For Now. Nothing BP does with regard to the Gulf Oil Disaster inspires any confidence whatsoever. But at least, the live streaming images of the oil gusher (see below, right: BP Holding Back Oil, For Now; Ticker Stands Still) that gave people nightmares show, for the first time, a capped well.
Here's hoping it holds up. The next 48 hours will tell. And the process of making Gulf state residents whole is only just begun. Making sure BP lives up to its responsibilities to people and our environment needs to be priority one for as long as it takes.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Funnin’ Rachel Maddow (As Seen by the Wingnuts)
Should the wingnut propaganda machine decide to do a Rachel Maddow Biopic, this is how it might be promoted:
Rachel Maddow - From All-American Valley Girl
to Radical Warrior Princess
A PROGRESSIVE DESCENT INTO UNAMERICANISM
to Radical Warrior Princess
A PROGRESSIVE DESCENT INTO UNAMERICANISM
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Update: Paul, the Oracle Octopus Retires ... Or Will He?
Paul, the Oracle Octopus, plans to retire after achieving spectacular international fame for his prodigious psychic abilities, going 8-for-8, generated death threats from disgruntled fans. But the outcry, coupled with multiple offers for Paul’s services, convinced the superstar Octopus’s handlers to reconsider. They added that any new projects Paul undertakes will not necessitate him leaving his home in the Aquarium Sea Life Centre, Oberhausen, Germany.
Paul did have some advice for the U.S. Soccer Federation, though: FIRE Bob Bradley and hire Jurgen Klinsmann as the new coach of the U.S. national football team. The U.S. will never get off the snied unless it gives command to a top-notch foreign coach who’s “been there, done that.” Klinsmann deserves a great part of the credit for Germany’s success and the turnaround of its football program evident in this World Cup. He coached Germany to a third-place finish in 2006, makes his home in the U.S. for the past 12 years, and would be the ideal coach to make the United States competitive for the 2014 Cup. Even from a public relations perspective, his winning personality would be a welcome improvement to the dour Bradley.
(Okay, Paul didn’t really say that, but he would! ... seer that he is.)
Paul did have some advice for the U.S. Soccer Federation, though: FIRE Bob Bradley and hire Jurgen Klinsmann as the new coach of the U.S. national football team. The U.S. will never get off the snied unless it gives command to a top-notch foreign coach who’s “been there, done that.” Klinsmann deserves a great part of the credit for Germany’s success and the turnaround of its football program evident in this World Cup. He coached Germany to a third-place finish in 2006, makes his home in the U.S. for the past 12 years, and would be the ideal coach to make the United States competitive for the 2014 Cup. Even from a public relations perspective, his winning personality would be a welcome improvement to the dour Bradley.(Okay, Paul didn’t really say that, but he would! ... seer that he is.)
World Cup Parting Shots
Kudos to South Africa - When the 2010 World Cup was awarded to South Africa, racist wingnuts crawled out from under their rocks to spout racism in socially acceptable ways. The euphemism was “failed economic state,” applied to the entire African continent, claiming South Africa lacked the structure to host the World Cup. Well, despite the curse of the vuvuzelas, South Africa played wonderful host to a fantastically successful tournament. As an added bonus, not too many countries would be graced with the presence of living legend Nelson Mandela on the final day to close out the competition with a flourish.
Sadly, the scourge of terrorism marred the final day with an attack by a Somali terrorist group in Uganda, killing and wounding dozens of people who were enjoying World Cup final parties. South Africa hosted the games without so much as a security hiccup and should not be held responsible for this cowardly attack in a neighboring nation. Signs of the times.
Spain, a Deserving Champion - Congratulations to España for playing consistent if not brilliant football throughout. It was pragmatic, results-oriented, and good enough to win. Spain came to the competition with creds as European champion and the world’s best team, Barcelona. Of course, the globalization of the sport is such that the top European stars in European leagues are foreigners. Aside from a lack of offensive punch in Spain, it didn’t affect the team as much as England. FIFA president Sepp Blatter noted that some British players couldn’t even crack the starting lineups on their English Premier League teams. Oops.
Final, a Pelada - The final match was, frankly, forgettable. A Brasilian blogger likened it to a glorified pelada, which translates to a ramshackle pickup game. When a team comes out not to lose, as the Dutch did, bad things usually happen. In the match with Brasil the Dutch played the inexperienced Japanese referee like a vuvuzela, with a disgraceful display of simulated dives. This time around the British ref allowed unabated rough play, without so much as a red card, until OT came around. There were plenty of yellows, though, a record number issued. The Brasilian ESPN broadcasters (far superior to the arch British game callers) noted that the ref was “administering” the game with yellow cards. He had the uncanny knack of singling out the Dutch players who hadn’t yet been booked. “Who’s left,” asked one of the broadcasters, “the goalkeeper?”
The carrasco –- executioner -– of the Dutch team was their number 6, Mark van Bommel, who looks like a serial killer (see photo) and plays like one. Van Bommel rarely made any attempt to play the ball, fouling opponents with a viciousness that breaks legs. Eventually, he was booked. One Brasilian game caller wondered rather sardonically whether Johann Cryuff would pay to watch this Dutch team play. To his credit, the caustic Cruyff spared Holland no criticism either: “Sadly, they played very dirty —- so much so that they should have been down to nine men immediately. Holland chose an ugly path to aim for the title. This was vulgar, hard and hermetic. They ended up losing, playing anti-football.”
Eternal Bridesmaid? - The Stadium Gods are cruel and unforgiving but their verdicts are fair, if not always just. (There is a difference: When the best team –- Brasil –- doesn’t win, regardless of the circumstances, it has only itself to blame.) The Dutch had their chances, back-to-back in 1974 and 1978, and again in 2010. Each time they failed. Cruyff’s legendary “Clockwork Orange” deserved the title, lost fair and square to a good German team. They had two chances to redeem themselves, and failed of their own devices. So far, Holland is fated to be an eternal bridesmaid. That’s the cruelest cut of all -- the horror of rooting for those “almost” teams. A cruel –- but fair –- verdict for this Dutch team.
Germany’s Renewal - It was Germany that played the most entertaining football of the tournament; an offensive style quite unlike German teams of the past, with verve and panache -- a joy to watch. Germany was the youngest team in the competition, and the lack of seasoning probably did them in against Spain in the semifinal. But Germany will be back. Muller, the talented 20-year old striker won the golden boot with five goals and three assists, as well as best young player. Pelé did it as an 18-year old in 1958 when he scored six times.
Blatter should look no further than Germany if he is concerned over the future of European football. The German Bundesliga isn’t as flashy and talent-laden as the Premier League and La Liga, but it has developed the best homegrown talent. Beside Muller, there’s Özil, the young midfielder with the oomlat in his name who looks like Franz Kafka and plays like Franz Beckenbauer. Old school German captain Michael Ballack won’t have a spot on this team of Özil, Muller and Schweinsteiger -- the new young Turks (literally, in Özil’s case).
A Tale of Two Nations - So what is Germany’s secret? As the old cliché goes, what happens on the football pitch is only a game. But every so often the “game” can reveal profound lessons that reach beyond the field of play. Germany’s storybook run as the youngest team in the tournament was in sharp contrast to France’s complete and total breakdown. Germany played as a team. France fractured as a team, with accusations of a “traitor” in its midst and angry government intervention at the presidential and ministerial levels. FIFA’s Sepp Blatter issued a stern warning for the French government to stand down and leave to FIFA what are FIFA’s prerogatives. After all, it’s only a game isn’t it? The historical irony cuts like a Blitzkrieg punching through the Maginot line.
It’s comforting, perhaps, for some to say that Nazism –- a sick ideology based on the lie of racial purity and superiority -- was unique to Germany, therefore it could not happen in our backyard. Yet those who claim a nation’s dark past is its destiny, let alone a fatal cultural flaw in its people’s collective character, don’t know much about History. To understand how Germany has thoroughly freed itself of its dark past, one need only glance at the German national team’s roster and the background of its players:
France’s cultural chauvinism, protectionism really, is an anachronism and a source of social instability. It’s hard to look past the dynamic success of the German team as compared to the French team’s implosion without drawing the obvious conclusions. The sooner French elites recognize that immigrants, whether or not they wear burkas and worship Islam, will strengthen –- not weaken –- their society, the better. French cultural and political elites should take a lesson from Germany and World Champions, Spain:
Hellooo … NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, MLB … Any takers?
It would be presumptuous to say that the World Cup can solve the world’s problems. But at its best, through the universality of this sport, it breaks down cultural and nationalistic barriers. Even as fans colorfully, and noisily, celebrate their cultural differences, it’s what people have in common that binds them together. And it’s the realization that we have much more in common than separates us that is the World Cup’s most enduring gift.
See everybody in BRASIL 2014!
Sadly, the scourge of terrorism marred the final day with an attack by a Somali terrorist group in Uganda, killing and wounding dozens of people who were enjoying World Cup final parties. South Africa hosted the games without so much as a security hiccup and should not be held responsible for this cowardly attack in a neighboring nation. Signs of the times.
