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Friday, June 24, 2011
Paul (EDDIE MUNSTER) Ryan: People HATE ME ... THEY REALLY, REALLY HATE ME!
A shocking poll to wingnut idolaters of GOP budget MUNSTER Paul Ryan shows he is the THIRD MOST DISLIKED REPUBLICAN BEHIND NEWT GINGRICH AND SARAH PALIN. This despite Ryan's compelling, widely publicized workout routine — as it's SOOO important to the republic — and Randian self-identification as the second coming of John Galt, all of which are designed to tweak the homo-erotic synapses of the male wingnut brain. Unfortunately for Ryan and the GOP, most Americans never heard of Ayn Rand and would probably view her as a weirdo if they did, and are largely unimpressed by Ryan's abs.
CHARTVIEW: Republican Govs TANK In The Polls As They RAM THRU RADICAL AGENDA
Sometimes when you see it in chart format the macro picture becomes much clearer than words on a screen can express. The first thing that should come to mind for any casual observer is that there is a theme and cohesion to the unpopularity of these thugs that is illuminating.
Their sliding numbers escape regional boundaries. Their radical schemes are remarkably similar for the so-called 'states rights' (i.e., 'independent') party, with a top-down agenda that includes, first, an all-out assault on public employee unions with a focus on destroying collective bargaining, slashing pension and retirement benefits, layoffs of teachers, firefighters, nurses, and police officers — in short, vilifying government employees based on an ideological conviction that these public servants are as unpopular with the American people as they are among right wing Republicans.
Second, passing tax breaks for donor corporations and businesses, giving lie to the claim that state budgets are in such dire straits that the sacrifice must be "equally shared" (a common campaign theme, and A LIE). Third, privatization of EVERYTHING from schools to prisons to mental health facilities ; fourth, a war on the poor and vulnerable populations with cruel and draconian cuts to Medicaid, unemployment benefits, food programs for children; and fifth, all of it dovetailing onto a war against women, with a compulsive, male-obsessive focus on defunding essential health services for women, AND MOSTLY WOMEN, provided by Planned Parenthood, as an ideologically driven culture war backdoor assault on LEGAL abortions.
Abortions are an infinitesimal part of what Planned Parenthood does — only about 3 percent of its women's health services — while the vast majority of its services are the essential medical screenings for breast cancer, pap smears, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, birth control pills, etc. All of which contribute to healthy communities and prevent the very things these extremist Republicans claim to be against: unwanted pregnancies that lead to more abortions, and increased incidences of disease from sexually transmitted illnesses to cancer. The ultimate result of the GOP's ideological war on women is to place an enormous strain on those health care providers that must necessarily pick up the slack, and taxpayers, as always, who must pick up the costs passed along by their own health providers.
Do these Republican RATBASTARDS care? Of course not. They're thugs and extremists. They have hoodwinked the so-called "message voters" into sending a message they never intended to BUT SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED HAD THEY BEEN PAYING ATTENTION. The 'American people', as the Republicans like to say, did NOT vote to destroy Medicare, kill collective bargaining and target public employee unions at the expense of fat cat corporations and donors (Koch brothers), raise taxes on the middle class to defund Planned Parenthood, close schools, lay off teachers, firefighters, and police officers, or grant their governments extraordinary powers to declare entire communities and townships bankrupt and assume state control over localities.
Is this what you stand for, Teabaggers? Dictatorial, strong-arm government? Crony capitalism and shafting the middle class, YOUR CLASS! Traitors. Even though the polls clearly show the people's paralyzing shock at what the extremists they elected are doing, the call to action is still reserved for the activists among us. While people are paralyzed by the radical extremist tsunami unleashed by these well funded Republicans, still they must GET OFF THEIR FUCKING ASSES AND FIGHT BACK TO RETAKE THEIR DEMOCRACY.
We've already learned that the Democratic Party cannot be counted on to carry this fight without the people pushing them. Despite his disapproval rating being higher than his approval (low 40 percentile) Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who is not on this chart, scored a major victory when the Democratic controlled state Assembly passed his union busting bill with the help of a handful of turncoat Democrats, including the Assembly Leader. In Washington, the Democrats are getting ready to make CRAVEN AND DESPICABLE CONCESSIONS OF TRILLIONS IN CUTS WHILE THE REPUBLICANS PLAY A HOSTAGE-TAKING GAME IN WHICH THEY ARE THREATENING TO TANK THE WORLD ECONOMY IF DEMOCRATS DO NOT AGREE TO THEIR TERMS.
Where's the outrage? PLEASE. Where.IS.the.OUTRAGE?!
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Second, passing tax breaks for donor corporations and businesses, giving lie to the claim that state budgets are in such dire straits that the sacrifice must be "equally shared" (a common campaign theme, and A LIE). Third, privatization of EVERYTHING from schools to prisons to mental health facilities ; fourth, a war on the poor and vulnerable populations with cruel and draconian cuts to Medicaid, unemployment benefits, food programs for children; and fifth, all of it dovetailing onto a war against women, with a compulsive, male-obsessive focus on defunding essential health services for women, AND MOSTLY WOMEN, provided by Planned Parenthood, as an ideologically driven culture war backdoor assault on LEGAL abortions.
Abortions are an infinitesimal part of what Planned Parenthood does — only about 3 percent of its women's health services — while the vast majority of its services are the essential medical screenings for breast cancer, pap smears, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, birth control pills, etc. All of which contribute to healthy communities and prevent the very things these extremist Republicans claim to be against: unwanted pregnancies that lead to more abortions, and increased incidences of disease from sexually transmitted illnesses to cancer. The ultimate result of the GOP's ideological war on women is to place an enormous strain on those health care providers that must necessarily pick up the slack, and taxpayers, as always, who must pick up the costs passed along by their own health providers.
Do these Republican RATBASTARDS care? Of course not. They're thugs and extremists. They have hoodwinked the so-called "message voters" into sending a message they never intended to BUT SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED HAD THEY BEEN PAYING ATTENTION. The 'American people', as the Republicans like to say, did NOT vote to destroy Medicare, kill collective bargaining and target public employee unions at the expense of fat cat corporations and donors (Koch brothers), raise taxes on the middle class to defund Planned Parenthood, close schools, lay off teachers, firefighters, and police officers, or grant their governments extraordinary powers to declare entire communities and townships bankrupt and assume state control over localities.
Is this what you stand for, Teabaggers? Dictatorial, strong-arm government? Crony capitalism and shafting the middle class, YOUR CLASS! Traitors. Even though the polls clearly show the people's paralyzing shock at what the extremists they elected are doing, the call to action is still reserved for the activists among us. While people are paralyzed by the radical extremist tsunami unleashed by these well funded Republicans, still they must GET OFF THEIR FUCKING ASSES AND FIGHT BACK TO RETAKE THEIR DEMOCRACY.
We've already learned that the Democratic Party cannot be counted on to carry this fight without the people pushing them. Despite his disapproval rating being higher than his approval (low 40 percentile) Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who is not on this chart, scored a major victory when the Democratic controlled state Assembly passed his union busting bill with the help of a handful of turncoat Democrats, including the Assembly Leader. In Washington, the Democrats are getting ready to make CRAVEN AND DESPICABLE CONCESSIONS OF TRILLIONS IN CUTS WHILE THE REPUBLICANS PLAY A HOSTAGE-TAKING GAME IN WHICH THEY ARE THREATENING TO TANK THE WORLD ECONOMY IF DEMOCRATS DO NOT AGREE TO THEIR TERMS.
Where's the outrage? PLEASE. Where.IS.the.OUTRAGE?!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Idiotic Mutterings Of The Idiot Punditocracy: Chuck Todd
Overheard at the Cathedral of the Idiot Punditocracy, Meet The Press:
It's been said that Chuck goes into a cold sweat if asked to proffer any political opinion that may show his bias. Commendable, except he flippantly tosses out self-serving Beltway Media exculpatory statements (of the right wing) like this one. Pearls of wisdom from the Idiot Punditocracy. He’s also been observed asking inane questions at presidential pressers … which must be why the President so enjoys calling on him. It’s like getting a breather down the backstretch.
So what is different from when the Vitter Diaper & Hookers scandal broke in 2007, just about four years ago, and now? Well, a couple of things. The President was a Republican. The House was Democratic but Vitter was (and IS) a senator. Also, the Senate was in Democratic hands, but by a wider margin.
Twitter and Facebook existed then, as did Fox, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, E! Tonight, yadayadayada. And so did the vaunted 24-hour news cycle. So what has changed in the “climate” from then to now for Chuckie to assert Vitter would not survive his scandal today?
Nothing of substance that I can see. Nothing, that is, unless it is Chuckie’s contention that Anthony Weiner wasn’t hounded out of office by a partisan coalition of hypocritical Republicans, timid Democrats, and a “media circus” that is no different today than it could be, say … in 2007.
Those same Republican hypocrites who backed Vitter in 2007 would do the same today, knowing full well the Democrats couldn’t do a thing to change the dynamics. So what has changed today? Nothing but Chuckie’s compulsion to find moral and partisan equivalence where there is none.
David Vitter would survive his sex scandal today as surely as the Republican logo contains Satanic symbology. It's true! The Republican logo (below) was redesigned around 2000 with the inverted Satanic pentagram star. Check it out:
Whaaat?! Excuse me …? Come again, Chuckie …Please to explain.“I don’t think … in this environment, David Vitter would have survived — in this environment.”~Chuck Todd, MSNBC ‘Political Director” and ‘Chief WH Correspondent’.
It's been said that Chuck goes into a cold sweat if asked to proffer any political opinion that may show his bias. Commendable, except he flippantly tosses out self-serving Beltway Media exculpatory statements (of the right wing) like this one. Pearls of wisdom from the Idiot Punditocracy. He’s also been observed asking inane questions at presidential pressers … which must be why the President so enjoys calling on him. It’s like getting a breather down the backstretch.
So what is different from when the Vitter Diaper & Hookers scandal broke in 2007, just about four years ago, and now? Well, a couple of things. The President was a Republican. The House was Democratic but Vitter was (and IS) a senator. Also, the Senate was in Democratic hands, but by a wider margin.
Twitter and Facebook existed then, as did Fox, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, E! Tonight, yadayadayada. And so did the vaunted 24-hour news cycle. So what has changed in the “climate” from then to now for Chuckie to assert Vitter would not survive his scandal today?
Nothing of substance that I can see. Nothing, that is, unless it is Chuckie’s contention that Anthony Weiner wasn’t hounded out of office by a partisan coalition of hypocritical Republicans, timid Democrats, and a “media circus” that is no different today than it could be, say … in 2007.
Those same Republican hypocrites who backed Vitter in 2007 would do the same today, knowing full well the Democrats couldn’t do a thing to change the dynamics. So what has changed today? Nothing but Chuckie’s compulsion to find moral and partisan equivalence where there is none.
David Vitter would survive his sex scandal today as surely as the Republican logo contains Satanic symbology. It's true! The Republican logo (below) was redesigned around 2000 with the inverted Satanic pentagram star. Check it out:
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Power Failure, A Nation Gone Medieval
This blog was off the grid for some 14 hours between late Tuesday evening and Thursday as a result of violent thunderstorms that rolled through Illinois cutting power for 280,000 utility company customers. It was a major disruption, but nothing compared to the depredations suffered by red state populations — because that’s just the way violent weather patterns roll in the U.S. — as a result of monster storms, tornados, flooding, hurricanes, and wildfires caused by climate change.
And yet those people, the Teabaggers, who insist as an article of faith that global warming does not exist, will continue to vote anti-science politicians into office and seek answers to scientific questions about the true nature of our planet in a book of fairy tales called the Bible. They build creationist theme parks glorifying anti-science with taxpayer dollars and construct scale models of Noah’s Ark — which may yet come in handy when sea levels rise to engulf coastal communities and cities — puzzling over where the dinosaurs were placed. It always comes down to a vision or a voice or a dream: When this dude's name is an anagram for you-know-who, are delusions of grandeur that far behind? It's downright scary, though, when politicians running for president stake their claim to reality on a vision or a voice in their head.
