Wednesday Stuff

(I’ll try to get back to the “list of 31” I started last night tomorrow.)

In the meantime, I give you more spot-on commentary from former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich (more here)...



...and happy 65th birthday to Arlo Guthrie (and no, I don’t necessarily encourage the behavior in this video from that little outdoor concert in 1969 – and I have to admit that I got a kick out of this).

Tuesday Stuff

There was a time when I once published Emails like this on this site, but I stopped for a variety of reasons. However, I’m going to restart the practice for this one occasion:

Tomorrow will be the 31st opportunity wasted by the GOP.

When they vote to repeal Obamacare for the 31st time, they will be wasting another opportunity to do the work we sent them to Washington to do.

Thirty-one opportunities wasted to pass a jobs bill to put people back to work.

Thirty-one opportunities wasted to side with their constituents, not the insurance companies. 

Thirty-one opportunities wasted to help rebuild the middle class in this country.
Join us in calling on Congress to stop wasting opportunities and get to work.

Thanks,

Will O'Neill
Health Care for America Now

I honestly think that such craven stupidity and slavish patronage to the “pay no price, bear no burden” investor class calls for special recognition. So, what I’m planning to do in response is to profile 31 U.S. House Republicans who have done what they can to stand in the way of health care reform (no rhyme or reason about the order, by the way). I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to do this, but I thought I might as well get started now.

So, without any further ado, I give you Number 31 – Marsha Blackburn, who, judging from this, apparently has no trouble with her party taking meaningless votes to repeal health care reform every day.

I think that calls for the following video in response (as I keep pointing out, there are numbskulls out there who actually vote for this hairdo)…

Update 8/9/12: Too funny...

Update 8/23/12: I somehow neglected to mention this item from Blackburn earlier.

Update 9/1/12: Just add this to the pile - unbelievable (but typical for Blackburn).

Update 10/1/12: Lather, rinse, repeat (here)...

Update 10/30/12: And just add this to the pile also.

Update 1 1/14/13: Wonder why Blackburn is the first person to come to mind on this list? Here is a reason (I know I'm repeating myself, but I don't want to imagine the life forms that actually vote for her).

Update 2 1/14/13: And a bag of each is still smarter than you are (here)...

Update 6/2/13: How about if Blackburn set an example and took a pay cut based on this?

...and perhaps if she'd had the presence of mind, she would try to sing this in response (well, maybe the title anyway).

Monday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

RIP Ernest Borgnine (I thought this was a nice remembrance) – among other things, he racked up a bunch of service commendations from the Navy during WWII, and he also beat the you-know-what out of that skinny kid from Hoboken in “From Here to Eternity” (I read once that the movie role of "Marty" was turned down by Rod Steiger, and Borgnine sure ran with it, I'd say); I thought he had a great cameo role in “The Dirty Dozen” too, and what else can you say about a guy who played Mermaid Man (along with Tim Conway as Barnacle Boy) on “Spongebob”?...



...returning to politics, it looks like Willard Mitt is making all nice with the Koch brothers (big surprise, I know)...



...which of course is part of this (here)...



...and I never thought I’d want to use this tune in a political context, but I guess it does fit a bit concerning the Repug presidential nominee, so here it is (from that pipe pants-wearin’, Dippity-Do decade).

Saturday Stuff

Yeah, I would say that Stephanie Miller’s powerful story undoes a whole lot of wingnut garbage about health care reform (here – and never lose sight of the fact that all of it would be abolished under Republican “governance”...I think it’s shocking that she’ll be on probation for a year with her new employer, but companies pull this stuff now because they can get away with it completely, with almost no push back whatsoever)...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

...and I kind of always associated this song with summer, so here it is.

Friday Stuff

(I promise to stop hating on Blogger for a little while – even though I checked out the template HTML and realized that I can’t do a goddamn thing with it, I have to admit that it’s pretty badass to see the site on my smartphone now...now all I have to do is create intelligent content :-).

However, turning about 180 degrees in the direction of stupidity, I give you the following instead (sooo, it looks like Thad McCotter, after witnessing his presidential primary candidacy going up in flames...and how sad is it to lose to Former Senator Man-On-Dog, Baby Newton Leroy and that misogynist pizza guy anyway...decided to make a borderline porn/white trash video in response?).