Spain, a Deserving Champion - Congratulations to España for playing consistent if not brilliant football throughout. It was pragmatic, results-oriented, and good enough to win. Spain came to the competition with creds as European champion and the world’s best team, Barcelona. Of course, the globalization of the sport is such that the top European stars in European leagues are foreigners. Aside from a lack of offensive punch in Spain, it didn’t affect the team as much as England. FIFA president Sepp Blatter noted that some British players couldn’t even crack the starting lineups on their English Premier League teams. Oops.Final, a Pelada - The final match was, frankly, forgettable. A Brasilian blogger likened it to a glorified pelada, which translates to a ramshackle pickup game. When a team comes out not to lose, as the Dutch did, bad things usually happen. In the match with Brasil the Dutch played the inexperienced Japanese referee like a vuvuzela, with a disgraceful display of simulated dives. This time around the British ref allowed unabated rough play, without so much as a red card, until OT came around. There were plenty of yellows, though, a record number issued. The Brasilian ESPN broadcasters (far superior to the arch British game callers) noted that the ref was “administering” the game with yellow cards. He had the uncanny knack of singling out the Dutch players who hadn’t yet been booked. “Who’s left,” asked one of the broadcasters, “the goalkeeper?”
The carrasco –- executioner -– of the Dutch team was their number 6, Mark van Bommel, who looks like a serial killer (see photo) and plays like one. Van Bommel rarely made any attempt to play the ball, fouling opponents with a viciousness that breaks legs. Eventually, he was booked. One Brasilian game caller wondered rather sardonically whether Johann Cryuff would pay to watch this Dutch team play. To his credit, the caustic Cruyff spared Holland no criticism either: “Sadly, they played very dirty —- so much so that they should have been down to nine men immediately. Holland chose an ugly path to aim for the title. This was vulgar, hard and hermetic. They ended up losing, playing anti-football.”Eternal Bridesmaid? - The Stadium Gods are cruel and unforgiving but their verdicts are fair, if not always just. (There is a difference: When the best team –- Brasil –- doesn’t win, regardless of the circumstances, it has only itself to blame.) The Dutch had their chances, back-to-back in 1974 and 1978, and again in 2010. Each time they failed. Cruyff’s legendary “Clockwork Orange” deserved the title, lost fair and square to a good German team. They had two chances to redeem themselves, and failed of their own devices. So far, Holland is fated to be an eternal bridesmaid. That’s the cruelest cut of all -- the horror of rooting for those “almost” teams. A cruel –- but fair –- verdict for this Dutch team.
Germany’s Renewal - It was Germany that played the most entertaining football of the tournament; an offensive style quite unlike German teams of the past, with verve and panache -- a joy to watch. Germany was the youngest team in the competition, and the lack of seasoning probably did them in against Spain in the semifinal. But Germany will be back. Muller, the talented 20-year old striker won the golden boot with five goals and three assists, as well as best young player. Pelé did it as an 18-year old in 1958 when he scored six times.
Blatter should look no further than Germany if he is concerned over the future of European football. The German Bundesliga isn’t as flashy and talent-laden as the Premier League and La Liga, but it has developed the best homegrown talent. Beside Muller, there’s Özil, the young midfielder with the oomlat in his name who looks like Franz Kafka and plays like Franz Beckenbauer. Old school German captain Michael Ballack won’t have a spot on this team of Özil, Muller and Schweinsteiger -- the new young Turks (literally, in Özil’s case).
A Tale of Two Nations - So what is Germany’s secret? As the old cliché goes, what happens on the football pitch is only a game. But every so often the “game” can reveal profound lessons that reach beyond the field of play. Germany’s storybook run as the youngest team in the tournament was in sharp contrast to France’s complete and total breakdown. Germany played as a team. France fractured as a team, with accusations of a “traitor” in its midst and angry government intervention at the presidential and ministerial levels. FIFA’s Sepp Blatter issued a stern warning for the French government to stand down and leave to FIFA what are FIFA’s prerogatives. After all, it’s only a game isn’t it? The historical irony cuts like a Blitzkrieg punching through the Maginot line.
It’s comforting, perhaps, for some to say that Nazism –- a sick ideology based on the lie of racial purity and superiority -- was unique to Germany, therefore it could not happen in our backyard. Yet those who claim a nation’s dark past is its destiny, let alone a fatal cultural flaw in its people’s collective character, don’t know much about History. To understand how Germany has thoroughly freed itself of its dark past, one need only glance at the German national team’s roster and the background of its players:
- Cacau – A Brasilian national, naturalized German
- Aogo – Son of immigrant Nigerian father and German mother
- Boateng – Son of immigrant Ghanaian father and German mother
- Khedira – Son of immigrant Tunisian father and German mother
- Özil and Tasci – German-born sons of Turkish immigrant parents
- Podolski – Born in Poland, emigrated to Germany as a child
- Klose and Trochowski – Also Polish immigrants
- Matias Marin – Fled with his parents to Germany from war-torn Bosnia during the Balkans conflict
France’s cultural chauvinism, protectionism really, is an anachronism and a source of social instability. It’s hard to look past the dynamic success of the German team as compared to the French team’s implosion without drawing the obvious conclusions. The sooner French elites recognize that immigrants, whether or not they wear burkas and worship Islam, will strengthen –- not weaken –- their society, the better. French cultural and political elites should take a lesson from Germany and World Champions, Spain:
Those players paraded in Madrid on Monday as “campeones” are saluted as modern gods who it is hoped can provide Spain with a pleasurable distraction to regional divisions that remain from the Franco dictatorship that ended 35 years ago.FIFA Does Some Things Right - There is much to criticize FIFA for -- its archaic anti-technology ways, its resistance to instant replay -- but one high-profile FIFA campaign is very cool indeed: That is, the unfurling of banners before games with the words, “SAY NO TO RACISM,” followed by a statement of principles reinforcing the message, read by each team captain. Instead of the plethora of United Way campaigns with TV spots by superstar athletes, imagine the impact of a simple but powerful FIFA-style campaign, with a large banner held by umps and players from both teams in, oh … how about Arizona: SAY NO TO RACISM.
This is a team that the Catalans can support because of Xavi Hernandez, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique. And yes, Andrés Iniesta because, though he was born in central Spain, in Albacete, he has been a part of Barcelona’s training academy since he was 12. It is a team that has a Basque, Xabi Alonso, in its midfield. A team led by goalkeeper Iker Casillas of Real Madrid.
Hellooo … NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, MLB … Any takers?
It would be presumptuous to say that the World Cup can solve the world’s problems. But at its best, through the universality of this sport, it breaks down cultural and nationalistic barriers. Even as fans colorfully, and noisily, celebrate their cultural differences, it’s what people have in common that binds them together. And it’s the realization that we have much more in common than separates us that is the World Cup’s most enduring gift.
See everybody in BRASIL 2014!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Spanish Wall, Iker Casillas, Interviewed By Girlfriend Sara After World Cup Title Win
So he was distracted now too, but this time everyone applauded. Iker logged his fourth shutout in a row, captaining Spain to its first-ever World Cup title. The skills that made him one of the world’s elite goalkeepers, twice snagging certain goals from the feet of Holland’s most dangerous striker, Robben, were on prominent display in today’s game. There’s a good reason the fans call him “Saint Casillas.”
Ah, and they make a cute couple, dontcha think?
Ah, and they make a cute couple, dontcha think?
Seven-for-Seven, EL PULPO PABLO Predicts Spain Over Netherlands and Shuns LeBron
Paul, the Oracle Octopus, has been renamed “Pablo, El pulpo oráculo,” by ecstatic Spanish fans after predicting a Spanish victory over Holland in the World Cup final. This is the first time Paul has stepped out of his comfort zone to predict an outcome in which the German team has not been involved. After predicting a German win over Uruguay in the third-place match, Paul is turning skeptics into believers, including Keith Olbermann, who pegged him an “aquatic Nostradamus.”
Further demonstrating that, like most football fans, Paul is a discriminating sports aficionado, the psychic octopus refused to be dragged into the pathetic LeBron James hype. When asked to pick LeBron’s destination, given a “fixed” choice of Miami and a defunct Buffalo, NY team, Paul picked Buffalo, sending LeBron an unmistakable message that this octopus refuses to play parlor games with the world’s priciest free agent, or participate in making fools of NBA fans. After all, Paul’s World Cup final prediction was broadcast LIVE to three countries.
SWISH!
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Further demonstrating that, like most football fans, Paul is a discriminating sports aficionado, the psychic octopus refused to be dragged into the pathetic LeBron James hype. When asked to pick LeBron’s destination, given a “fixed” choice of Miami and a defunct Buffalo, NY team, Paul picked Buffalo, sending LeBron an unmistakable message that this octopus refuses to play parlor games with the world’s priciest free agent, or participate in making fools of NBA fans. After all, Paul’s World Cup final prediction was broadcast LIVE to three countries.
SWISH!
