The Daily Uh-Oh: Nazi Edition

Nazis Were Given ‘Safe Haven’ in U.S., Report Says - NYTimes.com: "A secret history of the United States government’s Nazi-hunting operation concludes that American intelligence officials created a “safe haven” in the United States for Nazis and their collaborators after World War II, and it details decades of clashes, often hidden, with other nations over war criminals here and abroad..."

Shuler v. Pelosi

On Politics: Heath Shuler concedes he can't beat Pelosi - Game On!: Covering the Latest Sports News: "Former NFL quarterback Heath Shuler can read a scoreboard and knows when the game is lost. But that doesn't mean he'll stop playing..."

About That 1%

Robert Reich (Obama's First Stand):

"...On the other hand, giving the top 1 percent a two-year extension would cost the Treasury $130 billion over two years, thereby blowing a giant hole in efforts to get the deficit under control.

Alternatively, $130 billion would be enough to rehire every teacher, firefighter, and police officer laid off over the last two years and save the jobs of all of them now on the chopping block. Not only are these people critical to our security and the future of our children but, unlike the top 1 percent, they could be expected to spend all of their earnings and thereby stimulate the economy..."

Leakers Pursued

Robert Gates orders leak probe - Gordon Lubold - POLITICO.com:

"Defense Secretary Robert Gates is opening an investigation to determine who in the Defense Department leaked information to The Washington Post that showed a majority of the military would not object if the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy were lifted.

Gates is angry that two unnamed officials cited in the Post article have “selectively revealed aspects of the draft findings” of the Pentagon’s Working Group, according to a statement released late Friday afternoon by Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell..."

Women's Rights Key To Wins

Was abortion a wave-stopper for Democrats in 2010? - Alexander Burns - POLITICO.com:

"While almost nothing went right for Democratic candidates this fall, one issue turned out to be a winner in some of the closest Senate races in the nation: abortion.

By branding Republican challengers as outside the cultural mainstream on the issue, Democrats managed to hold on to at least a slice of the political center by courting and winning over moderate women in a handful of key states..."

Flaming TLC

“Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” on TLC, review : The New Yorker: "...TLC’s approach to programming is, in a nominal way, educational; if you don’t know any little people, or kids whose legs are fused, or families with nineteen children, you don’t really know what their lives are like. The shows are extremely invasive, though; TLC’s programming is all about babies, weddings, and families in extremis, and yet there’s something inhumane at the center of it all. It panders to our curiosity, allowing us to gawk at its subjects for as long as they are willing to be gawked at—which may be longer than is good for them. When it comes to Palin specifically, there is the fundamental problem that some of us don’t want to see or hear any more of her than we have to. And there are those whose objections have a physiological basis as well as an ideological one: the pitch and timbre of her voice, the rhythms of her speech, her syntax, and the way she coats acid and incoherence with cheery musical inflections join together in a sickening synergy that distresses the listener, triggering a fight-or-flight reaction. When Palin talks, my whole being wails, like Nancy Kerrigan after Tonya Harding’s ex-husband kneecapped her: “Why? Why? Why?”..."

The Learning Channel don't do much teachin' no more. It's mostly gawking.

O Grows A (Temporary?) Set

Obama: Extend tax cuts for middle class, not the wealthy - The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency:

"President Obama said today his top priority is to extend the George W. Bush tax cuts for middle class Americans, and he will talk with Republicans next week about what to do with the tax rates for wealthier Americans.

'I continue to believe that extending permanently the upper-income tax cuts would be a mistake and that we can't afford it,' Obama told reporters at the G-20 summit in Seoul, South Korea. 'And my hope is, is that somewhere in between there we can find some sort of solution...'"

Great Rant

Be sure and read the comment thread and behold the filleting of a "righteous" ranter. I love a good rant « The Confluence:

Fox And Palin

Murdoch Speaks: Fox Civil War Deepens | Media Matters for America: "...What is clear as this story develops is: MSNBC execs are wringing their hands over and trying to kill their marquee host, Keith Olbermann for some piddling personal donations -- after having just a few weeks ago announced a new openly progressive branding campaign -- 'Lean Forward' -- for the increasingly competitive cable network, that success brought to them in the first place by Olbermann's talents as a broadcaster (MSNBC is 'beating the shit' out of CNN too). Meanwhile, Rupert Murdoch is swiftly maneuvering, promoting his top stars, issuing new commands to his troops with a partisan political end game in mind: 'With any kind of a Republican candidate ... Obama will find it impossible to win' re-election. For now, it looks like Murdoch's preferred candidate is Sarah Barracuda. What will Karl Rove and Company do about that? Stay tuned."

Why Would The GOP Want Anyone Other Than O?

Deficit Advisers Back Sweeping Cuts - WSJ.com:

"...Among the controversial proposals, the plan in its current form would end or cap a wide range of breaks relied on by the middle class, including the deduction for home-mortgage interest. It would tax capital gains and dividends at the higher rates now levied on wage income. To compensate, one version of the plan would dramatically lower and simplify individual rates, to 9%, 15% and 24%.

For businesses, the plan would significantly lower the corporate tax rate—from a current top rate of 35% to as low as 26%—but also eliminate a number of deductions. It would make permanent the research and development tax credit. Overall, the plan would cut the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion by 2020..."

Bush Torture Truth

British deny George Bush's claims that torture helped foil terror plots | World news | The Guardian:

"British officials said today there was no evidence to support claims by George Bush, the former US president, that information extracted by 'waterboarding' saved British lives by foiling attacks on Heathrow airport and Canary Wharf. In his memoirs, Bush said the practice – condemned by Downing Street as torture – was used in CIA interrogations of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks on the US..."

The Legend In His Own Mind Tour Continues

Back in the public eye, Bush as assured as ever - latimes.com:

"...The book's excerpts and the interviews offer new insight into Bush's presidency, but show a familiar certainty and self-assuredness about the decisions he made.

On the decision to launch a war with Iraq, Bush expressed no hesitation when asked if he would make the same choice again, knowing all that he knows today..."