A fitting way to end the public life of the numbskull who brought us the following (I used to call him “Mad Thad” and I was only joking – guess I was serious after all, huh?)...

...and please be careful with the heat over the next few days, OK?

Thursday Stuff

Looks like our beloved commonwealth made the national news again, but not in a good way of course (more here - interesting that, as big of a story as this is, I couldn't find a video; don't wake our corporate media stenographers...rock-a-bye baby; maybe Russia Today will have something, or Al Jazeera, and no, I'm not kidding...)...

...and there are a few songs I could think of that come to mind in response, but I’ll take this one.

Happy July Fourth

Here is a musical selection for the occasion (sorry, no video)...



...and there's always an excuse for "prog" rock, including today (no video here either - sorry again).

Tuesday Stuff

(Here are more vids from my hideous new blog, courtesy of those numbskulls at Blogger :-(...

RIP Andy Griffith, an American icon who did us a political favor here, among his other accomplishments (if only the Dems had pitched the Affordable Care Act as “Medicare for all” – sigh)...

...and I would say that Number 44 is on the proverbial beam here, as opposed to Willard Mitt...

...and I don’t know what on earth came over Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder here, vetoing three bills to combat the thoroughly non-existent scourge of “voter fraud,” but I think he actually deserves some credit – however, this tells us why we shouldn’t be so quick to forgive...

...and here’s a catchy little summer tune.

Sunday Stuff

No, this site hasn’t been absorbed by MSNBC or The Ed Show or something – I accidentally clicked some button on Blogger’s whiz-bang new interface, and this is the new layout. I tried to revert to the old format, but I haven’t had any luck (got a bunch of error messages about malware or something from Blogorama, which I linked to from the old site). At least I could save my old template HTML, so it looks like, at some point, I’ll have to reconstruct this site. I’m definitely not in love with this new layout, I can tell you that, but I don’t have time to play with new templates and hack around with custom HTML at the moment. I’ll keep you informed of any new developments (OK, so much for the “meta” BS).

In the meantime, I give you the following (here) concerning that supposedly fine, upstanding Roman Catholic Repug U.S. House Rep Paul Ryan (which brings to mind this clip – God, how many ways is K.O. missed)…



 …and I think this almost sublime bit of absurdity from Sen. Mr. Elaine Chao calls for the following video in response (take a bow, all you Kentuckian knuckleheads who keep sending this thoroughly compromised shill back to D.C. over and over and over – sorry, no video).

Saturday Stuff

Yep, still waiting for the apology, Billo, you moron (here)...
 


Update 7/3/12: Credit where it's due, sort of...

...and a couple of days ago marked the 110th birthday of legendary composer Richard Rodgers, a man responsible for many memorable show tunes, including this one done by Elvis and the Jordanaires.
 

Friday Stuff

While the wingnutosphere continues to erupt over the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care law, I would ask that you keep in mind at least some of what Rachel Maddow tells us here in this report from last night...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

...as well as President Obama himself here...



...and Jon Stewart weighed in here...

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

...and with the temperature spiking up, it seems that this tune is apropos once more.

Thursday Stuff

(I also posted here about today’s top story.)

Before I include anything about the Supreme Court’s upholding of the individual mandate, and pretty much the rest of the Affordable Care Act (including the shocking inclusion of Hangin’ Judge JR with the 5-4 majority), I should bring you this note (backgrounder here) about more non-governance from the U.S. House Repug “leadership,” and by extension, Mikey the Beloved (how utterly predictable and pathetic, kind of like this – and by the way, more like this in response)...

 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

...and I thought this was a nice little primer on the Affordable Care Act...



 ...and I also thought Lawrence O’Donnell made some good points here...



 ...and in a related story, as they say, this little dedication goes out to that sleazy weasel Eric Cantor for this.

 

Wednesday Stuff

“Damn that Obama – do you know I had to pay $4.60 a gallon to gas up the Doomsymobile? And it cost me over $50 to fill my bloody tank! What’s next, odd/even-day rationing and a return to hyperinflation?”

 ...

