Oscar night open thread. Update!

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Tonight is the night of the Academy awards, or as my daughter says "The best night of the whole year!"

I thought since she will be calling me all night to yell about her favorite movies not getting the Oscar I would provide all of you a similar venue to express your confusions, frustrations, or joy at the winners.

Here is the list of nominees for those of who are not movie addicts like my daughter and I.

1. Best picture: "Amour," "Argo," "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Django Unchained," "Les Misérables," "Life of Pi," "Lincoln," "Silver Linings Playbook," "Zero Dark Thirty." 

2. Actor: Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"; Hugh Jackman, "Les Misérables"; Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"; Denzel Washington, "Flight." 

3. Actress: Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"; Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"; Quvenzhané Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; Naomi Watts, "The Impossible." 

4. Supporting actor: Alan Arkin, "Argo"; Robert De Niro, "Silver Linings Playbook"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"; Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"; Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained." 

5. Supporting actress: Amy Adams, "The Master"; Sally Field, "Lincoln"; Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"; Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"; Jacki Weaver, "Silver Linings Playbook." 

6. Directing: Michael Haneke, "Amour"; Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"; Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"; Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"; David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook." (There are more nominees at the link,)

I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I have only seen a few of these movies, since my usual movie fare involves car chases, things that go bum pin the night, and superheroes.

However I have seen "Lincoln," "Les Miserables," and "Life of Pi" so I am not completely in the dark.

Since I have seen so few I really cannot make much of a prediction as to who might, or might not, win.

But I will say that for Best Picture Lincoln" has set a ridiculously high bar for others to reach in order to take that prize away from Spielberg.

So go ahead put on your best party dress. open that special bottle of champagne, and let's enjoy a night of star studded movie magic.

Wait, is Seth MacFarlane really the host?



Oh well forget the champagne and party dress, I think a bottle of room temperature Miller Lite and comfy pajamas will suffice.

Let the festivities begin!

Update: Jennifer Lawrence on her way to receive her best actress Oscar.

Don't worry she recovered well.

This young woman is going to be a huge star in the very near future.

Four year old finds father's gun with predictable, and heartbreaking, result.

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Courtesy of Raw Story:

 A 4-year-old boy in Houston died early Sunday morning after finding his father’s handgun and shooting himself in the stomach. 

Houston Police Sgt. Harris told KTRK that 4-year-old Jaiden Pratt’s weekend with his father, 23-year-old Marquez Pratt, ended in tragedy. The father and son had gone to sleep on the couch. After waking up, Jaiden picked up the gun and accidentally fired a round into his own stomach. 

Paramedics tried to revive child, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. 

“This is not a case of a responsible homeowner having a weapon for protection,” Harris said. 

According to the Houston Chronicle, the serial number of the handgun was listed as stolen. Marquez Pratt was expected to face charges resulting from drugs and several weapons found in the home.

Of course the 2nd Amendment crowd will point out that this was a stolen gun and therefore gun laws that affect the ability of law abiding citizens to purchase and own firearms would have little effect. But I disagree.

You see I think that once you go through a background check and take possession of a firearm it is your responsibility, until you have either sold it in lawful manner (Complete with insisting that the purchaser have the gun registered in their name) or until you die.

In other words EVERY crime or accident that occurs with the weapons stolen out of your house, if it is discovered that you did not do EVERYTHING in your power to keep that from happening, should open you up to both criminal and civil legal proceedings.

No more of this, "Well officer that gun was stolen out of my house so I am not responsible for how it was used." If you are responsible enough to own a weapon, then by the gods you should be responsible enough to maintain control over that weapon.

I can guarantee you that if we had laws like that on the books there would be a HELL of a lot less guns sold, and a a whole HELL of a lot fewer guns stolen. Which also means less crime, and fewer terrible accidents like this one.

Michelle Obama steals the show at last night's Academy Awards celebration. Conservatives pissy as usual.

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I am sorry about showing you a video that comes from Glenn Beck's lunatic Right Wing website The Blaze, but sadly that was the best video I could find of the event.

Here is the text of her speech:

“Welcome to the White House, everyone. I am so honored to help introduce this year’s nominees for best picture, and to help celebrate the movies that lift our spirits, broaden our minds, and transport us to places we have never imagined…“These 9 movies took us back in time and all around the world. They made us laugh, they made us weep, and they made us grip our arm rests just a little tighter. They taught us that love can endure against all odds, and transform our lives in the most surprising ways. And they reminded us that we can overcome any obstacle if we dig deep enough and fight hard enough and find the courage to believe in ourselves. These lessons apply to all of us no matter who we are, or what we look like, or who we love…”

Of course the First Lady's appearance did not sit too well with the conservatives who have already started to bitch about it.

First this from the same website from which I got this video:

Oh My God: The Academy actually drafts First Lady Michelle Obama to help present Best Picture from presumably the White House? So unnecessary and inappropriate to inject politics into the Oscars yet again. Hollywood will get pilloried by conservative pundits tomorrow. I don’t understand this very obvious attempt to turn off right-leaning audiences. Clearly the studios only want to sell their movies to half of America.

Yes because as we know the Obama's are only the President and First Lady for half of the American people, right?

But wait, there's more: 

Has a First Lady ever intruded on Oscar night in such fashion? My memory says no, but it's possible this isn't the first time. It is, however, typical of a White House operation that excels in glamour over substance, that feels compelled to enter every public space from sporting events to late night shows to even the biggest night of the year for Hollywood. 

Yes, the Obamas owe Tinsel Town plenty for all their support - financial and promotional - during the 2012 election. But there's simply no reason for Michelle Obama to be given the biggest assignment on Oscar night. 

Conservative viewers, if there were any left by the time the show wrapped, will not soon forget this.

And of course the Washington Post weighed in as well:

It is not enough that President Obama pops up at every sporting event in the nation. Now the first lady feels entitled, with military personnel as props, to intrude on other forms of entertaining (this time for the benefit of the Hollywood glitterati who so lavishly paid for her husband’s election). I’m sure the left will holler that once again conservatives are being grouchy and have it in for the Obamas. Seriously, if they really had their president’s interests at heart, they’d steer away from encouraging these celebrity appearances. It makes both the president and the first lady seem small and grasping. In this case, it was just downright weird.

You know considering the fact that three of the nine nominees for Best Picture had overtly political themes (Lincoln, Argo, and Zero Dark Thirty) it seemed to me oddly fitting that the First Lady be the one to hand out the award. And like, am sure, most Americans I really enjoyed seeing Michelle Obama participate.

However with that being said, the fact that it ticks the Righties off so much just makes her appearance at the awards even more awesome.

Let's face it, both this President and his First Lady are going to be a hard act to follow. Especially for any uptight, repressed conservatives that might want to hold those positions in the future.

Update: By the way it looks like Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence has a message for those Right Wing critics of the First Lady's presentation.

 You know I am liking this young woman more and more every day.

By the way speaking of awards, the Oscars weren't the only big trophies given out yesterday. "Big" being a relative term.

