Must Reads

Michael Gerson: The Problem with Gingrich’s Simplistic Attack on Sharia

Robert Reich: Wall St's Latest Shameless Ploy to Fleece You

Spike Dolomite Ward: 'Obamacare' to the Rescue and A Message to 'Obamacare' Haters [The Reply]

Steve Benen: The Competition to Reward the Wealthy

Benjy Sarlin: Meet The 22-Year-Old Who’s Driving Romney Crazy

Paul Krugman: Depression and Democracy

Christina Wilkie: Mitt Romney's Slogan Used By Ku Klux Klan, Anti-Immigrant 'Know Nothing' Party

Michael Tomasky: Could Obama Be Headed for a Landslide?

Renee Dudley: SC Gov. Haley Dictated Health Panel Finding - Outcome ordered before committee met

Andy Brownfield and Julie Carr Smyth: Speaker John Boehner's Staff Influenced Ohio Redistricting, Documents Show

Linda Greenhouse: Rock Bottom

Matt Miller: What Wyden-Ryan Hath Wrought

Al Franken: Why I Voted Against the National Defense Authorization Act

President Obama's Weekly Address - December 17, 2011

Honoring Those Who Served in Iraq

Joe Arpaio Under Investigation for Racial Profiling

From the "No Shit Sherlock" news desk, here comes a shocker!

Sheriff Joe Arpaio's boundary-pushing foray into Arizona's immigration enforcement over the last six years met its most bruising criticism when the U.S. Justice Department said the lawman's office carried out a blatant pattern of discrimination against Latinos and held a "systematic disregard" for the Constitution...

"We found discriminatory policing that was deeply rooted in the culture of the department, a culture that breeds a systematic disregard for basic constitutional protections," said Thomas Perez, who heads the Justice Department's civil rights division.

My only question: What the fuck took you so long to figure that one out?

Christopher Hitchens Dies at 62

NY Times: Christopher Hitchens, a slashing polemicist in the tradition of Thomas Paine and George Orwell who trained his sights on targets as various as Henry Kissinger, the British monarchy and Mother Teresa, wrote a best-seller attacking religious belief, and dismayed his former comrades on the left by enthusiastically supporting the American-led war in Iraq, died on Thursday in Houston. He was 62.

The cause was pneumonia, a complication of esophageal cancer, Vanity Fair magazine said in announcing the death...

Just Say "Oops" and Get Out.

Mark Meckler, the founder of a major tea party organization, was arrested Thursday at LaGuardia Airport for gun possession, law enforcement officials said.

The Queens District Attorney said Meckler was carrying a pistol and had a California permit, but not one for New York, authorities said.

Meckler allegedly told authorities he carries the pistol "because he gets threats."

...Yeah. Because everyone knows who Mark Meckler is. This isn't an Obama rally, Mr. Meckler, it's New York City, you shithead.

Job Creators!

Kim Kardashian just dropped $65k to outbid a gang of serious jewelry nuts for 3 unbelievable jade and diamond bracelets that used to belong to Elizabeth Taylor ... TMZ has learned.

Taylor's entire collection of rare and expensive jewelry was auctioned off in NYC this week for a whopping $116 MILLION ... and Kim was one of the bidders.

Can anyone tell me how many jobs Kim Kardashian creates? Or anyone else who decided to drop millions on a dead actress's jewelry? But a 1.9% tax increase to those making over $1 million a year in order to continue a payroll tax cut for 160 MILLION people is unacceptable. Got it.

(H/T JHW22)

Nothing Says "Presidential" Like a Twitter Fight

[Donald] Trump took to YouTube on Wednesday to criticize [Rosie] O'Donnell's new show on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Trump called O'Donnell's show a "complete and total disaster." He also attacked MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell and said that his show was "failing." Trump then tweeted the video, with the message "#trumpvlog Same last name, same bad ratings- @lawrence and @rosie....."