Here’s Chris Matthews being sane, for one segment of his schizoid show, when he stands against the worst of his colleagues in the Idiot Punditocracy:
On CNN, Wolf Blitzer speculated whether Gore would primary challenge President Obama. How stupid is that? If anything, Al Gore has not only refocused our attention on the critically important issue of climate change, but has reminded us that there is a progressive alternative to corporate-controlled media represented by CNN and MSNBC. And that is Gore’s CURRENT TV, now home to Keith Olbermann and Countdown. As Keith says in his signoff, “thank you for helping us preserve freedom of news.”
Here, in Worst Persons, the reborn segment of the show that was considered too (inconvenient? Edgy? Inflammatory?) whatever … intolerable for the MSNBC suits, Keith skewers Rick Santorum (whom idiot pundit Chuckie Todd calls a “social conservative”) for insane views that are widely held in the Republican/Tea Party.
Por otro ejemplo, John McCain typifies how totally insane the Republican/Tea Party has become. Gramps is a disgraceful caricature of his former self, back when he believed in science and actually proposed carbon tax legislation. But that was before he saw the light. The Gramps McCain of today panders shamelessly to the ignorant rabble, blaming illegal immigrants for starting the wildfires in Arizona, then doubling down when every state authority denied this was the case. In fact, wildfires are just another destructive by-product of climate change coming, as they do, on the heels of extreme periods of drought that wreak havoc with crop cycles and turn the arid land into a huge tinderbox.
The cycle of anti-science/history/civics ignorance is great for end-of-times Bible thumpers and Glenn Beck et al, who has made human-caused destruction of the planet a hugely profitable enterprise for himself. According to Beck, it’s all part of God’s plan, so the more chaos the merrier. Just keep sending him and your favorite preachers your Social Security checks to help them better insulate themselves from the consequences of what they are actively promoting when the shit hits the fan.
Never fear, Teabaggers. They have a plan for you, too. Once Beck and Limbaugh et al get their tax cut bonus distributions and your personal contributions, as Wall Street bankers hunger lustily over what’s left of the Social Security trust fund, you’ll get your very own ax cut — a trickle-down voucher to fatten the pockets of the health insurance companies and reward those that find ways to give you the least health coverage for the most poached Medicare paycheck contributions. (It's our money set aside to fund our health care and Social Security retirement; They are not entitlements. So why does the Idiot Punditocracy including that *%$@ Luke Russert insist on calling them "entitlement benefits"?!)
So much for your private health system at work over that evil socialist system — Medicare — one that has given seniors full, quality health care and a dignified life in retirement at much lower cost than the for-profit market ever could by any measure or metric.
Who would be insane enough to want something like that socialist Medicare, right?
And yet those people, the Teabaggers, who insist as an article of faith that global warming does not exist, will continue to vote anti-science politicians into office and seek answers to scientific questions about the true nature of our planet in a book of fairy tales called the Bible. They build creationist theme parks glorifying anti-science with taxpayer dollars and construct scale models of Noah’s Ark — which may yet come in handy when sea levels rise to engulf coastal communities and cities — puzzling over where the dinosaurs were placed. It always comes down to a vision or a voice or a dream: When this dude's name is an anagram for you-know-who, are delusions of grandeur that far behind? It's downright scary, though, when politicians running for president stake their claim to reality on a vision or a voice in their head.
Here’s Chris Matthews being sane, for one segment of his schizoid show, when he stands against the worst of his colleagues in the Idiot Punditocracy:
On CNN, Wolf Blitzer speculated whether Gore would primary challenge President Obama. How stupid is that? If anything, Al Gore has not only refocused our attention on the critically important issue of climate change, but has reminded us that there is a progressive alternative to corporate-controlled media represented by CNN and MSNBC. And that is Gore’s CURRENT TV, now home to Keith Olbermann and Countdown. As Keith says in his signoff, “thank you for helping us preserve freedom of news.”
Here, in Worst Persons, the reborn segment of the show that was considered too (inconvenient? Edgy? Inflammatory?) whatever … intolerable for the MSNBC suits, Keith skewers Rick Santorum (whom idiot pundit Chuckie Todd calls a “social conservative”) for insane views that are widely held in the Republican/Tea Party.
Por otro ejemplo, John McCain typifies how totally insane the Republican/Tea Party has become. Gramps is a disgraceful caricature of his former self, back when he believed in science and actually proposed carbon tax legislation. But that was before he saw the light. The Gramps McCain of today panders shamelessly to the ignorant rabble, blaming illegal immigrants for starting the wildfires in Arizona, then doubling down when every state authority denied this was the case. In fact, wildfires are just another destructive by-product of climate change coming, as they do, on the heels of extreme periods of drought that wreak havoc with crop cycles and turn the arid land into a huge tinderbox.
The cycle of anti-science/history/civics ignorance is great for end-of-times Bible thumpers and Glenn Beck et al, who has made human-caused destruction of the planet a hugely profitable enterprise for himself. According to Beck, it’s all part of God’s plan, so the more chaos the merrier. Just keep sending him and your favorite preachers your Social Security checks to help them better insulate themselves from the consequences of what they are actively promoting when the shit hits the fan.
Never fear, Teabaggers. They have a plan for you, too. Once Beck and Limbaugh et al get their tax cut bonus distributions and your personal contributions, as Wall Street bankers hunger lustily over what’s left of the Social Security trust fund, you’ll get your very own ax cut — a trickle-down voucher to fatten the pockets of the health insurance companies and reward those that find ways to give you the least health coverage for the most poached Medicare paycheck contributions. (It's our money set aside to fund our health care and Social Security retirement; They are not entitlements. So why does the Idiot Punditocracy including that *%$@ Luke Russert insist on calling them "entitlement benefits"?!)
So much for your private health system at work over that evil socialist system — Medicare — one that has given seniors full, quality health care and a dignified life in retirement at much lower cost than the for-profit market ever could by any measure or metric.
Who would be insane enough to want something like that socialist Medicare, right?
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
DOUBLE DOWN — WELCOME BACK, KEITH!
LEANING FORWARD into the camera in his usual fighting trim. And I love the lack of slickster production values — they spell TRUST and AUTHENTICITY.
ABOVE THE LAW
They have an appointment for LIFE. They are not bound by the code of ethics that governs federal judges. They can rule on cases that directly impact their self-interest unfettered by the code of conduct that constrains the lower courts. Their decisions can affect the composition of the other two purportedly "co-equal" branches of government for generations. And the only thing stopping them from abusing their power is the "honor" system. They are the Supreme Court of the United States.
What happens when a Supreme Court Justice or Justices goes bad? For one, the Supreme Court no longer becomes the court of last resort where justice is served; but rather the place where justice for the least among us, but theoretically equal under the law, comes to die. Where the interests of the flesh-and-bone individual are no longer equally weighed against the interests of the corporate entity as generic representation of the individual.
Theoretically they can be impeached by the House of Representatives. But when impeachment is rendered quasi-impossible by a decision, Citizens United, that stacks the corporate oligarchs party in a commanding position against the wannabe corporate party, then the people lose. Republicans in the House, at least for now, are immune from the people's electoral wrath, having ascended to elective office on a mountain of well funded lies and unlimited corporate money laundered through myriad shady front organizations, thanks to the entrenched oligarchy, the kingdom within, that the Supreme Court has become.
Yesterday was a good day for the corporation and a blow to 1.6 million women seeking gender-neutral equality in the workplace. By a 5-4 decision, five Supreme Court men ruled against three women Justices to deny women employees of Wal-Mart such equality of opportunity, once again elevating the corporation (too big to sue) over the individual. It passed with nary a sniffle from a distracted and misinformed electorate as part of a wider and sinister conspiracy on multiple fronts to wrest democracy away from the people. If the states were once called the "laboratories of democracy" then today, under the yoke of one-party Republican control not seen since 1928 on the cusp of the Great Depression, states across this land from Florida and New Jersey to Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Arizona, have become the laboratories of tyranny.
The tyranny of the Supreme Court is exemplified by its most right wing and brazenly unethical member, Justice Clarence Thomas. His standard of misconduct and conflicts of interest would be grounds for immediate removal in any lower court in the land. Yet Clarence Thomas has immunized himself from the people's reach through self-serving decisions protected by the Court's impervious fortress against the storms of democratic self-rule and constitutional checks.
Thomas Jefferson, speaking in another context and another time, anticipated the Court's and Thomas's malfeasance with amazing clarity:
Jefferson also had a thing or two to say about revolution. When all else fails. (Look it up.) We're not there yet, but if the safety valve that is our electoral process is irretrievably corrupted WE, THE PEOPLE, may be compelled to adopt a Jeffersonian solution.
What happens when a Supreme Court Justice or Justices goes bad? For one, the Supreme Court no longer becomes the court of last resort where justice is served; but rather the place where justice for the least among us, but theoretically equal under the law, comes to die. Where the interests of the flesh-and-bone individual are no longer equally weighed against the interests of the corporate entity as generic representation of the individual.
Theoretically they can be impeached by the House of Representatives. But when impeachment is rendered quasi-impossible by a decision, Citizens United, that stacks the corporate oligarchs party in a commanding position against the wannabe corporate party, then the people lose. Republicans in the House, at least for now, are immune from the people's electoral wrath, having ascended to elective office on a mountain of well funded lies and unlimited corporate money laundered through myriad shady front organizations, thanks to the entrenched oligarchy, the kingdom within, that the Supreme Court has become.
Yesterday was a good day for the corporation and a blow to 1.6 million women seeking gender-neutral equality in the workplace. By a 5-4 decision, five Supreme Court men ruled against three women Justices to deny women employees of Wal-Mart such equality of opportunity, once again elevating the corporation (too big to sue) over the individual. It passed with nary a sniffle from a distracted and misinformed electorate as part of a wider and sinister conspiracy on multiple fronts to wrest democracy away from the people. If the states were once called the "laboratories of democracy" then today, under the yoke of one-party Republican control not seen since 1928 on the cusp of the Great Depression, states across this land from Florida and New Jersey to Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Arizona, have become the laboratories of tyranny.
The tyranny of the Supreme Court is exemplified by its most right wing and brazenly unethical member, Justice Clarence Thomas. His standard of misconduct and conflicts of interest would be grounds for immediate removal in any lower court in the land. Yet Clarence Thomas has immunized himself from the people's reach through self-serving decisions protected by the Court's impervious fortress against the storms of democratic self-rule and constitutional checks.
Thomas Jefferson, speaking in another context and another time, anticipated the Court's and Thomas's malfeasance with amazing clarity:
"You seem ... to consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions; a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy. Our judges are as honest as other men, and not more so. They have, with others, the same passions for party, for power, and the privilege of their corps.... Their power [is] the more dangerous as they are in office for life, and not responsible, as the other functionaries are, to the elective control. The Constitution has erected no such single tribunal, knowing that to whatever hands confided, with the corruptions of time and party, its members would become despots. It has more wisely made all the departments co-equal and co-sovereign within themselves."
Jefferson also had a thing or two to say about revolution. When all else fails. (Look it up.) We're not there yet, but if the safety valve that is our electoral process is irretrievably corrupted WE, THE PEOPLE, may be compelled to adopt a Jeffersonian solution.
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Inside Dope On Keith: More Trash Talking From Griffin
It seems that MSNBC's SUIT NUMERO UNO, Phil Griffin, is so skeert Keith Olbermann and CURRENT TV will poach some of their contributors away that he's renegotiated contracts for several of the 'good guys' at MSNBC to keep them from straying. It seems silly, though. There should be room for everyone, especially now that MSNBC has decided to carry more DEAD WEIGHT like regular Dana Milbank and most recently, the disastrous signing of Michael Steele — the SINGLE STUPIDEST DECISION the network has made to drive away its viewers with a poke in our collective eye.
On the other hand, it's nice to see Keith's influence over MSNBC hasn't waned even from afar as he causes a "bidding war" for rising stars like Chris Hayes, Ezra Klein, and old stalwart Gene Robinson, among others I'm sure, to get more MSNBC money enticements to stay put. All the while striking FEAR AND LOATHING in MSNBC's REACTIVE boardroom.
