Saturday, September 10, 2011
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Hat Tip From President Obama To Chris Matthews
But Chris missed it!
Hardball's Chris Matthews has been incessantly pounding an old-fashioned, but I think effective, political infrastructure hardball idea, which is to inventory every bridge and highway project in Republican swing/leadership districts and single them out for repair under the President's proposal.
President Obama said: "There are private construction companies all across America just waiting to get to work. There’s a bridge that needs repair between Ohio and Kentucky that’s on one of the busiest trucking routes in North America." He was referring to the aging Brent Spence Bridge on I-75 between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. It should be noted that Speaker John Boehner is from Ohio and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky. It was no coincidence, and our good friend Chris deserves credit for floating the idea.
Hardball's Chris Matthews has been incessantly pounding an old-fashioned, but I think effective, political infrastructure hardball idea, which is to inventory every bridge and highway project in Republican swing/leadership districts and single them out for repair under the President's proposal.
President Obama said: "There are private construction companies all across America just waiting to get to work. There’s a bridge that needs repair between Ohio and Kentucky that’s on one of the busiest trucking routes in North America." He was referring to the aging Brent Spence Bridge on I-75 between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. It should be noted that Speaker John Boehner is from Ohio and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky. It was no coincidence, and our good friend Chris deserves credit for floating the idea.
58 Second FLAT Post-GOP Debate Analysis: Romney Takes Swing At Perry
... AND CONNECTS!
Willard Mitt Romney must be a (secret) fan of the Rachel Maddow Show. He doubled down on his country club political persona, Gilligan's Island millionaire Thurston Howell III, smoked out by Rachel as an intentional Romney political strategy. Here's Romney bursting the Perry baloon by playing the understanding and generous patrician to his bumbling junior partner, using a golf metaphor ... NATCH:
“We’ve each taken a mulligan or two. I think his heart was in the right place.” Then Romney pivoted to an attack on the President, stealing Perry's thunder: “We have some differences between us. But we all agree this president’s got to go. This president’s a nice guy. But he doesn’t have a clue how to get this country working again.”
Definition: A mulligan, most simply put, is a "do-over." Hit a bad shot? Take a mulligan and replay that stroke.
It was fascinating to see the Republican audience stunned into silence by Ron Paul's attack on Perry's compulsory executive order to vaccinate young girls against HPV, a sexually transmitted disease. Clearly, it was a part of Perry's record they had not known about: “Forcing 12-year-old girls to take an inoculation to prevent a sexually transmitted disease — this is not good medicine,” said Paul, the physician.
Toward the end, as if heaving a collective sigh of relief, the audience fervently applauded Perry's record executions. But Perry was bruised. “I kind of feel like the piñata here at the party,” he whined. Whiny = defeated.
Romney won on points and even issued an absurd press release, notable for its "War Room"-like swiftness, setting himself up as Social Security's champion. He may have staunched the Big Money flow to Perry by signaling he's still their guy and Perry's not ready for Prime Time.
Question left unasked by the Idiot Punditocracy:
(1) No GOP president has ever balanced a budget since Eisenhower; Bill Clinton, the last Democratic president before President Obama, cleaned up the Reagan-Bush deficits, balanced the budget, and created 23 million jobs, a historic high. Given the Republican record of exploding deficits and anemic economic growth, why should the American people trust any of you with stewardship of this economy?
(2) Do you support Paul Ryan's plan to voucherize Medicare? Yes or no.
(3) To Perry: Do you still consider Ben Bernancke, Fed chairman appointed by Bush, "treasonous"? To all: In a speech, Bernancke criticized Republicans in Congress holding our economy hostage over the debt ceiling. Are you in favor, as some Republicans were, including Ms Bachmann, of the U.S. defaulting on its debt?
(4) To all: A simple yes or no answer: Raise your hands if you believe in evolution. Global warming?
(5) Republican state governors in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, New Jersey, and Florida have initiated an unprecedented assault on public employee unions, cutting jobs, pensions, and healthcare benefits for teachers, firefighters, police officers, government workers. As a result, their approval ratings are in the tank, and recall efforts are underway. Is it your intention, as famously stated by Grover Norquist to shrink the size of government to the point where it can be "drowned in the bathtub?" Going against, I might add (to pull a mannerism from Brian Williams), the wishes of the American people, by wide margins.