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Here is a picture of the Toad holding his trophy for coming in fifth place in the Iron Dog, that was found on Chuck Heath Jr's Facebook page.

Apparently the fifth place win came not only with that nifty little trophy, but also $10,000.

But before Todd had a chance to blow it all on prostitutes and Viagra, his wife stepped in and announced to the world (Or at least the morons who still follow her on Facebook) that Todd was giving the money to a charity that reinforces her Right Wing credibility.

From Palin's Facebook page:

Todd's race winnings are donated to The Chris Kyle Memorial Fund. For the kids and me, we're proud of our Iron Dogger, especially his dedication to family and freedom. 

- Sarah Palin

Damn and this is the first money Todd has earned on his own in months! Oh well, I am sure Palin made it up to him by letting him hold the balls that she ripped off of him yeas ago and keeps in that little purse she carries.

"Here Todd, touch them. Remember what it was like to be a real man? Well, now you can just hand them back and get those thoughts right out of your head. Cause your ass belongs to me!"

Study finds that most mass shootings target women and families, and are perpetrated by men with legally purchased weapons.

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Courtesy of Alternet:

A new analysis of 56 mass shootings across America since 2009 finds women and family members are the most frequent victims, and that the shooter almost always acquired his guns legally, in cases where the gun source is known. 

“In at least 32 of the cases (57 percent), the shooter killed a current or former spouse or intimate partner or other family member, and at least eight of those shooters had a prior domestic violence charge,” the Mayors Against Illegal Guns report on mass shootings said, suggesting that the problem of gun violence is far more related to violence against women in homes than rampages in public settings such as schools and theaters. 

The study also found that in the cases where the source of the guns was known, almost all were acquired legally: only two examples were given of mass killings with a stolen or illegal gun. That finding runs counter to the gun lobby’s oft-cited rhetoric that only criminals abuse guns. 

“We had sufficient evidence to judge whether the shooter was a prohibited gun possessor in 42 of the 56 incidents,” the report said, referring to laws barring ex-felons, mentally ill people, drug addicts and other categories of people from owning guns. “Of those 42 incidents, 15 (36 percent) involved a prohibited possessor and 27 (64 percent) did not.”

You know personally I already knew this to be true but it is good to see it backed up with data.

Now the only question is can we get it out to the public at large, and help to change the debate that has for too long been shaped by the NRA and other 2nd Amendment fetishists?

Today's example of a man with an arsenal of weapons making death threats comes to you courtesy of Detroit, Michigan.

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Courtesy of Raw Story:

A convicted felon and alleged neo-Nazi amassed 40,000 rounds of ammunition and planned to kill black and Jewish community leaders in Detroit as part of a “hit list,” WXYZ-TV reported on Thursday. 

Federal authorities said this week that a search of 47-year-old federal suspect Richard Schmidt’s home revealed the list and apparent plans to kill Scott Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, and Rev. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). 

“You have to realize it is the world we live in,” said Kaufman after being notified of the list. “There are people who don’t like us and would just as soon have us not exist, but you can’t dwell on it.” 

According to NBC News, Schmidt was indicted in January 2013 on federal charges of possessing firearms, ammunition and body armor, all of which violated his parole. Schmidt was released from prison in 2003, after 13 years of incarceration in Ohio following a homicide conviction for shooting and killing a man during a traffic stop. Schmidt also wounded two others during that attack. 

Investigators then found 18 weapons inside Schmidt’s home in Ohio in December 2012, including various types of shotguns and high-caliber rifles, including two different AR-15 assault weapons. 

U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach, who represents Ohio’s northern district, said investigators have concluded that Schmidt acquired his arsenal at gun shows or via private firearms sales, which currently do not require a background check. 

Someone tell me again how background checks are unnecessary and infringe on a citizen's 2nd Amendments rights? I NEVER tire of hearing that one.

By the way in response those who complain that I never post any stories of regular Americans protecting their homes from criminals with their guns, let me provide you with this shinning example from Holt, Michigan:

When deputies arrived at a house here for a reported home invasion, the suspected intruder was lying just inside the front door, handcuffed, with multiple bullet wounds to his torso.



There you have it. A man breaks into a woman's house to rob her and she fill him full of lead just like our pioneer forebears woulda done. See? Dammit sometimes a woman NEEDS a gun handy when bad guys show up unexpectedly.

Wait, there seems to be more to the story. 

The likely reason for the home invasion: 57 marijuana plants of varying size growing in the basement, Wriggelsworth said. 

"That person went there because he knew what was going on (in the house)," the sheriff said.

Oooohhh!  Apparently the woman, and her man, had been selling drugs out of the house for some time, and had attracted a rather unsavory element to the neighborhood.

So not so much a case of an innocent woman at home protecting her family, and more an episode of "Breaking Bad: Before the Meth."

Pro-wrestlers break character in order to lecture Glenn Beck. Oh you HAVE to see this!

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So the other day I wrote a post about some pro-wrestlers that were doing this anti-immigrations, racist, teabagger shtick and how upset the Right Wing were about it.

Well with people poking fun at the Teabaggers you know Glenn Beck cannot keep his mouth shut about it. So he responded, and during that response he referred to them as "stupid wrestling people."

Which is kind of amazing considering the incredibly low IQ's it must take to be a regular Glenn Beck listener.

Beck's characterization of the wrestling audience as "stupid" really pissed them off to the point that the two character actors portraying the wrestler and his manager actually broke character to tell Beck off.

Courtesy of Mediaite:

“We aren’t in the political business, or the immigration business. We are in the entertainment business,” Keown said. He went on to attack Beck directly for failing to give his audience credit when it comes to the general understanding that pro-wrestling is fake. “Many of your followers are WWE fans and they understand the difference between reality and entertainment,” he added. “Are you out of touch with your audience Glenn? Or are you just a ‘stupid political commentator?’”

I find this kind amazing as these people NEVER break character, for any reason. And I mean never! (Think Stephen Colbert on steroids.)

So you know they were REALLY ticked off at Beck.  Plus they essentially made the same argument that I made in my post, which is that the demographic of the Tea Party and pro-Wrestling are pretty much identical, and therefore so is Beck's audience.

So now we have professional actors saying that their audience is smart enough to know that what they do is only acting. Which then kind of begs the question, is Glenn Beck's audience smart enough to know that HE is only acting as well?

Two reporters discuss the end of Sarah Palin. Outraged Palin-bots with pitchforks in 3..2..Oh wait they already responded.

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Willow Palin with her giant pupil sporting mother, sitting in the warm truck at the Iron Dog (Photo courtesy of Facebook,)

So two Bloomberg reporters, Ramesh Ponnuruand Margaret Carlson discuss the career trajectory of Sarah Palin and Jesse Jackson. (For the purposes of this post I will leave out the Jesse Jackson portions, which is of little interest to me as it is clear he has bi-polar syndrome and is now receiving the care that he needs to deal with it. However if you wish to read the entire article simply click here.)