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Beck's Scheme to Stain Dr. King's Memory Hits Snag: New Black Panther Party Plans to Attend
Glenn Beck, the racist clown with the tumbling Fox ratings, has outdone himself. It seems the racist paranoia-mongrel has gone one provocation too far with his scheme to hold a Lincoln Memorial event on the date commemorating Dr. King’s historic I Have a Dream speech. An organization that calls itself the “New Black Panther Party” plans to crash Beck’s in-your-face insult to African Americans with a little in-your-face pushback of their own. In prior events, the Teabaggers have swaggered onto capital grounds armed and obnoxious and unimpeded, waving racist signs endorsing violence if their confused and ignorant aims aren’t met.
Not this time.
According to New Black Panther Party leader Malik Zulu Shabazz, “Glenn Beck should not be allowed to have this rally. Glenn Beck is a sneaky little devil, and he does sneaky things, and tries to portray that he’s really not the neo-racist that he really is. And for him to go and to secure the Lincoln Memorial on Dr. King’s birthday will meet not only opposition from civil rights leaders, but it’s going to meet direct opposition from the New Black Panther Party.”
Uh-oh.
Shabazz continued: “Since the Tea Party loves Glenn Beck and will be there, the New Black Panther Party can easily find the Tea Party, right with Glenn Beck. He can bring his Tea Party, and we’ll bring our party, and we’ll see Glenn Beck,” adding “I’m going to be there. I want to see him myself. Sneaky little devil.”
Other African American leaders, such as the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, criticized Beck’s provocation but advised against direct counter-demonstrations. In any event, it was only a matter of time before right wing provocateurs created a confrontational situation. The National Park Service should revoke Beck’s permit to use the Lincoln Memorial to insult African Americans and every other person who admired Dr. King -- on security grounds.
Not this time.
According to New Black Panther Party leader Malik Zulu Shabazz, “Glenn Beck should not be allowed to have this rally. Glenn Beck is a sneaky little devil, and he does sneaky things, and tries to portray that he’s really not the neo-racist that he really is. And for him to go and to secure the Lincoln Memorial on Dr. King’s birthday will meet not only opposition from civil rights leaders, but it’s going to meet direct opposition from the New Black Panther Party.”
Uh-oh.
Shabazz continued: “Since the Tea Party loves Glenn Beck and will be there, the New Black Panther Party can easily find the Tea Party, right with Glenn Beck. He can bring his Tea Party, and we’ll bring our party, and we’ll see Glenn Beck,” adding “I’m going to be there. I want to see him myself. Sneaky little devil.”
Other African American leaders, such as the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, criticized Beck’s provocation but advised against direct counter-demonstrations. In any event, it was only a matter of time before right wing provocateurs created a confrontational situation. The National Park Service should revoke Beck’s permit to use the Lincoln Memorial to insult African Americans and every other person who admired Dr. King -- on security grounds.
Monday, July 05, 2010
World Eagerly Awaits Paul, the Oracle Octopus’s Next Prediction; Meanwhile …
Forget Mick and Bill, the beautiful Sara Carbonero, or Paraguayan model Larissa Riquelme’s generous cleavage. The hottest celebrity of the 2010 World Cup is Paul, the Oracle Octopus, whose predictions for Germany’s wins and losses in the Cup are a perfect 100%. Paul even predicted Germany’s early loss to Serbia.
Meanwhile, as the public eagerly awaits for Paul to pick the winner of the Germany-Spain semifinal …
Sara Carbonero, voted the world’s most beautiful reporter, brushed off the critics who accused her of distracting her boyfriend, Spain’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas who, they said, was “thinking of other things” when he took that Swiss goal with his girlfriend behind the net. A favorite target of the tabloids, the luscious brunette has continued her alleged sideline distractions as a sports reporter for Telecinco.
Responding to the critics, Sara reacted diffidently: “I can destabilize the team? I think that makes no sense whatsoever!”
Superstitious fans are scanning the VIP boxes with trepidation to see whether Mick Jagger has shown up, and more importantly, what country he intends to root for. Since his appearance with Bill Clinton in the USA-Ghana match, Jagger has turned into the biggest shamanic jinx and cold foot in the competition, giving any self-respecting witch doctor and macumbeiro a run for their evil spells. Here’s Mick’s record, for the teams he’s supported with his presence in the VIP boxes:
Meanwhile, as the public eagerly awaits for Paul to pick the winner of the Germany-Spain semifinal …
Sara Carbonero, voted the world’s most beautiful reporter, brushed off the critics who accused her of distracting her boyfriend, Spain’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas who, they said, was “thinking of other things” when he took that Swiss goal with his girlfriend behind the net. A favorite target of the tabloids, the luscious brunette has continued her alleged sideline distractions as a sports reporter for Telecinco.
Responding to the critics, Sara reacted diffidently: “I can destabilize the team? I think that makes no sense whatsoever!”
Superstitious fans are scanning the VIP boxes with trepidation to see whether Mick Jagger has shown up, and more importantly, what country he intends to root for. Since his appearance with Bill Clinton in the USA-Ghana match, Jagger has turned into the biggest shamanic jinx and cold foot in the competition, giving any self-respecting witch doctor and macumbeiro a run for their evil spells. Here’s Mick’s record, for the teams he’s supported with his presence in the VIP boxes:- Jagger rooted for the USA (alongside Bill Clinton) – result: Ghana 2 USA 1
- Jagger rooted for his mother country, England – result: Germany 4 England 1
- Jagger rooted for Brasil (with his Brasilian son) – result: Netherlands 2 Brasil 1
- Jagger rooted for Argentina (logically, since Germany had defeated England) – result: Germany 4 Argentina 0
Friday, July 02, 2010
It's a Cruel, Cruel Summer Cup Exit for Ghana, Brasil
Landon Donovan said it right, “this can be a cruel game sometimes.”
None more so for Ghana, carrying the hopes of Africa on its shoulders, only to be denied in the last second of of overtime on a penalty kick by Gyan that hammered the crossbar, sending the game to a PK shootout. Gyan, Ghana’s most consistent and experienced player, had twice converted on PKs earlier in the competition. This time, the usually reliable Gyan opted for power instead of displacing the goalkeeper, and his tired legs betrayed him as his shot shook the woodwork, inches away from sending Ghana through to a historic semifinal World Cup berth, the first for any African nation.
In the end, Uruguay prevailed in the penalty shootout, on a diffident chip shot by “Loco” Abreu, very much in character for this experienced “matador” with the tantalizing, borderline arrogant penalty shots. Gyan left the field in tears. Soccer City and the vuvuzelas were as silent as Maracanã Stadium when Brasil went down to Uruguay, 2-1, in the 1950 World Cup final.
Today was another incredible day in World Cup history.
For the record, Brasil lost a World Cup match for the first time in its history when it had the lead at halftime. It had to happen sometime. But I had a bad feeling about this game for a couple of reasons: (1) Brasil had come out on the winning end against Holland too many times in similar circumstances –- eventually the pendulum swings back, especially against such a storied side as the Dutch; and (2) the great Zagallo, who played with Pelé and coached Brasil’s most awesome Cup side in 1970, warned that Holland was dangerous –- shades of Pelé’s warning about Italy in 1982, when that incredible Brasilian team went down to the crabby Italians. It wasn’t until the 1994 Cup in the U.S. that a Brasilian side inferior to the 1982 team exacted its revenge on Roberto Baggio’s Italy when Baggio missed his PK shot, much as Gyan did today.
Despite legendary striker Johann Cruyff’s obnoxious remarks about Brasil, that he wouldn’t pay to see this team play, the fact is Brasil’s midfield depth was suspect. When Elano, the precise and efficient midfield companion to Kaká went down to a malicious foul after having scored two goals for Brasil, and his replacement Ramires sat out the match with two yellows, Brasil conceded midfield dominance to the Dutch, and was unable to generate consistent attacks. And that was that.
Or, one could consider the curse of the Nike ad, brilliantly exposed by Rachel Maddow. Rachel’s a Red Sox fan, so she knows from curses. And Brasilians, for their part, are naturally superstitious. Yes, not only Ronaldinho, Brasil’s representative, was out of the Cup altogether but now, so too is Brasil.
I have a feeling this is their year. (You heard it here first.)
None more so for Ghana, carrying the hopes of Africa on its shoulders, only to be denied in the last second of of overtime on a penalty kick by Gyan that hammered the crossbar, sending the game to a PK shootout. Gyan, Ghana’s most consistent and experienced player, had twice converted on PKs earlier in the competition. This time, the usually reliable Gyan opted for power instead of displacing the goalkeeper, and his tired legs betrayed him as his shot shook the woodwork, inches away from sending Ghana through to a historic semifinal World Cup berth, the first for any African nation.
In the end, Uruguay prevailed in the penalty shootout, on a diffident chip shot by “Loco” Abreu, very much in character for this experienced “matador” with the tantalizing, borderline arrogant penalty shots. Gyan left the field in tears. Soccer City and the vuvuzelas were as silent as Maracanã Stadium when Brasil went down to Uruguay, 2-1, in the 1950 World Cup final.