Some "community." Here's a challenge for the MSNBC suits. Why don't you ASK US, the erstwhile loyal viewers, what we think of Milbank and Steele as regular FUCKING POLLUTANTS on our favorite shows?! I hit the mute button the minute they are on or check out CNN. The more Milbank and Steele steal time away from Ezra Klein, Chris Hayes, Sam Stein, Howard Fineman, Gene Robinson, David Corn, and Alex Wagner, THE MORE MSNBC's ratings will be depressed. Mark my words. It's like a slow erosion of viewer support. One thing Griffin doesn't seem to understand is, the RIGHT WING IS UBIQUITOUS ON CABLE. We're not interested in what the right OR ITS DERIVATIVES — so-called "libertarians" and "independents" — have to say AS PAID CONTRIBUTORS.
I have never seen anyone so successfully CON a network into paying him for his noxious 'yellow journalistic' views as Dana Milbank has. It's either REALLY poor judgment or simply spitefulness on Griffin's part, since Milbank was justifiably BANNED from Countdown for trashing President Obama during the 2008 campaign and refusing to retract or clarify his inaccurate statements, i.e., hit job. Recently, he wrote a hit job on the Progressive Caucus's alternative budget to Paul Ryan's and flirted with racism by mocking Latino Congressman Raul Grijalva's neckwear. Milbank's hit piece was ripped to shreds by the Huff Post's Jason Linkins, its best progressive columnist. Meanwhile, the clueless Cenk Uygur has had his "friend" Milbank on his show frequently without ONCE calling him on the carpet for his despicable hit job on the Progressive Caucus budget, which Cenk claims to "LOVE." Let's see if the "Aggressive Progressive" has the balls to put Milbank on opposite Rep. Grijalva to defend what he wrote about the Progressive Caucus budget — as well as Grijalva's choice of clothing apparel.
Or is it more Cenk The Meek, aka Dana Milbank's chump. But that's not all. I have NEVER seen a fellow columnist writing for the SAME newspaper, WaPo, publicly chastise Milbank for shoddy journalism as David Broder did a year before his death. The esteemed Broder was known as the "Dean" of the Washington press corps. As if that wasn't enough, from the viewer's standpoint, the worst SIN committed by Dana Milbank — this odious excuse for a 'journalist'— is an amazing narcissistic self-delusion that he has ANY comedic talent at all! The dude's attempts at humor are BEYOND lame; they're so off-color that they cause viewers to groan audibly and roll their eyes. And hit the MUTE button or flip the channel.
There's only so much an MSNBC viewer can tolerate. Griffin's "community" is beginning to fray as MSNBC post-Olbermann becomes more like CNN with Steele-as-Castellanos and Milbank-as-Howard Stern, and less like the innovative, STRONG liberal voice that distinguished it when Keith reigned supreme.
But wait ... Relief is on the way: Keith's back! So my advice to Phil Griffin and the rest of the Fear And Loathing suits is to tack back to the true Left where its loyal "community" resides. STAT.
PS - I forgot to add Eric Boehlert from Media Matters and Joan Walsh of Salon to the list of 'good guys' with less MSNBC air time.
PPS - Anti-lib plagiarist Mark Halperin as MSNBC "senior" political contributor is a JOKE.
On the other hand, it's nice to see Keith's influence over MSNBC hasn't waned even from afar as he causes a "bidding war" for rising stars like Chris Hayes, Ezra Klein, and old stalwart Gene Robinson, among others I'm sure, to get more MSNBC money enticements to stay put. All the while striking FEAR AND LOATHING in MSNBC's REACTIVE boardroom.
Some "community." Here's a challenge for the MSNBC suits. Why don't you ASK US, the erstwhile loyal viewers, what we think of Milbank and Steele as regular FUCKING POLLUTANTS on our favorite shows?! I hit the mute button the minute they are on or check out CNN. The more Milbank and Steele steal time away from Ezra Klein, Chris Hayes, Sam Stein, Howard Fineman, Gene Robinson, David Corn, and Alex Wagner, THE MORE MSNBC's ratings will be depressed. Mark my words. It's like a slow erosion of viewer support. One thing Griffin doesn't seem to understand is, the RIGHT WING IS UBIQUITOUS ON CABLE. We're not interested in what the right OR ITS DERIVATIVES — so-called "libertarians" and "independents" — have to say AS PAID CONTRIBUTORS.
I have never seen anyone so successfully CON a network into paying him for his noxious 'yellow journalistic' views as Dana Milbank has. It's either REALLY poor judgment or simply spitefulness on Griffin's part, since Milbank was justifiably BANNED from Countdown for trashing President Obama during the 2008 campaign and refusing to retract or clarify his inaccurate statements, i.e., hit job. Recently, he wrote a hit job on the Progressive Caucus's alternative budget to Paul Ryan's and flirted with racism by mocking Latino Congressman Raul Grijalva's neckwear. Milbank's hit piece was ripped to shreds by the Huff Post's Jason Linkins, its best progressive columnist. Meanwhile, the clueless Cenk Uygur has had his "friend" Milbank on his show frequently without ONCE calling him on the carpet for his despicable hit job on the Progressive Caucus budget, which Cenk claims to "LOVE." Let's see if the "Aggressive Progressive" has the balls to put Milbank on opposite Rep. Grijalva to defend what he wrote about the Progressive Caucus budget — as well as Grijalva's choice of clothing apparel.
Or is it more Cenk The Meek, aka Dana Milbank's chump. But that's not all. I have NEVER seen a fellow columnist writing for the SAME newspaper, WaPo, publicly chastise Milbank for shoddy journalism as David Broder did a year before his death. The esteemed Broder was known as the "Dean" of the Washington press corps. As if that wasn't enough, from the viewer's standpoint, the worst SIN committed by Dana Milbank — this odious excuse for a 'journalist'— is an amazing narcissistic self-delusion that he has ANY comedic talent at all! The dude's attempts at humor are BEYOND lame; they're so off-color that they cause viewers to groan audibly and roll their eyes. And hit the MUTE button or flip the channel.
There's only so much an MSNBC viewer can tolerate. Griffin's "community" is beginning to fray as MSNBC post-Olbermann becomes more like CNN with Steele-as-Castellanos and Milbank-as-Howard Stern, and less like the innovative, STRONG liberal voice that distinguished it when Keith reigned supreme.
But wait ... Relief is on the way: Keith's back! So my advice to Phil Griffin and the rest of the Fear And Loathing suits is to tack back to the true Left where its loyal "community" resides. STAT.
PS - I forgot to add Eric Boehlert from Media Matters and Joan Walsh of Salon to the list of 'good guys' with less MSNBC air time.
PPS - Anti-lib plagiarist Mark Halperin as MSNBC "senior" political contributor is a JOKE.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Monday Programming Reminder
I hope our friend Ruthie at our favorite wingnut rag, The Daily Caller, can curb her enthusiasm (and other embarassing emotions) sufficiently — stock up on the smelling salts, Ruthie! — to sharpen those wingnut zingers aimed at her not-so-secret lib obsession ...
And our buddy Treach might be inspired again to add some content to his minimalist blog other than a lot of C&P and non sequitur one-liners with snarky headline: "... Piqued Netroots Nation Freaks ...":
Huh?? What-EV-errrrrr!!
No worries. Keith's return is sure to pique our wingnut friends at the DC into more hilarious freakish reactions. Fun times!
And our buddy Treach might be inspired again to add some content to his minimalist blog other than a lot of C&P and non sequitur one-liners with snarky headline: "... Piqued Netroots Nation Freaks ...":
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Huh?? What-EV-errrrrr!!
No worries. Keith's return is sure to pique our wingnut friends at the DC into more hilarious freakish reactions. Fun times!
Speaking Of Punking ... Obama Impersonator Makes GOPers Titter Nervously
The guy wasn't bad.
What I'm wondering is, what did he say, or was about say, of Michele Bachmann when his sound was cut off and he was escorted off the stage? I hope we can get an uncensored redo in friendlier territory, like the late night comedians or SNL.
Ya think maybe the joke was on the attendees of the Republican Leadership Conference? Watch:
What I'm wondering is, what did he say, or was about say, of Michele Bachmann when his sound was cut off and he was escorted off the stage? I hope we can get an uncensored redo in friendlier territory, like the late night comedians or SNL.
Ya think maybe the joke was on the attendees of the Republican Leadership Conference? Watch:
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Checkbook Journalism: How The Media Became PART Of The Anthony Weiner Story
As I said re: the media's role in playing the Weiner story out of all proportionality: Take a look in the mirror before piously deflecting your responsibility for Anthony Weiner's resignation. Chris Cuomo defends his employer ABC's practice of paying "licensing fees" of between $10,000 to $15,000 for tittilating photos of one of former Rep. Weiner's private online correspondents because, he says piously, it's the "state of play." Really?
Thanks for the heads-up, Chris. But we're way ahead of you. We already know your industry is rotten to the core, unethical, fundamentally corrupt and dishonorable. Licensing fees?!? Is THAT what you call IT? The mutually beneficial term of "art" for pole dancing checkbook "journalists" is MEDIA WHORES, and it's been around for quite a while. Here's the Urban Dictionary definition:
Thanks for the heads-up, Chris. But we're way ahead of you. We already know your industry is rotten to the core, unethical, fundamentally corrupt and dishonorable. Licensing fees?!? Is THAT what you call IT? The mutually beneficial term of "art" for pole dancing checkbook "journalists" is MEDIA WHORES, and it's been around for quite a while. Here's the Urban Dictionary definition:
When the MEDIA becomes part of the story with 'pay to play' arrangements with principals and sources, the MEDIA assumes responsibility for the story's final outcome. No wonder an MSNBC news reader told Karen Finney to be "nice" to Andrew Breitbart.MEDIA WHORESMedia whores is a term used in the early 60's during campaigns and refered to publishers and editors of newspapers that would not cover a candidate without an ad buy. The buy was refered to as a "little kiss". The more money a candidate had the more of a story they would get from the "media whores". If a campaign made an ad buy and counted on a good story but were then disappointed they would "kiss off" the buy with a cancelation.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Countdown To COUNTDOWN . . . 3, 2, 1!
He's BAAAAAACCCCK! Keith Olbermann, the progressive fighter, returns to the cable airwaves to wage all-out war against Rightwingville, resuming where he left off. And he's freed of his corporate chains, on Al Gore's CURRENT TV Monday, June 20. This time, Keith will be his own boss. It'll be interesting to see how MSNBC reacts to the return of its prodigal creative voice, now in competition. Keith didn't hold back in this interesting profile on the New York Times Magazine. Here's a noteworthy excerpt:
Like I said; but no one listens to me. At least Keith reserves his contempt for the right targets. Never his audience. Nice to see you back, Keith!In MSNBC’s recent decision to hire the former Republican Party chairman Michael Steele as a pundit, he sees evidence that the former outpost of liberalism is tacking toward the mushy middle. “There is a lot of desperation over there now, and it’s completely justified,” he said.
Pat Buchanan Punks Cenk Uygur And Bill Press
You know that Pat Buchanan chuckle whenever someone catches him being a racist and/or nativist? In his old age Pat hasn't changed his extremist views much, except he's cast aside that maniacal glint in the eye, the fervor of the right wing zealot that so terrified Rachel when Pat delivered his "take-back-our-streets" (as in "I want my country back") speech at the 1992 GOP convention. Now older and grayer, Pat has developed the art of the good-natured Irish chuckle whenever anyone catches him with his hand in the wingnut cookie jar. That's so he can continue earning his salary as MSNBC's not-so-token-anymore right wing whacko.
Rule of Thumb For Liberals And Progressives: If Pat Buchanan AGREES with you, or vice versa, it's best to pause and CAREFULLY EXAMINE your assumptions based on what Pat is saying. (I'm being generous to Buchanan with the presumption that not everything he says is CRAZY. But most everything he says regarding Democratic-Republican, left-right politics is self-serving, biased, and partisan.)
And so it was when Cenk called on Pat and lib radio talker Bill Press to opine on whether or not the Democrats should have closed ranks behind Anthony Weiner. Cenk and Press think that they should — a view not shared by Weiner's Democratic Party leadership, professional pols like Nancy Pelosi with lifetimes more experience in WINNING ELECTIONS than they will ever have. It seems Cenk and Bill were SO MESMERIZED by Pat's sanguine anti-Democratic mutterings — "I.agree.with.Pat.I.agree.with.Pat." they chimed in like a couple of cuckoo clocks — about ZEALOUS Party loyalty that they didn't even pause to LISTEN and UNDERSTAND what Pat was saying.
