following (paraphrasing): "Let's face facts. After all the hype of the last two weeks, and after everyone has calmed down and faced reality, the Giants really have no shot at winning this thing." And I thought, "Well, hell. Why don't they just forget all about playing the game and just give the trophy to the Patriots? After all, why play? Someone could get injured and if there's no sense in trying to win the game, if indeed it's a foregone conclusion, then just give up now."
Now as I've said before, I'm not a Giants fan. But I am a fan of the underdog. Just as I'm a fan of Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards. They didn't make it, but the Giants did. JumpyPants, a guest blogger over at Bob Cesca is equating what happened tonight to what may happen on Super Tuesday.
I'm sticking with my predictions for Obama on Tuesday night. And I'm sticking with the parallels I drew: that the Giants had the heart to win this Super Bowl, just as Obama has the heart - and skills and determination - to carry this nomination...and the general election.Do I think the fix is in? No. Do I believe Obama has major hurdles to climb in a racist United States? Absolutely. Do I believe Barack Obama can pull out Super Tuesday and make a run at the nomination? After a $32 million month and watching the California debate, I'm a believer now.
Congratulations to the New York Giants and all Giants fans!
SUPER BOWL FUCKIN' CHAMPS!
And just a reminder: 12 days until pitchers and catchers.
Bush? Lincoln? Who's The Greatest?
"Mary Todd Lincoln was not a happy person. His [Lincoln's] soul was... troubled." These are a couple of comments by our fearless leader in the latest Fox Propaganda Bush Love-In. The video posted at Crooks & Liars is a must see.
The Bush-Lincoln comparison by these buffoons is scary. But here's what "billw" at C & L had to say and it's so damned funny, you need to read it for yourself:
The Bush-Lincoln comparison by these buffoons is scary. But here's what "billw" at C & L had to say and it's so damned funny, you need to read it for yourself:
You know, I think I really learned a lot from this (propaganda) documentary from (Pravda) Fox News. I really don’t know how it is that I hadn’t noticed previously how much George Bush is just like Abraham Lincoln, the founder of the Republican Party, or that Bush is already known for giving “some of the most eloquent and visionary speeches ever delivered by an American President,” just like the Gettysburg Address!
So, which of Bush’s speeches do you think will be memorialized for generations to come? Will George W. Bush go down in history as being a great President, or the greatest President?
Super Sunday
Well, in a few hours the two weeks of hype will finally be over and we'll have a game and a winner. I'm not a Giants fan. I'm a Jets fan (a sorry one at that), but my hatred for the New England Patriots over the last few years has superceded my disgust for the Miami Dolphins so I'll be rooting for the underdog Giants tonight.
Why do I hate the Patriots, you may ask?
1 - Bill Belichick. Let's not forget that this bastard was handed the New York Jets head coaching job. Yes, my sorry, sad sack, maligned, beloved Jets. One day later, he resigned. That put the Jets franchise into a tailspin that they haven't recovered from, lo these eight loooong years later.
2 - The three time Super Bowl Champs were caught cheating. If this has been the case over the last few seasons, it taints the whole dynasty for me.
3 - Patriots fans piss me off.
There are a myriad of other issues I have with the Pats, but I'll just leave it there and hope for the greatest upset in the history of football. GO GIANTS!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Bill Clinton Does NOT Want An Economic Slowdown
WHAT BILL CLINTON SAID: “And maybe America, and Europe, and Japan, and Canada — the rich counties — would say, ‘OK, we just have to slow down our economy and cut back our greenhouse gas emissions ’cause we have to save the planet for our grandchildren.’ We could do that.
But if we did that, you know as well as I do, China and India and Indonesia and Vietnam and Mexico and Brazil and the Ukraine, and all the other countries will never agree to stay poor to save the planet for our grandchildren. The only way we can do this is if we get back in the world’s fight against global warming and prove it is good economics that we will create more jobs to build a sustainable economy that saves the planet for our children and grandchildren. It is the only way it will work.”