First off this was Ramesh Ponnuruand's take on her upcoming CPAC appearance:

You ask, Margaret, what I think of Sarah Palin’s upcoming CPAC speech. I suspect, like you, that it will get the crowd cheering: The lady can deliver a speech, particularly one for the conservative faithful. Other conservative media figures with a mass following will also get applause. 

Palin has decided she wants to be grouped with the Sean Hannitys and Ann Coulters of the world, not with the John Kasichs and Marco Rubios, and I am not going to second-guess her about the best use of her talents. The dilemma she now faces is that interest in her as a media figure has been dependent on the possibility that she has a political future. Her endorsements have been pretty savvy as a matter of picking primary winners, but I suspect that their effectiveness has peaked.

I think that most of us would agree with that assessment. (Though I would disagree slightly with Ramesh's assertion that Palin has any discernible "talent" and that she was "pretty savvy" in her picking of primary winners. since I think only a little over 50% of them won their races.)

Here was Margaret Carlson's contribution to the discussion:

Oh, and regarding Sarah Palin: My surprise at her re-emergence has faded to boredom, which is how most people feel, according to polls. She has gone from It girl to an ex-Fox reality star. Fox doesn't fire people who can still get ratings. 

Still, I bet she gets the largest ovation of the conference. I realized that CPAC attendees are celebrity-prone in 2011, when they went wild over Donald Trump, creating a monster Mitt Romney had to bring inside his tent in 2012.

So essentially  what both reporters are saying is what ALL of us are saying, and that is that Palin is yesterday's news and her relevance has diminished to such a point that, using Carlson's description, interest in her has"faded to boredom," which for an attention whore like Sarah Palin is MUCH worse than being a national laughingstock, which was her previous incarnation.

Speaking of laughingstocks those sad little Palin parasites over at the Sea O'Pee took great umbrage that their idol was mentioned in the same breath as a man with an actual diagnosed mental condition:

Classic case of Palin Derangement Syndrome coupled with self-inflated opinions. Governor Palin has “faded to boredom” yet Carlson and Ramesh find her relevant enough to place her in a headline with a felon.It’s humor at its best. 

 The sad thing is, idiots like these want to be taken seriously. The problem is they always wind up proving the perils of establishment politics and end up describing why it is that establishment politicians will never be what’s right for the people.

You know in the old days this kind of knee jerk Palin defense would have garnered over a hundred or more comments, but as of this post this one has only attracted 24 comments, many of them the same people commenting over and over. 

Which, if you think about it, kind of makes Margaret Carlson's point for her.

Growing number of firearm manufacturers may refuse to sell weapons to law enforcement if new gun control laws restrict them from selling to everybody.

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Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch: 

A growing number of firearm firms in the US are vowing to reverse-boycott local and state governments that enact any new infringements on the Second Amendment. 

Vowing to close what they're calling "the police loophole," at least 50 US companies, ranging from gun machinists to gun shops, are now saying publicly they'll refuse to sell weapons and gear to police in places where governments have banned the use of the same gear by civilians. 

Quality Arms, located in Rigby, Idaho, writes on its website that it "will not supply any firearm or product manufactured by us or any other company, nor will we warranty, repair, alter or modify a firearm owned by any state, county or municipality that infringes on the right of its citizens to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment." 

The move comes as Congress and some state houses are considering new gun controls in the wake of the Dec. 14 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The most direct target of the "police loophole" movement seems to be New York State, which put into law a raft of new gun control regulations, including limiting the size of magazines, last month. 

"Based on the recent legislation in New York, we are prohibited from selling rifles and receivers to residents of New York [so] we have chosen to extend that prohibition to all governmental agencies associated with or located within New York," York Arms of Buxton, Maine, writes on its website. 

So far, none of the major gun manufacturers have joined the list, and it's an open question whether the smaller companies are bluffing or would even have occasion to sell directly to governments in New York State, for example.

I doubt that ANY of the major gun manufacturers, especially those that have contracts with law enforcement, would be willing to join such a ban, which makes it an empty gesture that smacks of desperation.

However it also reveals a very troubling mindset of those who create this death dealing instruments in that if they there are any restrictions places on who they can sell them to, regardless of that person's intent, they are saying they would be willing to further place the citizens of this country at risk by not selling weapons to law enforcement that would use them in defense of those citizens.

Sounds a little like passive aggressive terrorism to me.

Indiana teacher who believes gays "have no purpose" suspended.

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 As I imagine many of you remember from a previous post, the above teacher, a Diane Medley, was interviewed concerning plans by students and parents to hold their own prom in order to exclude gay students who were NOT excluded from the official one, and who made the following unfortunate statement:

"Do you think (gays) have a purpose in life?":

 "'No I honestly don't. Sorry, but I don't. I don't understand it. A gay person isn't going to come up and make some change unless it's to realize that it was a choice and they're choosing God."

In response many people around the country became very upset at her words, and have sent numerous e-mails to her school and to members of the School Board demanding her removal from the classroom.

It appears those e-mails have had an effect.Though not one that I believe is worth celebrating.

Courtesy of WTHITV in Indiana: 

Corporation officials say the teacher made a controversial comment. 

Since then officials say the teacher and the corporation has received "aggressive e-mail". 

 Doctor Mark Baker, the schools' superintendent issued this statement. 

“We have conveyed our disappointment and our disagreement with these statements and have emphasized her comments do not reflect our schools' views or opinions. ” 

Based on the threat, state police and Sullivan County deputies have placed an officer at the school. 

Below is the complete statement from Dr. Mark Baker, the school’s superintendent. 

To Students, Parents, Faculty and our Community: 

As many of you know and appreciate, our school corporation is continuing to manage as responsibly and respectfully as possible the fallout from comments made by an employee as she attended a meeting outside of school or a school activity. 

We have conveyed our disappointment and our disagreement with these statements and have emphasized her comments do not reflect our schools' views or opinions. 

The administration and one school employee in particular at North Central Jr/Sr High School have received aggressive email messages. We are turning over to law enforcement all such communications. Further, and as a precaution, the Indiana State Police and the Sullivan County Sheriff's Department have deemed it necessary to station an officer at our high school. Additionally, these law enforcement agencies, while they are here, are familiarizing themselves with our buildings, as is part of their regular training. 

For that, we are grateful for their support of our school and our students. This matter has created some heartbreaking differences in opinion. Please know we are always going to put the safety of our students and faculty first and any disruption of our educational process will be managed quickly. 

In response to our concerns for the safety and security of everyone in our buildings, we have placed the employee at the center of this concern on administrative leave. 

Dr. Mark A. Baker- Superintendent NORTHEAST SCHOOL CORPORATION of Sullivan Corporation

I have to say that I am troubled by the fact that this teacher was removed for fear of harm coming her way. THAT should not be the case.

I feel that it is our right, even our responsibility, to express our opinions about injustice and cruelty. However we have NO right to make these people feel physically threatened in any way.