After repeatedly slamming the Democrats for "throwing Anthony Weiner under the bus," Pat PROUDLY recalled (paraphrasing) when HE STOOD BY HIS MAN:
"Richard Nixon. I stood behind Nixon, defended him, we closed ranks around him, never asked him to resign" ... etc. etc. While there's absolutely NO COMPARISON between the most GINORMOUS political scandal in American history, WATERGATE — in which multiple laws were broken and the Constitution shredded — and the Anthony Weiner episode; in the ambit of party or partisan dynamics, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Apropos of Watergate, here's something weird: I was doing some research on Nixon/Watergate for this post and had just read THIS:
Rule of Thumb For Liberals And Progressives: If Pat Buchanan AGREES with you, or vice versa, it's best to pause and CAREFULLY EXAMINE your assumptions based on what Pat is saying. (I'm being generous to Buchanan with the presumption that not everything he says is CRAZY. But most everything he says regarding Democratic-Republican, left-right politics is self-serving, biased, and partisan.)
And so it was when Cenk called on Pat and lib radio talker Bill Press to opine on whether or not the Democrats should have closed ranks behind Anthony Weiner. Cenk and Press think that they should — a view not shared by Weiner's Democratic Party leadership, professional pols like Nancy Pelosi with lifetimes more experience in WINNING ELECTIONS than they will ever have. It seems Cenk and Bill were SO MESMERIZED by Pat's sanguine anti-Democratic mutterings — "I.agree.with.Pat.I.agree.with.Pat." they chimed in like a couple of cuckoo clocks — about ZEALOUS Party loyalty that they didn't even pause to LISTEN and UNDERSTAND what Pat was saying.
After repeatedly slamming the Democrats for "throwing Anthony Weiner under the bus," Pat PROUDLY recalled (paraphrasing) when HE STOOD BY HIS MAN:
"Richard Nixon. I stood behind Nixon, defended him, we closed ranks around him, never asked him to resign" ... etc. etc. While there's absolutely NO COMPARISON between the most GINORMOUS political scandal in American history, WATERGATE — in which multiple laws were broken and the Constitution shredded — and the Anthony Weiner episode; in the ambit of party or partisan dynamics, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Pat Buchanan was AN UNELECTED AIDE to Richard Nixon, I believe he was White House "Communications Director." He was part of that tight INNER CIRCLE of Haldeman, Erlichman, Dean, Colson, Magruder, Attorney General John Mitchell known as "the Germans" (euphemism for NAZIS) — most of whom WERE INDICTED AND SERVED JAIL TIME. So 42 years later, Pat is still wallowing in and glorifying A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT in which he was LUCKY not to have served jail time. Perhaps the tape machine wasn't running on the occasions he met with Nixon.
- The political pundits of those days said Nixon could probably survive the scandal absent a "smoking gun." Everyone else around him, as is customary for Republican zealots, was falling on their swords. Almost everyone: Not Dean, who spilled the beans about a "cancer" in the White House, and Magruder, who revealed the existence of a taping device, hoping to cop a plea for cooperation. Then it was the COVERUP that finally got Nixon. He tried MANAGING the scandal by releasing edited transcripts of the tapes. Naturally, the media drumbeat became intense and politicians joined in the demand for full disclosure. It was speculated that had Nixon staged a DEFIANT bonfire on the White House lawn and destroyed the tapes, he could have saved his presidency. Maybe Pat said or suggested that?
- Finally, once the courts ordered Nixon to release the tapes, the game was up. Most of Nixon's support in Congress vanished as Republicans ran for the hills. And when a respected senior leader in the Republican Party, Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee, Ranking Judiciary Committee member, uttered the famous words, "what did the President know, and when did he know it?" — the writing was on the wall and Richard Nixon became the only president in American history to resign his office or face impeachment.
- Baker kept his senate seat, but a lot of Republicans were not so lucky as Democrats made HUGE gains in the 1974 mid-term elections and took the presidency in 1976. But Pat and a few other zealots went down with the sinking ship — like G. Gordon Liddy who once unflinchingly held a burning candle under his palm to demonstrate his macho, and did his jail time to return as Bill's unapologetic wingnut radio colleague — having never broken faith with Richard Nixon.
Apropos of Watergate, here's something weird: I was doing some research on Nixon/Watergate for this post and had just read THIS:
The audio tapes caused further controversy on December 7, when an 18½ minute portion of one tape was found to have been erased. Nixon's personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, said she had accidentally erased the tape by pushing the wrong foot pedal on her tape player while answering the phone. However, as photos all over the press showed, it was unlikely for Woods to answer the phone and keep her foot on the pedal. Later forensic analysis determined that the tape had been erased in several segments — at least five, and perhaps as many as nine.
When THIS pops up on my TV machine:
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Quotable: Chris Matthews Paints Liberals With Broad Brush
"Here's your typical liberal with all the lifestyle qualities of the typical liberal."
~ Chris Matthews, yuck-yucking about what Roger Ailes might say were he to hire Weiner, making light of a personal family tragedy, and projecting his own moralistic feelings about liberals. Remember when Chris snarled, "it must be those 'netroots' people."?
Most Digusting Aspect of Weiner Episode: The Hubris Of The Media
Even MSNBC, the presumed "liberal" network, with its wall-to-wall Anthony Weiner coverage told us what it's all about when Nancy Pelosi came out for her regularly scheduled pre-Anthony Weiner press conference. Watch:
Oops. BUSTED. The media's role in all of this has been both reprehensible and disingenuous. The "nets" exist in a huge, TRANSPARENT self-serving bubble. Take a look in the mirror before casting your puny slings and arrows at "liberals" (Chris) and the Democratic Party (Cenk) as you piously deflect responsibility for Anthony Weiner's resignation.
Oops. BUSTED. The media's role in all of this has been both reprehensible and disingenuous. The "nets" exist in a huge, TRANSPARENT self-serving bubble. Take a look in the mirror before casting your puny slings and arrows at "liberals" (Chris) and the Democratic Party (Cenk) as you piously deflect responsibility for Anthony Weiner's resignation.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Rachel's Best Thing In The World Today (UNCENSORED) ... FUCK, YEAH!
Narrated by the incomparable Samuel L. Jackson; it's a BRILLIANT Fucking BREAKTHROUGH in children's literature written for adults:
Newt Gingrich Campaigning Hard On A ROCK Somewhere In The Greek Isles ...
This (alleged) photo of Newt Gingrich looking like a beached whale or maybe a Greek tycoon catching some rays on a rock during his Greek Isles cruise surfaced today on TMZ. Newt denies it's him. He may have a point, given the absence of bling:
Hey, give the guy a break. Newt's only cashed in a few campaign donation chits early to recharge his batteries for the tough, losing but potentially very profitable (to Newt's money-making scams) ... er, "presidential campaign." The campaign staff abandoned ship en masse, but chances are they'll resurface behind the imminent Rick Perry campaign once it becomes official enabling the Texas governor to hit the ground running. Meanwhile Newt continues his pretense of running for president without the high overhead of a pricey staff, hawking his books at every so-called campaign stop.
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Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Fifty Second GOP Field Post-Debate Analysis
Romney. Revenge of the empty suit. Looked alive. Had that half-slit sarcastic 'I-can-take-these-fools' grin going on. Must win New Hampshire. Loses and he's finished. Tepid favorite. 5-2.
Michele Bachmann. She might've been in a Hardball trance but now she's in an Ed Rollins trance. Rollins is an old GOP Svengali who is busily remaking the wild-eyed wingnut into normal and compelling. Twenty-six kids?! The peeps love such reality TV fast food and will eat up the Rollins makeover. Sharp! 4-1.
Tim Pawlenty. Nearly cooked. Weak snarky insincere deer-caught-in-headlights smile. Put a fork in him. DONE. (What was Lawrence thinking? ) Punted on the 'Obomneycare' charge. Not even John Edwards was this foolish when running for Veep and boinking a groupie on the side. 15-1.
Ron Paul. Looks tired and off his game with ill-fitting suit. Still has cult following including tie-less Dylan Ratigan. Live-off-the-land insurgent campaign getting old. 25-1.
Newt Gingrich. Speaker MoonBling. A running joke. But has "back class" as veteran campaigner. Seen better days. Private enterprise moon bases? Maybe he plans to relocate with campaign manager Callista. We hope. Connections deserted en masse. 40-1.
THE FIELD. PLACEHOLDER ENTRY for 1-Great Southern Hope Rick Perry. Longshot 1A-John Huntsman. Perry strongest part-of-entry. 6-1.
Just the OPTICS. No CONTENT to speak of other than same old trickle-down insanity that is a warmed-over caricature of VOODOO ECONOMICS.
Michele Bachmann. She might've been in a Hardball trance but now she's in an Ed Rollins trance. Rollins is an old GOP Svengali who is busily remaking the wild-eyed wingnut into normal and compelling. Twenty-six kids?! The peeps love such reality TV fast food and will eat up the Rollins makeover. Sharp! 4-1.
Tim Pawlenty. Nearly cooked. Weak snarky insincere deer-caught-in-headlights smile. Put a fork in him. DONE. (What was Lawrence thinking? ) Punted on the 'Obomneycare' charge. Not even John Edwards was this foolish when running for Veep and boinking a groupie on the side. 15-1.
Ron Paul. Looks tired and off his game with ill-fitting suit. Still has cult following including tie-less Dylan Ratigan. Live-off-the-land insurgent campaign getting old. 25-1.
Newt Gingrich. Speaker MoonBling. A running joke. But has "back class" as veteran campaigner. Seen better days. Private enterprise moon bases? Maybe he plans to relocate with campaign manager Callista. We hope. Connections deserted en masse. 40-1.
THE FIELD. PLACEHOLDER ENTRY for 1-Great Southern Hope Rick Perry. Longshot 1A-John Huntsman. Perry strongest part-of-entry. 6-1.
Just the OPTICS. No CONTENT to speak of other than same old trickle-down insanity that is a warmed-over caricature of VOODOO ECONOMICS.
Rush Blames LIBERAL WOMEN For Anthony Weiner Sexting
Of course, Rush is just trash-talking here, and it's pretty funny actually, but let's assume for the sake of argument (and a little fun) that he's making a serious point! First, here's our buddy Cenk's take on it, which is quite amusing, too.
Now here's my take. Assuming for a moment Rush is making logical sense, what does that make conservative (I prefer wingnut) women? Rush explains Weiner's behavior as the result of his being raised in the "ORB" (sounds sinister) of liberal women. So how, then, does Rush explain David Vitter's behavior? Here's a married, ultra-conservative, SOUTHERN Republican senator who was driven by a COMPULSION to pay hookers to slap A DIAPER on him and perform all sorts of lewd sexual acts. In a word, David Vitter seemed driven by a desire to be INFANTILIZED.
Is that what wingnut women do to their men? Do they INFANTILIZE them, so much so that the Vitters of this world seek release with hookers who can relieve them of traditional male-female relationships in which the female partner SMOTHERS the male with MOTHERING ON STEROIDS, since she's in such a subservient role in the conservative/wingnut household she overcompensates by going totally MATERNAL: "Honey" this, "sweetie" that, "baby" the other, "eat your vegetables" now ...? Hmm.
That sounds a lot worse to me, Rush. See, women like it when men show evidence of sensitivity, of "getting in touch with their feminine side." Only men who have identity issues would feel threatened by something like this, right? It does make sense. And what's wrong with Alan Alda?
Finally, Rush, while beauty is ultimately in the eye of the beholder, generally accepted gender-neutral standards of beauty dictate your wife cannot hold a candle to Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the HOT-meter. Just sayin' ...
Now I'm hungry for a burger 'n fries.
Now here's my take. Assuming for a moment Rush is making logical sense, what does that make conservative (I prefer wingnut) women? Rush explains Weiner's behavior as the result of his being raised in the "ORB" (sounds sinister) of liberal women. So how, then, does Rush explain David Vitter's behavior? Here's a married, ultra-conservative, SOUTHERN Republican senator who was driven by a COMPULSION to pay hookers to slap A DIAPER on him and perform all sorts of lewd sexual acts. In a word, David Vitter seemed driven by a desire to be INFANTILIZED.