Bad Omens

The Fed - Doing It Again - NYTimes.com:

"...It’s true that things aren’t as bad as they were during the worst of the Depression. But that’s not saying much. And as in the 1930s, every proposal to do something to improve the situation is met with a firestorm of opposition and criticism. As a result, by the time the actual policy emerges, it’s watered down to such an extent that it’s almost guaranteed to fail.

We’ve already seen this happen with fiscal policy: fearing opposition in Congress, the Obama administration offered an inadequate plan, only to see the plan weakened further in the Senate. In the end, the small rise in federal spending was effectively offset by cuts at the state and local level, so that there was no real stimulus to the economy.

Now the same thing is happening to monetary policy..."

O Faulted By Germans

The World from Berlin: 'Obama Comes Across as Cold, Arrogant and Elitist' - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International: "It was a failure of historic proportions. With US President Barack Obama's Democrats having lost control of the House, there seems little hope for progress during his two remaining years, say German commentators. Obama himself, they say, bears much of the blame..."

Repeal Without Repeal

Republicans Look at Budget Maneuvers to Prevent Spending on New Health Law - FoxNews.com:

"The Republican in line to lead the House Budget Committee acknowledged Sunday that the GOP is unlikely to get a repeal of a Democratic-backed health care law because President Obama can veto it, but said House Republicans will move forward on a vote anyway.

Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said Republicans have some opportunities to slow the advance of the Democratic plan by defunding actual rollouts, but acknowledged the president would have to sign that legislation..."

Other O Suspended For Politicking

Rachel Maddow on suspended Keith Olbermann: MSNBC should reinstate him:
"...Olbermann was suspended without pay Friday for making donations to three Democratic candidates in this week's mid-term elections..."

Hmmm.

The Onion Speaks

American Public Gets Exactly What It Deserves For 112th Straight Election | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "Dismayed by the fact that over the past 24 months they have not experienced the immediate short-term personal gain they had hoped for, Americans went to the polls Tuesday and, for the 112th consecutive time, elected the candidates they deserve. 'It's my duty,' Reading, PA resident Bethany Albertson said as she cast her ballot and joined the staggering majority of citizens who, like every single previous generation of voters, will reap exactly what they have sown. 'I haven't seen much difference in my paycheck, and we need a voice for change in our government.' Exit polls indicated most voters will be content with what they've got coming to them as long as they see sharp reductions in taxes, health care costs, home foreclosures, economic regulation, unemployment, and the national debt by the time the 112th Congress is halfway through its first legislative session."

O'Blame!

Jeff Tollefson's pix...

Palin Fires Back

GOP Leaders: Sarah Palin Must be Stopped - Political Hotsheet - CBS News:

"...She also lit into those quoted, telling Greta Van Susteren they "want to lead the nation and run the world" and yet "they're not brave enough to put their name in an article." She called them "the GOP the establishment -- the self-proclaimed elite" and added that "if they would man up and if they would, you know, make these claims against me, then I can debate them."

UPDATE: Palin has now sarcastically referred to Politico and other detractors "puppy-kicking, chain-smoking porn producers" in an email to the Daily Caller..."

The Great Liberal Sigh

David A. Love: Americans, Your Country Isn't So Great:

"...The United States is at the bottom of the barrel. We don't live well. Since the 1970s, the bottom 90 percent has experienced income stagnation, while the top 1 percent has seen its wealth skyrocket. In America, two-thirds of income gains in recent years went to the top 1 percent. The gap between rich and poor hasn't been so great since 1928, right before the first Great Depression, with the top 20 percent controlling 84 percent of the wealth. In Sweden, the top 20 percent owns 36 percent. Canada and Western Europe all have greater social mobility than the so-called 'land of opportunity,' and with far more generous benefits, over a month of vacation, real universal health care -- you get the picture. If the citizens of all of these advanced nations are living better than Americans, then what is so special about America?

And yet, this recent election is a testament to this country's proclivity -- with help from the bottom 90 percent -- to keep things the way they are, if not worsen them. Some people vote with the oligarchy against their own interests because they simply lack the proper information. There's lots of blame to go around..."

Bush & Lauer

Kanye says he understands George Bush's 'disgust' - CNN.com:

..."Bush: 'Yes. My record was strong, I felt, when it came to race relations and giving people a chance. And it was a disgusting moment.'

Lauer: 'I wonder if some people are going to read that, now that you've written it, and they might give you some heat for that. And the reason is this '

Bush [interrupting]: 'Don't care.'

Lauer: 'Well, here's the reason. You're not saying that the worst moment in your presidency was watching the misery in Louisiana. You're saying it was when someone insulted you because of that.'

Bush: 'No, and I also make it clear that the misery in Louisiana affected me deeply as well. There's a lot of tough moments in the book. And it was a disgusting moment, pure and simple...'"

This exchange speaks volumes about Skippy.

Dump O

Thursday: What we’re up against because the “Creative Class” just *had* to have its way « The Confluence:

"...I don’t care how the party gets Obama not to run in 2012. They can persuade him to give it up voluntarily like LBJ did, or they can start secretly funding Hillary for a primary win. But something has to be done to get him out of the White House and put a strong contender in his place.

The creative class will take us all down unless we strike back and tell them in no uncertain terms that we are not putting up with their $#@% anymore. Tuesday was the first blow. And we will continue to pound on them until they get the message. No candidate that has their support will ever have mine unless he/she embraces the working class. I don’t see that happening. So, the party is at a stalemate. The vast majority of us are held hostage by a tiny group of snobs who think very well of themselves and not of you.

So be it. The Democrats will be the Washington Generals to the Republican Globe Trotters until a new team comes along..."

"Saving" Social Security

How Reid Machine Held Off Upstart Conservative - WSJ.com:

"...The Reid campaign waited until the day after the primary to pounce, releasing a press release that told voters Ms. Angle had a 'radical' notion to do away with Social Security.

Ms. Angle had in fact spoken frequently of 'phasing out' social security. During the general election campaign she sought to moderate that position, explaining that she wanted to 'save' the popular program by amending it, but Mr. Reid continued efforts to remind voters even as late as Tuesday afternoon of her earlier position.