Today was another incredible day in World Cup history.
For the record, Brasil lost a World Cup match for the first time in its history when it had the lead at halftime. It had to happen sometime. But I had a bad feeling about this game for a couple of reasons: (1) Brasil had come out on the winning end against Holland too many times in similar circumstances –- eventually the pendulum swings back, especially against such a storied side as the Dutch; and (2) the great Zagallo, who played with Pelé and coached Brasil’s most awesome Cup side in 1970, warned that Holland was dangerous –- shades of Pelé’s warning about Italy in 1982, when that incredible Brasilian team went down to the crabby Italians. It wasn’t until the 1994 Cup in the U.S. that a Brasilian side inferior to the 1982 team exacted its revenge on Roberto Baggio’s Italy when Baggio missed his PK shot, much as Gyan did today.
Despite legendary striker Johann Cruyff’s obnoxious remarks about Brasil, that he wouldn’t pay to see this team play, the fact is Brasil’s midfield depth was suspect. When Elano, the precise and efficient midfield companion to Kaká went down to a malicious foul after having scored two goals for Brasil, and his replacement Ramires sat out the match with two yellows, Brasil conceded midfield dominance to the Dutch, and was unable to generate consistent attacks. And that was that.
Or, one could consider the curse of the Nike ad, brilliantly exposed by Rachel Maddow. Rachel’s a Red Sox fan, so she knows from curses. And Brasilians, for their part, are naturally superstitious. Yes, not only Ronaldinho, Brasil’s representative, was out of the Cup altogether but now, so too is Brasil.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Spain is next. The Spaniards are living on borrowed time. And that surging Argentina side led by the manic genius gnome, Dieguito Maradona, with the $4,000 suit, bling galore, hugs and kisses for his talented but mercurial players, will be World Champions.I have a feeling this is their year. (You heard it here first.)
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Targeting the Biggest Democratic Asshole in the Senate
Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska is the single most despicable corporate tool wearing the “Democratic” label in the Senate. Nelson has been more than a Democrat-in-Name-Only (DINO). He has opposed just about every single legislative initiative of the Democratic Party, from healthcare reform to extending unemployment benefits, when people’s lives hang in the balance. Nelson was the ONLY Democrat to join the Republican filibuster. For that alone, he is shameless. Frankly, electing a Republican, even a Teabagger, to his Senate seat would be an improvement.
Progressives are hitting back at this bastard, in his state. Hopefully, his senatorial career will end soon. Ben Nelson represents the very worst of special interest corporatist politics in both parties. Why he has not switched parties is a puzzlement; it must have something to do with Harry Reid’s inability to crack the whip on the privileges and seniority of the only caucus member, Ben Nelson, who has consistently refused to support the Democratic agenda.
Progressives are hitting back at this bastard, in his state. Hopefully, his senatorial career will end soon. Ben Nelson represents the very worst of special interest corporatist politics in both parties. Why he has not switched parties is a puzzlement; it must have something to do with Harry Reid’s inability to crack the whip on the privileges and seniority of the only caucus member, Ben Nelson, who has consistently refused to support the Democratic agenda.
Kagan Hearings: "Well I Wish I Was in Dixie, Hooray, Hooray!"
In Dixieland I’ll take my stand, to live and die in Dixie!
Every time Republicans open their mouths to relentlessly attack Justice Thurgood Marshall in the Elena Kagan hearings, especially Alabama’s Jeff Sessions –- even his suits are Confederate gray –- Dixie’s the soundtrack that most appropriately comes to mind. Elena Kagan is a stand-in. She had the great personal honor of clerking for Justice Marshall, an iconic civil rights hero and giant of American jurisprudence.
That was enough for Republicans to trash Marshall as an “activist” and “results-oriented” judge. Never mind that Justice Marshall has been dead for 17 years. These were their talking points, repeated over and over again, as if in repetition the distortion gains resonance and a certain truthiness. It is one more example of how Republicans apply the lessons of Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, who coined “the big lie” phrase: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
Here is one those phrases, taken out of context, to portray Marshall as somehow “activist” and outside the mainstream of American law: “Do what you think is right and let the law catch up.”
It’s easy for John Kyl and Jeff Sessions, or anyone for that matter, to make specious arguments in quoting a statement completely out of context. When Kagan pushed back noting that Marshall was speaking about Jim Crow laws, Senator Kyl practically jumped out of his shoes to say, “of course, of course, and I agree.” Then, after a spell to let the racism inference blow by, the “judicial activism” line of attack resumed.
Marshall was referring to the odious “separate but equal” Jim Crow laws of the 50s, a time of apartheid and enforced segregation in this country. Were it not for Justice Marshall as attorney of record, not judge, in Brown v. Board of Education leading the Court to strike down this racist neo-Confederate doctrine, an extremist form of judicial activism that denied an entire class of people their rights based on the color of their skin, it would certainly have stood for much longer as the law of the land, with untold consequences to the fabric of the nation.
Fronted by the buffoonish Michael Steele, the RNC went even further, asking “Does Kagan Still View Constitution ‘As Originally Drafted And Conceived’ As ‘Defective’?” The quotation from a Marshall speech is taken out of context by the RNC, that conveniently fails to mention it is in reference to slavery, which the original text of the Constitution codified and held slaves to be 3/5th of a person. This is what Justice Marshall said:
The “judicial activism” attack launched against Justice Thurgood Marshall by Republicans is a straw man argument that recalls the worst days of Jim Crow “separate but equal” laws and cloaks a creeping, barely disguised racism that ought to be repulsive to the American people. Law professor Jonathan Turley noted that the idea of judicial activism is receding, particularly in the wake of the Citizens United decision -- genuine judicial activism of a 5-4 conservative majority on the Roberts Court which struck down decades of precedent and settled law, granting corporations the station of “person” under the First Amendment and lifting restrictions on corporate campaign spending.
The irony is not lost on liberals that those who complain most loudly of “judicial activism” are conservatives of all stripes who turn a blind eye to the extreme activism of the five ultra-conservative Justices on the Roberts Court, as long as the decisions fall the right way. Similarly, the paranoid right complains loudly about imaginary threats to their Second Amendment rights, when gun owners have never had it so good.
Senator Al Franken sketched Jeff Beauregard Sessions (above), the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee (that at one time voted down his appointment by Ronald Reagan for Alabama District judge because of his repugnant racist views), who had the stupefying audacity to compare the Citizens United decision to Brown v. Board of Education. He explained his “reasoning” in an interview with Talking Points Memo:
Of the Kagan hearings, Turley said, “this is a much tougher confirmation for Marshall than he faced when he first went onto the court. But it‘s really ironic because ... most of the cases they‘re thinking of were authored perhaps by Brennan and not Marshall. Marshall was the one in dissent and said, power, not reason is the new currency of this court. He objected to that type of thing [judicial activism].”
Contrary to his cynical portrayal by Republicans, Justice Marshall embodied the very best of American jurisprudence and, if anything, strengthened the original intent of the document by more closely aligning it with the fundamental founding principles that all men (and women) are “created equal” and endowed with certain inalienable rights, “that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Every time Republicans open their mouths to relentlessly attack Justice Thurgood Marshall in the Elena Kagan hearings, especially Alabama’s Jeff Sessions –- even his suits are Confederate gray –- Dixie’s the soundtrack that most appropriately comes to mind. Elena Kagan is a stand-in. She had the great personal honor of clerking for Justice Marshall, an iconic civil rights hero and giant of American jurisprudence.
That was enough for Republicans to trash Marshall as an “activist” and “results-oriented” judge. Never mind that Justice Marshall has been dead for 17 years. These were their talking points, repeated over and over again, as if in repetition the distortion gains resonance and a certain truthiness. It is one more example of how Republicans apply the lessons of Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, who coined “the big lie” phrase: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
Here is one those phrases, taken out of context, to portray Marshall as somehow “activist” and outside the mainstream of American law: “Do what you think is right and let the law catch up.”
It’s easy for John Kyl and Jeff Sessions, or anyone for that matter, to make specious arguments in quoting a statement completely out of context. When Kagan pushed back noting that Marshall was speaking about Jim Crow laws, Senator Kyl practically jumped out of his shoes to say, “of course, of course, and I agree.” Then, after a spell to let the racism inference blow by, the “judicial activism” line of attack resumed.
Marshall was referring to the odious “separate but equal” Jim Crow laws of the 50s, a time of apartheid and enforced segregation in this country. Were it not for Justice Marshall as attorney of record, not judge, in Brown v. Board of Education leading the Court to strike down this racist neo-Confederate doctrine, an extremist form of judicial activism that denied an entire class of people their rights based on the color of their skin, it would certainly have stood for much longer as the law of the land, with untold consequences to the fabric of the nation.