Is that what wingnut women do to their men? Do they INFANTILIZE them, so much so that the Vitters of this world seek release with hookers who can relieve them of traditional male-female relationships in which the female partner SMOTHERS the male with MOTHERING ON STEROIDS, since she's in such a subservient role in the conservative/wingnut household she overcompensates by going totally MATERNAL: "Honey" this, "sweetie" that, "baby" the other, "eat your vegetables" now ...? Hmm.
That sounds a lot worse to me, Rush. See, women like it when men show evidence of sensitivity, of "getting in touch with their feminine side." Only men who have identity issues would feel threatened by something like this, right? It does make sense. And what's wrong with Alan Alda?
Finally, Rush, while beauty is ultimately in the eye of the beholder, generally accepted gender-neutral standards of beauty dictate your wife cannot hold a candle to Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the HOT-meter. Just sayin' ...
Now I'm hungry for a burger 'n fries.
Rachel Calls On Bob Herbert To Talk Her Down On Weiner Hypocrisy
Last night Rachel revived a great segment from her early shows in which she would challenge high-powered guests to try "talking her down" from an issue in the news that had her "FLUMMOXED"!! Of course, they never could (at least I can't recall a time Rachel, still the Zodiac Ram, it seems, was talked down from her principled stubborness) ... But it was fun to see them try, which was the whole point of it. Such was the familiar pattern last night, and although she didn't introduce the segment as she had before — to "talk me down" — it was what it was ... and it was GREAT to see Bob Herbert back, too. So thank you for that, Rachel.
Rachel, I love your passion on the Democrats' "double standard," but disagree with your spirited premise that the Weiner episode, which has dominated the headlines going on weeks now, will be a wash regarding the REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES — Medicare, Social Security, and the Economy — should Weiner not resign come election day. To claim Weiner's resignation will not restore Democrats' message "discipline" on these important issues is to make a risky assumption. Democrats were actually hitting their stride with Republicans on their heels when this sordid story broke.
Rep. Israel of Illinois, who is responsible for electing Democrats to the House and retaking it on the strength of Social Security and Medicare, was veritably giddy about the Party's prospects on your show. I recall you were pretty upbeat, too. When was the last time since this story broke that anyone has mentioned NY-26 and that wonderfully charismatic Democrat elected there against all odds — what's her name again? I forget ... And what about the HEAT Republicans were feeling from their constituents on MEDICARE, just as the voters were beginning to take another look at the Democrats?
ALL GONE. BECAUSE OF ONE JACKASS NAMED ANTHONY WEINER. Remember how you joked with Michael Moore that Democrats ALWAYS find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? Well, isn't this one such occasion? And while you might be perfectly willing to go down in flames on the principle of rejecting the "double standard" of Democrats and "hypocrisy" of Republicans, WHO ARE LOVING THE UNEXPECTED TIME-OUT TO REGROUP, millions of people in this country for whom Social Security and Medicare are matters of life-and-death and not simply principle can't afford to be blasé about ONE man's sexting travails.
Maybe this will help put the issues in focus: On the left is the "BLISTERING REPORT" by the Senate Ethics Committee "INTO THE MATTER OF JOHN ENSIGN." On the right is one in the latest series of Weiner digital photos, seen here IN THE HOUSE GYM clutching his "nether regions," courtesy of TMZ.
I know, I know ... You still don't get it. But we still love you, Rachel.
Rachel, I love your passion on the Democrats' "double standard," but disagree with your spirited premise that the Weiner episode, which has dominated the headlines going on weeks now, will be a wash regarding the REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES — Medicare, Social Security, and the Economy — should Weiner not resign come election day. To claim Weiner's resignation will not restore Democrats' message "discipline" on these important issues is to make a risky assumption. Democrats were actually hitting their stride with Republicans on their heels when this sordid story broke.
Rep. Israel of Illinois, who is responsible for electing Democrats to the House and retaking it on the strength of Social Security and Medicare, was veritably giddy about the Party's prospects on your show. I recall you were pretty upbeat, too. When was the last time since this story broke that anyone has mentioned NY-26 and that wonderfully charismatic Democrat elected there against all odds — what's her name again? I forget ... And what about the HEAT Republicans were feeling from their constituents on MEDICARE, just as the voters were beginning to take another look at the Democrats?
ALL GONE. BECAUSE OF ONE JACKASS NAMED ANTHONY WEINER. Remember how you joked with Michael Moore that Democrats ALWAYS find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? Well, isn't this one such occasion? And while you might be perfectly willing to go down in flames on the principle of rejecting the "double standard" of Democrats and "hypocrisy" of Republicans, WHO ARE LOVING THE UNEXPECTED TIME-OUT TO REGROUP, millions of people in this country for whom Social Security and Medicare are matters of life-and-death and not simply principle can't afford to be blasé about ONE man's sexting travails.
Maybe this will help put the issues in focus: On the left is the "BLISTERING REPORT" by the Senate Ethics Committee "INTO THE MATTER OF JOHN ENSIGN." On the right is one in the latest series of Weiner digital photos, seen here IN THE HOUSE GYM clutching his "nether regions," courtesy of TMZ.
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Monday, June 13, 2011
Rick Perry, Texas Confederate, Poised To Enter Race
More crowding on the white separatist religious right wing of the Republican Party. This guy is so extreme he makes Sarah Palin look like a conservative. Well, a "profoundly stupid" conservative who writes at an eighth-grade level. Recently, a wingnut chick (they crack me up) over at the DC frat house claimed Chris Matthews had "lost his mind" for stating the obvious about Palin. And If she thinks Gov. Howard Dean is "crazy" for giving a bad impression of the Rebel Yell, wait till Perry enters the race.
Here's a preview from Rachel:
Meanwhile Debbie Cleans Up Floor With Reince At Idiot Punditocracy Cathedral, aka Meet The Press ...
But IP High Priest David Gregory said the "takeaway" from his show was Democratic Party Chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz's reluctance to call for Anthony Weiner's resignation.
Strange. Because MY "takeaway" was how Debbie cleaned out GOP Chairman Reince Preibus's (pron: Grinds Pre-Bust) clock. My second takeaway was Reince's collection of snarky faces with every shot Debbie scored. The dude's face was a nonstop tick machine with each successive takedown as she slammed him to the canvas on Republicans' sex scandal hypocrisy — even the timid High Priest Gregory piped in on this one — when they didn't call on Vitter to resign when he COMMITTED A CRIME by soliciting and paying prostitutes, and allowed John Ensign to hang on until the Ethics Committee was poised to expel him from the Senate. Priebus's face was having a mini-epileptic fit as he struggled to retain his stupid grin. Reminds me of the guy at the frat party who's always laughing and making faces at every off-color sexist joke.
(Programming Note: Like, for example, the one slimeball Dana Milbank told Chris Matthews re: Weiner: "I love it when you talk dirty to me" ... Keith's return CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH! Mark your calendars, folks — May 20 on CURRENT TV. Why, exactly, do you "respect" Milbank, Chris?)
Back to Idiot Punditocracy World, as worshipers flocked to the Church of Beltway Media Tools, aka Meet The Press. High Priest David Gregory conducted services with his usual lapdog obeisance to the political RIGHT and concurrent Beltway Media narratives. Despite Chris Matthews's increasingly strident attempts to build Gregory up with his "cable TV" audience (more on this presently), floating the absurd claim Gregory asks "straight" questions, Gregory constantly violates the boundaries of an acceptable journalistic interview by allowing interviewees to spout their propaganda talking points unchallenged.
The TOOL-ish role of the IP's High Priest was once again in evidence hosting certifiable wingnut Rick Santorum. Occasionally he would ask a timid question — "what about abortion, I know you feel oh so strongly about this"? Santorum said he wants to criminalize abortion providers, which is bad enough, but a LIE; he is far more extreme. He will not even entertain exceptions when the life of the mother is at risk, which he says is "phony," much less in cases of rape and incest. Oh sorry, Santorum didn't say it on MTP to IP High Priest Gregory. Here's what an outside-the-Beltway reality-based Meet The Press interview would play to illustrate Santorum's extremism:
Where was Gregory? Nowhere. The cocky High Priest of the Idiot Punditocracy was MISSING IN ACTION. More like deserting to the DARK SIDE. David Gregory ASKS NO FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS. He may toss in a timid, vanilla-coated softball, à lá Larry King (who NEVER represented himself as a political journalist), and then drop it. He NEVER corrected Santorum on his outrageous claims about Medicare, about the so-called "Obamacare" "board" that Republicans claim is intended to ration care. Nothing could be further from the truth. The board isn't tasked with reducing quality of care, but with reducing costs through best practices, going after waste, fraud, and abuse, and doing sensible things like negotiating in bulk to reduce drug costs. NONE OF THIS WAS BROACHED BY GREGORY. What he said instead, was: "We'll get to Medicare later." BUT HE NEVER DID.
Then he asked, wringing his little IP hands, "Oh, how come you want to give corporations more tax breaks, when they're sitting on a TRILLION IN CASH?" Then he FAILED to follow up when Santorum recited the usual LIES that corporations are overtaxed and over-regulated. There's such an easy rebuttal to this it's an insult to the audience that Gregory wouldn't take it: "The most PROFITABLE corporations on the planet, the OIL COMPANIES, paid no taxes to speak of, BP spoiled the Gulf Coast economy by dumping MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF OIL into the ocean AS A RESULT OF LAX REGULATIONS, and the taxpayers are still subsidizing them. IS THAT FAIR?"
To kick off the interview, Gregory played a clip of Santorum's presidential announcement. Gregory picked such a non-controversial VANILLA clip that his producers must have scoured the extremist's speech to pluck the most boilerplate clip available: "Americans are not looking for someone that they can believe in. They're looking for a president who believes in them." Totally unmemorable and forgettable, instead of this, which was THE headline of Santorum's announcement:
But, unmercifully, that's not all. In the "roundtable" part of the show, IP High Priest Gregory hosted the usual collection of political miscreants: A hack from the FASCIST editorial page of the Wall Street Journal, whose sole contribution was the tired canard — more false equivalency shit — that Democrats "do IT" (refuse to resign) as much as Republicans. That's patently false. And Richard Wolffe, well known to MSNBC audiences, was so pathetically eager to curry favor with the High Priest, he made this idiotic remark about Weiner:
Richard was so eager to throw "cable TV" under the bus, he had convenient amnesia regarding the fact cable TV PAYS HIS SALARY. What's a one-word description for the MTP studio. Here's mine: SMUG. Is it any wonder I don't watch it and recommend others do the same? We've got better things to do Sunday mornings. I only watched it this time because Debbie was on.
But the worst part about it is the show actually molds public opinion among those Americans who do not follow politics as closely as they should. I've said it before and I'll repeat it here: David Gregory is A DISGRACE to his "profession" whatever that is; he's no journalist. He's more like a hybrid publicist-propagandist, enabling the right wing to sell their product. David Gregory should be hosting an infomercial, not a political show. Oh ... but he does!
Strange. Because MY "takeaway" was how Debbie cleaned out GOP Chairman Reince Preibus's (pron: Grinds Pre-Bust) clock. My second takeaway was Reince's collection of snarky faces with every shot Debbie scored. The dude's face was a nonstop tick machine with each successive takedown as she slammed him to the canvas on Republicans' sex scandal hypocrisy — even the timid High Priest Gregory piped in on this one — when they didn't call on Vitter to resign when he COMMITTED A CRIME by soliciting and paying prostitutes, and allowed John Ensign to hang on until the Ethics Committee was poised to expel him from the Senate. Priebus's face was having a mini-epileptic fit as he struggled to retain his stupid grin. Reminds me of the guy at the frat party who's always laughing and making faces at every off-color sexist joke.
(Programming Note: Like, for example, the one slimeball Dana Milbank told Chris Matthews re: Weiner: "I love it when you talk dirty to me" ... Keith's return CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH! Mark your calendars, folks — May 20 on CURRENT TV. Why, exactly, do you "respect" Milbank, Chris?)