While Ms. Angle seemed to have all the momentum in an election year that favored tea party fervor and the Republican party, her missteps became too numerous to overcome. Eventually, Ms. Angle's campaign couldn't risk putting her in front of television cameras for fear that she might say something damaging..."

A TP Negative

The Tea Party Giveth ... - NYTimes.com: "...But in the Senate, the Tea Parties’ critics can claim some vindication — and more of it than I expected. The conservative grassroots can take credit, in one sense or another, for the victories of Rand Paul, Ron Johnson (who got his start as a speaker at Tea Party rallies) and Marco Rubio. But the inevitable defeat of Christine O’Donnell was accompanied by Harry Reid’s unexpectedly easy win over Sharron Angle, and — according to the Denver Post, at least — Michael Bennet’s hair’s-breadth victory over Ken Buck in Colorado. All of those should have been winnable seats for Republicans, and with different candidates they might have been. But in each case, the Tea Parties got the nominees they wanted, and in each case they went down to defeat. Meanwhile, more establishment-ish Republicans were cleaning up: Dan Coats won in Indiana, Rob Portman won in Ohio, Mark Kirk won in Illinois, and Lisa Murkowski’s write-in campaign in Alaska seems poised to keep her in the Senate..."

The New Constitution

The Tea Party Constitution Versus the Thomas Jefferson Constitution | The Nation:

"...If O'Donnell, Johnson and their Tea'd-Off compatriots were even minimally serious about adhering to the founding document, they would all be thoughtful critics of the undeclared wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, ardent foes of the Patriot Act and steady opponents of free trade deals that remove the authority of Congress to represent and serve the interests of American workers, farmers and communities. But then they would be Russ Feingold, and it goes against the Tea Party narrative—at least as it has been framed by the movement's corporate paymasters and messaging consultants—to regard a progressive Democrat as the most ardent defender of the American experiment.

So it should be understood that O'Donnell, Miller, Angle, Buck, Johnson and the rest of the Tea Partisans who might be senators are not talking about the Constitution as it was written or as the founders intended it. Rather, they are talking about the Constitution as they would like to see it rewritten and reinterpreted—with the help of the most activist Supreme Court in American history. While their intents are radical, their prospects must be seen in light of the fact that Chief Justice John Roberts and his conservative majority have already reinterpreted the First Amendment's free speech protection in a manner that extends the natural rights that the founders reserved for human beings to multinational corporations..."

About The Rally

Peter Clothier: The Rally: "...The news reports on television, as I wrote above, had little relationship to the experience I've described. The same with this morning's papers. The media have portrayed this as a light-hearted entertainment event with a handful of stars and two well-known comedians. But as I see it, the rally was only in small part about what was happening on the stage. The vast majority of us had no idea what was happening there, anyway. No. The rally was about showing up. It was about the people who showed up in vast numbers to be counted. And to judge from media reports thus far, we were discounted. It was also about the mood and spirit of these vast numbers of people, whose signs--and whose behavior in highly adverse circumstances--reflected the civility that has been missing in this year's political discourse. It was about an aspect of the American character that is too often ignored--and which the media seems determined to continue to ignore: a mutual tolerance and compassion, a great space in which we all agree on that is right, and just, and needed for our common humanity..."

Booze Worse Than Junk

Alcohol Is More Lethal Than Heroin, Study Finds : NPR:

"Alcohol is more dangerous than illegal drugs like heroin and crack cocaine, according to a new study.

British experts evaluated substances including alcohol, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and marijuana, ranking them based on how destructive they are to the individual who takes them and to society as a whole..."

The Unloved GOP

Barbour: We Know Voters Don't Love Republicans - The Early Show - CBS News:

"The chairman of the Republican Governors Association said that while he expects big wins for his party on Election Day, he understands it is not because voters love the GOP more than the Democrats.

Appearing on CBS' 'The Early Show' this morning, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour said that tomorrow's voting represents a referendum on the policies of President Obama..."

Irony Overdrive--Not Our Problem?

China's military expansion and assertive trade policies: "HANOI: China's military expansion and assertive trade policies have set off jitters across Asia, prompting many of its neighbours to rekindle old alliances and cultivate new ones to better defend their interests against the rising superpower..."

Stewart, Colbert Rally Draws Crowd

Stewart, Colbert preside over lighthearted, star-studded rally - CNN:

"Assisted by a colorful cast of characters, Comedy Central funnymen Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert held a raucous rally on the National Mall Saturday in typical fashion before a cheering throng of supporters.

Amidst all the hilarity, however, the 'Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear' carried a message about Americans turning their backs on hate and working together to make the world a better place..."

Nutty Court Ruling

...or another reason to hate lawyers. 4-Year-Old Can Be Sued, Judge Rules in Bike Case - NYTimes.com:

Veteran Dem Dissects Woes

Good read. Very informative. Requiem for the Pelosi Democrats - WSJ.com:

Troops Not Anti-Gay

Most troops wouldn't oppose serving with gays: "A majority of active-duty and reserve service members surveyed by the Defense Department would not object to serving and living alongside openly gay troops, according to multiple people familiar with the findings..."

NOW Condemns Sexist Politicking

NOW Defends O'Donnell After One Night Stand Story - FoxNews.com:

"...'Today the tabloid website Gawker published an anonymous piece titled 'I Had A One-Night Stand With Christine O'Donnell' that takes the routine sexual degradation of women candidates to a disgusting new low. NOW repudiates Gawker's decision to run this piece. It operates as public sexual harassment. And like all sexual harassment, it targets not only O'Donnell, but all women contemplating stepping into the public sphere,' O'Neill said..."

Where was NOW when Sen.Clinton was being attacked for being a woman? They were fluffing the Obots and ignoring their sexist attacks. Too little, too late, NOW.

Pot Watch

Marijuana on the ballot: 6 states moving toward 'legalization' - The Week:

Gay Bashing School Board Member

Technolog - Facebook is no friend to gay-bashing school official:

"Alleged gay-bashing Arkansas Midland School District board member Clint McCance is not getting the credit he deserves. Last week, when McCance reportedly chose to spread his expletive-laced hate speech towards dead gay children via Facebook, his timing was perfect..."