Uh, oops – sorry, I nodded off and must have had a bad dream (more here – and this apropos tune comes from the ‘70s, when we went through the real thing, for those of you who have to use that Google thingie to find that out...and by the way, please take note that the price of gas started to climb for real during the “oughts” – now let me think, who was president back then?)...
 


 ...and for no particular reason, I’ll now continue my theme of angst-ridden young love with this little number (works out in the end, though - ain't that nice?).

 

Tuesday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

RIP Nora Ephron, a gifted and insightful author and filmmaker who gave us this, among many other memorable moments…

…and I was searching for a summer love song depicting teen angst (been there, done that), and I came up with this…I guess this works.

Monday Stuff

Or, as Lewis Black might say, "And another American family is destroyed" (here)...



 ...and here is an example of faith in action doing what it's supposed to do as far as I'm concerned (and isn't this a predictable response)...



 ...and this sad but predictable story brings to mind the following tune...

 

 ...and happy 60th birthday to Tim Finn.

 

Sunday Stuff

OK, I’m back, and I’m going to try and fire this up again with more crappy videos.

And it looks like I’ll be picking up where I left off with Willard Mitt Romney and his affinity for the “hoi polloi” (oh, but our corporate media can’t possibly be impertinent enough to actually call him on it, as noted here, even though Martin Bashir, as per usual, has no trouble speaking truth to stoo-pid)…

…and before I took a break, I forgot to wish a happy birthday to Sir Paul, so please allow me to do so now (and this is a bit of Beatles-related news also – a sad note at that).

Sunday Stuff

Happy Father’s Day – here is a good tune, though an unhappy one...



...but this is a bit more tongue-in-cheek (featuring a neat solo by Sonny Landreth).



And with that, I take my leave of you all for about a week (excuse: vacation).

Courage.

Update 6/17/12: This is simply too awesome to ignore - genius indeed.



Update 6/18/12: Almost out of here, but even though it's completely off-topic, allow me to extend happy 70th birthday wishes to Roger Ebert (currently reading "Life Itself," and my thumb, as it were, is half way on it...parts of it are terrific, but I think other parts needed work - not done yet, though).

Saturday Stuff

Once more, I give you The Eternal George Carlin, bad words and all (including my latest credo)...

...and among other things, this clip of Jon Stewart commenting on Jamie Dimon (with, yet again, Stewart showing more guts than our media sycophants plying their dark art at “news” organizations with initials for names) demonstrates what a clueless moron Jim DeMint truly is (but yet again, as I always say, there are life forms out there who actually vote for this boob)...

...and if you want to do something about Bob Corker, the other numbskull appropriately lampooned by Stewart, click here...

...and after yesterday, the young one can sing this song for real - maybe a little tongue in cheek considering the Carlin clip (can't totally forgive Alice for swinging with Dubya in '04, but it's still a free country I know).

More Thursday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

By the way (and once again), Happy Flag Day...

Flag Day: A History in Flags with Fred Willard from Fred Willard      

..and to me, what Peter Cappelli has to say here isn’t so shocking (h/t Crooks and Liars), since it pretty much reinforces what I and many others knew all along. What is shocking is that it’s coming from a Wharton professor (better make sure he doesn’t get sent back to the Glenn “Give It Your Best Shot” Hubbard factory of conservative economic thought, where the peons get the pizza scraps and our Galtian overlords get to recline in their barcaloungers while enjoying brandy and cigars)...



...and I don’t consider this to be shocking either – kudos to Michigan State Rep Lisa Brown (more here)...

...and kudos also to The Real Joe Walsh for this – seems like a tune is in order.

Thursday Stuff

Yep, “Romney Economics” sure stink, all right...

...and I think this is a neat little number in honor of what we observe today (and yes, I forgot for awhile too – recorded in 2004 at the Philadelphia Folk Festival by, as far as I’m concerned, the most musical ex-mailman of all time...yep, it still works, John).

Wednesday Stuff

I haven’t read a column like this one today by Arianna Huffington that is this depressing in a long, long time. And we all owe her a debt for writing it.

See, it has to do with how our “friend” Nouri al-Maliki (remember him?) in Iraq (remember there?) is all buddies now with Iran. And how it turns out that, if these eternally-wrong-in-their-cowardly-warmongering conservatives had their way, we would end up fighting both of them if we preemptively went after Iran (with “pre-emptive war” having worked so beautifully in the prior decade).

