Signs Of Panic In The White House?

I mean, Chris Matthews disclosed he was at a "recent briefing" at the White House, the substance of which he could not talk about but did so anyway. I forget what he said; it's not important. Still, it begs the question: Is Dylan Ratigan next?

We kid Chris, when he actually raised the good idea of singling out roads and bridges in need of repair in Republican districts, which we actually highlighted and credited him in case his producers missed it. And the President adopted Chris's idea. So I suppose Chris earned a White House briefing, although he might not want to publicize it lest Republicans interpret it as a sign of panic by the President's team.

But Chris is still Dean of the Idiot Punditocracy, and his reactionary habits haven't ceased. Some of it isn't his doing, like the imposition of slo-mo tailored suits trainwreck Michael Steele by the Move (i.e., Tip) Over suits. Called upon to defend the anti-science alchemists like Dr. Michele Bachmann in his party, Steele degenerated into a pot-meet-kettle shouting match, accusing Chris of being "arrogant" and elitist. But Chris himself lowers his own shaky standards by soliciting the GOP spin of a plagiarizing "dick" and a "blistering" charlatan.

Speaking of MSNBC funnies, Chuck Todd has a promo ad all of his own, which is a howler. It shows Chuckles driving into Washington from somewhere in suburbia. It's hard to tell from the closeups of his yuppie-mobile whether he's driving a beemer or a Lexus, or what. But then we get a tantalizing glimpse of the I-395 Exit "TO WASHINGTON" as Chuckie turns, heading into the Lion's Den. To access I-395 to Washington, one must either be on I-95 or ... I-495, aka the "Beltway." Is Chuckie trying to tell us he's not a member of the infamous "Beltway Media"... hey, he just works there? Chuckles intones importantly that his job is to "ask the tough questions" and (pass the barf bag) use his "access" for "a greater good," for people who can't get through to the White House.

Please. The "greater good," Chuckie, is the truth. Nothing more, nothing less. No matter where the chips may fall. For those who disclose the truth on a daily, or should I say, nightly basis on your network, the first of those chips to fall is "access." Chuck's show is a platform for partisan propaganda, a revolving door for politicians who blatantly lie, and the place for coalescing of Beltway Media "we are the establishment" opinion (per Chuck's MSNBC boss), derided as "Beltway wisdom." The number of "tough" questions Chuck has asked since gaining "access" to "no matter who's in power" can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Kicking Savannah Guthrie upstairs hasn't helped much. One-half Savannah equals twice and more of Chuckles Toddy.

Watching the MSNBC suits unravel what has been, for brief shining moments, a good product, CNN plunged into the fray with a much more journalistic Republican candidates debate than the circumspect offering sponsored by the Idiot Punditocracy's publication of record, POLITICO. Then not-so-much out of the blue, CNN's "Ragin' Cajun" James Carville, its pseudo-lib pundit married to CNN wingnut pundit Mary Matalyn (for those seeking a non-political explanation for Carville's outburst), launched into a cascading Democratic panic attack, inviting the White House to join him.

The President, Carville screeched, should FIRE someone, INDICT someone, FIGHT, he howled in this inspired passage:

As I watch the Republican debates, I realize that we are on the brink of a crazy person running our nation. I sit in front of the television and shudder at the thought of one of these creationism-loving, global-warming-denying, immigration-bashing, Social-Security-cutting, clean-air-hating, mortality-fascinated, Wall-Street-protecting Republicans running my country.

The course we are on is not working. The hour is late, and the need is great. Fire. Indict. Fight.

Relax, James, per Jason Linkins. I would simply add that the President has fired and retired his top general in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, in a manner not unlike the reluctant firing of General George McClellan by President Lincoln during the Civil War. Yes, he should have indicted the Wall Street ratbastards, except they've contributed to his campaign and because of the atrocious Citizens United decision the President cannot be competitive without Street mullah. Since they hate him so much, he should make indicting the criminals who tanked our economy a priority of his next four years. (Not holding my breath.)