I would support the boycott of a business that was not fair to their employees, support letter writing or e-mails to officials who are wrong on policy decisions, and even back the shaming of the truly horrible people who emotionally, physically, or mentally abuse others.

But I would never, and I mean NEVER, be okay with making threats against a person, or institution, or support doing anything that makes them feel unsafe.

That is what the people we are fighting against do, not what we do!

So while I hope that this teacher comes to understand why people were so passionately upset with what she said, and perhaps even comes to view gay people differently, I also hope that she understands that the majority of us simply wanted to make sure that she was not inflicting her homophobic and insensitive attitudes on her students, and that we certainly meant her no harm.

If Hillary runs in 2016 she could turn Texas into a swing state. That's right, Texas!

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What do you say Texas?

Courtesy of Real Clear Politics: 

“I think that in 2016 it will absolutely be considered a swing state in the sense that presidential candidates will have to campaign here, which they haven’t been doing for a long time,” Allison said. “If Hillary Clinton does run, she does really well in Texas.” 

Such an optimistic vision of the former secretary of state’s chances was fueled in part by a survey conducted last month by the Democratic-affiliated Public Policy Polling, which showed Clinton besting three hypothetical Republican opponents in Texas -- including Perry (by a margin of eight points). 

While the knee-jerk reaction among many Republicans would be to dismiss the idea that the state could be competitive in 2016 -- just four years after Mitt Romney carried it by 16 points over President Obama -- Texas GOP Chairman Steve Munisteri is in no mood to sneer. 

In an interview with RCP, Munisteri said that he has long taken seriously the possibility that Texas could become a battleground as early as 2016, particularly if Clinton becomes the Democratic standard-bearer. 

“If she’s the nominee, I would say that this is a ‘lean Republican’ state but not a ‘solid Republican’ state,” he said. “I don’t know anyone nationally who’s scoffing at this. The national party leadership is aware and tells me they’re taking it seriously.”

Okay not that I need any more reason to support Hillary in 2016, but if I did this alone would probably be more than enough reason to throw my support behind her candidacy.

Could you imagine if the Democrats won George Bush's home state?

It would be epic!

Mother of Aurora shooting victim upset with John McCain's reaction at town hall. Husband would like a few minutes alone with the Senator.

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As reported yesterday, John McCain made some rather insensitive remarks to a woman who attended one of his town halls, essentially telling her that she needed some "straight talk" and that she would NOT get the assault ban she was hoping for.

The video of the exchange made McCain look like an insensitive douchebag, and his office is claiming that it was edited to make him look bad: 

"This is an obvious case of selective editing to distort what Senator McCain actually said at Wednesday's town hall meeting," Rogers said. "As Senator McCain clearly said, his heart goes out to Mrs. Teves and her family and he is committed to working with members of both parties to try and prevent another senseless tragedy. And as he also said, Arizonans who come to his town hall meetings deserve to hear Senator McCain's honest opinion about this or any other issue, and the truth is that an assault weapons ban won't pass this Congress because of opposition from both political parties."

However the woman in question is not ready to let McCain off the hook quite so easily: 

“I was very surprised that a senator, who has been in office for over 30 years, would address a grieving mother, who just lost her son exactly seven months prior — yesterday was the 20th, I lost my son on 7-20-2012 — to tell me that I needed ‘some straight talk,’” Caren Teves said by phone.

Clearly this woman does not feel that the Senator understood her pain nor  offered her any hope of getting something serious done about the gun violence that ended her son's life.

But while SHE was simply disappointed her husband was simply livid:“The Senator owes my wife an apology - he is lucky I wasn’t there,” Tom Teves wrote in an email to TPM late Thursday. “He was a ‘tough guy’ with a grieving Mom - that is not who I want leading my country! The sad fact is I used to have a great deal of respect for the Senator McCain, not anymore.”

Father of shooting victim not pleased with Senator McCain's response to his wife.

 You know Mr. Teves looks like a pretty healthy specimen, I am guessing that old man McCain might want to take pans NOT to piss him off.

Part of Mr. Teves anger at the Arizona Senator stems from a response he received from McCain's office to an earlier letter: 

Teves said her husband recently wrote McCain a letter addressing the Aurora shooting, which took the lives of their son and 11 other people. But she said McCain’s office responded with a impersonal form letter that focused on an an entirely different massacre: the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Neither McCain nor his staff approached her after the town hall event, she added. 

“I was surprised at that,” Teves said. “It takes a lot for me to just get out of bed every morning. I mean, this is still so new and so fresh, that my son was murdered. And I just expected a little more respect from someone who’s been in office over 30 years, and his staff. Between that and the form letter that we received, it’s just, it’s appalling.”

I guess the McCain camp might as well just go ahead and blame the response to their letter on "bad editing as well, right?

You know I have probably said this before, but it certainly bears repeating, "Fuck John McCain!"

Gun nut posts "hit list" on Facebook of all the liberal politicians he wants to kill. You're not helping.

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Courtesy of Raw Story: 

Police in Clarkstown, New York have confiscated a cache of high-powered weapons and body armor from a man who was arrested for posting death threats against against many Democratic politicians and every liberal supporter of President Barack Obama. 

According to WCBS, 49-year-old Larry Mulqueen was arraigned on Thursday on charges of “making terroristic threats, illegally possessing weapons and harassment.” 

Mulqueen’s landlady had tipped off police after she found a “hit list” posted on Facebook that threatened Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) and all members of the Congressional Black Caucus. 

The Facebook posting said that all of the president’s follower were “traitor scum” and promised “death to them all.” 

Nyack-Piermont Patch reported that police searched Mulqueen’s home and found two high-powered rifles, two bayonets, a sword, a knuckle knife, body armor and ammunition. Included in the 100 rounds of ammunition were 27 so-called “tank buster” .50 caliber armor-piercing shells. 

Previous criminal convictions meant that it was illegal for Mulqueen to possess the weapons. 

Yeah gee I simply CANNOT imagine why we need stricter gun laws in this country. How in the hell did a guy like this get his hands on "tank buster" shells?

So go ahead, you 2nd Amendment fetishists, and tell me, is THIS the kind of "government invading our homes to take our guns" fear that you were imagining? Or is this 2nd Amendment lunatic different than your usual 2nd Amendment lunatic?

Republican reformation is a fantasy.

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Courtesy of the Daily Beast:

As I’ve written many times, the conventional view of what’s wrong with the GOP gets at only a portion of the truth. When The New York Times or Politico does such a story, the story inevitably focuses on policy positions. Immigration. Same-sex marriage. Climate change. Tinker with these positions, several sages are quoted as saying, and the GOP will be back in the game. 

God knows, policy positions are a problem. But they are not the problem. The problem is that the party is fanatical—a machine of rage, hate, and resentment. People are free to scoff and pretend it isn’t so, but I don’t think honest people can deny that we’ve never seen anything like this in the modern history of our country. There’s a symbiosis of malevolence between the extreme parts of the GOP base and Washington lawmakers, and it is destroying the Republican Party. That’s fine with me, although I am constantly mystified as to why it’s all right with the people I’m talking about. But it’s also destroying the country and our democratic institutions and processes, which is not fine with me. 