(6) Speaking of Grover Norquist, are all of you slaves to his "no new taxes under any circumstances" pledge? Are you ready to pledge tonight, to the American people, you will NEVER raise ANY taxes, even if it's to bring down our deficit?
And so it goes. The peeps over at MSNBC are slapping their backs at creating an entertaining spectacle for TV viewers on the right, which should increase their numbers, while scrupulously avoiding the public interest questions which would have turned the wingnuts and MS(NBC) masters (the corporations) against them — see above, questions not asked.
For an idea of the corporatist, Beltway bias of Williams and Harris, one had only to notice how the anti-government privatization questions were, as far as I could tell, all directed at the crazy libertarian in the room, Ron Paul; a perceived gadfly even within his own party.
Willard Mitt Romney must be a (secret) fan of the Rachel Maddow Show. He doubled down on his country club political persona, Gilligan's Island millionaire Thurston Howell III, smoked out by Rachel as an intentional Romney political strategy. Here's Romney bursting the Perry baloon by playing the understanding and generous patrician to his bumbling junior partner, using a golf metaphor ... NATCH:
“We’ve each taken a mulligan or two. I think his heart was in the right place.” Then Romney pivoted to an attack on the President, stealing Perry's thunder: “We have some differences between us. But we all agree this president’s got to go. This president’s a nice guy. But he doesn’t have a clue how to get this country working again.”
Definition: A mulligan, most simply put, is a "do-over." Hit a bad shot? Take a mulligan and replay that stroke.
It was fascinating to see the Republican audience stunned into silence by Ron Paul's attack on Perry's compulsory executive order to vaccinate young girls against HPV, a sexually transmitted disease. Clearly, it was a part of Perry's record they had not known about: “Forcing 12-year-old girls to take an inoculation to prevent a sexually transmitted disease — this is not good medicine,” said Paul, the physician.
Toward the end, as if heaving a collective sigh of relief, the audience fervently applauded Perry's record executions. But Perry was bruised. “I kind of feel like the piñata here at the party,” he whined. Whiny = defeated.
Romney won on points and even issued an absurd press release, notable for its "War Room"-like swiftness, setting himself up as Social Security's champion. He may have staunched the Big Money flow to Perry by signaling he's still their guy and Perry's not ready for Prime Time.
Question left unasked by the Idiot Punditocracy:
(1) No GOP president has ever balanced a budget since Eisenhower; Bill Clinton, the last Democratic president before President Obama, cleaned up the Reagan-Bush deficits, balanced the budget, and created 23 million jobs, a historic high. Given the Republican record of exploding deficits and anemic economic growth, why should the American people trust any of you with stewardship of this economy?
(2) Do you support Paul Ryan's plan to voucherize Medicare? Yes or no.
(3) To Perry: Do you still consider Ben Bernancke, Fed chairman appointed by Bush, "treasonous"? To all: In a speech, Bernancke criticized Republicans in Congress holding our economy hostage over the debt ceiling. Are you in favor, as some Republicans were, including Ms Bachmann, of the U.S. defaulting on its debt?
(4) To all: A simple yes or no answer: Raise your hands if you believe in evolution. Global warming?
(5) Republican state governors in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, New Jersey, and Florida have initiated an unprecedented assault on public employee unions, cutting jobs, pensions, and healthcare benefits for teachers, firefighters, police officers, government workers. As a result, their approval ratings are in the tank, and recall efforts are underway. Is it your intention, as famously stated by Grover Norquist to shrink the size of government to the point where it can be "drowned in the bathtub?" Going against, I might add (to pull a mannerism from Brian Williams), the wishes of the American people, by wide margins.
(6) Speaking of Grover Norquist, are all of you slaves to his "no new taxes under any circumstances" pledge? Are you ready to pledge tonight, to the American people, you will NEVER raise ANY taxes, even if it's to bring down our deficit?
And so it goes. The peeps over at MSNBC are slapping their backs at creating an entertaining spectacle for TV viewers on the right, which should increase their numbers, while scrupulously avoiding the public interest questions which would have turned the wingnuts and MS(NBC) masters (the corporations) against them — see above, questions not asked.
For an idea of the corporatist, Beltway bias of Williams and Harris, one had only to notice how the anti-government privatization questions were, as far as I could tell, all directed at the crazy libertarian in the room, Ron Paul; a perceived gadfly even within his own party.