Fronted by the buffoonish Michael Steele, the RNC went even further, asking “Does Kagan Still View Constitution ‘As Originally Drafted And Conceived’ As ‘Defective’?” The quotation from a Marshall speech is taken out of context by the RNC, that conveniently fails to mention it is in reference to slavery, which the original text of the Constitution codified and held slaves to be 3/5th of a person. This is what Justice Marshall said:
“I do not believe that the meaning of the Constitution was forever “fixed” at the Philadelphia Convention. Nor do I find the wisdom, foresight, and sense of justice exhibited by the Framers particularly profound. To the contrary, the government they devised was defective from the start, requiring several amendments, a civil war, and momentous social transformation to attain the system of constitutional government, and its respect for the individual freedoms and human rights, we hold as fundamental today. When contemporary Americans cite “The Constitution,” they invoke a concept that is vastly different from what the Framers barely began to construct two centuries ago.It’s hard to argue with the empirical, factual basis of Justice Marshall’s dissertation. So when Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn complains loudly about Kagan’s statement that in judging cases sometimes “original intent” is easily discerned and sometimes precedent necessarily governs a judge’s deliberation, what’s his beef? Does he want judges to consider the “original intent” that excluded slaves and women from “the whole Number of free Persons”? Does he want a return to a slave-based Southern economy, or will he and Sessions settle for “separate but equal?” These are the issues the Civil War was fought over.
For a sense of the evolving nature of the Constitution we need look no further than the first three words of the document's preamble: “We the People.” When the Founding Fathers used this phrase in 1787, they did not have in mind the majority of America's citizens. “We the People” included, in the words of the Framers, “the whole Number of free Persons.” On a matter so basic as the right to vote, for example, Negro slaves were excluded, although they were counted for representational purposes at three-fifths each. Women did not gain the right to vote for over a hundred and thirty years.
These omissions were intentional. The record of the Framers' debates on the slave question is especially clear: The Southern States acceded to the demands of the New England States for giving Congress broad power to regulate commerce, in exchange for the right to continue the slave trade. The economic interests of the regions coalesced: New Englanders engaged in the "carrying trade" would profit from transporting slaves from Africa as well as goods produced in America by slave labor. The perpetuation of slavery ensured the primary source of wealth in the Southern States.”
The “judicial activism” attack launched against Justice Thurgood Marshall by Republicans is a straw man argument that recalls the worst days of Jim Crow “separate but equal” laws and cloaks a creeping, barely disguised racism that ought to be repulsive to the American people. Law professor Jonathan Turley noted that the idea of judicial activism is receding, particularly in the wake of the Citizens United decision -- genuine judicial activism of a 5-4 conservative majority on the Roberts Court which struck down decades of precedent and settled law, granting corporations the station of “person” under the First Amendment and lifting restrictions on corporate campaign spending.
The irony is not lost on liberals that those who complain most loudly of “judicial activism” are conservatives of all stripes who turn a blind eye to the extreme activism of the five ultra-conservative Justices on the Roberts Court, as long as the decisions fall the right way. Similarly, the paranoid right complains loudly about imaginary threats to their Second Amendment rights, when gun owners have never had it so good.
Senator Al Franken sketched Jeff Beauregard Sessions (above), the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee (that at one time voted down his appointment by Ronald Reagan for Alabama District judge because of his repugnant racist views), who had the stupefying audacity to compare the Citizens United decision to Brown v. Board of Education. He explained his “reasoning” in an interview with Talking Points Memo:“Is it treating people equally to say you can go to this school because of the color of your skin and you can’t?” Sessions asked rhetorically. “We’ve now honestly concluded and fairly concluded that it violates the equal protection clause.”When pressed, Republicans could not cite a single example of Justice Marshall’s alleged “judicial activism.” In fact, as professor Turley noted, the charge has “thankfully, lost a lot of its traction. I think that the American people are beginning to understand that activism is very much in the eye of the beholder. That‘s not to say that there aren‘t judges and justices who make political decisions and go outside their legitimate role. But saying that someone is a judicial activist leads to more questions than answers.”
How is that like Citizens United? “I think this Court, when they said 'Wait a minute! If you're talking about a precedent that says the government can deny the right to publish pamphlets, then we’ve got get rid of this one outlier case Austin -- 100 years of precedent -- and go back to what the Constitution [says].’ I don't think that's activism.”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the prohibition on direct corporate expenditures to campaigns is exactly like forcing African-Americans to endure segregation, if you are Senator Jeff Sessions.
Of the Kagan hearings, Turley said, “this is a much tougher confirmation for Marshall than he faced when he first went onto the court. But it‘s really ironic because ... most of the cases they‘re thinking of were authored perhaps by Brennan and not Marshall. Marshall was the one in dissent and said, power, not reason is the new currency of this court. He objected to that type of thing [judicial activism].”
Contrary to his cynical portrayal by Republicans, Justice Marshall embodied the very best of American jurisprudence and, if anything, strengthened the original intent of the document by more closely aligning it with the fundamental founding principles that all men (and women) are “created equal” and endowed with certain inalienable rights, “that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
“Marshall was a great jurist who used his skills to move this country closer to being a more perfect union. As a lawyer and a justice, he protected us from activist judges and the cramped thinking of politicians who tried to keep our country in the muck. And he never forgot how the high court's rulings affect the least of us.A Salt Lake Tribune newspaper reporter caught up with Utah Senator Orrin Hatch to “ask an obvious question: Would Hatch have voted for Marshall?”
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote: "His was the eye of a lawyer who had seen the deepest wounds in the social fabric and used law to help heal them. His was the ear of a counselor who understood the vulnerabilities of the accused and established safeguards for their protection. His was the mouth of a man who knew the anguish of the silenced and gave them a voice."
But perhaps the most eloquent tribute to Marshall was expressed in two words. During some of the darkest times in our nation's history, when rights were denied, lives were threatened and African Americans knew they could not turn to their government for help, calls would go out to the NAACP. When the answer came, the words whispered in homes, churches and communities were enough to calm fears, lift despair, assuage anger and give enough hope to hold on a bit longer: "Thurgood's coming."
Thurgood came. And he came through. He taught us all what it means to love our country enough to work to make it a little better, a little stronger and a little closer to what it's supposed to be. That's not activism. That's patriotism.
And for that, Thurgood Marshall deserves respect and thanks, not sneers.”
“Well, it’s hard to say,” Hatch said.That just about sums up the Republican Party and its Teabagger mutations: odious and racist.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Keith KOs Sarah Palin in 140 Characters or Less
And in her medium of choice or, as President Obama likes to say, “the Twitters.”
Here is the context: Useful Teabagger Idiot Thomas Sowell compared BP’s $20 billion escrow fund agreement secured by President Obama for victims of its Gulf oil spill to an unconstitutional Hitlerian power grab. That’s the same kind of thing wingnuts in the 40s were accusing FDR of -- popular Wilkie campaign buttons of the 1940 election had these slogans (from my collection):
“NO THIRD INTERNATIONALE THIRD REICH THIRD TERM”
“NO DICTATOR LATER!”
“ONE PARTY NATION? NOTHING DOING, FRANKLIN!”
Sounds familiar, eh?
Fortunately for us, the Palins and Teabaggers of the 1940s were not successful, otherwise we might actually be doing the Nazi salute. When those so-called “Constitutionalists” weren’t hurling epithets at FDR, they were busy attending American Nazi Party rallies in Madison Square Garden, observing Nazi Germany war exercises as fascist sympathizer “Lucky Lindy” (Charles Lindbergh) did, and opposing the President’s efforts to help England during the Battle of Britain, forcing FDR to devise a creative way called “Lend Lease” to keep England afloat.
Dear Sister Sarah: Time to embrace your inner Hitler; all those analogies from you and your wingnut ilk, all that projection, the Obama hate-love envy, the black leather ... you know you want to. Idiot.
Here is the context: Useful Teabagger Idiot Thomas Sowell compared BP’s $20 billion escrow fund agreement secured by President Obama for victims of its Gulf oil spill to an unconstitutional Hitlerian power grab. That’s the same kind of thing wingnuts in the 40s were accusing FDR of -- popular Wilkie campaign buttons of the 1940 election had these slogans (from my collection):“NO THIRD INTERNATIONALE THIRD REICH THIRD TERM”
“NO DICTATOR LATER!”
“ONE PARTY NATION? NOTHING DOING, FRANKLIN!”
Sounds familiar, eh?
Fortunately for us, the Palins and Teabaggers of the 1940s were not successful, otherwise we might actually be doing the Nazi salute. When those so-called “Constitutionalists” weren’t hurling epithets at FDR, they were busy attending American Nazi Party rallies in Madison Square Garden, observing Nazi Germany war exercises as fascist sympathizer “Lucky Lindy” (Charles Lindbergh) did, and opposing the President’s efforts to help England during the Battle of Britain, forcing FDR to devise a creative way called “Lend Lease” to keep England afloat.
Dear Sister Sarah: Time to embrace your inner Hitler; all those analogies from you and your wingnut ilk, all that projection, the Obama hate-love envy, the black leather ... you know you want to. Idiot.