Back to Idiot Punditocracy World, as worshipers flocked to the Church of Beltway Media Tools, aka Meet The Press. High Priest David Gregory conducted services with his usual lapdog obeisance to the political RIGHT and concurrent Beltway Media narratives. Despite Chris Matthews's increasingly strident attempts to build Gregory up with his "cable TV" audience (more on this presently), floating the absurd claim Gregory asks "straight" questions, Gregory constantly violates the boundaries of an acceptable journalistic interview by allowing interviewees to spout their propaganda talking points unchallenged.
The TOOL-ish role of the IP's High Priest was once again in evidence hosting certifiable wingnut Rick Santorum. Occasionally he would ask a timid question — "what about abortion, I know you feel oh so strongly about this"? Santorum said he wants to criminalize abortion providers, which is bad enough, but a LIE; he is far more extreme. He will not even entertain exceptions when the life of the mother is at risk, which he says is "phony," much less in cases of rape and incest. Oh sorry, Santorum didn't say it on MTP to IP High Priest Gregory. Here's what an outside-the-Beltway reality-based Meet The Press interview would play to illustrate Santorum's extremism:
Where was Gregory? Nowhere. The cocky High Priest of the Idiot Punditocracy was MISSING IN ACTION. More like deserting to the DARK SIDE. David Gregory ASKS NO FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS. He may toss in a timid, vanilla-coated softball, à lá Larry King (who NEVER represented himself as a political journalist), and then drop it. He NEVER corrected Santorum on his outrageous claims about Medicare, about the so-called "Obamacare" "board" that Republicans claim is intended to ration care. Nothing could be further from the truth. The board isn't tasked with reducing quality of care, but with reducing costs through best practices, going after waste, fraud, and abuse, and doing sensible things like negotiating in bulk to reduce drug costs. NONE OF THIS WAS BROACHED BY GREGORY. What he said instead, was: "We'll get to Medicare later." BUT HE NEVER DID.
Then he asked, wringing his little IP hands, "Oh, how come you want to give corporations more tax breaks, when they're sitting on a TRILLION IN CASH?" Then he FAILED to follow up when Santorum recited the usual LIES that corporations are overtaxed and over-regulated. There's such an easy rebuttal to this it's an insult to the audience that Gregory wouldn't take it: "The most PROFITABLE corporations on the planet, the OIL COMPANIES, paid no taxes to speak of, BP spoiled the Gulf Coast economy by dumping MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF OIL into the ocean AS A RESULT OF LAX REGULATIONS, and the taxpayers are still subsidizing them. IS THAT FAIR?"
To kick off the interview, Gregory played a clip of Santorum's presidential announcement. Gregory picked such a non-controversial VANILLA clip that his producers must have scoured the extremist's speech to pluck the most boilerplate clip available: "Americans are not looking for someone that they can believe in. They're looking for a president who believes in them." Totally unmemorable and forgettable, instead of this, which was THE headline of Santorum's announcement:
But, unmercifully, that's not all. In the "roundtable" part of the show, IP High Priest Gregory hosted the usual collection of political miscreants: A hack from the FASCIST editorial page of the Wall Street Journal, whose sole contribution was the tired canard — more false equivalency shit — that Democrats "do IT" (refuse to resign) as much as Republicans. That's patently false. And Richard Wolffe, well known to MSNBC audiences, was so pathetically eager to curry favor with the High Priest, he made this idiotic remark about Weiner:
RIGHT. "Cable TV" ... that rather distasteful entity, as distinct from the clique-ish, omniscient Idiot Punditocracy and Beltway Media led by High Priest Gregory and his less hierarchical colleague, Dean Matthews. Wolffe was making a pitch to join the ultra-elitist club that it is to be a regular on Meet The Press. Newt was a member until, regretfully, he became a liability and Gregory had to cut him loose. Chris and Lawrence thought that was great journalism. They're still floating the falsehood that Gregory, except quite tangentially, "exposed" Gingrich. The "radical right wing engineering" line forever emblazoned as the 2012 bumper sticker for the GOP's plan to KILL Medicare was a GIFT FROM HEAVEN. It came as much of a surprise to Gregory as it did to progressives.MR. WOLFFE: Strong voice, but no allies. And outside the caucus, though, progressives love him. He was an effective advocate for their causes, not least on cable TV.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
Richard was so eager to throw "cable TV" under the bus, he had convenient amnesia regarding the fact cable TV PAYS HIS SALARY. What's a one-word description for the MTP studio. Here's mine: SMUG. Is it any wonder I don't watch it and recommend others do the same? We've got better things to do Sunday mornings. I only watched it this time because Debbie was on.
But the worst part about it is the show actually molds public opinion among those Americans who do not follow politics as closely as they should. I've said it before and I'll repeat it here: David Gregory is A DISGRACE to his "profession" whatever that is; he's no journalist. He's more like a hybrid publicist-propagandist, enabling the right wing to sell their product. David Gregory should be hosting an infomercial, not a political show. Oh ... but he does!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Beautiful Gabby Giffords Pics
Have you seen the first pictures of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords as she recovers from her shooting? Her good friend Debbie Wasserman Schultz says she looks "beautiful." Indeed. She looks GREAT!
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Friday, June 10, 2011
Parting Thoughts On The Sordid Weiner Episode
What is it about liberals that they have such BLINDERS on when it comes to dissecting the threat, not only to the Democratic Party, which is a VERY IMPERFECT vessel, but the threat to our nation from THE RIGHT? We can't call these right wing ratbastards by their correct appellation — FASCISTS — oh no, that's a conversation-stopper says mealy-mouthed hippie Thom Hartmann. But we can wring our hands and bemoan the HYPOCRISY of Republicans as Rachel does, night after night, with her cutesy IOIYAR: "It's okay if you're a Republican." Besides preaching to the choir — we know all that — Rachel, don't you get it? Allow me to spell it out:
THEY.DO.NOT.FUCKING.CARE! David Vitter, John Ensign, Chris Lee, etc. etc. etc. — BRING IT ON. As far as their base is concerned, AND THE NARROW MARGIN OF VOTERS NEEDED TO WIN ELECTIONS, REPUBLICANS WELCOME DIVERTING OUR ATTENTION FROM BREAD-AND-BUTTER ISSUES TO PHONY MORAL ISSUES — THE 'CULTURE WARS'. THAT'S HOW REPUBLICANS WIN ELECTIONS. One of the lasting truisms of left-right, Democratic-Republican politics, is that Democrats win when bread-and-butter issues are FRONT-AND-CENTER. Republicans win when they divert the electorate's attention to phony 'culture war' issues. The Democrats seldom win on the GOP's culture wars turf.
Why? Because Republicans understand the psychology of their RELIGIOUS EVANGELICAL BASE and will pander shamelessly, with no risk of negative political repercussions. Quite the contrary. The HARDER THEY FALL, THE STRONGER THEY GET POLITICALLY, AS LONG AS THEY BARE THEIR SOULS TO THE BASE, ADMITTING THEIR SINS WITH WIFEY AT THEIR SIDES. It's all about redemption, hitting rock-bottom, and accepting Christ into one's life. Forgiveness is DIVINE, and the GOP base LOVES to forgive its sexual deviants, because it reinforces their fundamentalist religious narrative of forgiveness, redemption and salvation, giving them a sense of "grace" that's next to godliness. IOW, it's A SEXUAL TURN-ON FOR THEM.
In 2004, Republicans put gay marriage on the ballot in key battleground states, to bring out those one-issue voters. THEY WON. In 2010, the undercurrent to the PHONY BELTWAY ECONOMIC DEMAGOGUERY (the stimulus was a failure, NO JOBS, etc.— all LIES) was the RACIST VOTE energized by BIRTHERISM with scare tactics about healthcare centered on President Obama as a "socialist" and "muslim" and a scary BLACK MAN who was going to take seniors' Medicare away.
Would an INFORMED, KNOWLEDGEABLE electorate fall for this GARBAGE? NO!
But the fact is, 38 percent of Americans cannot pass a citizenship test — a natural Republican constituency — while Democratic voters stayed home, urged on by demagogues with a platform like Dylan Ratigan, who promote anti-government stay-at-home cynicism by claiming all "politicians" regardless of party are the same. That is one of the BIG LIES of our time. The old adage that a "yellow dog" with a (D) by its name is better than any (R) is truer today than it ever was. Like it or not, a two-party system is what we've got; we don't live in a parliamentary democracy.
So anyone who claims the Anthony Weiner episode will not last more than a couple of news cycles, and he can stay in Congress as only a somewhat "less effective" Congressman, with no fallout to the Democratic Party in the 2012 elections — IS A FOOL. It's not about the sex, the cyber-sex, the pictures, the women, the pregnant wife — it's not even about the SERIAL LYING. IT'S ABOUT ONE STUPID JACKASS — ANTHONY WEINER — HANDING REPUBLICANS A CAMPAIGN ISSUE, A CUDGEL, TO DIVERT OUR ATTENTION FROM MEDICARE, SOCIAL SECURITY, JOBS, AND THE ECONOMY.
Anthony Weiner will become the Republicans' poster boy for smearing the Democratic Party with being somehow immoral, unethical, seamy, having lost its way and undeserving of the public's trust because they're dragging some DEAD WOOD around named Anthony Weiner.
The Republican sinners have found salvation in Christ ... They campaign in churches to praise the Lord and their vote to KILL MEDICARE. Democrats ... not so much. Blame it on the old 'separation of church and state' thing. Democrats actually take their constitutional obligations seriously. Melissa Harris Perry said, about Anthony Weiner, "Life isn't always fair." Rachel thinks Melissa is REALLY SMART. So do I.
THEY.DO.NOT.FUCKING.CARE! David Vitter, John Ensign, Chris Lee, etc. etc. etc. — BRING IT ON. As far as their base is concerned, AND THE NARROW MARGIN OF VOTERS NEEDED TO WIN ELECTIONS, REPUBLICANS WELCOME DIVERTING OUR ATTENTION FROM BREAD-AND-BUTTER ISSUES TO PHONY MORAL ISSUES — THE 'CULTURE WARS'. THAT'S HOW REPUBLICANS WIN ELECTIONS. One of the lasting truisms of left-right, Democratic-Republican politics, is that Democrats win when bread-and-butter issues are FRONT-AND-CENTER. Republicans win when they divert the electorate's attention to phony 'culture war' issues. The Democrats seldom win on the GOP's culture wars turf.
Why? Because Republicans understand the psychology of their RELIGIOUS EVANGELICAL BASE and will pander shamelessly, with no risk of negative political repercussions. Quite the contrary. The HARDER THEY FALL, THE STRONGER THEY GET POLITICALLY, AS LONG AS THEY BARE THEIR SOULS TO THE BASE, ADMITTING THEIR SINS WITH WIFEY AT THEIR SIDES. It's all about redemption, hitting rock-bottom, and accepting Christ into one's life. Forgiveness is DIVINE, and the GOP base LOVES to forgive its sexual deviants, because it reinforces their fundamentalist religious narrative of forgiveness, redemption and salvation, giving them a sense of "grace" that's next to godliness. IOW, it's A SEXUAL TURN-ON FOR THEM.
In 2004, Republicans put gay marriage on the ballot in key battleground states, to bring out those one-issue voters. THEY WON. In 2010, the undercurrent to the PHONY BELTWAY ECONOMIC DEMAGOGUERY (the stimulus was a failure, NO JOBS, etc.— all LIES) was the RACIST VOTE energized by BIRTHERISM with scare tactics about healthcare centered on President Obama as a "socialist" and "muslim" and a scary BLACK MAN who was going to take seniors' Medicare away.
Would an INFORMED, KNOWLEDGEABLE electorate fall for this GARBAGE? NO!
But the fact is, 38 percent of Americans cannot pass a citizenship test — a natural Republican constituency — while Democratic voters stayed home, urged on by demagogues with a platform like Dylan Ratigan, who promote anti-government stay-at-home cynicism by claiming all "politicians" regardless of party are the same. That is one of the BIG LIES of our time. The old adage that a "yellow dog" with a (D) by its name is better than any (R) is truer today than it ever was. Like it or not, a two-party system is what we've got; we don't live in a parliamentary democracy.