What Eric Holder should focus on now is pressing civil rights and voting rights cases against Republican governors. Now, before the 2012 elections. Theirs is a conspiracy to restrict the vote of minorities, students, the poor, and the elderly poor, all of whom by happenstance are largely Democratic voters. The Justice Department has grounds to pursue violations of the Voting Rights Act, and should do so vigorously. If indictments follow, so much the better. It should be noted that the FBI recently raided the home of a top aide to infamous Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin. This could be just the beginning of a long overdue push by Justice to tip back the scales of justice from Republican abuse and overreach.

Besides, firing someone in times of high unemployment is hardly the right message to send. What the President needs is an attack dog, like Karl Rove was for Bush, to take the fight to the Republicans in tougher language. He had one in Chicago Mayor Rham Emanuel, but instead of turning Rhambo's ire against the Republicans he turned it against Democrats and Progressives. BIG MISTAKE, which led to the "lowest common denominator," as President Carter noted, in health care reform. No use now crying over spilled milk and historic "I-Told-You-So" mistakes.

There was a time James would fit the bill, if he weren't so keen on pushing the PANIC button. Rhambo never did push the panic button. And in this regard, he is missed. Who will be the President's attack dog now?

SHAME IN THE USA: 46.2 MILLION AMERICANS LIVE IN POVERTY

To understand the shameful dimensions of this social, economic, and political catastrophe, consider these factoids:

• This is equivalent of the entire populations of SPAIN or of America's largest state, California, and Colorado combined.

• At the same time, the U.S. poverty rate is among the highest in the so-called "First World" of developed industrialized nations — our historical ally France, the Republican and Teabaggers' favorite foreign punching bag, has a poverty rate in the single digits.

But for me, the most damning comparative statistic for this nation is that the number of people living in poverty in America — 46.2 million — is 5 million more than all of the votes cast in the 2010 midterm elections for Republicans in the House of Representatives, 41,128,504. This isn't just an indictment of the Democratic Party and its titular leader, President "I reject the argument that says for the economy to grow, we have to roll back ... rules that keep our kids from being exposed to mercury " Obama, but of all Americans eligible to vote who, for want of performing the simplest but most profound duty of every citizen in a democracy, voting, have by their anti-civic inaction brought us to the brink of catastrophic change, with far-reaching consequences for all of us.

Who the hell are these Teabaggers, this blood-lusting rabble screaming for the denial of life-saving health care to a 30-year old everyman who happens not to have medical insurance, that he should D-I-E, DIE instead? Or the sanguine mob at the Ronald Reagan Library lustily applauding Texas governor Rick Perry for his record 235 executions — some of those executed more than likely innocent of the crimes for which the state killed them? Or Michele Bachmann, a serial liar spreading dastardly lies about a cancer prevention vaccine? Or the anti-education, anti-science posture of this abominable cesspool of anti-American values known as the Republican Party? Why does the corporate media certify fringe views as mainstream, and barely bat an eyelash at right wing Republicans who would be president (while others with perhaps different views cower in fear) — Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry — with ties to a fringe fundamentalist Christian cult of zealots who aspire to Dominionism, an authoritarian Christian theocracy for America?

The Republican leadership in Congress refers to all of this, with the media's complicity and collaboration, as the mainstream "values" of the American people. And yet of the 41.1 million incredibly SUPER MAJORITY minority within a minority of voters who put these extremist Republicans in power, about 25 million or so represent the true lunatic fringe — anti-government Teabaggers, racists, and religious zealots. The remaining 16.1 million are the morons who watch too much reality TV and "America's Got Talent" — impulse voters who haven't a clue how a ballot choice can have profound implications for them and who go through life blithely voting against their own self-interest.

The 30 million Democratic voters who stayed home, not to speak of the millions upon millions who never even bother to vote, are most responsible for our dire straits. They are responsible for this abominable minority that is dictating its extremist anti-government, anti-science, religious fundamentalist agenda on the rest of us. We, The People get the government we deserve. And by not taking ONE DAY out of 365 days in a year to do one's civic duty and vote, we are the Dr. Frankenstein who created this MONSTER called the Tea Party — aka, the Republican Party.