Paul the Octopus Predicts Germany Win Over England
It’s a done deal, then, as I happen to agree with Paul, the oracle octopus. The formality of the game still needs to be played, though. Two great knockout games are being played today. My prediciton is England and Mexico go home, as Germany and Argentina move ahead to the quarterfinals.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
WHAT A GAME!
As the bad calls piled on the U.S. football team, they never gave up, never stopped believing in themselves, never stopped believing that the game isn’t over until the final whistle blows from the referee. The United States played its best game of the competition against a tough, defensively well organized Algerian team, that was content to counterpunch.
From the start, the United States pushed forward, putting the ball on the ground, opening up the game in the flanks, especially right flank with Cherundolo, playing possession ball and showing the tactical discipline necessary to break down the Algerian defense. The chances came, but the finishing touch kept eluding the players in a nerve-wracking game. The British announcer said redundantly that you could “feel the tension” and recalled a Rolling Stones song, “19th Nervous Breakdown.”
The U.S. team is progressing by leaps and bounds and should play even better in its first round of 16 match, possibly against Germany or Ghana, possibly Serbia or the Aussies. At this point the U.S. doesn’t care: bring ‘em on! Among the notable performances, the defense as a whole was solid. Carlos Bocanegra and Jay DeMerit are two outstanding central defenders who command their territory with physicality and confident touch. DeMerit is emerging as a real “sheriff” in the back line, owning the air game and winning his 50-50 challenges. In the match with England, DeMerit won the duel with British star Wayne Rooney, consolidating his starting role on the team.
Setting aside the obvious standouts -- playmaker Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey’s plucky opportunism -- Michael Bradley, the coach’s son, is team MVP. The team’s engine, Bradley is the midfield link from defense to offense, through which the U.S. transition game passes. His tireless work, running the length of the pitch and organizing the attack was key to the U.S.’s time of possession and ultimate victory. Up front, Jozy Altidore, the talented 20 year-old striker is the team’s post-up reference in the air and power speed on the ground, counterattacking with danger behind the back of the defense. Finally, Landon Donovan has grown into his role as the team’s go-to guy, its best player and playmaker. This could be his Cup to make a lasting imprint.
It didn’t come easy, but in the last analysis this was no fluke, no “miracle.” From the start the United States was clearly the superior team and unlike, e.g., the French and British, played through adversity and bad referee calls to be rewarded with a first place group finish for the first time since 1930. It just goes to show that hard work, the team’s belief in themselves, and a never-say-die attitude pays off in the end. That’s what separates the winners from losers in any sport.
This was the headline from Brasil’s newspaper, O Globo. Perfect.
From the start, the United States pushed forward, putting the ball on the ground, opening up the game in the flanks, especially right flank with Cherundolo, playing possession ball and showing the tactical discipline necessary to break down the Algerian defense. The chances came, but the finishing touch kept eluding the players in a nerve-wracking game. The British announcer said redundantly that you could “feel the tension” and recalled a Rolling Stones song, “19th Nervous Breakdown.”
The U.S. team is progressing by leaps and bounds and should play even better in its first round of 16 match, possibly against Germany or Ghana, possibly Serbia or the Aussies. At this point the U.S. doesn’t care: bring ‘em on! Among the notable performances, the defense as a whole was solid. Carlos Bocanegra and Jay DeMerit are two outstanding central defenders who command their territory with physicality and confident touch. DeMerit is emerging as a real “sheriff” in the back line, owning the air game and winning his 50-50 challenges. In the match with England, DeMerit won the duel with British star Wayne Rooney, consolidating his starting role on the team.
Setting aside the obvious standouts -- playmaker Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey’s plucky opportunism -- Michael Bradley, the coach’s son, is team MVP. The team’s engine, Bradley is the midfield link from defense to offense, through which the U.S. transition game passes. His tireless work, running the length of the pitch and organizing the attack was key to the U.S.’s time of possession and ultimate victory. Up front, Jozy Altidore, the talented 20 year-old striker is the team’s post-up reference in the air and power speed on the ground, counterattacking with danger behind the back of the defense. Finally, Landon Donovan has grown into his role as the team’s go-to guy, its best player and playmaker. This could be his Cup to make a lasting imprint.It didn’t come easy, but in the last analysis this was no fluke, no “miracle.” From the start the United States was clearly the superior team and unlike, e.g., the French and British, played through adversity and bad referee calls to be rewarded with a first place group finish for the first time since 1930. It just goes to show that hard work, the team’s belief in themselves, and a never-say-die attitude pays off in the end. That’s what separates the winners from losers in any sport.
This was the headline from Brasil’s newspaper, O Globo. Perfect.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Fade Away Time for the General as Rolling Stone Gathers no Moss
The beltway types are all abuzz over the showdown between President Obama and General McChrystal tomorrow concerning statements attributed to the General in a controversial Rolling Stone article, “The Runaway General.” First, kudos to Rolling Stone for showing up and showing that relevant media isn’t dead in this country. The Gray Lady and Washington Post are reduced to reporting about Rolling Stone’s scoop; delicious irony for Jan Wenner who started his anti-establishment rock music magazine with a $7,500 loan from family and friends and a mailing list stolen from a local radio station.
Notably, this is just the latest in a series of hard-hitting articles by Rolling Stone, from Matt Taibbi’s fine reporting lifting the rock on the financial bailout, to BP’s malfeasance. This is Pulitzer territory for Rolling Stone, and I hope they get it. At the very least, Rolling Stone deserves our unofficial Hunter S. Thompson Fear and Loathing in Reporting Award.
To the question at hand: General McChrystal and his staff have not only exercised poor judgment, but worse, behaved with demonstrable insubordination. Whether or not this is an isolated incident within the officer ranks by a “runaway general” or a generalized culture of disdain in the military for President Obama’s leadership, it should be nipped in the bud. General McChrystal’s meeting with the President should be simply a formality to give him the courtesy of offering his resignation rather than be fired outright. Period.
And to those Chicken Little Republicans who will predictably yell and scream that replacing the General would throw Af-Pak policy into disarray, cause dissension in the ranks, etc. –- the usual partisan political sniping masquerading as deep concern over military policy –- civilian authority firing generals is hardly unprecedented. The most famous of these incidents was President Truman’s dismissal of General Douglas McArthur over a military policy dispute at a critical juncture of the Korean War.
General McArthur was, without a doubt, the most accomplished field commander of his time. But he was not irreplaceable. Nor did his “prima donna” ways or failure to salute the President sit well with Harry Truman, who was never impressed with McArthur’s pomposity: “I was ready to kick him into the North China Sea, I was never so put out in my life,” said President Truman. He canned General McArthur and never looked back. Likewise, President Obama should fire General McChrystal in the interest of maintaining intact the civilian chain of command and affirming the commander in chief’s authority.
Notably, this is just the latest in a series of hard-hitting articles by Rolling Stone, from Matt Taibbi’s fine reporting lifting the rock on the financial bailout, to BP’s malfeasance. This is Pulitzer territory for Rolling Stone, and I hope they get it. At the very least, Rolling Stone deserves our unofficial Hunter S. Thompson Fear and Loathing in Reporting Award.
To the question at hand: General McChrystal and his staff have not only exercised poor judgment, but worse, behaved with demonstrable insubordination. Whether or not this is an isolated incident within the officer ranks by a “runaway general” or a generalized culture of disdain in the military for President Obama’s leadership, it should be nipped in the bud. General McChrystal’s meeting with the President should be simply a formality to give him the courtesy of offering his resignation rather than be fired outright. Period.
And to those Chicken Little Republicans who will predictably yell and scream that replacing the General would throw Af-Pak policy into disarray, cause dissension in the ranks, etc. –- the usual partisan political sniping masquerading as deep concern over military policy –- civilian authority firing generals is hardly unprecedented. The most famous of these incidents was President Truman’s dismissal of General Douglas McArthur over a military policy dispute at a critical juncture of the Korean War.
General McArthur was, without a doubt, the most accomplished field commander of his time. But he was not irreplaceable. Nor did his “prima donna” ways or failure to salute the President sit well with Harry Truman, who was never impressed with McArthur’s pomposity: “I was ready to kick him into the North China Sea, I was never so put out in my life,” said President Truman. He canned General McArthur and never looked back. Likewise, President Obama should fire General McChrystal in the interest of maintaining intact the civilian chain of command and affirming the commander in chief’s authority.
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Cup Runneth Over
French Team Storms the Bastille –- In the latest development in a week of Cup craziness, the French team refused to train (not itself out of character) after a “dispute” on the field, one day after a player was sent home early for insulting the coach. France team Director Jean-Louis Valentin has resigned leaving his rebellious team leaderless in what seems to be a complete breakdown of authority, with multiple resignations. The French were battling bad Karma ever since their qualifying hand ball scandal by star striker Thierry Henry sent the team to the Cup, as Ireland was unjustly DQ’d.
Commenting on the European sides’ early troubles, the NYT summed it up perfectly: “The Italians can’t win, the English can’t score and now the French won’t even take the field.”