"In a long, and interesting speech, he characterized what the U.S. and other industrialized nations need to do to combat global warming this way: “We just have to slow down our economy and cut back our greenhouse gas emissions ’cause we have to save the planet for our grandchildren.”How moronic do you have to be to get that wrong? Either he's being deliberately misleading or Tapper is a pinhead. Of course, before you know it, everyone from The Drudge Report (pinhead)to Rush Limbaugh (fat pinhead) is off to the races with the twisted "truth." This after the fact that everyone, Democrat and Republican, has debunked the story; and even after all that, Tapper still claims to be uncertain about what Bill Clinton meant. How does this guy have a journalism job?
At a time that the nation is worried about a recession is that really the characterization his wife would want him making? “Slow down our economy”?
I don’t really think there’s much debate that, at least initially, a full commitment to reduce greenhouse gases would slow down the economy….So was this a moment of candor?"
(H/T Carpetbagger and C&L)
Writers's Strike May Be Settled Soon
1010WINS: LOS ANGELES - A breakthrough in contract talks has been reached between Hollywood studios and striking writers and could lead to a tentative deal as early as next week, a person close to the ongoing negotiations said Saturday.
The two sides breached the gap Friday on the thorniest issues, those concerning compensation for projects distributed via the Internet...
Bill Clinton Knocks Ted Kennedy and Links Him To Bush
It's time for the Big Dog to either tone it down or for someone in the Hillary campaign to put a muzzle on him. Bill Clinton has criticized Senator Ted Kennedy twice in the last week and linked him to George W. Bush and the No Child Left Behind fiasco."I want you to think about this, and I have to say, this was a train wreck that was not intended. No Child Left Behind was supported by George Bush and Sen. Ted Kennedy and everybody in between. Why? Because they didn't talk to enough teachers before they did that," said Clinton on Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
Obviously these statements come after the Massachusetts senior Senator endorsed Barack Obama and not Hillary Clinton. I can only assume that these comments would not have been made had Kennedy's endorsement gone to Hillary. What do you think?
Maybe Bill should have continued his diatribe and let his audiences know that the "everybody in between" included his wife. Hillary voted FOR No Child Left Behind. Or maybe someone in the Obama campaign will shed some light on that fact if the question is raised. That would be sweet.
Don't misunderstand, I think either candidate is going to make a good president, but since my horse has gone back to the stable, I'm putting my money on Obama. I suppose you can call this the official "Broadway Carl's Blog-O-Mania!" endorsement of Barack Obama which I am sure will propel him over the top and begin his landslide victory in the Democratic race and onto the White House.
And it only makes matters worse for Clinton to have her husband stumping the old-fashioned way: with mudslinging and half truths. Someone has got to control him, not only because it reflects poorly on the Clinton campaign, but it's really unbecoming of a former President. I almost feel embarrassed for him when I see him blow a gasket.
If that's what Hillary calls "change", I ain't buying it.
Montel Williams Cancelled After Fox & Friends Interview
I'm a couple of days late on this but just did some research after hearing about it on the Mike Malloy Show.
Montel Williams was being interviewed by the schlubs over at Fox & Friends to discuss the tragic death of Heath Ledger. What they got instead was unexpected. Here's the video.
And let's not forget that Montel Williams is a 22 year veteran of the Marines.
After the break, Montel Williams was not on the set. Four days later, after a number of Fox stations decided not to renew his television show for the next season, CBS announced that it would cancel The Montel Williams Show after 17 years. Not only that, it's not going to produce any new shows. CBS will air the "best of" Montel for the next full year. After all, they wouldn't want to give him a platform to shed light on what's been happening in the Middle East that 98% of the American population doesn't know about because we're being inundated with Ledger or Anna Nicole or Britney or Lindsey or Paris or O.J. or Mary Kate & Ashley or Jessica and Tony Romo... and the list goes on and on.
I don't know if the cancellation was in the works and Montel knew about it before his Fox interview, and therefore felt like he could put it out there without repercussion, or if he thought that enough is enough and really wanted to open a discourse of why the media isn't covering the loss of our military and the occupation and escalation in Iraq as diligently as it should. Either way, Montel said was has been desparately needed to be voiced for far too long.