Any teacher who posted a screed like this guy's would've been history overnight.

TP Origins

The Tea Party movement: deluded and inspired by billionaires | George Monbiot | Comment is free | The Guardian:

"By funding numerous rightwing organisations, the mega-rich Koch brothers have duped millions into supporting big business...

The Tea Party movement is remarkable in two respects. It is one of the biggest exercises in false consciousness the world has seen – and the biggest Astroturf operation in history. These accomplishments are closely related..."

Gulf Spill ThanksTo Halliburton?

Firms Knew of Cement Flaws Before Spill, Panel Says - NYTimes.com:

"Halliburton knew weeks before the fatal explosion of the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico that the cement mixture they planned to use to seal the bottom of the well was unstable but still went ahead with the job, the presidential commission investigating the accident said on Thursday..."

No Remorse Stomper

My [ ]-- Head Stomp Victim: Paul Supporters Planned It - The Early Show - CBS News:

"Profitt [the stomper] was fired by the Paul campaign and later apologized for the incident - but not for his behavior and not to Valle - saying, 'I'm sorry it came to that and I apologize if it appeared overly forceful, but I was concerned about Rand's safety.'"

So he's sorry he got caught.

Is The Middle Finally Getting Mad?

Slackers or 'saners'? Ralliers say they aren't just kidding around - Politics - Decision 2010 - msnbc.com:

"They’re reasonable, they’re lucid, and, damn it, they want their voices heard.

At a moderate conversational level, of course.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of activists and fans are expected to rally on the National Mall at the urging of two cable television comedians whose combined nightly viewership is somewhere south of a primetime repeat of FOX’s “The Simpsons...”

Assaulting Liberals

Speaking of an inability to tolerate other ideas--Woman stomped outside Kentucky debate - CNN.com: "An employee with the liberal group Moveon.org was stomped on by a man wearing a 'Rand Paul for Senate' T-shirt outside a televised debate in Lexington, Kentucky, Monday night, police said..."

And this surprises who?

GOPer First Amendment Hypocrisy

Is the right willing to hear opposing voices? - CNN.com: Uh, no, but read on.

"...Sometime before these events, a young Cato Institute blogger named Julian Sanchez proposed the term 'epistemic closure' to describe what was happening in the conservative world. That's a fancy way of saying that minds are closed to contradictory information.

And one demonstration of how minds are closed? The ability to raise a howl about liberal close-mindedness after the firing of Juan Williams -- without recalling one's own side's exactly comparable actions not even 90 days ago."

Cheatin' Dem?

Alex Sink, Florida Gov. Candidate, Accused of "Cheating" in Debate - Political Hotsheet - CBS News: "Florida gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink, a Democrat, was caught violating the terms of a debate with Republican opponent Rick Scott on Monday, after she was seen reading a text message sent by an aide..."

Disrespectin' Teh Precious

What Happened to Change We Can Believe In? - NYTimes.com: "PRESIDENT Obama, the Rodney Dangerfield of 2010, gets no respect for averting another Great Depression, for saving 3.3 million jobs with stimulus spending, or for salvaging GM and Chrysler from the junkyard. And none of these good deeds, no matter how substantial, will go unpunished if the projected Democratic bloodbath materializes on Election Day. Some are even going unremembered. For Obama, the ultimate indignity is the Times/CBS News poll in September showing that only 8 percent of Americans know that he gave 95 percent of American taxpayers a tax cut..."

Rich hits a homer, then dances on all the bases. Read this post and remember.

More Juan Wanking

Fired NPR analyst slams former employer - CNN.com:

Sony Was There First, Apple

Before 2010 MacBook Air, there was 2004 Sony | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET News:

"Though a moot point now for consumers, in 2004 Sony came out with a razor-thin wedge-shaped laptop that was a progenitor of the MacBook Air, particularly Apple's 2010 incarnation.

At the Apple event this week in San Francisco, Steve Jobs said the new MacBook Air 'is the future of notebooks.' That's debatable of course but it's clear that PC makers like Sony and Hewlett-Packard already saw that kind of future a long time ago. The problem was that either their timing was off or they didn't execute the designs as well as Apple--or simply that the laptop was too expensive..."

Like the GOP, Apple is adept at marketing.

Whitman Trailing

Meg Whitman lags behind Jerry Brown in Calif. governor race - CSMonitor.com: "Lots can happen in a week, but the GOP candidate for governor of California is trailing Democrat Jerry Brown by a substantial – and apparently growing – margin. And it looks like the flap over her illegal housekeeper is one major reason..."

Henry VI, Part II, Act IV, Scene II, Line 73

Paperwork Trail: The Lawyers Who Fight Foreclosures - WSJ.com:

"The paperwork mess muddying home foreclosures erupted last month. But the legal strategy behind it traces to a lawyer's gambit in 2006 that has helped keep one couple in their home six years beyond their last mortgage payment.

Lillian and Robert Jackson stopped paying on their home in Jacksonville, Fla., in 2004 when business dropped off at their cleaning company. Eviction might have seemed inevitable when they faced a foreclosure hearing two years later..."

The Other Side Of Juan

Juan Williams' firing reflects fear and favor in the media - On Liberty blog - Boston.com:

"Poor Juan Williams. He learned the hard way that journalists hired to report or analyze the news without fear or favor can't expect to air their personal prejudices and still pretend to be impartial -- except that too often, they still can.

What makes Mr. Williams' situation particularly disappointing is that the view he expressed -- that he 'feels nervous when he sees religiously attired Muslims on planes' -- reflects a profound ignorance both of Islam as a religion and the ways in which terrorists operate..."

Higher Ed Flim-Flam

Putting a Price on Professors - WSJ.com:

"...To critics, that isn't enough. They see a system in which some tenured professors teach just two or three classes a year, sometimes on obscure topics that mesh with their research but not necessarily with student needs. At the same time, more instruction is handled by part-time lecturers, who now make up at least 50% of the nation's higher-education faculty—up from 30% in 1975, according to the American Association of University Professors..."