And Then There Were Two (Atrocious Referee Calls) -- Nothing like a bad call to fire up U.S. interest in football … Someone wrote that Koman Coulibaly, the referee who disallowed a good U.S. goal against Slovenia, is probably the only Malian Americans ever heard of. It’s not a name that rolls off the tongue. But most everyone knows of Coulibaly as the generic referee who made that awful call, dashing the American team’s storybook comeback and complicating its passage to the knockout round of 16. How can a guy whose nickname is “sleepy eyes” ever be picked to referee a crucial World Cup match? He may have been born on the Fourth of July but his middle name is Benedict Arnold.
It happened again, in Brasil’s match against the Ivory Coast. (Or Cote D’Ivoire, as they prefer to be called –- I’ll stick with Teabaggers … oops, wrong buffoonish rabble.) Despite a world-class striker in Drogba, the Ivory Coasters are definitely not ready for primetime. As the game progressed, the outclassed Coasters became increasingly frustrated with Brasil and started hitting maliciously.
First it was Elano. After scoring his goal, he took a hard open-cleat hit to the shin, knocking him out of the game. Then it was Lúcio’s turn to be stepped on. And so on. In neither case did the French referee offer a yellow card to tamp down the dirty play. As the game wound down, Kaká got into a shoving match with a Coaster. Yellow card. Then, he wasn’t even looking when a Coaster deliberately collided with Kaká’s back and fell to the ground in a pathetic acting job bought by the French referee. So Kaká got a second yellow and was red carded. Absolutely ridiculous refereeing.
Beautiful Vixen Blamed for Spain’s Loss –- Since it is one of the favorites to win the Cup, naturally Spanish fans were casting about for someone to blame for Spain’s shocking defeat to Switzerland. They settled on goalkeeper Iker Casilla’s beautiful girlfriend accusing her of “distracting” Casillas with her legitimate presence on the sidelines as a reporter. She’s fortunate the days of the Spanish Inquisiton are past, otherwise ... Will girlfriend reporter be at her post when Spain squares off against Honduras in a must-win? Stay tuned.
Abstinence = 0 Goals -- Meanwhile, the English Team has shot blanks through two games, as their coach enforces his no-sex policy with the help of closed-circuit TV. Argentina and Brasil have no such restrictions, and won their first two games by comfortable margins. So much for abstinence.
“Kimmy, What’s the Frequency?” –- After the North Koreans’ historic 7-0 drubbing by Portugal, it seems Dear Leader Kim Jong-Il’s secret psychic communiqués to his team haven’t produced the desired results. Hope the hapless PRK players won’t get sent off to reeducation camp or ten years hard labor upon their early return to Kimmy’s socialist paradise. The guy who cried during the playing of their anthem might get leniency points for good behavior (acting).
Gotta love the Cup!
Commenting on the European sides’ early troubles, the NYT summed it up perfectly: “The Italians can’t win, the English can’t score and now the French won’t even take the field.”
And Then There Were Two (Atrocious Referee Calls) -- Nothing like a bad call to fire up U.S. interest in football … Someone wrote that Koman Coulibaly, the referee who disallowed a good U.S. goal against Slovenia, is probably the only Malian Americans ever heard of. It’s not a name that rolls off the tongue. But most everyone knows of Coulibaly as the generic referee who made that awful call, dashing the American team’s storybook comeback and complicating its passage to the knockout round of 16. How can a guy whose nickname is “sleepy eyes” ever be picked to referee a crucial World Cup match? He may have been born on the Fourth of July but his middle name is Benedict Arnold.
It happened again, in Brasil’s match against the Ivory Coast. (Or Cote D’Ivoire, as they prefer to be called –- I’ll stick with Teabaggers … oops, wrong buffoonish rabble.) Despite a world-class striker in Drogba, the Ivory Coasters are definitely not ready for primetime. As the game progressed, the outclassed Coasters became increasingly frustrated with Brasil and started hitting maliciously.First it was Elano. After scoring his goal, he took a hard open-cleat hit to the shin, knocking him out of the game. Then it was Lúcio’s turn to be stepped on. And so on. In neither case did the French referee offer a yellow card to tamp down the dirty play. As the game wound down, Kaká got into a shoving match with a Coaster. Yellow card. Then, he wasn’t even looking when a Coaster deliberately collided with Kaká’s back and fell to the ground in a pathetic acting job bought by the French referee. So Kaká got a second yellow and was red carded. Absolutely ridiculous refereeing.
Beautiful Vixen Blamed for Spain’s Loss –- Since it is one of the favorites to win the Cup, naturally Spanish fans were casting about for someone to blame for Spain’s shocking defeat to Switzerland. They settled on goalkeeper Iker Casilla’s beautiful girlfriend accusing her of “distracting” Casillas with her legitimate presence on the sidelines as a reporter. She’s fortunate the days of the Spanish Inquisiton are past, otherwise ... Will girlfriend reporter be at her post when Spain squares off against Honduras in a must-win? Stay tuned.
Abstinence = 0 Goals -- Meanwhile, the English Team has shot blanks through two games, as their coach enforces his no-sex policy with the help of closed-circuit TV. Argentina and Brasil have no such restrictions, and won their first two games by comfortable margins. So much for abstinence.
“Kimmy, What’s the Frequency?” –- After the North Koreans’ historic 7-0 drubbing by Portugal, it seems Dear Leader Kim Jong-Il’s secret psychic communiqués to his team haven’t produced the desired results. Hope the hapless PRK players won’t get sent off to reeducation camp or ten years hard labor upon their early return to Kimmy’s socialist paradise. The guy who cried during the playing of their anthem might get leniency points for good behavior (acting).
Gotta love the Cup!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Shakedown and Shakeup!
First, there was the White House “shakedown” of BP in the best Harry Truman tradition. And to alleviate this toxic British invasion of our shores, enjoy the shakedown song with a little twisting and shouting in the wind thrown in for good measure:
Next came the BP shakeup, followed by a yatching romp around the Isle of Wight. Tony Hayward might have felt entitled after a Republican member of Congress got down on his knees and licked his shoes. Republicans and conservatives can’t help it; they LOVE corporations. They’re really tight with Big Oil. They HATE government. As long as progressives are critical of government’s response to a catastrophe such as the BP Gulf oil volcanic eruption, they are delighted to piggyback on our criticism, if it’s DESTRUCTIVE of government. The moment government does something RIGHT for the victims of this catastrophe, the moment government demonstrates its assertiveness and relevance on behalf of the “small people” -- the Gulf state residents it represents -- Republicans and conservatives GO BALLISTIC.
In short, they show their TRUE COLORS.
Rachel Maddow breaks it all down, dissecting the relationship beween the GOP (Gulf Of Petroleum) and Big Oil:
Republicans and the ultra right wing can characterize it as a “Chicago-style shakedown” all they want, but if Harry Truman was in President Obama’s shoes he’d be comfortable with the fit. (And Truman knows from shoes!) He would own the criticism, though he might call it instead a “Missouri shakedown.” As Truman told his staff before taking control of the steel mills, “the President has the power to keep the country from going to hell.”
So when Republicans start bitching that the President is “setting a bad precedent” by negotiating this escrow account, the reverse is actually true. It’s BP and corporate Big Oil government that are distorting our constitutional government “of, for, and by the people”-- not to speak of our national sovereignty. The precedent for President Obama’s executive action exists in the actions taken by his predecessors JFK, Harry Truman, and FDR, among others.
Despite his qualifier, Joe Barton (a former, and current, BP employee) did not go rogue on his GOP colleagues. The day before his stunning public apology to Tony Hayward, the Republican Study Committee accused the White House of “a Chicago-style shakedown” in negotiating the the $20 billion escrow account to compensate victims of BP’s criminal negligence. The only difference is those wingnuts defended BP behind closed doors, while Barton slavishly worshipped his corporate owner before the American people. He forced his leadership’s hand, as a peeved John Boehner threatened to strip Barton’s ranking member status unless he retracted his statement -- or “misconstrued” his “misconstruction” else he be misconscrewed.
Nice to see Republicans twisting themselves into New York pretzels trying unsuccessfully not to appear to kiss corporate ass in front of the voters. The fact is, the party is largely indistinguishable from the Teabaggers, despite admonitions from astroturf Freedomworks supreme leader Dick Armey for Teabagger candidates to avoid using the label “Tea Party.” Good luck tamping down your dirty little secret, Dickie. It should go over as realistically as your “Death in Venice” painted hair. Enquiring minds want to know: Are you now, or have you ever been a member of the Tea Party.
Next came the BP shakeup, followed by a yatching romp around the Isle of Wight. Tony Hayward might have felt entitled after a Republican member of Congress got down on his knees and licked his shoes. Republicans and conservatives can’t help it; they LOVE corporations. They’re really tight with Big Oil. They HATE government. As long as progressives are critical of government’s response to a catastrophe such as the BP Gulf oil volcanic eruption, they are delighted to piggyback on our criticism, if it’s DESTRUCTIVE of government. The moment government does something RIGHT for the victims of this catastrophe, the moment government demonstrates its assertiveness and relevance on behalf of the “small people” -- the Gulf state residents it represents -- Republicans and conservatives GO BALLISTIC.