So, for Liz Cheney and the rest of her foul breed, I thought it apropos to recall this clip from Keith Olbermann (and featuring Rachel Maddow before her own show); even though he may never be on TV again, K.O.'s outsized body of work continues to live on in the blogosphere (and I still dislike that word, but I can’t think of a better one)...

Update 6/14/12: "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."

...and I’ve never been completely sold on these guys musically (though their politics rock!), and I don’t usually go in for kids in these tunes because I think it can be exploitative, but I thought this was a catchy number (sorry, no video).

Tuesday Stuff

The truth hurts, doesn’t it, Willard Mitt (here)...

...and happy 35th birthday to Kenny Wayne Shepherd (trying to branch out musically a bit).

Monday Stuff

Looks like Glenn “Give It Your Best Shot” Hubbard (and econ adviser to Willard Mitt Romney, of course) is in the news again, as noted here (and as usual, not for a good reason; so much for stopping at the water's proverbial edge)...

...and I tried to find a good song about L.A. in honor of hockey’s new royalty – hope this will do.

Sunday Stuff

Kudos to Martin Bashir for calling out Little Timmeh for being a Beltway sycophant (here - and by the way, the private sector REALLY IS DOING FINE)…

…and by the way, speaking of the insufferable status quo, I happened to come across this item featuring another hand-wringing liberal, albeit one who put his money where his proverbial mouth is (h/t Atrios), and I have a few reactions.

The author apologizes for engaging the wingnutosphere on their stupidity and thus indirectly validating their talking points. Sorry, but I don’t automatically consider that to be validation. The miscreants on the right do their very best to poison our political dialogue, and we’re supposed to just let their crap go unanswered?

The problem with that thinking is that it utterly ignores the so-called “independent voters” who, basically, decide our elections any more and are prone to believe this stuff as gospel because they make up their minds about ten seconds before they enter the voting booth (not in all cases, though, I'll admit). And another problem isn’t that we engaged the right-wing crap poisoning our dialogue – the real problem is that it went unanswered for so long that it became enshrined as “conventional wisdom” (The Sainted Ronnie R and his “welfare queens,” Bob Casey Sr. being denied the opportunity to speak at the Democratic National Convention in 1992 supposedly because he was pro-life, Al Gore claiming he invented the Internet…all of that garbage).

Yes, the Democratic Party needs to do a better job of explaining why A CARBON TAX IS A GOOD THING, and THE DREAM ACT IS A GOOD THING, and THE STIMULUS WAS A GOOD THING, and THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IS A GOOD THING, and on and on and on. But that’s because what passes for the Democratic Party “leadership” these days doesn’t have the spine that it should have inherited from its predecessors such as FDR, Harry Truman, JFK, LBJ, Jimmy Carter, etc., not because some impertinent left-wing bloggers such as yours truly take it upon themselves to speak truth to bullshit.

…and this song comes to me when I think of this wretched 112^th Congress (typo at the end, by the way).

Saturday Stuff

Lawrence O’Donnell brings us an important history lesson here, and when you recall everything he says, it only emphasizes how small, petty and callow Willard Mitt Romney truly is (and commendable introspection on O’Donnell’s part, by the way)…

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

…and happy belated birthday to Boz Scaggs.

(And please, no fanfare by my 6,000^th post – never thought I’d see 100 for a time, actually.)

Friday Stuff

Can’t improve upon this, ladies and gentlemen (but before we chortle too much over #1 in the clip, be advised that a certain Barack Hussein Obama signed into law legislation allowing guns in our parks – sooo, why exactly is that wasteoid Ted Nugent all POed again?)......



...and speaking of guns (God, will this country ever learn?)...



...and I now give you the latest lies from Willard Mitt Romney (and what priorities too - in a related vein, I give you this from Professor Krugman)...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

...and best wishes to Sheryl Crow – hope all goes well with her health.

Thursday Stuff

(I also caught a bit of a break and posted here.)

So let’s see, we’ve gone from Willard Mitt the dog abuser to Willard Mitt the school bully – now, apparently, we have Willard Mitt the police impersonator too?