Screwing part-timers is taught as good business in education schools so is it any surprise that they do? If you read this report, you will notice not one word concerning the vastly over-priced management apparatus suffocating higher education.

Who Should Apologize To Whom?

Thomas Ex-Companion Has Stories to Tell - NYTimes.com:

"...But Ms. McEwen said she knew a different Clarence Thomas, one whom she recognized in the 1991 testimony of Ms. Hill, who claimed that he had repeatedly made inappropriate sexual comments to her at work, including descriptions of pornographic films.

Ms. McEwen said that pornography for Justice Thomas was “just a part of his personality structure.” She said he kept a stack of pornographic magazines, “frequented a store on Dupont Circle that catered to his needs,” and allowed his interest in pornography to bleed into his professional relationships..."

GOP Dirty Tricks

Nevada's 'Don't Vote' ad campaign is aimed at Latinos - latimes.com:

"Latinos who are frustrated with Congress' failure to adopt comprehensive immigration reform are being targeted with a lie: that the best strategy to achieve their goal is to stop participating in the democratic process. Don't vote. Be silent. Go uncounted to teach the politicians a lesson. But that approach cannot and will not work. No group in the United States has ever forwarded its political agenda by auto-disenfranchisement.

Last year there was a don't-fill-out-the-census campaign. This latest effort to marginalize Latinos has taken the form of a 'Don't Vote' ad drive in Nevada, sponsored by an organization cynically misnamed Latinos for Reform. The group, led by conservative pundit and former Republican Party official Robert de Posada, is asking Latinos to punish Democrats for failing to pass immigration reform by staying home Nov. 2..."

More Domestic Terrorism

Toxic powder sent to Arizona congressman - U.S. news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com:

"White powder delivered in an swastika-covered envelope to the Tucson, Ariz., office of Rep. Raul Grijalva is a toxic substance, the Democratic congressman said the FBI told him Thursday afternoon.

It was not confirmed exactly what substance was mailed to Grijalva's offices, located at the 800 block of East 22nd Street, NBC affiliate KVOA reported..."

Fire NPR?

FoxNews.com - NPR Under Fire After Canning Juan Williams:

"News analyst Juan Williams' firing from National Public Radio for comments he made about being nervous when flying alongside devout Muslims has sparked a public outcry that includes calls for investigations and a cut in public funding to the broadcaster.

'I think the U.S. Congress should investigate NPR and consider cutting off their money,' said Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who is also a Fox News contributor..."

Anglachel Explains The Big Dawg

Anglachel's Journal: Popular is as Popular Does:

"...It is this same cultural disdain, made more bitter by the oblivious exercise of economic privilege, that raises hackles over food politics. Diet soda is to be taxed, but not flavored mineral water? Candy bars have a sin tariff, but 'energy bars' are OK? As long as you can pay premium, we won't ask to see the contents of your shopping cart.

It doesn't seem to get through to the power brokers that the party rank and file love Bubba not despite his flaws but because of them. Or maybe it does, and they realize that grass-roots popularity comes from policies and plans that improves grass-roots bank accounts at the expense of those higher up the economic food chain. A popular populist champion may be the last thing they want to see.

In the meantime, some party candidates have figured out that it's in their interests to hang out with the popular guy."

Self-Pity Fueling Rage?

Op-Ed Columnist - The Rage Won’t End on Election Day - NYTimes.com:

"...That wave of anger began with the parallel 2008 cataclysms of the economy’s collapse and Barack Obama’s ascension. The mood has not subsided since. But in the final stretch of 2010, the radical right’s anger is becoming less focused, more free-floating — more likely to be aimed at “government” in general, whatever the location or officials in charge. The anger is also more likely to claim minorities like gays, Latinos and Muslims as collateral damage. This is a significant and understandable shift, if hardly a salutary one. The mad-as-hell crowd in America, still not seeing any solid economic recovery on the horizon, will lash out at any convenient scapegoat.

The rage was easier to parse at the Tea Party’s birth, when, a month after Obama’s inauguration, its founding father, CNBC’s Rick Santelli, directed his rant at the ordinary American “losers” (as he called them) defaulting on their mortgages, and at those in Washington who proposed bailing the losers out. (Funny how the Bush-initiated bank bailouts went unmentioned.) Soon enough, the anger tilted toward Washington in general and the new president in particular. And it kept getting hotter. In June 2009, still just six months into the Obama presidency, the Fox News anchor Shepard Smith broke with his own network’s party line to lament a rise in “amped up” Americans “taking the extra step and getting the gun out.” He viewed the killing of a guard by a neo-Nazi Obama hater at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington as the apotheosis of the “more and more frightening” post-election e-mail surging into Fox..."

The Other Never Over War

Virginia 4th-grade textbook criticized over claims on black Confederate soldiers:

Nuclear Nightmares

5 times we almost nuked ourselves by accident: "We spent the Cold War in perpetual fear that the U.S. and U.S.S.R. would start an intentional nuclear conflict. The truth is, we came far closer to blowing ourselves up with nuclear weapons than we ever came to WWIII..."

Where No Light Shines

Christine O'Donnell's church and state gaffe makes voters laugh | World news | The Guardian:

"...When Coons told her the text of the constitution prohibited government from establishing any religion, O'Donnell replied in apparent bewilderment: 'You're telling me that's in the first amendment?'

Minutes earlier, the audience at Widener Law School in Delaware had laughed in derision when O'Donnell asked: 'Where in the constitution is the separation of church and state?'..."

Equality In Recruiting

Military to accept openly gay recruits - USATODAY.com: "Openly gay recruits can now join the military as a result of a federal court ruling striking down the 'don't ask, don't tell' law, but they are being warned that they can still be discharged if the ruling is overturned..."

Assaulting Reporters

The Palin Model, Ctd - The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan.

Palin Analysis

Good, even-handed summary here-- Five myths about Sarah Palin.

