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June 28, 2008
The 'No Attacks Mythology' on Morning Joe
I mentioned this as it was happening yesterday, but C&L has the video of Joe Scarborough and David Gregory trying to pass off the No Attacks Mythology as a way to suggest that the McBushies have been anti-terrorism heroes.
("The No Attacks Mythology" is a chapter in my forthcoming book, One Nation Under Fear.)
05:43 PM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
WTF?!
RALEIGH -- Thanks to some text message-savvy grandchildren, [nearly 10,000] North Carolina drivers whose license plates have the potentially offensive "WTF" letter combination can replace the tags for free.
Awesome. I would keep mine.
05:33 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
This Is A Silly Observation
I used to be a little freaked out by Senator McCain's creepy forced smile.
Until I realized that the smile looks like the frozen grandparents from Weird Science.
09:09 AM | Comments (5) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Grover Norquist Is A Douchebag
“Norquist dropped by The Times’ Washington bureau today and, as part of his negative critique of Obama’s liberal stances on economic issues and other matters, he termed the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee ‘John Kerry with a tan.’”
Grover used to dream about one day drowning government in a bathtub. Quotes like this are partly why Bush Republicans of his ilk are the ones who are drowning.
08:55 AM | Comments (6) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Hugh Hewitt Is A Douchebag
"By the way, I -- I'm still trying to find two tickets to the Ohio State-USC game. And none of the USC people will give up their tickets to me. I'd pay fair price. They -- they know Ohio State's gonna slaughter the Trojans. They know that they're gonna slaughter the Trojans, and therefore they do not want me there at the bloodbath, since it's probably the last football game we'll ever get to see before the United States gets blown up by the Islamists under Obama,"
To put a fine point on the absurdity... The whole United States, Hugh? All of it?
(h/t Sullivan)
08:47 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
MST3K Saturday!
08:29 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
June 27, 2008
Unity
I honestly never thought this event would ever happen. I'm so glad I was wrong.
05:09 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
The Strategy
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe details the state-by-state electoral vote strategy:
Listen to this guy and remember that the campaign's pre-primary delegate projections were spot on.
05:06 PM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
This Is Kinda Scary, No?
It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.
Liars! It's all a myth. Everyone knows Santa Claus would never allow this.
05:00 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
The Gun Thing
I agree with Eugene.
The practical benefits of effective gun control are obvious: If there are fewer guns, there are fewer shootings and fewer funerals. As everyone knows, in the District of Columbia -- and in just about every city in the nation, big or small -- there are far too many funerals. The handgun is the weapon of choice in keeping the U.S. homicide rate at a level that the rest of the civilized world finds incomprehensible and appalling.I realize that the now-defunct D.C. law was unusually comprehensive and restrictive and thus, in the legal sense, offered a bull's-eye for the pro-gun lobby. I also know that the law was easy to attack on grounds of efficacy: Given all the handgun killings in the city, was the ban really having any beneficial impact?
I've always found that gun control is more constitutional and more effective than gun bans. I also believe that it's impossible to end or even curb gun violence when our elected leaders -- our so-called role models -- are too itchy for war, torture and the installation of lazers in space.
04:55 PM | Comments (5) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Open Thread! Go!
An open thread for all of your open thread needs.
04:50 PM | Comments (9) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Holy Crap
I've been meaning to post this. Team CSC's Frank Schleck crashes during the Tour de Suisse.
"Schleck-Schleck-Schleck-Schleck-OOOH!" is right.
10:33 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
The Debates
I love this kind of political news.
The presidential debate commission is recommending that all the debates be podium-free. In two of three debates, the candidates would be seated at a table, and in the third, a town hall debate, they would have stools and be able to walk around to interact with the audience.
More analysis from Jed.
If Senator Obama can polish his debate performance -- not so much what he says, but how he says it -- he could win these debates while running on a treadmill with circus clowns throwing snakes at his head.
08:49 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
The 'No Attacks Mythology'
On Morning Joe the big topic is terrorism and how we "haven't been attacked since 9/11." This is a bogus argument, and I wrote a whole chapter about it in my forthcoming book.
1) We weren't attacked for eight years between the first WTC bombing and 9/11 -- without invading and occupying Iraq; without torture; without suspending habeas; and all the rest of it. And we ended the Clinton years with a budget surplus.