I’m not concerned about Romney. However, I am concerned about the slime from the other side…

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

…and RIP Bob Welch, a sadly apropos tune from my second-favorite Fleetwood Mac album (what a waste – my condolences to family and friends).

Wednesday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

Gosh, I though Norm Orenstein and Thomas Mann were fixtures on the Sunday morning gab fests – see what happens when you tell the truth in D.C. pundit land? The only show that will book you belongs to that troops-hating pinko Chris Hayes (removing my tongue from my cheek)…

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

...and yeah, Hosni Mubarak Walker’s pals outspent the Dems and he remained as governor – we came up short, but there’s no percentage in doing nothing (this tune comes to mind for yours truly).

Monday Stuff

It comes down to tomorrow, people (here) – let’s make this happen for no other reason than to stick it to George Will and the rest of the Beltway media elite, chortling at those impolite public sector employees while they enjoy their Bordeaux and pass the sweet and sour shrimp by the Potomac...

...and I think this is a neat tune, even if there is no video (possibly with this in mind?).

More Saturday Stuff

I’m so glad that this nasty business about Bain Capital has been cleared up (including President Clinton). Aren’t you...

Bain Capital - We're Not So Bad! - watch more funny videos      

...and keyboardist Billy Powell of Lynyrd Skynyrd would have been 60 tomorrow (I guess "Free Bird" would have been more representative, but I'm keen to add this instead).

Saturday Stuff

Rachel Maddow explains why the biggest “abortion,” in this country, if you will, is the Repug U.S. House “leadership” (as I and others have said too many times to count, there are people out there who actually vote for Boehner, Cantor et al)...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

...and yeah, I think this tune fits when considering these imbeciles dancing to the string-pulls of their corporate puppet masters (in another context I'll admit - not too comfortable with the borderline misogyny of this vid, even though the tune kicks ass).

Friday Stuff

It’s really hard for me to get mad at this guy, but I have to admit that I’m starting to do that.

Fresh off doing everything he could possibly do to sink the Democratic primary candidacy of Patrick Murphy for Attorney General (solely for a political payback), Bill Clinton (based on this) has returned to tells his centrist Beltway Democratic pals to LEAVE BAIN CAPITAL ALOOOONE, and then to be SHOCKED, just SHOCKED over lefty criticism for doing so.

Repealing Glass-Steagall was your idea, Number 42. Defense of Marriage Act? Signed into law under your watch. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell too. Extraordinary rendition? It started to expand in your term, Big Dog.

Yes, it’s possible that our economy actually performed the way it’s supposed to for the last time (love to be wrong) while you resided in An Oval Office. But that doesn’t give you carte blanche for saying (and doing) any stupid crap you want...

...and happy 65th birthday to Ron Wood (and if ever there was an apropos tune to conclude this week for yours truly, it’s this one – and speaking of that war, I thought this was an inspiring story).

Thursday Stuff

(I also posted here.)

I wasn’t going to put this up, but I feel like I have to in response to this (keep it up, wingnuts)...

...and definitely a tongue-in-cheek selection from yours truly here (long story).

Wednesday Stuff

Yeah, he sure is, as noted here (along with Kasich, Snyder, Daniels, Governor Bully, Hosni Mubarak Walker, Brownback, Lex Luthor Scott, LePage, Martinez, Nikki Haley, Bobby ("Don't Call Me Piyush") Jindal, and on and on and on)...

Update 6/5/12: OK, so let’s see now, our Space Cadet governor calls here for “shared sacrifice” to be meted out to beloved commonwealth’s 75,000 public employees…but here, it’s more Free Money For Rich Oil Guys! Bitchin’!!

...and RIP Doc Watson.

Tuesday Stuff

Would I have spoken the words that Chris Hayes did about our military (before he apologized)? No. But funny thing – last I checked, free speech was still legal in this country (here).

Besides, I’m sure most of the people complaining have no idea that he has brought us intelligent commentary and reporting, like this (like to know who was laughing at Nadler – I guarantee you he took notice)...

...and yes, it does feel that way, doesn’t it?