So anyone who claims the Anthony Weiner episode will not last more than a couple of news cycles, and he can stay in Congress as only a somewhat "less effective" Congressman, with no fallout to the Democratic Party in the 2012 elections — IS A FOOL. It's not about the sex, the cyber-sex, the pictures, the women, the pregnant wife — it's not even about the SERIAL LYING. IT'S ABOUT ONE STUPID JACKASS — ANTHONY WEINER — HANDING REPUBLICANS A CAMPAIGN ISSUE, A CUDGEL, TO DIVERT OUR ATTENTION FROM MEDICARE, SOCIAL SECURITY, JOBS, AND THE ECONOMY.
Anthony Weiner will become the Republicans' poster boy for smearing the Democratic Party with being somehow immoral, unethical, seamy, having lost its way and undeserving of the public's trust because they're dragging some DEAD WOOD around named Anthony Weiner.
The Republican sinners have found salvation in Christ ... They campaign in churches to praise the Lord and their vote to KILL MEDICARE. Democrats ... not so much. Blame it on the old 'separation of church and state' thing. Democrats actually take their constitutional obligations seriously. Melissa Harris Perry said, about Anthony Weiner, "Life isn't always fair." Rachel thinks Melissa is REALLY SMART. So do I.
Thursday, June 09, 2011
How To Impress Women On The Internet With Your Penis
From a Greek "talent" show. (Shouldn't they be playing the ORGAN instead of the piano, though?)
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Re: Anthony Weiner — The Bill Clinton False Analogy
Lawrence O'Donnell tonight re-enacted the Jennifer Flowers v. Bill Clinton episode —which must have really thrilled Hillary and Bill and, I thought, was a low point for Jonathan Alter, who seemed to be having trouble dignifying the "Back To The Future" theme of the segment. Apparently, the point of Lawrence's PASSION PLAY is that a consequential sex scandal was survivable for the next president of the United States. Therefore, the cyber-sex Anthony Weiner episode is equally survivable.
Perhaps. I'm even willing to concede that Anthony's constituents will re-elect him to Congress. Lawrence hates the hypocrisy of moralizing Republican politicians, who have been the worst sex offenders in Congress, and frequently seem to get away with a lighter sentence. Either that, or they're cut loose by their leaders and fall on their swords before further damage redounds to their party: Chris Lee; John Ensign, among them. Joan Walsh reminded us over at the Ed Show that we Democrats are "different." We don't pass summary judgment on our people until all the facts are in. "Hear, hear," piped in Bill Press. We don't throw our people under the bus.
Well, I beg to differ. Yes we do. Or we should.
To Joan's point that Bill Clinton LIED to us, then survived impeachment, as the indispensable president — rather than Democrats' best-ever REPUBLICAN president — who is "stronger today" that he didn't resign, I heard a SLAM-DUNK response to this line of argument on the Stephanie Miller show. It came from one of her brainiac sex slaves: Had Clinton resigned, the MORE LIBERAL Al Gore would have succeeded him. Gore would have continued most of Clinton's policies, except he would reject any "fast track" NAFTA free trade agreement which lacked strong environmental controls, and would have vetoed the repeal of Glass-Steagall, which repeal, SIGNED by Clinton, eventually led to the economic collapse of 2007.
Then, PRESIDENT GORE would have contested the 2000 election as the INCUMBENT with the HUGE SURPLUS wind at his back, blowing the IMBECILE George W. Bush out of the water. Imagine if you will: No Bush tax cuts. No Iraq war. Bin Laden cornered and killed at Tora Bora in 2002. Saddam Hussein boxed in by a strong UN-sanctions regime, as a counterbalance to Iran. President Gore would concentrate our substantial military assets on wiping Al Qaeda off the face of the earth. He would have forged strong international alliances, leading us far down the path toward energy independence. Finally, Social Security and Medicare would have been fixed well into the next century with the surplus savings. And we would have had universal healthcare by now.
Can you say, Bubba's "survivability = HUGE missed opportunity" ... anyone?
But, instead, I represent the generic "electorate" that is in DEEP SHIT as a result of what our elected officials have done, or failed to do, mostly stabbing us in the back: Beginning with the ENTIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY, a LARGE PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, and much of the media, including Dana Milbank, Michael Steele, and Heilemann-Halperin (borderline plagiarists and SMUT peddlers, who are in their element RIGHT NOW) as fixtures of the CNN-ization of MSNBC. (I've seen the same numbers MSNBC Corporate is looking at: 62% audience growth for CNN, 26% for MSNBC, while Fox's ratings atrophy — so CNN is the new emerging competitor.)
No one — NO ONE — is indispensable. Big Eddie got it immediately: Sometimes you just "gotta take one for the team." Oh sure, I love Anthony Weiner, the liberal attack dog. But not at the expense of what we're fighting for. We cannot afford to get sentimental about this jackass's prospects of survivability — not when he can take the entire party down with him.
To use the old baseball analogy: It's Game 7, top of the fifth. You're the Manager. Your team is ahead by two runs, and your ace pitcher is on the mound. Suddenly he loses it. His control is gone. Runners on second and third with no outs. What do you do? Do you hope he gets his control back and manages to get three outs without giving up two or three runs just so he can notch that WIN on his resumé? Or do you tell yourself: "I've got a 100 mph short reliever I was saving for the ninth, I've got a rested bullpen, AND I've got the whole DAMNED PITCHING STAFF to get the next fifteen outs, because THIS IS IT, THERE'S NO TOMORROW."
What DO YOU DO? Me, I'd yank the ACE in a NEW YORK MINUTE and never look back.
It's a team sport. No one's indispensable. Not even your ACE. And if he can't find the plate, he's OUT. With all due respect to Lawrence and Joan Walsh, Bill Clinton is a really poor analogy. In the first instance — Jennifer Flowers — it was Bill's word against hers, and the voters decided the Governor's word carried more weight than a slutty publicity seeker's who received unspecified funds for hurling her accusations. The 'caught-'im' lying came later. I rather doubt that after more than a week of arrogant LIES, Anthony Weiner has a prayer of turning his fortunes around by doing 60 Minutes with his wife. Furthermore, he's no Bill Clinton.
Starry-eyed, bleeding heart, hand-wringing, compassionate principle is what makes liberals sexy and cuddly. But it's a character flaw when it comes to winning elections. Rachel, there's nothing we can do about Republicans; not even your little "friend" Michael Steele can help you understand them. They're monsters, weasels, cowards, guttersnipes, scumsucking, bottom-feeding ratbastards, an alien subhuman hive ... and I'm only warming up.
So forget it. Democrats, and only Democrats, can control their message, their strategy, their fundraising, and the voter appeal and electability of their candidates. So when a Democratic rock star named Anthony Weiner becomes a SERIAL LIAR about his creepy, reprehensible personal behavior, sucking all the oxygen out of the Party's PRINCIPAL goal, which is to retake the House and re-elect President Obama, then, please, allow me, the generic Democratic voter (not of his district and state) to cut him loose and THROW HIM UNDER THE BUS! Oh sure, ultimately it's up to him and the voters of his district. But he should know how we feel. And then decide whether he wants, for self-serving reasons, to TRAMPLE on our message of HAMMERING THE REPUBLICANS RELENTLESSLY FOR VOTING TO KILL MEDICARE.
And I'll tell you who agrees with me: Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi. She can't say it publicly, but reports are she's furious with Weiner, and I believe, wants him to resign. Nancy's no bleeding heart. She's one tough lady and a proven winner. She knows how to win elections. That's what it's all about. Especially in 2012, which is a PIVOTAL YEAR for our country.
Perhaps. I'm even willing to concede that Anthony's constituents will re-elect him to Congress. Lawrence hates the hypocrisy of moralizing Republican politicians, who have been the worst sex offenders in Congress, and frequently seem to get away with a lighter sentence. Either that, or they're cut loose by their leaders and fall on their swords before further damage redounds to their party: Chris Lee; John Ensign, among them. Joan Walsh reminded us over at the Ed Show that we Democrats are "different." We don't pass summary judgment on our people until all the facts are in. "Hear, hear," piped in Bill Press. We don't throw our people under the bus.
Well, I beg to differ. Yes we do. Or we should.
To Joan's point that Bill Clinton LIED to us, then survived impeachment, as the indispensable president — rather than Democrats' best-ever REPUBLICAN president — who is "stronger today" that he didn't resign, I heard a SLAM-DUNK response to this line of argument on the Stephanie Miller show. It came from one of her brainiac sex slaves: Had Clinton resigned, the MORE LIBERAL Al Gore would have succeeded him. Gore would have continued most of Clinton's policies, except he would reject any "fast track" NAFTA free trade agreement which lacked strong environmental controls, and would have vetoed the repeal of Glass-Steagall, which repeal, SIGNED by Clinton, eventually led to the economic collapse of 2007.
Then, PRESIDENT GORE would have contested the 2000 election as the INCUMBENT with the HUGE SURPLUS wind at his back, blowing the IMBECILE George W. Bush out of the water. Imagine if you will: No Bush tax cuts. No Iraq war. Bin Laden cornered and killed at Tora Bora in 2002. Saddam Hussein boxed in by a strong UN-sanctions regime, as a counterbalance to Iran. President Gore would concentrate our substantial military assets on wiping Al Qaeda off the face of the earth. He would have forged strong international alliances, leading us far down the path toward energy independence. Finally, Social Security and Medicare would have been fixed well into the next century with the surplus savings. And we would have had universal healthcare by now.
Can you say, Bubba's "survivability = HUGE missed opportunity" ... anyone?
But, instead, I represent the generic "electorate" that is in DEEP SHIT as a result of what our elected officials have done, or failed to do, mostly stabbing us in the back: Beginning with the ENTIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY, a LARGE PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, and much of the media, including Dana Milbank, Michael Steele, and Heilemann-Halperin (borderline plagiarists and SMUT peddlers, who are in their element RIGHT NOW) as fixtures of the CNN-ization of MSNBC. (I've seen the same numbers MSNBC Corporate is looking at: 62% audience growth for CNN, 26% for MSNBC, while Fox's ratings atrophy — so CNN is the new emerging competitor.)
No one — NO ONE — is indispensable. Big Eddie got it immediately: Sometimes you just "gotta take one for the team." Oh sure, I love Anthony Weiner, the liberal attack dog. But not at the expense of what we're fighting for. We cannot afford to get sentimental about this jackass's prospects of survivability — not when he can take the entire party down with him.
To use the old baseball analogy: It's Game 7, top of the fifth. You're the Manager. Your team is ahead by two runs, and your ace pitcher is on the mound. Suddenly he loses it. His control is gone. Runners on second and third with no outs. What do you do? Do you hope he gets his control back and manages to get three outs without giving up two or three runs just so he can notch that WIN on his resumé? Or do you tell yourself: "I've got a 100 mph short reliever I was saving for the ninth, I've got a rested bullpen, AND I've got the whole DAMNED PITCHING STAFF to get the next fifteen outs, because THIS IS IT, THERE'S NO TOMORROW."
What DO YOU DO? Me, I'd yank the ACE in a NEW YORK MINUTE and never look back.
It's a team sport. No one's indispensable. Not even your ACE. And if he can't find the plate, he's OUT. With all due respect to Lawrence and Joan Walsh, Bill Clinton is a really poor analogy. In the first instance — Jennifer Flowers — it was Bill's word against hers, and the voters decided the Governor's word carried more weight than a slutty publicity seeker's who received unspecified funds for hurling her accusations. The 'caught-'im' lying came later. I rather doubt that after more than a week of arrogant LIES, Anthony Weiner has a prayer of turning his fortunes around by doing 60 Minutes with his wife. Furthermore, he's no Bill Clinton.
Starry-eyed, bleeding heart, hand-wringing, compassionate principle is what makes liberals sexy and cuddly. But it's a character flaw when it comes to winning elections. Rachel, there's nothing we can do about Republicans; not even your little "friend" Michael Steele can help you understand them. They're monsters, weasels, cowards, guttersnipes, scumsucking, bottom-feeding ratbastards, an alien subhuman hive ... and I'm only warming up.