O'Donnell tweeted back and attacked Trump's self-proclaimed wealth. "How many billionaires sell ties and have crappy non reality shows - none - go back to selling snake oil - #bankruptmuch?" O'Donnell tweeted.

How many presidents or presidential contenders do you suppose would tweet something like this?



And to think this schmuck was actually leading the Republican field in the polls at one point. Oh, and here's why Trump lashed out at Lawrence O'Donnell:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Trump Pulls Out of Debate

Badgerhead Donald Trump has decided that he's not going to moderate the Newsmax debate. His excuse? He doesn't want to "give up his right to run as an independent candidate" which we all know is bullshit otherwise he wouldn't have agreed to it in the first place.

Face it, Republicans: this thing was a joke from the beginning and why have a debate when no one is showing up? The only Trump whores were front runners Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum (who really has nothing to lose) and The Donald didn't want to be in a position of not being able to fire anyone. You can't use your tag line if there's no one in the room.

Fair and Balanced, My Ass

Okay, Fox newsies. What's wrong with this picture?

Yes, that's right! It seems that in Fox World, 8.6% unemployment in November 2011, is visually equal to 9% in October 2011, and actually higher than 8.9% and 8.8% in February and March 2011. Sure, I suppose you could just read the numbers, but why do that when Fox can show you a handy-dandy chart showing unemployment under the Obama administration hasn't improved? Me like pretty colors.

(Via Bob Cesca)

The Country of Solynda

I've been searching high and low in my atlas and can't seem to find Solynda.

CNN Political Ticker reports that Perry campaigned in the Hawkeye State, stopping in Ames. He focused on energy, taking shots at the Obama administration's handling of government spending.

"No greater example of it than this administration sending millions of dollars into the solar industry, and we lost that money," Perry said. "I want to say it was over $500 million that went to the country Solynda."

Did he mean the "company" named SolynDRA instead of "country"? No matter. He even got the name wrong. The man is an idiot.

Photo of the Day

What is this? A "terrorist fist jab"? Boy, that Obama is some elitist, huh?

Thanks to JHW22 for the heads up.

Must Reads

John Converse Townsend: An Army of Giant Rats Unearths Peace in Africa

Eugene Robinson: Republicans’ Reality TV Politics

Capital Times Editorial: A Year Later, Walker Rail Blunder Looks Even Worse

Bob Cesca: Occupy The Internet

Pat Garofalo: Perry Admits His Tax Plan Slams Low-Income People And Lets The Wealthy Pay Nothing

Digby: Guess What? Stephen Colbert Isn't Really Conservative

President Obama's Weekly Address - December 10, 2011

Ensuring a Fair Shot for the Middle Class

The Best "Fuck You" Ever

Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania on Wednesday said Obama's policy toward radical Islamists "has been nothing but appeasement."

When asked about the accusations that his foreign policy is timid and amounts to a policy of "appeasement," The President responded:

"Ask Osama bin Laden and the 22 out of 30 top al-Qaida leaders who have been taken off the field whether I engage in appeasement. Or whoever is left out there, ask them about that."

BOOM! goes the dynamite.

President Obama Speaks on the Economy

December 6th, 2011 - Osawatomie, Kansas

Trump to Obama: Call Me

You can file this one in the "Who The Fuck Do You Think You Are?!" folder.

Harry Morgan Dies at 96

NY Times: Harry Morgan, the prolific character actor best known for playing the acerbic but kindly Colonel Potter in the long-running television series “M*A*S*H,” died Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles. He was 96. His son Charles confirmed his death, saying Mr. Morgan had been treated for pneumonia recently.

Here We Go Again

It's the holiday season, so that must mean it's time for Fox News to cry about the fictional War on Christmas. Jon Stewart brilliantly deconstructs.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Some Days It's Hard To Be a Mets Fan... Today More Than Usual

I received a solicitation email from the New York Mets today to purchase season tickets. I had previously been a season ticket holder until last season. Now they want me back and decided to ask me after letting Jose Reyes go to the Florida Marlins less than two days earlier.