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Politico With The Midas Touch, Ed Rollins, Quits; Bachmann Campaign Takes Off
Citing "exhaustion" and mission accomplished, Michele Bachmann campaign manager Ed Rollins quit after sufficiently tanking the Bachmann campaign with his sterling advice. "It's a Perry-Romney race," he explained to a starstruck Idiot Punditocracy, that still considers Rollins a ginormous political genius. Said Perry-Romney: "The check's in the mail."
Question: What's one way to tell a media journalist from the Idiot Punditocracy?
Answer: Real journalists read, like, books other than pulp fiction, erotic romance novels, and tweets, on a regular basis. Rachel explains:
Question: What's one way to tell a media journalist from the Idiot Punditocracy?
Answer: Real journalists read, like, books other than pulp fiction, erotic romance novels, and tweets, on a regular basis. Rachel explains:
Here's Some CONTEXT For Rachel
It's not just about the politics of it, Rachel, and making the base angry. You know better than that.
He-e-e-reee's The PRESIDENT! ...
OF THE TEAMSTERS, Jimmy Hoffa. Sorry, I was daydreaming there for a minute ...
When is calling a spade a spade a bad thing? Wingnuts and Teabaggers ARE SONS-A-BITCHES (see my "SCUMBAGS" post, here where the love keeps-a-flowin'), even if Chris Matthews pretends it's offensive to his delicate ears. Now why the hell do Media Matters, Keith, and Big Eddie have to go ruin a perfectly good example of WINGNUT FOX PROPAGANDA with context and the truth!? (Sidebar: What's with Kelly's short hair? Makes her look like a skinned chicken, dumber; must be a functionality thing.)
When is calling a spade a spade a bad thing? Wingnuts and Teabaggers ARE SONS-A-BITCHES (see my "SCUMBAGS" post, here where the love keeps-a-flowin'), even if Chris Matthews pretends it's offensive to his delicate ears. Now why the hell do Media Matters, Keith, and Big Eddie have to go ruin a perfectly good example of WINGNUT FOX PROPAGANDA with context and the truth!? (Sidebar: What's with Kelly's short hair? Makes her look like a skinned chicken, dumber; must be a functionality thing.)
Monday, September 05, 2011
PET PEEVE
For those who've seen the commercial, this is pretty much self-explanatory:
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If you haven't, here's some context:
Eye Candy For Sweet Melissa ...
If this is what Melissa Harris Perry, everyone's favorite guest host at MSNBC, meant by saying President Obama isn't SUPERMAN ... well, maybe you have a point, Melissa.
Henry Cavill as "the man of steel."
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A Tribute To The WORKING CLASS On Labor Day
By Green Day, one of my favorite post-apocalypse bands, words and music by THE MAN, John Lennon.
Wingnuts Are Scumbags. Period.
Or, if you prefer — really really really really really really REALLY SICK CREATURES.
Anyone who thinks we should get along with these ratbastards is a little pokey themselves. As Jefferson said, it's getting close to the time for a little revolution to renew our democracy ... time to dust off grandpa's proverbial pitchfork and storm Count Dracula's castle. This is real class warfare waged by the über-rich against the poor and the middle class. No more tea parlor games. It's time to fight back.
By the way: The stimulus package included several unique provisions, now expired, to decrease the tax liability for 2009 of those on the bottom of the ladder. According to the Center for Tax Policy, the real figure of people not paying federal income taxes is 18 percent. Not 50.
Anyone who thinks we should get along with these ratbastards is a little pokey themselves. As Jefferson said, it's getting close to the time for a little revolution to renew our democracy ... time to dust off grandpa's proverbial pitchfork and storm Count Dracula's castle. This is real class warfare waged by the über-rich against the poor and the middle class. No more tea parlor games. It's time to fight back.
By the way: The stimulus package included several unique provisions, now expired, to decrease the tax liability for 2009 of those on the bottom of the ladder. According to the Center for Tax Policy, the real figure of people not paying federal income taxes is 18 percent. Not 50.
Sunday, September 04, 2011
"Or, Like, A Blender Or Something ..."