In short, they show their TRUE COLORS.
Rachel Maddow breaks it all down, dissecting the relationship beween the GOP (Gulf Of Petroleum) and Big Oil:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Taking a page from Harry Truman and JFK versus the steel magnates, Mr. Obama summoned BP Chairman of the Board Carl Henric-Svanberg and CEO Tony Hayward to the White House for (at last!) a Give ‘Em Hell Harry moment. The President read them the Riot Act and told them how it was going to be. They caved on every point. BP’s interest is staving off more dangerous legal challenges to its existence and stock value, including bankruptcy, and as President Obama said, to “remain a viable company.” Significantly, the $20 billion escrow account is not a cap but a floor.Republicans and the ultra right wing can characterize it as a “Chicago-style shakedown” all they want, but if Harry Truman was in President Obama’s shoes he’d be comfortable with the fit. (And Truman knows from shoes!) He would own the criticism, though he might call it instead a “Missouri shakedown.” As Truman told his staff before taking control of the steel mills, “the President has the power to keep the country from going to hell.”
So when Republicans start bitching that the President is “setting a bad precedent” by negotiating this escrow account, the reverse is actually true. It’s BP and corporate Big Oil government that are distorting our constitutional government “of, for, and by the people”-- not to speak of our national sovereignty. The precedent for President Obama’s executive action exists in the actions taken by his predecessors JFK, Harry Truman, and FDR, among others.
Despite his qualifier, Joe Barton (a former, and current, BP employee) did not go rogue on his GOP colleagues. The day before his stunning public apology to Tony Hayward, the Republican Study Committee accused the White House of “a Chicago-style shakedown” in negotiating the the $20 billion escrow account to compensate victims of BP’s criminal negligence. The only difference is those wingnuts defended BP behind closed doors, while Barton slavishly worshipped his corporate owner before the American people. He forced his leadership’s hand, as a peeved John Boehner threatened to strip Barton’s ranking member status unless he retracted his statement -- or “misconstrued” his “misconstruction” else he be misconscrewed.
Nice to see Republicans twisting themselves into New York pretzels trying unsuccessfully not to appear to kiss corporate ass in front of the voters. The fact is, the party is largely indistinguishable from the Teabaggers, despite admonitions from astroturf Freedomworks supreme leader Dick Armey for Teabagger candidates to avoid using the label “Tea Party.” Good luck tamping down your dirty little secret, Dickie. It should go over as realistically as your “Death in Venice” painted hair. Enquiring minds want to know: Are you now, or have you ever been a member of the Tea Party.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Parochial School Boys Agree!
At last there is something MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann and lunatic fringe wingnut Glenn Beck agree on: hatred of the World Cup, football specifically -- they call it “soccer” (whatever that means). Here’s Beck’s rant against the World Cup (he also disses baseball, probably because too many Latinos and Asians play the game):
Keith’s riposte: “And now to discuss Glenn Beck versus the world at large over soccer … Beck, of course, being right, not only does the world tells us we must love soccer, but it tells us we’re too stupid to understand this game in which almost nothing happens, which the referee keeps how much time there’s left a secret. And by the way, vuvuzelas were on sale at Yankee Stadium in 1967, they stole it from us, ladies and gentlemen, here is soccer apologist Rachel Maddow!”
To Glenn Beck I say, beware of the One World conspiracy. The New World Order is coming for you, Beckster. The invading World Cup hordes are plotting your destruction in South Africa, as we speak.
Keith, there’s plenty of action going on, only you’re too stupid, or stubborn, to understand it. Imagine a Martian alighting on a baseball game while Nolan Ryan is striking out the side. What would the alien think of those static people standing in the outfield, arms crossed, picking their fingernails or noses, as one guy on the mound does all the work, tossing a little ball to a masked man past guys who walk up to the plate with a piece of lumber, whiff the air with it three times and walk back to their bunker. Meanwhile, another masked man clad in black yells and makes strange hand signals (which have no apparent connection to the signals from those other guys on the sidelines).
FYI, Keith, nearing the conclusion of the 90 minutes of play, a sideline official with FIFA clearly stamped on his back holds up a large digital board with 3’ or 4’ or however many extra injury and stoppage time minutes the referee has added to the game. The ref communicates this to sideline officials through the magic of that little transmitter device and microphone clipped to one ear. Stoppage time is shown next to regulation time on any TV broadcast football game and some (not all) stadium scoreboards.
And Keith, the vuvuzelas were actually introduced by a Mets plant in Yankee Stadium. It came from a pro-Apartheid Afrikaner who said vuvuzelas were used as instruments of torture.
Keith’s riposte: “And now to discuss Glenn Beck versus the world at large over soccer … Beck, of course, being right, not only does the world tells us we must love soccer, but it tells us we’re too stupid to understand this game in which almost nothing happens, which the referee keeps how much time there’s left a secret. And by the way, vuvuzelas were on sale at Yankee Stadium in 1967, they stole it from us, ladies and gentlemen, here is soccer apologist Rachel Maddow!”
To Glenn Beck I say, beware of the One World conspiracy. The New World Order is coming for you, Beckster. The invading World Cup hordes are plotting your destruction in South Africa, as we speak.
Keith, there’s plenty of action going on, only you’re too stupid, or stubborn, to understand it. Imagine a Martian alighting on a baseball game while Nolan Ryan is striking out the side. What would the alien think of those static people standing in the outfield, arms crossed, picking their fingernails or noses, as one guy on the mound does all the work, tossing a little ball to a masked man past guys who walk up to the plate with a piece of lumber, whiff the air with it three times and walk back to their bunker. Meanwhile, another masked man clad in black yells and makes strange hand signals (which have no apparent connection to the signals from those other guys on the sidelines).FYI, Keith, nearing the conclusion of the 90 minutes of play, a sideline official with FIFA clearly stamped on his back holds up a large digital board with 3’ or 4’ or however many extra injury and stoppage time minutes the referee has added to the game. The ref communicates this to sideline officials through the magic of that little transmitter device and microphone clipped to one ear. Stoppage time is shown next to regulation time on any TV broadcast football game and some (not all) stadium scoreboards.
And Keith, the vuvuzelas were actually introduced by a Mets plant in Yankee Stadium. It came from a pro-Apartheid Afrikaner who said vuvuzelas were used as instruments of torture.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
GOP Stands for GULF OF (BRITISH) PETROLEUM
JOE BARTON KNEELS BEFORE BP:
It didn’t take long. The American people, and even some Republicans are appalled and ashamed at the spectacle of a United States Congressman bowing before BP CEO Tony Hayward and apologizing to Big Oil for what he termed a “shakedown” from the White House and a “slush fund” for the victims of this outlaw corporation. Even Tony Hayward conceded it was not a “slush fund.” Barton, Limbaugh, and the oil patch Republicans hate that President Obama did an end-run around their block of raising the $75 million liability law to $10 billion, and got twice the amount out of BP to boot (on the neck of BP).
Barton’s panicked Caucus forced him to retract his statement (sort of), but not before fellow Republican Joe Miller of Florida calls for him to step down as Ranking Member on the Energy Committee. Barton sounds petulant and envious, as if he’s being cut out of the action. This is a badly-needed escrow fund independently administered by the same person who disbursed the 9/11 victims fund -- Ken Feinberg, of unimpeachable integrity. Here’s Barton whoring for Big Oil money:
Senator Byron Dorgan, Democrat of South Dakota said: “He ought to apologize to the American people. That wasn’t a shakedown, it’s exactly what our government should be saying to BP.”
It didn’t take long. The American people, and even some Republicans are appalled and ashamed at the spectacle of a United States Congressman bowing before BP CEO Tony Hayward and apologizing to Big Oil for what he termed a “shakedown” from the White House and a “slush fund” for the victims of this outlaw corporation. Even Tony Hayward conceded it was not a “slush fund.” Barton, Limbaugh, and the oil patch Republicans hate that President Obama did an end-run around their block of raising the $75 million liability law to $10 billion, and got twice the amount out of BP to boot (on the neck of BP).
Barton’s panicked Caucus forced him to retract his statement (sort of), but not before fellow Republican Joe Miller of Florida calls for him to step down as Ranking Member on the Energy Committee. Barton sounds petulant and envious, as if he’s being cut out of the action. This is a badly-needed escrow fund independently administered by the same person who disbursed the 9/11 victims fund -- Ken Feinberg, of unimpeachable integrity. Here’s Barton whoring for Big Oil money:
“I'm only speaking for myself. I'm not speaking for anyone else, but I apologize. [GET OUT YOUR BARF BAGS] I do not want to live in a county where anytime a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong, [it is] subject to some sort of political pressure that, again, in my words, amounts to a shakedown.” [KACHING-KACHING = $1.4 million from the oil and gas industry, including $27,350 from BP.]
Senator Byron Dorgan, Democrat of South Dakota said: “He ought to apologize to the American people. That wasn’t a shakedown, it’s exactly what our government should be saying to BP.”
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