My first thought was, "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Here's my response:

Date: December 6, 2011
To: Christopher Leuth, Account Executive, NY Mets
From: Broadway Carl
Re: "We Want You Back" Email

Thank you for your email introduction and your information video for the upcoming 2012 New York Mets season. And as a lifelong Mets fan, I must say I'm impressed by your presentation. It's probably not very easy for you to be an account executive for the Mets these days. I know it's certainly not easy being a fan.

I am frankly a bit surprised, shocked really, at the timing of this email with the wounds so freshly open less than 48 hours after the news that the Mets organization didn't think twice about letting Jose Reyes, it's best player last season and arguably the best leadoff hitter in the league, go to a division rival without a fight. The fan base is at best, not happy, and at worst, in a rabid rage over this most recent example of insouciance.

That Mets management would think it's a good idea to release this email soliciting prospective season tickets buyers while they recover from its latest collective bloody nose shows the ineptness with which this organization has been run over these past few years and just proves how out of touch it is to its fans, regardless of how many surveys and online forms are filled out.
And what's really galling, what hurts the most as a fan of the New York Mets for the last four decades, is the dishonesty with which the organization treats its fans.

We're not stupid. We know that financially, things have been tough on the ownership. We know the Wilpons took a hit with the Madoff ponzi scheme and that they're not out of the woods yet. We know the new stadium was a big expense. We know that the organization was extended a loan from MLB to meet payroll. And we know that all these factors were going to hurt the team competitively. And yet, we were continued to be sold a bill of goods.

Instead of being honest with a loyal following, what were we told? We were told that we'd stay competitive just as soon as the contracts of certain players were shed. We were told that the contracts of Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo, Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez were a drag on the payroll. So Perez and Castillo were released. Beltran and Rodriguez were traded. And overall, the fans understood the trades because they thought your organization was looking to the future in the upcoming Reyes free agency eligibility. The fans thought that although your bosses were shedding on one side, it was all in preparation for a resigning of Reyes, the 2011 NL Batting Champion, the first batting champ in the history of the New York Mets.

But no. We couldn't even match the Florida Marlins' offer. The Marlins! The second worst team in 2011 attendance didn't even struggle to outbid a franchise in one of the biggest markets on the planet. Yet you want me to financially commit to season tickets, when your own management won't commit to a legitimate attempt to put a competitive team on the field.

Now we are hearing stories that the new drags on the payroll are David Wright, Jason Bay and Johan Santana. Well, where does it end? This isn't the Pittsburgh Pirates. This isn't the Kansas City Royals. This is the New York Mets. NEW YORK.

Still, I don't envy your position. And I hope you don't work on commission. But please convey this message to your supervisors, their supervisors, even the ownership: My love for the Mets will never waver. I live and die with every pitch. And I'll consider purchasing tickets on a regular basis when the team is sold to a viable owner.

Give Romney Credit/Dismiss Huntsman

Mitt Romney has decided to skip the Donald Trump debate on December 27th. Regardless of his reasons, you have to give Romney credit for not falling into the trap of kissing the Trump ring. According to reports, the only candidates committed to attend the Trump debate are Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich... although there is plenty of time for Mitt to flip-flop on his decision.

In other news however, what seemed like the only other "reasonable" Republican nominee decided to give a little reach-aroud of the right wing nutjobs by casting doubt on the science of global warming. No, really.

"The scientific community owes us more in terms of a better description or explanation about what might lie beneath all of this," [Jon Huntsman said], "but there's not enough information right now to be able to formulate policies in terms of addressing [global warming] overall -- primarily because it's a global issue. We can enact policies here, but I wouldn't want to unilaterally disarm as a country. I wouldn't want to hinder job creators during a time when our economy is flat."

Not enough information? So much for the "reasonable" one.