President Obama to asthmatics, People with breathing disorders and pulmonary illnesses: "HOLD YOUR BREATH TILL 2013!" ~ From the audacity of gutlessness. (Or, if you prefer, refer to the famous Daily News headline: "FORD TO NEW YORK CITY: etcetc ..." Let Keith spell it out, because some stories are so upsetting (as they should be to progressives and Democrats) that I'm like Keith: "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"
Fridays before, say, a big Holiday weekend, is when the powers-that-be (e.g., the White House) like to dump controversial news (translation, another cave to the ruling Oligarchs and the GOP), in the hopes no one will notice, because, you know, we're all happily firing up our grills and on the road to be with family. No such luck, Jay, we're watching closely. AND WHAT A NEWS DUMP THIS WAS.
Keith is actually kind to the President by not enumerating this administration's ABYSMAL environmental record, having CAVED to the Republicans and the corporate POLLUTERS LOBBY on coal burning plants, offshore drilling, nuclear plant safety, and a whole panoply of environmental issues that actually impact the quality of our lives and health of our people in very real ways. "A majority of our contributors said it was fending off an all-out assault on environmental policies and regulations from Tea Partyers and other conservatives in Congress. " Oops ... Bad timing. That was then (July 25), this is now (September 4) one day after Obama condemned people with life-threatening breathing ailments and illnesses to, well, fend for themselves, and good luck! 'cause the Prez is all about getting re-elected by any means necessary.
Here's the Chicago Tribune, historically a Republican newspaper, reporting on hazardous coal-burning plant pollution in the President's own backyard. When you and your children have to live with it, somehow party labels don't seem so important:
Fridays before, say, a big Holiday weekend, is when the powers-that-be (e.g., the White House) like to dump controversial news (translation, another cave to the ruling Oligarchs and the GOP), in the hopes no one will notice, because, you know, we're all happily firing up our grills and on the road to be with family. No such luck, Jay, we're watching closely. AND WHAT A NEWS DUMP THIS WAS.
Keith is actually kind to the President by not enumerating this administration's ABYSMAL environmental record, having CAVED to the Republicans and the corporate POLLUTERS LOBBY on coal burning plants, offshore drilling, nuclear plant safety, and a whole panoply of environmental issues that actually impact the quality of our lives and health of our people in very real ways. "A majority of our contributors said it was fending off an all-out assault on environmental policies and regulations from Tea Partyers and other conservatives in Congress. " Oops ... Bad timing. That was then (July 25), this is now (September 4) one day after Obama condemned people with life-threatening breathing ailments and illnesses to, well, fend for themselves, and good luck! 'cause the Prez is all about getting re-elected by any means necessary.
Here's the Chicago Tribune, historically a Republican newspaper, reporting on hazardous coal-burning plant pollution in the President's own backyard. When you and your children have to live with it, somehow party labels don't seem so important:
Last graph, emphasis MINE. MEMO TO MSNBC: DO YOUR F-ING JOBS! Is this how much President Obama "cares"— or this?[S]ome power companies already have moved to clean up their coal plants. And supporters note that recent power auctions guarantee there will be enough electricity to meet demand for years after the rule takes effect, even if some older plants are shuttered.
"It is disappointing, irresponsible and coldhearted for the power companies that are operating these plants not to make the sensible, relatively easy and inexpensive changes the (Environmental Protection Agency) is requesting," said Mary Gade, a Chicago lawyer who served as President George W. Bush's regional EPA administrator.
Coal-fired power plants are the biggest man-made source of mercury contamination, one of the last kinds of pollution to be targeted for limits under the federal Clean Air Act. Uncontrolled for years, the pollution is so pervasive that Illinois and 43 other states advise people, especially women of childbearing age and young children, to avoid or limit eating certain types of fish because they often are contaminated with high levels of the toxic metal.
Chicago is a pollution "hot spot" where relatively large amounts of mercury fall, according to EPA research. But there already are signs of improvement since officials in Illinois and other states ordered power companies in the mid-2000s to start limiting mercury pollution.
Nationwide, coal plants emitted about 68,000 pounds of mercury in 2009, down from 94,000 pounds in 2005, according to a Tribune analysis of federal records. The amount of mercury emitted per megawatt hour of electricity generated dropped in all but 11 states.
However, federal officials estimate that about 40 percent of the nation's coal plants still aren't equipped to reduce mercury emissions. That concerns regulators because mercury tends to fall back to earth close to its source and it takes only a small amount to contaminate lakes and streams.
The proposed rule also requires more stringent limits on soot, or fine particles. The EPA estimates that portion of the rule will annually prevent up to 17,000 premature deaths, 11,000 heart attacks and 120,000 asthma attacks.
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