If you don't vote, stop casting about for someone to blame when your lives and prosperity fall apart. Don't blame President Obama. Yes, he's flawed but his hands are, ultimately, tied. If you don't vote, STFU and take a look in the mirror. You might as well do the honorable thing and renounce your citizenship as an American. There are plenty of honest, hard-working people just across our southern border who would love to take your place.

58 Second FLAT Post-GOP Debate Analysis: Perry — I'm No $5,000 Whore ... "I'm SO Offended!"

“It was a $5,000 contribution that I had received from them. I raise about $30 million. And if you’re saying that I can be bought for $5,000, I’m offended.” ~ Rick Perry taking offense at being compared to just any old syphilitic political streetwalker who takes his payment in a brown paper bag and stuffs it in the refrigerator. Rick Perry let it be known he's a high-priced CALL BOY ... say, nine or ten figures?

Meanwhile, Michele Bachmann scored points for hypocrisy over political whoring (both of which she's done) by noting that Perry's former chief of staff lobbied for the HPV vaccine maker, Merck, which also “gave thousands of dollars in political donations to the governor.” That's like a political whore who takes government Medicare money for gay hubby's cure-the-gays clinic and government pork for her district while campaigning to destroy government services and aid for everyone else, saying, well I took less so I'm more virtuous!

Willard Mitt Romney the Flap-Jack talked above the literally and figuratively INSANE TEABAGGER audience which CHEERED letting the medically uninsured DIE — nothing new; 10,000 Americans die annually from lack of health coverage — and scored points with Florida seniors, "low information voters" which defines (charitably) ALL Republicans earning less than six figures, as a phony champion of Social Security. Regardless, Rick Perry the corporate WHORE kept doubling down on his Social Security is a "Ponzi scheme" charge which is a big hit with the vampire zombies in the audience but will sink him as the Republican nominee.

Interestingly, Idiot Punditocracy luminaries like Dana Milbank and Mark Halperin, who think President Obama is a "dick" and would like Romney or Huntsman to take the Republican nomination, are TERRIFIED of Rick Perry. They represent the voice of the Republican corporate establishment, having insinuated themselves into WaPo and MSNBC to sabotage the progressive voice of the American people. Make no mistake: The corporate establishment isn't moderate and democratic; they're just as fascist and authoritarian as their Tea Party brown shirts. But they want to WIN. And they don't think Rick Perry can win.

Winners: President Obama and the Democratic Party, not for what they have or haven't done but by virtue of contrast. Regardless of what happens in the special elections in New York and Nevada today which, if they go down as predicted, will drag the Republican Party and its billionaire plutocrat patrons further down the CRAZY RIGHT black hole. American voters may be stupider and less engaged than most in the world's democracies, but as Lincoln best surmised, they're not that stupid.

BREATHTAKING View From Another Planet ...

This is a REAL photo of Saturn from the spacecraft Cassini, which is orbiting the planet. Cassini moved into Saturn's shadow as it eclipsed the Sun and snapped this beautiful picture looking back at Saturn.

Football Opening Weekend TRASH TALKIN'

MEMO to Big Eddie and 'Homey': I don't believe retread Q-Back Donovan McNabb is going to lead the hapless VIKINGS to the Promised Land. Maybe in the Fantasy League. You're in serious TROUBLE, GIANTS, when you can't even beat Rex Grossman, has-been reject of the CHICAGO BEARS, which by the way ROMPED against the ATLANTA FALCONS. (Grossman bucked an opening day losing WASHINGTON REDSKINS jinx to the GIANTS which had been in place FOR 35 YEARS!)

Meanwhile, in a MUST-WIN on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, because Coach Rex Ryan has the AUDACITY to throw down his markers and draw his lines in the sand (are you taking notes, President Obama?), the NEW YORK J-E-T-S, JETS JETS JETS came from behind to WHIP our favorite WHIPPIN' BOY, Tony (Bwaaaaah!) Romo (Big Eddie's special guest at the White House Correspondents Dinner) and America's MOST HATED TEAM, the DALLAS COWBOYS, with its  Confederacy gray colors, and loathsome owner JERRY JONES in attendance — oops ... better dial back that premature celebration, Jerry. 'Cause somethin's goin' on, but you don't know what it is, do you, Massah Jones?