The party can change all the positions it wants, but until people stand up and yell “Stop!” to this fanaticism, it won’t mean anything. In fact, the problems feed into each other, because the idea that today’s Republican Party can change its stripes on same-sex marriage or immigration is absurd, and it is absurd precisely because of the rage and fanaticism I’m talking about, much of which is directed at brown people and gay people. Such a party cannot change its stripes on these issues until the mindset and world view are changed. 

What Tomasky is saying should be obvious to just about anyone.

The Republicans are not about to REALLY change, because they don't see that anything is broken.

All they want to change is the PERCEPTION of who they are in order to attract more voters, but not the FACT of who they are, which has increasingly become a party of racists, misogynists, homophobes, and supporters of big business.

And the introduction of the Tea Party wing has certainly not helped them, in that now the inmates are actually attempting to take control of the asylum.

The Right Wing fringe was great when they could simply be agitated about gay rights, gun control laws, or Roe vs Wade and then flock to the polls, but now that they want to try their hand at steering the ship the establishment GOP is looking for a way to keelhaul them before the Republican party runs aground permanently.

I would offer some advice to help but I am too busy unpacking my new popcorn popper.

Alaska Senator wants to have the state pay $100 for each sea otter murdered for being a nuisance. I guess there were no kittens around for him to stomp on.

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"Wait, there's a bounty on who's head?"

Courtesy of ADN:

An Alaska state senator is proposing a bounty on sea otters, the cute little marine mammals often seen by tourists swimming on their backs between cruise ships, sometimes munching on a fresh crab or clams. 

Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, sees the furry-faced critters as a growing threat to shellfish beds, particularly in southeast Alaska, where he is from. 

On Wednesday, he introduced legislation that would have the state pay $100 for each sea otter lawfully killed under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. 

"We're not talking eradication. We're talking slowing the population growth," he said. "In my opinion, we're not going to get any help from the federal government." 

Look I don't care if these little guys are walking up to this idiot and mugging him while holding a pistol to his head, you simply do NOT encourage people to massacre an animal as adorable as a sea otter.

What's next? Will he encourage people to punch pandas?

Or kick Koalas?

Or bitch slap baby bunnies?

But have no fear you sea otter fans you, as it turns out this is all an exercise in futility for Senator "I hate cute animals."

Even if the bill were to pass, it would be unenforceable under the federal law, said Bruce Woods, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. States cannot enforce laws or regulations related to the taking of any marine mammal under the law unless the Interior secretary transfers conservation and management authority to that state.

Well there you go again. Here come the Feds keeping Alaskans from exercising their rights to slaughter every creature that they find even slightly irritating.

Who could possibly support this kind of federal overreach?


Well yeah, I mean besides you guys?

Sadly this idea that we can simply slaughter any animal that becomes bothersome is built into Alaska's DNA. What was it that idiot said about Alaska's animals again?

Oh yeah:

"I always remind people from outside our state that there's plenty of room for all Alaska's animals -- right next to the mashed potatoes."

Investigating "The Good News Club." A fundamentalist Christian club that inserts itself into public schools to proselytize to young children.

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Here is a portion of the post I wrote about the book which inspired this investigation: 

In 2009, the Good News Club came to the public elementary school where journalist Katherine Stewart sent her children. The Club, which is sponsored by the Child Evangelism Fellowship, bills itself as an after-school program of “Bible study.” But Stewart soon discovered that the Club’s real mission is to convert children to fundamentalist Christianity and encourage them to proselytize to their “unchurched” peers, all the while promoting the natural but false impression among the children that its activities are endorsed by the school. 

Astonished to discover that the U.S. Supreme Court has deemed this—and other forms of religious activity in public schools—legal, Stewart set off on an investigative journey to dozens of cities and towns across the nation to document the impact. In this book she demonstrates that there is more religion in America’s public schools today than there has been for the past 100 years. The movement driving this agenda is stealthy. It is aggressive. It has our children in its sights. And its ultimate aim is to destroy the system of public education as we know it.

Our public education system is constantly under attack by  conservative and religious forces, and this is just one method at their disposal to be used to usher in the end of public education.

P.S. I know the video is a little longish, but I urge you to take the time to watch it as the information is quite astonishing and should be seen by as many people as possible.

Entering into sequester negotiations, new Bloomberg poll shows President Obama with highest job approval rating in three years, and the popularity of Republicans at record lows.

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Courtesy of Bloomberg:

President Barack Obama enters the latest budget showdown with Congress with his highest job- approval rating in three years and public support for his economic message, while his Republican opponents’ popularity stands at a record low. 

Fifty-five percent of Americans approve of Obama’s performance in office, his strongest level of support since September 2009, according to a Bloomberg National poll conducted Feb. 15-18. Only 35 percent of the country has a favorable view of the Republican Party, the lowest rating in a survey that began in September 2009. The party’s brand slipped six percentage points in the last six months, the poll shows. 

Americans by 49 percent to 44 percent believe Obama’s proposals for government spending on infrastructure, education and alternative energy are more likely to create jobs than Republican calls to cut spending and taxes to build business confidence and spur employment. 

“The Republicans are not offering any new solutions,” said poll respondent Cynthia Synos, 62, a political independent who lives in the St. Louis suburb of Greendale, Missouri. “Their answer is always tax cuts and incentives for business. I’ve never heard them say anything innovative to spark the economy that would help the other 85, 90 percent of people that have to deal with the economy as it is.” 

Obama’s positive standing with the public provides him with political leverage as Americans assess blame for any furloughs, disruption of government services or damage to the economy if the spending cuts aren’t averted. The repercussions also could help shape the battleground for the 2014 midterm congressional elections. 

Public views of congressional Republicans’ record places an added burden on them in the standoff over automatic spending cuts. Americans by 43 percent to 34 percent say they are more to blame than Obama and Democrats for “what’s gone wrong” in Washington. Still, another 23 percent aren’t sure which side bears more responsibility. 

Republicans “are not willing to work at all with the president,” said poll respondent Horace Lee Boyd, 64, a political independent and retired wholesale merchandiser who lives in Cullman, Alabama. “When you cease to compromise, you cease to accomplish anything. We’re at a stalemate. He’s willing to compromise and they aren’t.” 

From most perspectives it does not appear that the Republicans have much to work with, especially since the public cannot help but notice that most of the fighting is actually going on within the party itself, between the establishment GOP and the upstart Teabaggers, instead of with the Democrats.

While it is clear that the President wants to do everything he can to avoid the sequester it is clear that he stands to benefit from it politically once it happens and that the Republicans will suffer an even larger slip in the polls as a result.

In other words it appears that the Republicans are still trying to play chess while Obama is beating the pants off of them in a game of three dimensional chess.