(H/T to Manila Ryce at The Largest Minority)
T Minus 353/352 Days
Released tapes prove that Enron, which was Bush's top career patron until 2004 and among his top donors in the 2000 election, was responsible for the rolling blackouts in California as part of a price-gouging scheme.
- The New York Times, February 3rd ,2005
Friday, February 1, 2008
Mets Finalize Santana Deal
MLB.com: Neither the value not the length of the contract is known, but executives in the game had said since early Friday afternoon that they expected Santana to have a contract through 2014 worth $139 million. That figure would reflect annual salaries averaging about $22 million and a signing bonus of about $7 million that would increase the 2008 earnings of the two-time American League Cy Young Award winner to about $20.25 million. The average annual value of the deal would be about $19,587,000.
UPDATE: Santana and the Mets agreed Friday to a $137.5 million, six-year contract extension...
Krugman: The Edwards Effect
I was listening to John Edwards last year and what Paul Krugman summarizes is what I remembered. Over the course of the year, it became a little muddied in my mind. Who was initiating the bold ideas like universal health care that the Democratic candidates suddenly seemed to latch on to after sweeping it under the rug for so long?
Sure, Dennis Kucinich was for "Medicare for all" (HR 636) but unfortunately and as usual, no one in the mainstream cared to listen to what Kucincich had to say.
Luckily, Edwards was in the forefront just enough and had the populist message that many wanted to hear, and the rest of the pack had to follow because the message was so enticing . We have John Edwards to thank for what we are hearing from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton now.
KRUGMAN: ...Mr. Edwards, far more than is usual in modern politics, ran a campaign based on ideas. And even as his personal quest for the White House faltered, his ideas triumphed: both candidates left standing are, to a large extent, running on the platform Mr. Edwards built.
...Suddenly, universal health care became a possible dream for the next administration. In the months that followed, the rival campaigns moved to assure the party’s base that it was a dream they shared, by emulating the Edwards plan. And there’s little question that if the next president really does achieve major health reform, it will transform the political landscape.
...Unfortunately for Mr. Edwards, the willingness of his rivals to emulate his policy proposals made it hard for him to differentiate himself as a candidate; meanwhile, those rivals had far larger financial resources and received vastly more media attention.
...One thing is clear, however: whichever candidate does get the nomination, his or her chance of victory will rest largely on the ideas Mr. Edwards brought to the campaign.
Exxon Sets Record Profits Again
NY TIMES: Exxon Mobil delivered its strongest performance ever last year, earning a record $40.6 billion in net income because of surging oil prices, the company said Friday.
The figure, a 3 percent increase from the previous year, exceeded the company’s own record for profits at an American corporation, set in 2006, and is nearly twice what it earned in 2003.Exxon said its fourth-quarter net income rose 14 percent, to $11.7 billion, or $2.13 a share. That also made it the company’s most profitable quarter ever.
...Exxon, like most oil companies, has benefited from a near-doubling of oil prices last year. In New York, oil futures rose from a year-low of about $50 a barrel in early 2007 to a peak of nearly $100 by the end of the year.
GO, GEORGIE! GO!!!
Who Let George Out?
Uh, oh. President Bush is talking about the economy again. It is now 11:52am EST and the Dow is up 35.04. I wonder how low it'll be before he finishes.
11:55am - Dow Jones at +24.06
12:09pm - Dow Jones at +20.48
4:27pm - Go figure. Microsoft bids on Yahoo for $45 billion shooting it up 48%, Massachusetts sues Merrill Lynch, Exxon's profits are the highest ever, and a whole bunch of other shit happened. But the most important thing? Bush stopped yappin'.
Dow Jones ends the day at +92.83.
T Minus 354 Days
"I think we need not only to eliminate the tollbooth from the middle class, I think we should knock down the tollbooth."