Funniest sideline moments: (1) Trying to figure out how the rotund aging hippie on the Dallas side (a) fits in with all those fascists, and (b) what possible resemblance he has to his alleged twin brother, Rex Ryan; (2) Mark Sanchez, the Jets Mexican QB, turning his back on the field of play, afraid to look when the JETS scored the winning field goal from 50 yards or so out and the COWBOYS got the ball back with seconds to go.

Most entertaining PIÑATA: Tony Romo, probably the world's DUMBEST quarterback, tried to beat the JETS-D rushing the endzone — bad move, paisan — threw a game-winning interception, then wasn't ready for the snap with 23 seconds on the clock. His teammates have a hard time keeping up with the ever creative ways Romo finds to LOSE.

Football is baaaack ...

To Hell With The Politicians — I'll Take Paul Simon On THIS DAY

... OF REMEMBRANCE.

Chris Follows Through

Hat Tip From President Obama To Chris Matthews

But Chris missed it!

Hardball's Chris Matthews has been incessantly pounding an old-fashioned, but I think effective, political infrastructure hardball idea, which is to inventory every bridge and highway project in Republican swing/leadership districts and single them out for repair under the President's proposal.

President Obama said: "There are private construction companies all across America just waiting to get to work. There’s a bridge that needs repair between Ohio and Kentucky that’s on one of the busiest trucking routes in North America." He was referring to the aging Brent Spence Bridge on I-75 between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. It should be noted that Speaker John Boehner is from Ohio and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky. It was no coincidence, and our good friend Chris deserves credit for floating the idea.

58 Second FLAT Post-GOP Debate Analysis: Romney Takes Swing At Perry

... AND CONNECTS!

Willard Mitt Romney must be a (secret) fan of the Rachel Maddow Show. He doubled down on his country club political persona, Gilligan's Island millionaire Thurston Howell III, smoked out by Rachel as an intentional Romney political strategy. Here's Romney bursting the Perry baloon by playing the understanding and generous patrician to his bumbling junior partner, using a golf metaphor ... NATCH:

“We’ve each taken a mulligan or two. I think his heart was in the right place.” Then Romney pivoted to an attack on the President, stealing Perry's thunder: “We have some differences between us. But we all agree this president’s got to go. This president’s a nice guy. But he doesn’t have a clue how to get this country working again.”

Definition: A mulligan, most simply put, is a "do-over." Hit a bad shot? Take a mulligan and replay that stroke.

It was fascinating to see the Republican audience stunned into silence by Ron Paul's attack on Perry's compulsory executive order to vaccinate young girls against HPV, a sexually transmitted disease. Clearly, it was a part of Perry's record they had not known about: “Forcing 12-year-old girls to take an inoculation to prevent a sexually transmitted disease — this is not good medicine,” said Paul, the physician.

Toward the end, as if heaving a collective sigh of relief, the audience fervently applauded Perry's record executions. But Perry was bruised. “I kind of feel like the piñata here at the party,” he whined. Whiny = defeated.

Romney won on points and even issued an absurd press release, notable for its "War Room"-like swiftness, setting himself up as Social Security's champion. He may have staunched the Big Money flow to Perry by signaling he's still their guy and Perry's not ready for Prime Time.

Question left unasked by the Idiot Punditocracy:

(1) No GOP president has ever balanced a budget since Eisenhower; Bill Clinton, the last Democratic president before President Obama, cleaned up the Reagan-Bush deficits, balanced the budget, and created 23 million jobs, a historic high. Given the Republican record of exploding deficits and anemic economic growth, why should the American people trust any of you with stewardship of this economy?

(2) Do you support Paul Ryan's plan to voucherize Medicare? Yes or no.