P.S. By the way for those still a little confused about what the sequester does, here is a great article which lays the whole thing out in easy to understand language and graphics.

Ted Nugent goes after Democrats for destroying his people. You know, black people.

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"No this hand gesture has NO relation as to why I own so many guns."

In Nugen'ts latest crayon drawing that he submitted to Wing Nut Daily he makes the following claim:

Barack Obama, the guy who received roughly 93 percent of black American votes, is the clear and present engineer of the destruction of black America. 

Yes because becoming the first black presidential role model,  reforming health care which will help African Americans get health care coverage for the first time, and working to repair the economy is SO bad for black people in this country.

But wait there's more:

It was a damnable lie when Vice President Biden stated at a campaign rally attended by many black Americans last fall that if the country elected Republicans they would “put y’all back in chains.” What a disgrace and clown Vice President Biden is. He’s a national embarrassment. 

The truth is that the Democratic Party has been the engineer of the destruction of black Americans, and everyone knows it except the very people who need to know it the most – black Americans. 

The turbo-destruction will continue for black Americans until they realize that dirty Democrat politicians are their true enemy, not their salvation. Fortunately, some are beginning to embrace this self-evident truth. 

I am not sure what "turbo-destruction" is, but it sounds like a word a ten year old boy comes up with to describe something he really does not understand very well.

"Ooh that movie I just watched was a rocket inspired epic slam dunk of a film all covered in awesome sauce!"

But what can you expect from a national embarrassment who projects that title onto one of the most beloved Vice Presidents in history?

Nugent then goes full retard by making up a number of superlatives in order to describe the influence of black musicians on that horrible racket that HE makes on stage.

Indeed, the tapestry of black America is rich and vibrant. I don’t celebrate Black History Month. I celebrate it every day, as my very black-inspired musical dreams could not have been successful were it not for black Americans. 

My fire-breathing musical career was literally launched by black musical thundergods such as Bo Diddly, Little Richard, James Brown, Wilson Picket, Sam & Dave, Albert King, BB King, Freddie King, the mighty Funk Brothers, and the epitome of Rock ‘n’ Roll Gods, the master, Chuck Berry. The music these gentlemen created gave birth to my music and all great, moving, soulful music. We owe it all to them. 

By the way some of the ways that Nugent has celebrated Black History everyday is by once suggesting that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson were "lisping ebonic-mumbo jumbo," and comparing gun owners to Rosa Parks.  Because you know NOTHING says I am down with the African American community quite like making fun of civil rights icons.

As for that whole Bo Diddly, Little Richard, and Wilson Picket being "thundergods" I would like to point out that not only is the ACTUAL thunder god a lily white Norse guy..

...but that the MAJORITY of African Americans today don't even know who Ted Nugent is. And if they do, they know him for being a crazed pro-gun lunatic, and have little idea that he even plays music, never mind that he believes himself to be a paler version of B.B. King or Chuck Berry.

Let's face it if the Republicans are going to use Ted Nugent as their diplomat in reaching out to African American voters, they might as well forget getting any support from them EVER!

I have to assume that Nugent took this task on because the conservatives could not get ex-KKK leader David Duke to return their phone calls.

(H/T to Media Matters.)

Police officer fired for reporting that police assigned to protect President were making threats against his life.

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Courtesy of Raw Story: 

A Richmond police officer who reported fellow cops for allegedly threatening President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama has been fired from his job on the force. 

WTVR on Wednesday confirmed that the officer, who did not wish to be named, had been called to police headquarters where he was terminated on Tuesday. 

The officer blew the whistle on a 20-year department veteran and other members of the Richmond force after they made inappropriate comments while providing protection to the president and first lady. 

“There was an officer providing exterior security to the president on that day on the phone with the supervisor,” the whistleblower explained to WTVR last May. “The supervisor said to that particular officer, ‘you’re down there right? So, you can take a couple of shots, you might have to kill yourself, but you can take a couple of shots.’” 

He said that the supervisor made those comments to a sharpshooter on the day of the president’s visit to Richmond. 

And “another officer in the background started talking and he said, ‘yeah, somebody should plant a bomb underneath the stage while they’re on there and blow it up,’” the source said. 

Inappropriate remarks were also made about Michelle Obama. 

“Nobody wants to see her anyway — unless she gets undressed or get [sic] naked,” an officer allegedly said. 

On Wednesday, the whistleblower told WTVR that he had been fired for violating department policy by doing an interview with the station. 

Virginia employment attorney Thomas Robert pointed out that the officer should have been protected under the First Amendment because he was “speaking about a matter of public concern as a citizen.” 

WTF? How is this guy not considered a hero and given a commendation for exposing officers making terrorist threats against our President?

And I don't give a shit if they were saying those things in jest or not, when a person makes jokes about a bomb on a plane they find themselves detained, and getting grilled by Homeland Security. I would think that making even casual remarks about harming the President, especially a President who receives as many death threats as this one, would be considered extremely serious and the person that brought them to the attention of the authorities should expect to have his job protected.

A note for the New Year (from Katie's blog)

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I was reading my friend Katie's blog and she posted this poem as a welcome for the New Year. I thought it was so beautiful.. so I'm sharing it so you can enjoy it as we walk this new year... :)
"With mingling hope and trust and fear
I bid thee welcome, untried year;
The paths before me pause to view;
Which shall I shun and which pursue?
I read my fate with serious eye;
I see dear hopes and treasures fly,
Behold thee on thy opening wing
Now grief, now joy, now sorrow bring.
God grant me grace my course to run
With one blest prayer - His will be done."

~ Elizabeth Payson Prentiss, 1842
(http://apatientprocess.blogspot.com/2013/01/i-bid-thee-welcome-untried-year.html)

Oklahoma where facts are not facts if you don't believe they are facts. Wait, what?

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Courtesy of Addicting Info: 

Well, the Sooner state is at it again. The latest in their continuing series of “academic freedom” bills is HB 1674, brought to you by Gus Blackwell, a GOP state representative who spent 20 years working for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. But his bill is not about religion, how could you even think that? No, according to Blackwell, it’s all about scientific exploration. 

“I proposed this bill because there are teachers and students who may be afraid of going against what they see in their textbooks. A student has the freedom to write a paper that points out that highly complex life may not be explained by chance mutations.” 

To translate from the GOP-ese, the bill allows students to make faith-based claims in their science homework and tests without being graded appropriately. It would forbid teachers from giving a student an “F” on such papers. In plain-speak, it dictates to science teachers what they can accept as legitimate learning in their classroom.

Here is what the bill actually says:

The measure requires the State Board of Education, district boards of education and administrators to endeavor to create an environment that encourages students to explore scientific questions and respond appropriately to differences of opinion about controversial issues. Educational authorities will endeavor to assist teachers to find more effective ways to present the science curriculum where it addresses scientific controversies and teachers will be permitted to help students analyze the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific theories. No student will be penalized because the student subscribes to a particular position on scientific theories. 