- The New York Times (as quoted by Gail Collins), February 1, 2000
Olbermann's Special Comment: Of FISA and the Telecoms
Our stalwart Commander in Chief wants the FISA bill as soon as possible to protect us from the evildoers. That is of course only if it includes retroactive immunity for the telecom companies. Otherwise, he'll veto it. Boy, I'm sure glad he's watching over us, aren't you? The eavesdropping provisions of FISA have obviously had no impact on counter-terrorism, and there is no current or perceived terrorist threat, the thwarting of which could hinge on an e-mail or a phone call going through room 641-A at AT&T in San Francisco next week or next month. And if there is one thing we know about you, Mr. Bush, one thing that you have proved time and time again under any and all circumstances, it is that you are never responsible.
This is probably the best Special Comment I've seen from Keith Olbermann.
Because if there were, Mr. Bush, and you were to, by your own hand, veto an extension of this eavesdropping, and some terrorist attack were to follow, you would not merely be guilty of siding with the terrorists, you would not merely be guilty of prioritizing the telecoms over the people, you would not merely be guilty of stupidity, you would not merely be guilty of treason… but you would be personally, and eternally, responsible.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
FCC Fines ABC Big Do-Re-Mi?
Who are the idiots heading up the Federal Communications Commission? Some nitwit at the FCC has decided that an episode of NYPD Blue that originally aired on February 25, 2003, five fucking years ago, is subject to a $1.4 million fine for indecency because it "depicts sexual organs and excretory organs - specifically an adult woman's buttocks."
I remember watching this particular episode and was pleasantly surprised at viewing Charlotte Ross' "buttocks" for about .2 seconds. (Okay, I just found the video and the total amount of nudity time is about 5 seconds over a 42 second clip.) But maybe someone should remind the geniuses at the FCC of their own definition.
Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 1464, prohibits the utterance of “any obscene, indecent or profane language by means of radio communication.” Consistent with a subsequent statute and court case, the Commission's rules prohibit the broadcast of indecent material during the period of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. FCC decisions also prohibit the broadcast of profane material between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.They're going after NYPD Blue, a show that's been off the air since 2005, and aired its episodes from 10p.m. to 11p.m., outside the FCC's own "indecency" time guidelines. Here's the YouTube clip in its entirety.
But the real moron seems to be FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, who apparently can't trust America's parents to judge or police the television content their children watch.
"Our action today should serve as a reminder to all broadcasters that Congress and American families continue to be concerned about protecting children from harmful material and that the FCC will enforce the laws of the land vigilantly," Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate said.
We can't let our children watch this kind of filth on television because it'll prevent them from developing normally, cause them to go on sex rampages and become sexually deviant Republican politicians. Initially, ABC argued against the FCC's contention that buttocks are a "sexual organ", but the FCC rejected that argument apparently because they have anal sex on the brain.
If they really want to prevent children from watching something harmful, why do they keep allowing those damned Republican debates on the air?
Non-existent Homeless Vets Fight O'Reilly
When this story started emerging a few weeks ago, I knew something like this would happen. I wonder how Bill O'Reilly and Fox News will (or won't) cover it.
John Edwards, who until bowing out of the campaign, was making poverty and homeless veterans a staple of his stumping, was being lambasted by O'Reilly when he would let the American people know the truth and point out the fact that over 200,000 veterans of our Armed Forces are sleeping on the streets on any given night. As recently as January 16, O'Reilly took to the airwaves to rain ridicule upon Edwards, saying, "Well, we're still looking for all the veterans sleeping under the bridges,...so if you find anybody, let us know." As we reported two days later, Robert Greenwald and his crew at Brave New Films did exactly that.
Now, a group from Fitzgerald House, an "organization representing homeless veterans," plans to bring their fight for recognition to Fox's doorstep. They plan on visiting the Fox News Channel Studios today at 3:00 pm, and will come carrying a petition signed by 17,000 people demanding an apology from O'Reilly for his ignorance and abuse.
Leave it to Robert Greenwald, slayer of all things Fox, to take this head on and expose Bill O'Reilly as the egomaniacal misinformationist that he is. Take a look at the video.
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