Call To Liberal Action

Repudiating Liberalism or Obama | Ian Welsh:

"...What is done is done. What needs to be done is this. The liberal wing of the Democratic party must be SEEN to take out Obama. There must be a primary challenge. If there is not, liberalism will be discredited for at least a decade, time America cannot afford, since liberal solutions work and conservative solutions, whether pushed by right wing Dems or Republicans, don’t.

Are you a liberal first, or a Democrat? You can’t be both..."

I don't usually scream but AMEN!

TP's Convenient Stand

Peter Berkowitz: Why Liberals Don't Get the Tea Party Movement - WSJ.com: "...In other words, the tea party movement is inspired above all by a commitment to limited government. And that does distinguish it from the competition..."

I have six words for tea party (no caps intentional): George Bush George Bush George Bush. If you were in favor of limited government, why weren't you screaming to high heavens during the reign of Skippy The Far Lesser? Oh, I see a conversion to limited government once the other guys get a chance to run things. Can you find a hypocrite in the mirror?

Oh, I think the liberals get the tea party, they just call it by its proper name-- the GOP.

The Bill And Jerry Show

Bill Clinton upstages Jerry Brown in California governor's race - CSMonitor.com:

"...It has to be tough for Jerry Brown. He’s won statewide election four times, but Bill Clinton seems to have been more personally popular in California. He even beat Brown in the California native’s home state – in the 1992 presidential primary. And Clinton’s first choice for California’s next governor was Gavin Newsom, the telegenic much younger Mayor of San Francisco now running for lieutenant governor.

At the end of the UCLA rally, Brown slipped offstage. Clinton stuck around for a long time, shaking hands and signing autographs."

The last sentence says it all.

Time For O To Show

Comment Of The Day: Bill Edition

Mad In The Middle: "The Good Old Dawg, Er, Days"

Yeah, it's almost like quoting yourself, but I wanted to make sure both of my readers saw this timely reminder.

Alessandro Machi said...

"Bill Clinton is the only president in the past 80 years to leave office with a higher approval rating than when he started as president.

Bill Clinton decreased the yearly operating budget deficit each and every year until it became a yearly operating budget surplus.

Bill Clinton was the only 2 term democrat since World War II."

Leaky Leaker Problems

Will 400,000 Secret Iraq War Documents Restore WikiLeaks’ Sheen? | Threat Level | Wired.com:

"...The Iraq release comes at a crucial time for the 4-year-old WikiLeaks, which has been rankled by internal conflict, shaken by outside criticism and knocked off-message by a lingering sex-crime investigation of its founder, Julian Assange, in Sweden. At least half-a-dozen staffers have resigned from the organization in recent weeks, including key technical staff, according to four ex-staffers interviewed by Wired.com. A “scheduled maintenance” of the WikiLeaks website that began September 29 has stretched to more than two weeks.

The beleaguered Assange was cautious in a Sept. 30 public debate at City University in London, where he asked organizers to bar attending journalists and students from recording, photographing or videotaping his appearance..."

Palin Pros Prepping Preppy Ex-Witch

The Plum Line - Sarah Palin advisers prepped Christine O'Donnell for debate:

"By some reckonings, Christine O'Donnell had a bit of a rocky time at her Delaware Senate debate with Dem Chris Coons last night. She wouldn't say whether she believe in evolution, described Coons as a Marxist, and appeared to stumble over her answer on discretionary funding.

And yet, as Dana Milbank notes, in comparison to recent revelations about her and the national caricature that is the result, her performance was clearly an improvement.

If that's so, there are two people she has to thank for that, and they're both Sarah Palin advisers: Randy Scheunemann and Michael Goldfarb. They were the ones who took on the job of prepping O'Donnell for the debate, Goldfarb confirms..."

What O Should've Done

Actor212 hits a homer with this post, reminding us of the (far) lesser of two evils while putting the credit and blame exactly where it belongs.

Simply Left BehindThe Non-Rapturist's Guide To The Galaxy: Picking Up The Gauntlet:

"...2) Taxes, but also Jobs: In addition to the above outline, a jobs program should have been front and center on Obama's agenda when he took office. Even if it meant reviving the Civlian Conservation Corps and paying people to pick up trash along the roadside, it would have helped. Right now, the private sector has added a net of one million jobs in 2010. It took Bush SIX YEARS to reach that level of hiring.

People are underemployed and the underlying truth is, people have stagnated in jobs and salary for thirty years, all sacrificed at the altar of tax cuts for the rich and the retarded (sorry, Trig) idea that somehow making the rich richer helps the middle class..."

The Plame Game Returns

MoDo does a good turn reminding us of the evil of BushCo here. Op-Ed Columnist - The Unfair Game - NYTimes.com:

SpongeBob The CEO

5 Things SpongeBob SquarePants Can Teach You About Business - AOL Small Business: "Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants, with its brightly hued colors and juvenile hijinks, may seem like the last place you should look for business or career advice. But if you take a slightly closer look at SpongeBob's madcap energy and Mr. Krabs' relentless pursuit to sell Krabby Patties, you'll notice some familiar workplace scenarios -- and some surprisingly important lessons..."

Dead-Eye Dick's Vic Speaks

Man shot by Cheney was 'lucky' to escape death - U.S. news - Life - msnbc.com: "The lawyer shot five years ago by then vice-president Dick Cheney told the The Washington Post Thursday that his injuries from the hunting accident were more extensive than revealed at the time..."

The Good Old Dawg, Er, Days

That’s why he’s the Big Dawg « The Confluence:

"...Clinton’s job approval rating ranged from 36% in mid-1993 to 64% in late 1993 and early 1994. Obama’s started higher than Bill’s but has been dropping ever since. Bill Clinton left office with an approval rating of 68% despite the impeachment and all the GOP attempts to find or create a scandal.

Bill Clinton won Kentucky. Twice. He presided over the largest sustained economic expansion in our history. During his two terms we enjoyed peace and prosperity, and the gap between rich and poor shrunk.

Best of all, the Big Dawg never once punched a hippie.

What kind of morons try to turn the most beloved and successful living Democrat into a racist Republican?"