So forget it. Democrats, and only Democrats, can control their message, their strategy, their fundraising, and the voter appeal and electability of their candidates. So when a Democratic rock star named Anthony Weiner becomes a SERIAL LIAR about his creepy, reprehensible personal behavior, sucking all the oxygen out of the Party's PRINCIPAL goal, which is to retake the House and re-elect President Obama, then, please, allow me, the generic Democratic voter (not of his district and state) to cut him loose and THROW HIM UNDER THE BUS! Oh sure, ultimately it's up to him and the voters of his district. But he should know how we feel. And then decide whether he wants, for self-serving reasons, to TRAMPLE on our message of HAMMERING THE REPUBLICANS RELENTLESSLY FOR VOTING TO KILL MEDICARE.
And I'll tell you who agrees with me: Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi. She can't say it publicly, but reports are she's furious with Weiner, and I believe, wants him to resign. Nancy's no bleeding heart. She's one tough lady and a proven winner. She knows how to win elections. That's what it's all about. Especially in 2012, which is a PIVOTAL YEAR for our country.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Bush Tax Cuts At 10: A Legacy Of Misery And Tragedy — What Could Have Been
Ten years after the Bush tax cuts, as we pause to take stock of what they actually DID versus what their absence COULD HAVE DONE, the inclination of Republicans to perpetuate the misery and economic devastation is nothing short of the familiar definition of INSANITY: Repeat, double and triple down on the tragic mistakes of the past, expecting a different, POSITIVE result. But they aren't insane in any traditional, clinical sense. They're more akin to criminals and traitors who have made a considered, self-serving decision — a pact with the Devil — to throw the United States of America under the Chinese Express in service of a narrow slice of master plutocrats and their über-rich comrades who are the sole beneficiaries of this government largesse and massive transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class Americans struggling with unemployment, underwater mortgages, no health care, and an all-out GOP assault on retirement benefits, pensions, Social Security, and Medicare.
In an ALTERNATE REALITY, one in which RATIONAL people exist, politicians serve their constituents rather than their contributors, corporations are regulated and their influence over the electoral process is held in check, and political leaders actually deliver a government that reflects the PUBLIC INTEREST and the COMMON GOOD — this is what the revenues RESCUED from the Bush tax cuts could have provided: (And we haven't even touched the two off-budget wars and the partial privatization of Medicare — Advantage, insurance companies.)
In an ALTERNATE REALITY, one in which RATIONAL people exist, politicians serve their constituents rather than their contributors, corporations are regulated and their influence over the electoral process is held in check, and political leaders actually deliver a government that reflects the PUBLIC INTEREST and the COMMON GOOD — this is what the revenues RESCUED from the Bush tax cuts could have provided: (And we haven't even touched the two off-budget wars and the partial privatization of Medicare — Advantage, insurance companies.)
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Cosmic Vibrations: Man Discovers Signs Of Life On Mars
An amateur astronomer chanced upon this intriguing structure on Mars (see below). Here are the fascinating details:
A self-described "armchair astronaut" claims to have identified a human (or alien) base on Mars. David Martines noticed a mysterious rectangular structure that appears to be on the Red Planet's surface while trolling the planetary surface using Google Mars, a new map program created from compiled satellite images of the planet."This is a video of something I discovered on Google Mars quite by accident," said Martines, the armchair astronaut, in a now-viral YouTube video. "I call it Bio Station Alpha, because I'm just assuming that something lives in it or has lived in it."He zooms in the surface anomaly — a long, pixelated, white object — and lists the coordinates as 49'19.73"N 29 33'06.53"W. "It's over 700 feet long and 150 feet wide. It looks like it's a cylinder or made up of cylinders," he says.
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A HUGELY enhanced picture of the mysterious structure on the surface of Mars revealed this astonishing detailed alien object:
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There is no truth to speculation that the planetary coordinates for the Martian erection can be traced to this Twitter account:
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But isn't it true that 'MEN ARE FROM MARS' ... ?
Lost In Weiner Cybersex, Santorum Announces Presidential Bid For GOP
Don't know much about Santorum? Well ... that's what the GOOGLE MACHINE is for, right? Learn all about Santorum with this helpful internets search:
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Monday, June 06, 2011
Step Aside, Anthony
Anthony Weiner finally came clean today and admitted that all those lewd photos are his, and further, that he's been carrying on "sexting" relationships with several women (?) of legal age (?). The amazing thing about the Anthony Weiner mess is that conventional wisdom dictates the coverup is always worse than the lewd behavior. (For one, we don't know he actually committed any crime at all.) But conventional wisdom is nonetheless right once again.
In this case, the embarassment Weiner has caused his family, his constituents, and his party was compounded by a couple of weeks of public lying. Politically, it's near-fatal, depending on whether there are further revelations, even if he's from the safest of safe Democratic districts.
As tough as it was, Weiner should have come clean immediately as soon as the story broke, instead of finally holding the perfunctory dirty laundry press conference today. As bad as this is —how can Weiner know the women he had internet or texting or phone sex, or whatever it is he was doing with those lewd photos, on Facebook, Twitter, etc., are (a) of legal age (this type of juvenile behavior is typically done by juveniles) or (b) that they are even women at all — it would have been a survivable tryst/embarassment/offense had Weiner come clean and taken his medicine immediately.
As bad as this is, the cliché is still true: the coverup is worse than any possible offense short of an actual crime, which is unlikely. If Anthony hangs on he will be a constant black eye to the Democratic Party and an ineffectual Congressman. "Dumb" doesn't even begin to explain this one.
In this case, the embarassment Weiner has caused his family, his constituents, and his party was compounded by a couple of weeks of public lying. Politically, it's near-fatal, depending on whether there are further revelations, even if he's from the safest of safe Democratic districts.
As tough as it was, Weiner should have come clean immediately as soon as the story broke, instead of finally holding the perfunctory dirty laundry press conference today. As bad as this is —how can Weiner know the women he had internet or texting or phone sex, or whatever it is he was doing with those lewd photos, on Facebook, Twitter, etc., are (a) of legal age (this type of juvenile behavior is typically done by juveniles) or (b) that they are even women at all — it would have been a survivable tryst/embarassment/offense had Weiner come clean and taken his medicine immediately.
As bad as this is, the cliché is still true: the coverup is worse than any possible offense short of an actual crime, which is unlikely. If Anthony hangs on he will be a constant black eye to the Democratic Party and an ineffectual Congressman. "Dumb" doesn't even begin to explain this one.
Paul Revere Responds To Sarah Palin
The HICK from the North Country mangled her history yet again, in the grand tradition of know-nuthin' Republican politicians: "He warned thu Bratesh that they warn't gonna be takin' away our arms!"
No, Sarah, you ignorant S-S-S-S-hit for brains: "The Paul Revere House’s website says that on April 18, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren instructed Revere to ride to Lexington, Mass., to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to arrest them." Meanwhile, the Palinites tried to alter the Paul Revere Wikipedia page. (This is another danger that doesn't get nearly the focus it should, with wingnuts raiding history entries on Wikipedia in a continuous attempt to revise history. I'm glad the Wikipedia editors were alert to it this time. Quite often, they've been asleep at the switch.)
No, Sarah, you ignorant S-S-S-S-hit for brains: "The Paul Revere House’s website says that on April 18, 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren instructed Revere to ride to Lexington, Mass., to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to arrest them." Meanwhile, the Palinites tried to alter the Paul Revere Wikipedia page. (This is another danger that doesn't get nearly the focus it should, with wingnuts raiding history entries on Wikipedia in a continuous attempt to revise history. I'm glad the Wikipedia editors were alert to it this time. Quite often, they've been asleep at the switch.)
But as luck would have it, PAUL REVERE HIMSELF has an answer just for Sister Sarah!
I Don't Usually Approve Of People Thrusting Bibles In Politicians' Faces ...
But in this case, I'm willing to make an exception. Recently Bill-O The Clown accused the President of being for "social justice." Is that supposed to be a bad thing? It's Christianity's middle name; and it's what this young Catholic activist was trying to impress upon Paul Ryan regarding the essential immorality of his Medicare-killing budget. For all of its flaws, the Catholic Church has been the most genuine, the most authentic Christian church in following the Word of Jesus: What you do unto the least of us, you do unto Me.
The Catholic Church is not like the apocalyptics with their broken-down doomsday clock, obsessing over the rapturous destruction of millions of lives; or the evangelicals who preach "personal salvation" for a buck; or the mega-churches that tend to the spiritual needs of comfortable white suburbanites. The Catholic Church not only believes in the letter of the teachings of Jesus Christ, but tries to live by it each and every day. It's really a no-brainer. Jesus showed the way:
The Catholic Church is not like the apocalyptics with their broken-down doomsday clock, obsessing over the rapturous destruction of millions of lives; or the evangelicals who preach "personal salvation" for a buck; or the mega-churches that tend to the spiritual needs of comfortable white suburbanites. The Catholic Church not only believes in the letter of the teachings of Jesus Christ, but tries to live by it each and every day. It's really a no-brainer. Jesus showed the way:
Catholic teaching is clear on helping the poor and providing healthcare for all, on economic and social justice, and on the role of the state. Here are selected excerpts of Catholic social teaching (emphasis mine):Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.Matthew 25:36
On the proper role of government, note that the Catholic Church emphasizes that the right wing libertarian ideology of so-called "limited government" is antithetical to Catholic teaching. Hence, whether or not it admits to it, in this sphere of the role of government, social justice, and the "common good" the Church is decidedly liberal in its outlook and philosophy. This passage is worth highlighting:Option for the Poor
The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation. We are called to look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor. The "option for the poor," is not an adversarial slogan that pits one group or class against another. Rather it states that the deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the whole community.
The option for the poor is an essential part of society's effort to achieve the common good. A healthy community can be achieved only if its members give special attention to those with special needs, to those who are poor and on the margins of society. See selected quotations.Rights and Responsibilities
Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency — starting with food, shelter and clothing, employment, health care, and education. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities — to one another, to our families, and to the larger society. See selected quotations.
"When the needs in question cannot adequately be met at the lower level, then it is not only necessary, but imperative that higher levels of government intervene."
Similarly, when Bill-O The Clown tried once more to portray our President as somehow alien to "our values" he placed President Obama, without even knowing it, squarely in the mainstream of Catholic Christian teaching on the proper role of government and politicians:Role of Government and Subsidiarity
The state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect human rights, and build the common good. All people have a right and a responsibility to participate in political institutions so that government can achieve its proper goals.
The principle of subsidiarity holds that the functions of government should be performed at the lowest level possible, as long as they can be performed adequately. When the needs in question cannot adequately be met at the lower level, then it is not only necessary, but imperative that higher levels of government intervene. See selected quotations on the role of government and subsidiarity.
All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions. They also have a fundamental right to organize and join unions. People have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. No one is allowed to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life.
Catholic teaching ... rejects the notion that a free market automatically produces justice. Distributive justice, for example, cannot be achieved by relying entirely on free market forces. Competition and free markets are useful elements of economic systems. However, markets must be kept within limits, because there are many needs and goods that cannot be satisfied by the market system. It is the task of the state and of all society to intervene and ensure that these needs are met.
Which brings us to the sordid and pathetic footnote in the Republican Party's radical schemes to undo generations of our social and economic safety net, enacted under FDR's New Deal and LBJ's Great Society, simply because they are laissez-faire economic royalists and extremists who worship at the altar of a false goddess named Ayn Rand. This blog has been hammering this theme from the very beginning of Paul Ryan's Terror Tour, but only now is it percolating up the fringes of the Beltway Media. In fact, they treat the vehement Catholic opposition to the Ryan budget as if it didn't exist. And they will not even acknowledge the connection between these radical policies and Ayn Rand. Why? (Maybe Andrea Mitchell can provide an answer. But she's not telling.)Economic Justice
The economy must serve people, not the other way around. All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions. They also have a fundamental right to organize and join unions. People have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. No one is allowed to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life.Catholic teaching opposes collectivist and statist economic approaches. But it also rejects the notion that a free market automatically produces justice. Distributive justice, for example, cannot be achieved by relying entirely on free market forces. Competition and free markets are useful elements of economic systems. However, markets must be kept within limits, because there are many needs and goods that cannot be satisfied by the market system. It is the task of the state and of all society to intervene and ensure that these needs are met.
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