More Monday Stuff

Considering that the jury in the OMIGOD JOHN EDWARDS IS SUCH A HORRIBLE PERSON AND OF COURSE HE’S GUILTY OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE VIOLATIONS FOR PAYING OFF HIS MISTRESS AND THEIR CHILD WITH ILLEGAL MONEY has been deliberating for five days and still hasn’t reached a verdict (allowing for the holiday weekend), is it too early for filthy unkempt liberal blogger types such as yours truly to say that prosecuting Edwards on these charges was a REALLY, REALLY STUPID IDEA AND A WASTE OF MONEY??!!

Yes, that could all change tomorrow. And yes, it’s true that Edwards is guilty in the court of public opinion of really scummy behavior. But there are politicians out there guilty of scummy behavior who have paid no price whatsoever when it comes to their jobs (see Vitter, Dave). And for the reasons Rachel Maddow reminds us of here, The Supreme Court of Hangin’ Judge JR is a hell of a lot more guilty of campaign finance abuse than Edwards ever could be (assuming he isn’t innocent)...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Update 5/30/12: Once more - uh, yep.

Update 5/31/12: Finally over - hallelujah!

...and I don’t know about you, but I’m in the mood for a bit of hippie-dippie social consciousness, so here goes.

Monday Stuff

Happy Memorial Day...



...and yes, even though pictures are allowed now of our fallen heroes returning to Dover, I think this song is still timely as long as we’re at war, which, sadly, we still are.

Sunday Stuff

Bill Maher ended up articulating a lot of what I think about the Obama Administration the other day, even though I’ll support Number 44 of course...



...and here’s a nice summer tune with an important message at the end.

Friday Stuff

(By the way, for what it’s worth, I also posted here – don’t expect that to become a habit, by the way.)

Rachel Maddow gives us a whole bunch of background on Willard Mitt Romney and his “unforced errors,” as she quite rightly puts them (God, I wish our corporate media would pay a fraction of the attention to the campaign as she does here – I didn’t know Maddow once lived in Philly).

Yep, the news organizations with initials for names continue to ignore Romney’s bonehead pronouncements, much like they did of a former Texas governor in 2000...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

...and Sunday marks the 67th birthday of Bruce Cockburn – hope it’s a good one.

Thursday Stuff

Just a reminder that Hosni Mubarak Walker's state is dead last in job creation (here)...



...and here's a tidy little number for the kids (how come a lot of these "relationship" songs end up with someone in a bathtub :-).

Wednesday Stuff

Martin Bashir, sitting in for Lawrence O’Donnell, quite rightly ridicules the Repugs and their “women’s caucus,” or whatever (trying to play women like the Repugs try to play the Teahadists, the elderly, the poor, kids, Catholics, immigrants, and on and on and on).

And by the way, I have issues with the veep myself, mainly his support of that horrific bankruptcy law when he was the Senator from MBNA along with Carper, but I think it’s really a stretch for Melissa Harris-Perry to go back to the Anita Hill hearings to slam him (and speaking of issues affecting women mainly but families generally, I give you this despicable development in our beloved commonwealth)...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

...and I think this video fits the occasion; I hope you agree.

Tuesday Stuff

Nothing to see here, people, just a dead steel contractor – move along (here...beyond belief; what country am I living in again? Any by the way, I also posted here.)...

...and here’s another tune without a video.

Monday Stuff

Ed Schultz and I give you Cory Booker, sellout, along with info on how that Keynan Muslim Marxist pre-zee-zint supposedly doesn’t know anything about bidness (and isn’t this interesting about Booker, by the way...didn't see Rachel Maddow with Booker yet, but I'll check it out)…

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

…and with this bit of idiocy in mind, I give you the following.

Sunday Stuff

It’s happening again, people.

You know, when our corporate media decides to portray a Republican presidential candidate as someone whose faith supposedly dictates his decision making and/or his approach to governance.

The New York Times devoted entirely too many column inches today on how Willard Mitt Romney practices his Mormonism on the campaign trail, how he supposedly did the same when running Bain Capital, how he supposed did the same when he was governor of Massachusetts, etc (sorry, no linkee).