Justice(?) Too Swift

Florida's 30-Second Foreclosure Dash Hits Wall of Fraud Claims - Bloomberg:

"Home to more foreclosures than 47 U.S. states, Florida sought to clear out its backlog with a system of special court hearings that dispensed with cases quickly, sometimes in less than a minute.

Homeowners like Nicole West now threaten to slow that system, Florida’s so-called rocket docket, to a crawl. West, who has been fighting to save her Jensen Beach house from foreclosure, has leveled a new allegation in her three-year battle: the entire process is based on fraud..."

The Missing Bush

George W. Bush 'Holed Up' in Texas: Not Much Demand For Former President: "Former President Bill Clinton is busy on the campaign trail, helping candidates in races from Florida to Washington state. His successor, George W. Bush? Holed up in Texas.

Bush left office deeply unpopular and sour on domestic politics. After leaving Washington and returning to Texas, he has kept a low profile, working on his memoir and appearing only occasionally at paid speeches. Aides say he has no plans to be a figure in this year's elections, which could see major gains for the GOP..."

Another Falcon Lake Murder

Police investigator in Falcon Lake probe beheaded | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle:

"The head of a Mexican police commander presumed to be investigating the reported pirate attack against David Michael Hartley on Falcon Lake was delivered to Mexican military, sources said Tuesday.

State Rep. Aaron Pena, D-Edinburg, said he was told that Rolando Flores’ head was delivered Tuesday in a suitcase..."

Dems Create More Jobs Than GOP

It’s Official: More Private Sector Jobs Created In 2010 Than During Entire Bush Years | NEWS JUNKIE POST: "The September jobs report was just released and demonstrates that America is on a far slower path to recovery than anyone originally predicted. Despite this, the shedding of government jobs cloaks a glimmer of hope: more private sector jobs have been created this year than during the entire Bush administration. Read that again: 2010 has had more private job creation than during the entire 8 year tenure of George W. Bush..."

The Foreign GOP

Democrats Keep Hitting GOP on Secret Foreign Donations - Political Hotsheet - CBS News: "Democrats and their supporters appear convinced that tying Republican outside groups to shadowy foreign donors is a successful strategy for rallying their base in the midterm elections. The repeated attacks come despite the fact that Democrats do not have solid proof to back up the allegations..."

Low Return Brokers

Signing Bonuses Haunt Wall Street - WSJ.com:

"Securities firms dangled big bucks to lure thousands of brokers away from rival companies during the past two years. Now those signing bonuses are causing an epidemic of buyer's remorse.

Some of the star financial advisers who were promised six- or seven-figure payments to jump ship have been huge disappointments, failing to generate profits for their new employer. Others quickly abandoned the brokerage firm that wooed them..."

The Daily Uh-Oh: Cyber Doom Edition

Stuxnet: the online front line - opinion - 08 October 2010 - New Scientist: "Forecasts of cyberwar have been dismissed as hype, but the worm running rampant through Iran's nuclear facilities suggest otherwise, says Paul Marks..."

The Beck "Fire Clip"

As requested...

Will Pot Rock In November?

Weed wars: California braces to inhale - thestar.com:

"If history ultimately charts this as the collapse of America’s war on marijuana, the last great skirmish is playing out as a comedy of broken battle-lines.

Going its own way as only California can, an otherwise grumpy left-coast electorate is clearly tilted toward outright legalization on Nov. 2. But good luck sorting the yeas and nays..."

November Forecast

The Elections: How Bad for Democrats? by Michael Tomasky | The New York Review of Books: "...Some longtime observers of Congress point to history, and the fact that the president’s party almost always loses seats in midterm elections—since 1862, it has averaged losses in midterm elections of about thirty-two House seats and two Senate seats. Only twice since the Civil War—in 1934, during the Depression, and in 2002, following the September 11 attacks—has the president’s party gained seats two years after he took office. Other experts argue that the Democratic majority ballooned unnaturally in 2006 and 2008: because of George W. Bush’s unpopularity, Democrats won some seats that they ordinarily never win, so the losses of 2010 can to some degree be seen as Republicans regaining seats they had long held..."

New Low For Beck

Bob Cesca: Glenn Beck Mocks Fire Victims, Reaches New Depths of Awfulness:

"...That's right. A matter of days after losing everything they owned, including their home, their pets, family photographs -- everything -- and all because of a delinquent $75 fee, Gene Cranick and his family were excoriated, scolded and teased by multimillionaire celebrity televangelist Glenn Beck in front of a radio audience estimated at upwards of 10 million listeners.

Gray is real pip, too, isn't he? I'm trying to figure out why it's especially hilarious to do an impersonation of Cranick. Although it's easy to understand why Gray thought it would be funny to go there -- mainly because Gray is the deep-voiced equivalent of the late Bruno Kirby's comedy-impaired 'Lt. Hauk' character from Good Morning, Vietnam. Talking in a silly voice is so funny. Doesn't matter who or why. It's a silly voice, after all. That crazy rube and his burned down house. Mock-worthy! Crowd pleaser. If I may, a brief comedy lesson for Pat Gray here. Generally, when actual funny people mock someone's accent or voice, it's because the mockee has done something awful or bizarre enough to deserve the mockery. Someone in a position of authority, perhaps. Who's next in your madcap repertoire of voices, Pat? Stroke victims? Cancer patients? Abused homeless children? Whoever it is, I bet it'll be comedy gold. One for the 'Best of Pat Gray' showreel..."

Draft SoS Clinton

DraftHillary.com | Blog | Why Hillary?: "The competence and commitment of Hillary Rodham Clinton has spanned forty years in the private and public sector and is entrenched with the values that Americans hold in high regard. Her profound dedication to the eradication of poverty, equality for the oppressed, and her efforts to eliminate injustice both stateside and world wide have earned her the respect of Americans regardless of party affiliation as well as the citizenry of the world and foreign leaders alike..."

The Blame Vote

How Do Democrats Make a Final Economic Pitch? - NYTimes.com:

'"Mr. Plouffe repeated what Mr. Obama has said repeatedly — that the recovery is moving too slowly for anyone’s comfort. But he said that in the final weeks of the election, Democratic candidates should quickly pivot to the responsibility that Republicans bear for creating the economic crisis.