(3) To Perry: Do you still consider Ben Bernancke, Fed chairman appointed by Bush, "treasonous"? To all: In a speech, Bernancke criticized Republicans in Congress holding our economy hostage over the debt ceiling. Are you in favor, as some Republicans were, including Ms Bachmann, of the U.S. defaulting on its debt?

(4) To all: A simple yes or no answer: Raise your hands if you believe in evolution. Global warming?

(5) Republican state governors in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, New Jersey, and Florida have initiated an unprecedented assault on public employee unions, cutting jobs, pensions, and healthcare benefits for teachers, firefighters, police officers, government workers. As a result, their approval ratings are in the tank, and recall efforts are underway. Is it your intention, as famously stated by Grover Norquist to shrink the size of government to the point where it can be "drowned in the bathtub?" Going against, I might add (to pull a mannerism from Brian Williams), the wishes of the American people, by wide margins.

(6) Speaking of Grover Norquist, are all of you slaves to his "no new taxes under any circumstances" pledge? Are you ready to pledge tonight, to the American people, you will NEVER raise ANY taxes, even if it's to bring down our deficit?

And so it goes. The peeps over at MSNBC are slapping their backs at creating an entertaining spectacle for TV viewers on the right, which should increase their numbers, while scrupulously avoiding the public interest questions which would have turned the wingnuts and MS(NBC) masters (the corporations) against them — see above, questions not asked.

For an idea of the corporatist, Beltway bias of Williams and Harris, one had only to notice how the anti-government privatization questions were, as far as I could tell, all directed at the crazy libertarian in the room, Ron Paul; a perceived gadfly even within his own party.

Rick Perry Pays Homage To Two Great Italians!

PRE-GOP DEBATE BUZZ: RESTLESS ANIMALS BEGIN TO RATTLE THEIR CAGES ...

Politico With The Midas Touch, Ed Rollins, Quits; Bachmann Campaign Takes Off

Citing "exhaustion" and mission accomplished, Michele Bachmann campaign manager Ed Rollins quit after sufficiently tanking the Bachmann campaign with his sterling advice. "It's a Perry-Romney race," he explained to a starstruck Idiot Punditocracy, that still considers Rollins a ginormous political genius. Said Perry-Romney: "The check's in the mail."

Question: What's one way to tell a media journalist from the Idiot Punditocracy?

Answer: Real journalists read, like, books other than pulp fiction, erotic romance novels, and tweets, on a regular basis. Rachel explains:

Here's Some CONTEXT For Rachel

It's not just about the politics of it, Rachel, and making the base angry. You know better than that.

He-e-e-reee's The PRESIDENT! ...

OF THE TEAMSTERS, Jimmy Hoffa. Sorry, I was daydreaming there for a minute ...

When is calling a spade a spade a bad thing? Wingnuts and Teabaggers ARE SONS-A-BITCHES (see my "SCUMBAGS" post, here where the love keeps-a-flowin'), even if Chris Matthews pretends it's offensive to his delicate ears. Now why the hell do Media Matters, Keith, and Big Eddie have to go ruin a perfectly good example of WINGNUT FOX PROPAGANDA with context and the truth!? (Sidebar: What's with Kelly's short hair? Makes her look like a skinned chicken, dumber; must be a functionality thing.)

PET PEEVE

For those who've seen the commercial, this is pretty much self-explanatory:

If you haven't, here's some context:

Eye Candy For Sweet Melissa ...

If this is what Melissa Harris Perry, everyone's favorite guest host at MSNBC, meant by saying President Obama isn't SUPERMAN ... well, maybe you have a point, Melissa.

Henry Cavill as "the man of steel."

A Tribute To The WORKING CLASS On Labor Day

By Green Day, one of my favorite post-apocalypse bands, words and music by THE MAN, John Lennon.

AMERICA'S MOST GREEDY

YOU CAN VIEW THEIR MUGSHOTS HERE.

Wingnuts Are Scumbags. Period.

Or, if you prefer — really really really really really really REALLY SICK CREATURES.