Okay so essentially if you did not do the reading you can simply answer "God made it" and expect to receive full credit. Way to take all of the science out of a science class, idiots!

Gee I wonder if this will soon apply to math as well?

Teacher: "If f(x) = │(x² – 50)│, what is the value of f(-5) ?"

Student: "I believe the answer is 6, and I don't want you to shake my fundamental faith by suggesting it is otherwise."

Good luck in life kid!

You know I wonder what will happen to students from this school district when they apply to college, or try to get a job where having your own set of facts is not exactly a welcome concept?

I swear these people are dedicated to turning this country into a factory for manufactures drooling, illiterate Republican voting dipshits.

Teabaggers upset that even pro wrestling is now mocking them. Okay, now THAT'S funny!

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Courtesy of the You Tube site:

World Wrestling Entertainment has jumped on the bandwagon of demonizing Tea Party Americans as racists by creating a xenophobic character who espouses anti-immigrant rhetoric, as WWE commentators quip that he receives "fan mail" from Alex Jones, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh.

I actually saw this video yesterday and it took me all day to stop laughing at it, and what it signifies, long enough to write this post.

Here is the thing that really cracks me up about it. Essentially if you scan the crowds at a pro-wrestling event you will see that they VERY closely reflects the same types of middle aged, over weight, white people that also show up at these right wing Tea Party events.  

In other words this kind of mocking will be broadcast right into the living rooms of the very people that the Teabaggers are desperate to attract to their cause.

And let's face it, once pro-wrestling starts to poke fun at you, then you are essentially done being taken seriously in this country.

P.S. By the way, this video was posted by Prison Planet Live, which is a site run by Alex Jones. You might remember him from his appearance on the Piers Morgan show.

Alaska Senate passes resolution "urging" the Federal government to protect the 2nd Amendment. You know because...guns = freedom?

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Sen. Fred Dyson

Courtesy of ADN: 

The Alaska Senate has passed a resolution urging the federal government to protect the Second Amendment. 

SJR6, by Sen. Fred Dyson, urges Congress to maintain its authority to protect the Second Amendment, which the resolution refers to as "our most fundamental right." 

Protecting the Second Amendment has been a topic of discussion this legislative session. 

House Speaker Mike Chenault's bill - which would make it a felony to enforce new federal laws restricting gun ownership in Alaska - passed the House Judiciary Committee this week. 

SJR6 now moves to the House. 

The 2nd Amendment is "our MOST fundamental right?"

Not freedom of religion?

Not freedom of the press?

Not the right to be safe from unreasonable search and seizure?

Not the right to a speedy trial?

Not even the right to vote for our elected officials, is more "fundamental" than the 2nd Amendment?

The right to own a gun takes precedent over all of that?

What kind of twisted logic is that?

Somehow I seriously doubt that the Founding Fathers would agree with that sentiment. They put an awful lot of work into setting up a government that would stand the test of time, I doubt very seriously if they would be happy to see which freedoms these idiots deemed the "most fundamental."

By the way the resolution passed almost unanimously with only one senator voting against it. That would be Senator Hollis French who believes that owning a gun is fine but that background checks help to keep us safe.

Yeah how un-American is THAT?

Ashley Judd moves just that much closer to taking Mitch McConnell's Senate seat away from him.

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Courtesy of Politico: 

Actress Ashley Judd privately met with officials at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Washington earlier this week, as she continues to weigh whether to mount a Senate run against Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, according to two sources familiar with the session. 

According to one person familiar with the matter, Tuesday’s meeting was Judd’s first formal one with officials at the DSCC, which coordinates strategy, recruits and fundraises on behalf of Democratic Senate candidates. DSCC officials refused to comment, saying they would not discuss candidate recruitment. 

The meeting indicates that the Hollywood movie star and eighth-generation Kentuckian is still seriously weighing a political foray after spending the past several years as an outspoken environmental and liberal activist. But sources said it remains uncertain whether Judd wants to leave acting to take on the Senate minority leader, who is the Democrats’ top target in 2014 when he runs for a sixth term. 

You know the thought of the very liberal Ashley Judd knocking the obstructionist Mitch McConnell on his ass is such a compelling idea that I can barely see straight.

The guy has been a HUGE thorn in the President's side, and his defeat would be a great step in helping to move the President's policies forward in his second term.

And let's face it, if there is no legal reason why Judd cannot be on the ballot, she is almost guaranteed to take this seat. At least that's my opinion.

HIllary Clinton to receive more than $200,000 per speech. Damn!

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Courtesy of Buzzfeed:

Now that she's out as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton isn't going to be hurting for money, thanks to speaking fees of more $200,000 per speaking appearance, according to a source familiar with the situation. 

The fee puts Clinton in the upper echelons of the speaking industry. 

Those who make six figures per speech include Al Gore, Dick Cheney, and George W. Bush; those who make more than $200,000 include Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Clinton. 

The fee will be more than Clinton's annual salary as Secretary of State, which was $186,000.

Wow!  That is pretty damn impressive!

You would think with this kind of money waiting for her she would have quit that Secretary of State job earlier, instead of sticking out for a full term.

I mean Sarah Palin could not WAIT to start bringing in the big buck on the speakers tour. How much did she make again?

• $75,000 
• First-Class airfare 
• "Deluxe" hotel accommodations 
• Chauffeur to and from event with SUV (or, in pinch, black Town Car) 
• Wooden lecturn 
• Two bottled waters 
• Bendy straws (for the waters)

 Hmm, I bet SOMEBODY'S pretty jealous right about now.


Not only that, but Hillary is also going to be doing a few of these "pro bono,"

Politico's Playbook reported on Monday that Clinton would hit the speaking circuit this spring, and that "Secretary Clinton will likely do some speeches for no fee for causes she champions, and expects to occasionally donate her fees for charitable purposes."

I know that we have heard unsubstantiated reports of Palin  giving speeches fro free, but there is not ONE scintilla of evidence to suggest that is accurate.

Let's face it when it comes to class, intelligence, and charity, Hillary is head and shoulders above a certain half term quitter governor from Alaska.

Kind of funny that the McCain campaign thought adding her to the ticket would attract disappointed Hillary supporters in 2008, don't you think?

Teabagger offers $10,000 for idea to help him "take over" the Republican party. Wait, what?

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Richard A. Viguerie about to blow $10,000 on nothing.

Courtesy of Conservative HQ: 

Today, I'm announcing “The Liberty Prize,” a contest for grassroots conservatives to submit a plan or ideas to take over the Republican Party, win the November 2016 elections, and govern America by 2017. 

The most important political battle in America is not between Republicans and Democrats or between conservatives and liberals. It is the battle for control of the Republican Party between establishment big government Republicans and limited government, constitutional conservatives. It has become clear that establishment Republican and Democratic politicians have failed America because they have both accepted big government as the solution to every problem. 

The urgency of this effort cannot be overstated. 