“The Republicans here in Washington act as if they were bystanders to this whole thing. It was their policies that were a chief contributor to this,” Mr. Plouffe said. He added that before Mr. Obama came into office, “we were losing 700,000 jobs a month under the same economic policies that the Republicans want to bring back...”'

GOP Sought Hicks

The Associated Press: GOP pulling W.Va. Senate ad with 'hicky' actors: "National Republicans pulled back a West Virginia Senate ad Thursday after Democrats revealed its casting call had sought actors who looked like hicks to play state voters..."

Enemies Guarding Troops

Inquiry Finds Guards at U.S. Bases Are Tied to Taliban - NYTimes.com: "Afghan private security forces with ties to the Taliban, criminal networks and Iranian intelligence have been hired to guard American military bases in Afghanistan, exposing United States soldiers to surprise attack and confounding the fight against insurgents, according to a Senate investigation..."

A TP Moment

Matt Taibbi on the Tea Party | Rolling Stone Politics: ...''The scooters are because of Medicare,' he whispers helpfully. 'They have these commercials down here: 'You won't even have to pay for your scooter! Medicare will pay!' Practically everyone in Kentucky has one.'

A hall full of elderly white people in Medicare-paid scooters, railing against government spending and imagining themselves revolutionaries as they cheer on the vice-presidential puppet hand-picked by the GOP establishment. If there exists a better snapshot of everything the Tea Party represents, I can't imagine it..."'

Conservative Roots

Op-Ed Columnist - Fear and Favor - NYTimes.com:

"...I mean that literally. As Politico recently pointed out, every major contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination who isn’t currently holding office and isn’t named Mitt Romney is now a paid contributor to Fox News. Now, media moguls have often promoted the careers and campaigns of politicians they believe will serve their interests. But directly cutting checks to political favorites takes it to a whole new level of blatancy.

Arguably, this shouldn’t be surprising. Modern American conservatism is, in large part, a movement shaped by billionaires and their bank accounts, and assured paychecks for the ideologically loyal are an important part of the system. Scientists willing to deny the existence of man-made climate change, economists willing to declare that tax cuts for the rich are essential to growth, strategic thinkers willing to provide rationales for wars of choice, lawyers willing to provide defenses of torture, all can count on support from a network of organizations that may seem independent on the surface but are largely financed by a handful of ultrawealthy families..."

American Gaza Killing

t r u t h o u t | UN Fact-Finding Mission Says Israelis "Executed" US Citizen Furkan Dogan: "The report of the fact-finding mission of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the Israeli attack on the Gaza flotilla released last week shows conclusively, for the first time, that US citizen Furkan Dogan and five Turkish citizens were murdered execution-style by Israeli commandos..."

The Unknown Ocean

Biggest sealife survey: Most ocean life is unknown - CNN.com:

"...Scientists estimate that there are more than 1 million marine species but only about 250,000 have been formally described in scientific literature over the centuries. Those figures exclude microbes -- of which the census estimate there are up to 1 billion kinds.

Myriam Sibuet, vice-chair of the Scientific Steering Committee on the mammoth study, said: 'The census enlarged the known world. Life astonished us everywhere we looked. In the deep sea we found luxuriant communities despite extreme conditions.'

The census also collated information on the 16,764 species of fish that have ever been described -- but estimates that a further 5,000 have yet to be discovered..."

Tea Partying Will Cost

America on the brink of a Second Revolution Paul B. Farrell - MarketWatch:

"...Yes, big warning, the Second American Revolution will extract painful austerity, not the “happy days are here again” future touted by tea-baggers. For years it’ll be impossible for most of America’s 95 million investors to develop a successful investment or logical retirement strategy.

Why? Political chaos will translate into extreme volatility and a highly unpredictable stock market. Result: Wall Street will lose another 20% of the value of your retirement portfolio in the next decade, just as Wall Street did the last decade. So if you think you’re “mad as hell” now, “you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet!...”

Center Party?

Seems there's few more people "Mad In The Middle"...

Op-Ed Columnist - Third Party Rising - NYTimes.com: "...There is a revolution brewing in the country, and it is not just on the right wing but in the radical center. I know of at least two serious groups, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast, developing “third parties” to challenge our stagnating two-party duopoly that has been presiding over our nation’s steady incremental decline..."

Fair Questions For The TP

Op-Ed Columnist - The Tea Kettle Movement - NYTimes.com:

"...The Tea Kettle movement can’t have a positive impact on the country because it has both misdiagnosed America’s main problem and hasn’t even offered a credible solution for the problem it has identified. How can you take a movement seriously that says it wants to cut government spending by billions of dollars but won’t identify the specific defense programs, Social Security, Medicare or other services it’s ready to cut — let alone explain how this will make us more competitive and grow the economy?

And how can you take seriously a movement that sat largely silent while the Bush administration launched two wars and a new entitlement, Medicare prescription drugs — while cutting taxes — but is now, suddenly, mad as hell about the deficit and won’t take it anymore from President Obama? Say what? Where were you folks for eight years? ..."

Echoes Of Crossfire

CNN fires Rick Sanchez after remarks - latimes.com: "CNN fired newscaster Rick Sanchez on Friday, a day after he called Jon Stewart of 'The Daily Show' a 'bigot' and suggested that Jews run CNN and 'all the other' networks..."

Libruls Clump

Liberal Groups Rally at Lincoln Memorial in Washington - NYTimes.com: "Tens of thousands of union members, environmentalists and peace activists rallied at the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, seeking to carry on the message of jobs and justice that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. trumpeted at a rally at the same site 47 years ago..."

More Afghan Ills

Father: Frustrated in trying to raise alarm about soldiers - CNN.com: "Christopher Winfield said he tried to raise the alarm about an alleged thrill-kill cult inside the U.S. military in Afghanistan but that his calls went to voice mail and his warnings were ignored..."

The Good Govinator

Schwarzenegger signs major health care bills - BusinessWeek: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday signed seven major health care-reform bills, including legislation establishing a Web-based insurance exchange that will allow consumers to comparison-shop for coverage..."