Anyone who thinks we should get along with these ratbastards is a little pokey themselves. As Jefferson said, it's getting close to the time for a little revolution to renew our democracy ... time to dust off grandpa's proverbial pitchfork and storm Count Dracula's castle. This is real class warfare waged by the über-rich against the poor and the middle class. No more tea parlor games. It's time to fight back.

By the way: The stimulus package included several unique provisions, now expired, to decrease the tax liability for 2009 of those on the bottom of the ladder. According to the Center for Tax Policy, the real figure of people not paying federal income taxes is 18 percent. Not 50.

"Or, Like, A Blender Or Something ..."

President Obama to asthmatics, People with breathing disorders and pulmonary illnesses: "HOLD YOUR BREATH TILL 2013!" ~ From the audacity of gutlessness. (Or, if you prefer, refer to the famous Daily News headline: "FORD TO NEW YORK CITY: etcetc ..." Let Keith spell it out, because some stories are so upsetting (as they should be to progressives and Democrats) that I'm like Keith: "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Fridays before, say, a big Holiday weekend, is when the powers-that-be (e.g., the White House) like to dump controversial news (translation, another cave to the ruling Oligarchs and the GOP), in the hopes no one will notice, because, you know, we're all happily firing up our grills and on the road to be with family. No such luck, Jay, we're watching closely. AND WHAT A NEWS DUMP THIS WAS.

Keith is actually kind to the President by not enumerating this administration's ABYSMAL environmental record, having CAVED to the Republicans and the corporate POLLUTERS LOBBY on coal burning plants, offshore drilling, nuclear plant safety, and a whole panoply of environmental issues that actually impact the quality of our lives and health of our people in very real ways. "A majority of our contributors said it was fending off an all-out assault on environmental policies and regulations from Tea Partyers and other conservatives in Congress. " Oops ... Bad timing. That was then (July 25), this is now (September 4) one day after Obama condemned people with life-threatening breathing ailments and illnesses to, well, fend for themselves, and good luck! 'cause the Prez is all about getting re-elected by any means necessary.

Here's the Chicago Tribune, historically a Republican newspaper, reporting on hazardous coal-burning plant pollution in the President's own backyard. When you and your children have to live with it, somehow party labels don't seem so important:

[S]ome power companies already have moved to clean up their coal plants. And supporters note that recent power auctions guarantee there will be enough electricity to meet demand for years after the rule takes effect, even if some older plants are shuttered.

"It is disappointing, irresponsible and coldhearted for the power companies that are operating these plants not to make the sensible, relatively easy and inexpensive changes the (Environmental Protection Agency) is requesting," said Mary Gade, a Chicago lawyer who served as President George W. Bush's regional EPA administrator.

Coal-fired power plants are the biggest man-made source of mercury contamination, one of the last kinds of pollution to be targeted for limits under the federal Clean Air Act. Uncontrolled for years, the pollution is so pervasive that Illinois and 43 other states advise people, especially women of childbearing age and young children, to avoid or limit eating certain types of fish because they often are contaminated with high levels of the toxic metal.

Chicago is a pollution "hot spot" where relatively large amounts of mercury fall, according to EPA research. But there already are signs of improvement since officials in Illinois and other states ordered power companies in the mid-2000s to start limiting mercury pollution.

Nationwide, coal plants emitted about 68,000 pounds of mercury in 2009, down from 94,000 pounds in 2005, according to a Tribune analysis of federal records. The amount of mercury emitted per megawatt hour of electricity generated dropped in all but 11 states.

However, federal officials estimate that about 40 percent of the nation's coal plants still aren't equipped to reduce mercury emissions. That concerns regulators because mercury tends to fall back to earth close to its source and it takes only a small amount to contaminate lakes and streams.

The proposed rule also requires more stringent limits on soot, or fine particles. The EPA estimates that portion of the rule will annually prevent up to 17,000 premature deaths, 11,000 heart attacks and 120,000 asthma attacks.

Last graph, emphasis MINE. MEMO TO MSNBC: DO YOUR F-ING JOBS! Is this how much President Obama "cares"— or this?