With big government establishment Republicans, led by Karl Rove, launching a multi-million dollar PAC to control Republican Primary elections and the changes to the Republican Party rules rammed through the 2012 Republican Convention by Mitt Romney's inside-the-Beltway allies, conservatives must have a well-organized and well-thought-out plan to take control of the GOP from the grassroots up. Otherwise, the Republican Party will continue its slow creep away from the conservative principles that elected Ronald Reagan in 1980, the Contract With America Congress in 1994, and the Tea Party wave Congress in 2010. 

In asking for ideas on how to help save our country, I named the $10,000 prize “The Liberty Prize” because I want to encourage the grassroots conservatives of the GOP to liberate the Party from the control of the Beltway insiders who are pushing the Party away from the conservative principles that win elections for Republicans. The entire $10,000 could go to one person who writes a great plan or it could be divided among persons who submit specific ideas to advance the project. 

The winning plan/idea will be included in a book I'm writing to be published this spring, entitled, “TAKEOVER."

How did this guy know it was almost my birthday? Having the Teabaggers and the GOP at each others throat is the bestest gift ever!


And good news, apparently Mr. Viguerie has  already received a few nibbles from the lunatic right wing fringe to his offer:

Today, we can announce the results and interest in the Liberty Prize are already starting to flow in – and the reason is clear – grassroots conservative Republican voters are tired of losing elections because their leaders regularly fail to run on the principles and values that they, and the majority of Americans, believe in. 

You know I think my response to this kind of infighting between the Teabaggers and the Republican party is much like Stephen Colbert's.


I REALLY need to look into buying that stock in Orville Redenbacher.

"Russia is like a live action Grand Theft Auto." Jon Stewart on the jaded attitudes of the Russian people.

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The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on FacebookI was holding it together until the cows spilled out onto the road and then I just lost it.

By the way Jon is right about how blase the Russian people seemed to be toward the Meteorite that slammed into their country. Here was Vladimir Putin's somewhat subdued response:

"Every effort should be made to objectively estimate the damage. People have been injured. Assistance must be provided to them immediately," Putin said in a statement posted on the Kremlin's website.

One would think that the response would be more along the lines of "Holy shit! Who pissed off God?" rather than "We are going to send some  insurance adjusters out to see if your policy covers this and perhaps hand out a couple of Band-aids."

Update: For those who wonder how America might have responded to that meteorite landing in the U.S. I think this cartoon is a sadly accurate approximation of that.

Yes, that seems quite realistic actually.

So yesterday John McCain held a townhall. Did not go so well.

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Oddly enough the man in the picture screaming at McCain was NOT asking what the hell he was thinking by inflicting Sarah Palin on the country, but instead was pissed off about immigration.

Here is more from HuffPo: 

During a heated town hall gathering in the Phoenix suburb of Sun Lakes, McCain said the border near Yuma is largely secure, but said smugglers are using the border near Tucson to pump drugs into Phoenix. He said immigration reform should be contingent on better border security that must rely largely on technology able to detect border crossings. 

McCain said a tamper-proof Social Security card would help combat identity fraud, and noted any path to citizenship must require immigrants to learn English, cover back taxes and pay fines for breaking immigration laws. 

"There are 11 million people living here illegally," he said. "We are not going to get enough buses to deport them." 

Some audience members shouted out their disapproval. 

One man yelled that only guns would discourage undocumented immigration. Another man complained that undocumented immigrants should never be able to become citizens or vote. A third man said undocumented immigrants were illiterate invaders who wanted free government benefits.McCain urged compassion. "We are a Judeo-Christian nation," he said. McCain's other town hall meeting took place in Green Valley, south of Tucson.

The guy that said "only guns" would stop the flow of immigration wanted to know why the army was not situated along the border killing Mexicans trying to cross the border. You know, because THAT would be a reasonable use of our military forces, and because the the mass slaughter of non-whites is probably allowed somewhere in the Bible.

Clearly these town halls attract more than their fair share of Teabaggers, but whose fault is that? If McCain had not swooped down and plucked the Grizzled Mama from the wilds of Wasilla, there is a fair chance that the Tea Party would not have so quickly achieved national recognition and they may not be undermining the opportunity for civil discourse today.

As far as I'm concerned this is the political environment that John McCain helped to create and seeing him taking heat from the lunatic fringe is schadenfreude at its finest.

By the way Buzzfeed has the video of this event which does a far better job of explaining how crazy this town hall really was then simply reading about it on HuffPo. Check out the age range among these participants to get an idea of where they undoubtedly get their news.

Is Joe Miller really delusional enough to once again seek a Senate seat in Alaska? He just might be.

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Courtesy of Politico: 

Joe Miller, the tea party favorite who was backed by Sarah Palin when he roiled GOP politics in the 2010 midterm elections, is seriously considering another bid at an Alaska Senate seat, a campaign that could prompt a bare-knuckled effort against a candidate pushed by the party establishment. 

The 45-year-old Miller has been testing the waters in meetings with influential social conservative activists and gun-rights groups in Washington. He’s quietly met with tea party senators, such as Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, as well as former South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, the leader of The Heritage Foundation. Miller also told Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran — the new head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee — that he was weighing a run in 2014. 

So essentially Miller is seeking support from the fringiest of the fringe hoping that he can get their support to help him overthrow the Republican party in Alaska an become the nominee to run against Mark Begich in 2014. And this is AFTER his handpicked Alaska GOP chairman got kicked to the curb.

And not only does Miller have NO hope of getting the backing of the Republicans up here in Alaska he also has to contend with the embarrassment of losing to a write in candidate in 2010, the fact that he was named in the trial of Schaeffer Cox as the man who introduced him to FBI informant Bill Fulton, and of course his ties to perhaps the most hated politician in Alaska


Apparently NONE of that seems to bother Miller in the least:

Miller appears unmoved by the criticism from some in his party who fear he’ll simply reopen old wounds and tarnish one of the party’s best pickup opportunities in the country if he decides to run, saying the “establishment” is quick to attack “reformers” like himself. 

“I think if the Republican Party is going to win, they really need to kick the likes of Karl Rove out,” Miller told POLITICO. “They are the ones that are pulling the party away from the foundation, which has a winning message.” 

Works for me. If this asshole wants to put himself out there for us to bitchslap his vaguely bearded ass all the way back to Fairbanks again, then I am all for it! I loved it last time and I have little doubt I will find this time any less enjoyable.

But I might be the least of Miller's concerns if he runs again.
 
Asked whether she could back Miller if he were to win the primary in 2014, Murkowski said flatly: “No.” 

“I just don’t see him becoming the nominee,” Murkowski told POLITICO. “I think all you have to do is go back to the elections. … Let’s just say that two years ago is a relatively short time in political life.” 

Let's face it if Murkowski wants to crush Joe Miller like a bug, then he is about to get splattered all over the damn place. Murkowski is essentially the queen of the Republican party up here, and she is certainly NOT going to sit idly by while Miller tries, once again, to take over.

Like I said, I hope he is stupid enough to run. It will be a blast to watch him getting the crap beaten out of him again.