2) We HAVE been attacked both on American soil and off. The anthrax attacks and DC Snipers are considered Islamic terror attacks (do the Americans who were killed in these attacks not count?). Elsewhere, there have been tens of thousands of attacks against Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan alone.
The Bush administration is as incompetent with the war on terror as it has been with everything else.
08:15 AM | Comments (5) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Olbermann, Obama & FISA
Olbermann writing for DailyKos:
Thus, as I phrased it on the air tonight, obviously Obama kicked the left in the teeth by supporting the bill. But anybody who got as hot about this as I did would prefer to see a President Obama prosecuting the telecoms criminally, instead of seeing a Senator Obama engender more "soft on terror" crap by casting a token vote in favor of civil litigation that isn't going to pass since so many other Democrats caved anyway.
Yep. That's exactly right.
UPDATE: Greenwald responds to Olbermann. The times they are a'changing. I'll be writing more about the changing blog/commentary dynamics soon.
08:11 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
Can't. Wait.
06:34 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
June 26, 2008
New Huffington Post Item
The McCain campaign takes fear mongering advice from Bill Kristol. Oh good.
03:29 PM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Obama and Telecom Immunity
I'm not leaning on the panic button yet, but I truly hope that there's some grand strategy behind the Senator's remarks yesterday about telecom immunity.
"The bill has changed. So I don't think the security threats have changed, I think the security threats are similar. My view on FISA has always been that the issue of the phone companies per se is not one that overrides the security interests of the American people."
I don't know that this is confirmation of a 'yea' vote. He could still wiggle out of this. But here's my issue at this point -- and as someone who has enthusiastically and very publicly endorsed the Senator... I strongly object to his repeated use of the words "threats".
Now I'm fully aware of why he has to talk like this. Naturally, it's because a ridiculous number of Americans believe that he's not just weak on terrorism -- but that he actually IS a terrorist. And I understand that he needs a huge mandate in November in order to effectively roll back the crimes of the Bush years, and that includes winning over independents and Republicans who might be worried about the Senator's anti-terror qualifications.
If his FISA posture helps him more effectively win a mandate to roll back the Bush atrocities, well then, maybe that's the silver lining.
UPDATE: This might be the grand strategy: the Obama campaign is aiming to win down-ballot races in red congressional districts. In order to do achieve this, he needs to play more to the center on terrorism. I wish that wasn't the case, but if it helps to secure stronger state- and federal level numbers, I think we can deal for the time being. Remember that the GOP's most dangerous stronghold are some of these down-ballot offices. All the way down to school boards and municipal government offices. More from Benen at C&L.
UPDATE THE SECOND: To clarify the first UPDATE, I don't believe that retroactive immunity or warrantless wiretaps are "centrist" positions. In fact, they're right-wing positions. But when combined with Senator Obama's more liberal positions, it manages to pull him more to the center, which was my point. Also, to be clear, I hate this bill and everything about it. I'm just giving the Senator some latitude here -- so I'm holstering my dissatisfaction until this current chapter plays out.
08:46 AM | Comments (13) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Pisspronunciations
Chris Matthews is obsessed lately with how "exotic and foreign" Senator Obama is, thus reinforcing the fears of the doofus hillbilly vote. And so for the second show in a row, Matthews mixed up the names. Honestly, I don't know if it's deliberate -- but it's really, really unprofessional.
08:12 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
From Colbert's "Project Make McCain Exciting" contest.
07:52 AM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
June 25, 2008
Politics of the Weird
So late last year, Senator Reid went to war against Senator Dodd on FISA. Then, earlier this year, he helped to orchestrate the passage of FISA legislation (in the Senate only) that contained retroactive immunity for the telecoms.
And now, this:
"I am not going to vote for the FISA bill," said the Nevada Democrat. "There are people, Mr. President, who have worked on this FISA matter for three months or more and again the administration worked with them. Did they, on the FISA bill, move enough to make me vote for the bill? The answer is no."
I've been studying politics for most of my life. And I still can't grasp the strategy of stuff like this.
07:09 PM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
McCain Gets A Cover, Too
Background here.
01:29 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
New Rolling Stone Cover
I can't help but to consider... Can you imagine this campaign with Dr. Thompson on the trail?
11:38 AM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca
'I'm tired.'
Ralph Nader was a great man before he went all Bancini from Cuckoo's Nest on us. Now he's saying that Senator Obama is deliberately trying to talk and act "white". Seriously...
"Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn't want to appear like Jesse Jackson? We'll see all that play out in the next few months and if he gets elected afterwards."The Obama campaign had only a brief response, calling the remarks disappointing.
Asked to clarify whether he thought Obama does try to "talk white," Nader said: "Of course."
He continued by repeating over and over, "I'm tired. I'm tired." Seriously, I don't know if he's crazy or exhausted or narcissistic or all three.
10:25 AM | Comments (12) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Tied In Indiana
The tide is turning...
SurveyUSA - Indiana
Obama (D) 48%
McCain (R) 47%
OBAMA!
07:56 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
Thanks, Josh.
06:28 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
June 24, 2008
Yo Bushie! 23 percent!
LA Times/Bloomberg has President Bush's approval at 23 percent. Greasy hypocrite.
And more good news:
In a two-man race between the major party candidates, registered voters chose Obama over McCain by 49% to 37% in the national poll conducted last weekend.
OBAMA!
(h/t)
09:42 PM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Classic 'Worst Person' Segment
"Seriously, Bill. Greasy hypocrite."
I can't stop laughing.
09:35 PM | Comments (4) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Afternoon Awesome
Tom Brokaw... Coming soon to 'Meet the Press'.
12:42 PM | Comments (10) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Disaster Politics
McCain chief strategist Charlie Black:
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December was an “unfortunate event,” says Black. “But his knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasized that this is the guy who’s ready to be Commander-in-Chief. And it helped us.” As would, Black concedes with startling candor after we raise the issue, another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. “Certainly it would be a big advantage to him,” says Black.
Not only was this an unfiltered example of disgraceful fear mongering, but it's also not true. A second major attack under a Republican president won't help the Republicans regardless of their bogus gung-ho lapel pin branding. They've made terrorism worse and it has caused another (hypothetical) attack.
Naturally, Senator McCain's response yesterday was weird.
"I cannot imagine why he would say it. It's not true. I've worked tirelessly since 9/11 to prevent another attack on the United States of America."
So he wasn't apologizing for the crass fear mongering -- the conflating of the election and an attack -- but rather, he was objecting to the idea of an attack in the first place. "It's not true" because the Republicans are awesome on terrorism. Has anyone called McBush on this non-apology apology?
08:55 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
'Slavery By Another Name' Interview
C&L has the video of Bill Moyers interviewing Douglas Blackmon, author of Slavery By Another Name.
08:53 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Alea Iacta Est
WASHINGTON - Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold will not filibuster a compromise version of an electronic surveillance program although he thinks it will infringe on U.S. citizens' civil liberties.Feingold said he and other Senate opponents won't try to stop the vote, but they "won't allow it to pass quickly."
This resonates much more than Senator Obama's remarks from Friday. And it leads me to believe that there's much more to this bill than meets the eye.
08:34 AM | Comments (6) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
New episodes start Sunday.
08:28 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
June 23, 2008
Brokaw Will Host 'Meet the Press'
...until Election Day, that is.
I hope the VP running mates are Pawlenty and Sebelius.
11:00 AM | Comments (9) | Posted By Bob Cesca
George Carlin, 1937-2008
It's a sad day.
LOS ANGELES — Acerbic standup comedian and satirist George Carlin, whose staunch defense of free speech in his most famous routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television" led to a key Supreme Court ruling on obscenity, has died.Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. He was 71.
UPDATE: I think Carlin would have appreciated the childish tone of this alternate lede:
Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs and dirty words, died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Sunday, a spokesman said. He was 71.
Did he ever do an entire "routine" about drugs? I can't think of a single one. And "dirty words"? Is this reporter an infant? I half-expected the next line to mention that Carlin always said "please and thank you" when company was over.
Seriously, anyone who thinks he was just about dirty words missed out on one of the greatest observational thinkers -- philosophers -- of our time.
08:33 AM | Comments (5) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
08:23 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca
June 22, 2008
Awesome Open Thread
Bajasteve suggested it and so it'll now be a regular thing. Thread on!
04:30 PM | Comments (14) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Good Question
"Where are Michelle Obama's feminist defenders?" --GottaLaff
A possible answer: They're too busy supporting Senator McCain who called his wife a c*nt.
09:03 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca
Morning Awesome
(It's an MST3K Weekend.)
06:31 AM | Comments (4) | Posted By Bob Cesca