And for a reminder as to why this is dangerous, I give you the following from here…

During those private interviews, (former French President) Jacque Chirac had purportedly confessed to the journalist some personal remarks regarding the faith of George W. Bush that seemed quite daunting. He told the journalist that the latter called him twice beseeching him basically, in the name of their common “spiritual faith”, i.e., “Christianity”, to join the collective effort of the coalition being formed to wage a preemptive war against Iraq. In his first telephonic call he reportedly said to Jacque Chirac: “Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East” and then added that “the biblical prophecies are being fulfilled”. Bewildered, Jacque Chirac did not react immediately. He knew that Bush was somehow religious but could never have thought that the president of the world only superpower was as mysteriously warmhearted to the complex intricacies of the Scriptures as he seemed to be. When a day later George W. Bush pronounced the mysterious words in a conference about the “axis of evil” (the word “evil” was inserted by the evangelical speechwriter Michael Gerson, the original term coined by another staff writer, the Canadian Jew David Frum, was “axis of hatred”), the Elysée decided secretly to consult an expert or biblical scholar about the issue.


In order to avoid any possible leak in France, they decided to outsource or solicit the service of a discreet and prominent outsider instead of a local expert more prone to indiscretion. It was Thomas Römer, professor of Theology at the University of Lausanne, who was called upon to clarify, for the occasion, the biblical mystery at stake. His report was chilling: Gog, prince of Magog, is merely the Apocalypse.

Oh, but Dubya was a cowboy, wasn’t he? But Romney’s a pragmatist who could never engage in such theatrics.

Yeah, right.

And this makes me recall the following recent observations by Bill Maher about Romney and religion (bad word at the end)…

…and I had this tune in mind also today upon reading this story (before Kenny Rogers was “The Gambler” – should hear this tune a lot more on the oldies station).

Saturday Stuff

Hey, remember that ultra-stupid right wing talking point about how African Americans wouldn’t support marriage equality since, well…I mean, everybody knows that African Americans are more culturally conservative than white people, right?

Wrong (here, and Paul Broun remains as big a bonehead as ever…kudos to Rep. John Lewis, and a pox on Andrea Mitchell and her alleged disconnect about “many African Americans” and marriage equality)…

Update 5/23/12: Uh, yep.

…and by the way, aren’t you glad you use Dial? Don’t you wish everybody did? J

Friday Stuff

Ever wonder how Willard Mitt Romney got so stinking rich? Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich explains (and yes, I know it’s no crime in and of itself to be worth a lot of money, blah blah blah).

(Also, I know I said something earlier about shutting down for technical issues, but that will come later than I thought, as it turns out, for anyone keeping score at home.)...

…and I can think of no more appropriate tune as an accompaniment than this one (and by the way, RIP Chuck Brown).

Thursday Stuff

Time to hold Hosni Mubarak Walker responsible, people (more here)…

…and RIP Donna Summer – hardly a disco fan, but I am a fan of great talent.

Wednesday Stuff

I’m probably about five and a half months early for this, but here it is anyway...

...and inspired loosely (very loosely) from the latest post from here, I give you the following (time for a change of pace).

Tuesday Stuff

Once again, I give you the wisdom of Seth MacFarlane via Peter Griffin (well, Brian mainly)…

…and this song reminds me a bit of a nightmare I once had after I saw too many 8mm films in phys ed class one day…and no, I was never in charge of working the projector.

Monday Stuff

I give you more for the sorry file of Willard Mitt Romney, all-but-named Repug presidential nominee, as noted here (and please take note that Number 44 stands up and lets us know who is behind this bit of truth-telling, as opposed to Karl Rove, American Crossroads or whatever, and ALEC and the “U.S.” Chamber of Commerce, among other Citizens United beneficiaries)…

…and RIP Donald “Duck” Dunn.

Sunday Stuff

(By the way, this blog is probably going to shut down for a little while starting about Tuesday due to technical issues. I’m not sure how long it will be out of commission. When I know more, so will you.)

Putting aside the fact that Grover Norquist shouldn’t show his face in respectable company anywhere on the planet (and it was strangely entertaining watching Margaret Hoover trying not to laugh too hard lest her conservative puppet masters decide to send her back to the factory), I have to say that this was a pretty good “New Rules” segment from Bill Maher…

…and given last week’s revelations about a certain Willard Mitt Romney, I think this song is appropriate.