Chelicerata

Dispersal

2011-07-31T17:16:00.003-04:00

Hi, all, as you can see by the dates, this blog has pretty much reached the end of its life. Keep up the good fight, folks, and we'll always have the memories of things Kraft and Eric-Dondero-related.

I've moved my internet life to:

Twitter

Professional Work

Google+

Flickr

Oxford Healthcare Increases Rates

2011-01-06T09:48:00.008-05:00

While the new Congress looks for ways to earn cheap political points and prepares to vote for the dead-on-arrival "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act", some new provisions of the Affordable Care Act are being rolled out.

The "medical loss ratio" provision states that insurance companies will be required to spend 80-85 percent of their premium dollars on medical care and health care related improvements. If not, health care companies will be required to provide rebates to customers. Primary care doctors and surgeons in fields with shortages will receive a 10 percent bonus in primary care services. In an attempt to address the Medicare Part D "donut" hole, a progressive reform will provide increased help to beneficiaries who fall between the catastrophic and base levels of spending on drugs. Read more about these new provisions at the Hill's Healthcare blog (http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/135287-numerous-reform-law-provisions-take-effect-jan-1)

It is always difficult to bridge the gap between policies such as these and an individual's personal experience with their own health care. There are many different insurance companies on the market and every state has its own complex laws influenced by each states own politics and finances. However, it is important to give witness to some of the abuses of the current market system when they arise.

My health care provider, Oxford Healthcare, which I get through my employer, increased their premiums by 30% this year thus causing my employer to accept a cheaper contract which covers only in-network service providers. In what other sector are this kinds of price surges even possible? The cost increase will have a real affect on the health care my colleagues, including my own, as we all scramble to find new service providers and bring them up to speed on our conditions.

St. Ronnie, pure of the sin of unpopularity

2010-10-01T16:50:00.008-04:00

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Public Policy Polling points out an interesting trend that I attribute to Tea Partiers and other conservative Dupes.

Our last national poll found that 19% of voters both disapproved of Barack Obama's job performance and disapproved of the Republicans in Congress. Those folks are planning to vote Republican for Congress by a 76-6 margin this fall. They may not be happy with either side but when it comes to deciding how to vote in November their feelings against Obama are a much more decisive factor than their feelings against Republicans in general.

Now what is that one-fifth of voters thinking? I think they're full of bull pucky, as this kid in elementary school used to say. The real crime, to these conservatives, isn't profligate spending -- it's unpopularity. The stain of losing Congress to Democrats.

The sentiment -- we dislike Obama and the Republicans, but we're still voting for Republicans (by 76-6!) -- follows the Tea Party line. I guess all that animus against RINOs, Republicans In Name Only, is still in the air: the claim that those Republicans were corrupted spendthrifts themselves.

But by and large, those RINOs are officeholders from the Bush Jr. era, at least. And as we all know, the Taxed Enough Already crew didn't freak out about government spending and deficits and bailouts when their guy was headlining. Their guys held the White House for eight years -- including the House and Senate for more than half of that time -- and taxes were cut, wars were started, France was flipped the bird, and Social Security privatization was attempted. Every day was Tea Party day! No one decried tax rates; nor did neo-Tom Paine shed a tear for the deficit.

It took a Democrat in the presidency to remind Tea Partiers of their financial concerns. To save face, this 19 percent of voters had to suddenly "discover" that Republicans in Congress were traitors all along.

But what really was the RINOs' crime, then? Most Tea Party talk of Bush-era blunders comes down to "spending" -- but Tea Partiers are terrible with hard numbers. Would big cuts in Medicare have saved them? Certainly not -- pre-Tea Partiers would've freaked out, and many of them are on Medicare this very moment. I don't see them cutting military spending or Social Security either, and together these account for the majority of the budget.

So "spending" is bull. There's no truth to it. Only emotional truth on the part of Tea Partiers -- who I'm pretty sure overlap quite well with this 19 percent of voters.

That leaves one thing: The RINOs' real crime is losing. They committed the sin of becoming unpopular and losing to Democrats in 2008. Sounds nutty, I know, but it's the only explanation I can come up with for Tea Party supporters' attitudes concerning Republicans in office.

It fits nicely with the myth of Reagan and a couple other things. Ask most movement conservatives what was so great about President Ronald Reagan, and he'll probably mention standing up to the air-traffic controllers' union, standing up to the Soviet Union -- with all that "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" -- and maybe something about taxes and the economy. I doubt the economy was all that great for your average latter-day Tea Partier. But everything felt different -- and Reagan was popular, very popular. It's emotionally satisfying to support a winner.

Also, my idea explains this here August 13 list compiled by Right Wing News of "The 25 Worst Figures in American History," as voted on by 43 conservative blogs -- before Right Wing News took it down! (It helps to do screen grabs and page-saves when you report on these geniuses.) The list could contain "gangsters, serial killers, mass murderers, incompetent & crooked politicians, spies, traitors, and ultra left-wing kooks in all of American history." Look who's actually in it.

23) Saul Alinsky (7)
23) Bill Clinton (7)
23) Hillary Clinton (7)
19) Michael Moore (7)
19) George Soros (8)
19) Alger Hiss (8)
19) Al Sharpton (8)
13) Al Gore (9)
13) Noam Chomsky (9)
13) Richard Nixon (9)
13) Jane Fonda (9)
13) Harry Reid (9)
13) Nancy Pelosi (9)
11) John Wilkes Booth (10)
11) Margaret Sanger (10)
9) Aldrich Ames (11)
9) Timothy McVeigh (11)
7) Ted Kennedy (14)
7) Lyndon Johnson (14)
5) Benedict Arnold (17)
5) Woodrow Wilson (17)
4) The Rosenbergs (19)
3) Franklin Delano Roosevelt (21)
2) Barack Obama (23)
1) Jimmy Carter (25)

Barack Obama is second only to Jimmy Carter in failing to be popular among right wingers. It ain't about policy, it's about emotions.

Matt Taibbi winces in the face of idiocy so you don't have to

2010-09-29T12:27:00.003-04:00

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Don't miss Matt Taibbi's newest Rolling Stone article, "Tea & Crackers." He goes on the long, pointless excursion to find out just what is up with Tea Partiers, and finds that they're pretty much being led around by the noses. Duped, if you will.

Along the way, Taibbi hits on exactly my explanation for all the "anti-government" fronting these Medicare beneficiaries do.

Early in his campaign, Dr. [Rand] Paul, the son of the uncompromising libertarian hero Ron Paul, denounced Medicare as "socialized medicine." But this spring, when confronted with the idea of reducing Medicare payments to doctors like himself — half of his patients are on Medicare — he balked. This candidate, a man ostensibly so against government power in all its forms that he wants to gut the Americans With Disabilities Act and abolish the departments of Education and Energy, was unwilling to reduce his own government compensation, for a very logical reason. "Physicians," he said, "should be allowed to make a comfortable living."

Those of us who might have expected Paul's purist followers to abandon him in droves have been disappointed; Paul is now the clear favorite to win in November. Ha, ha, you thought we actually gave a shit about spending, joke's on you. That's because the Tea Party doesn't really care about issues — it's about something deep down and psychological, something that can't be answered by political compromise or fundamental changes in policy. At root, the Tea Party is nothing more than a them-versus-us thing. They know who they are, and they know who we are ("radical leftists" is the term they prefer), and they're coming for us on Election Day, no matter what we do — and, it would seem, no matter what their own leaders like Rand Paul do.

I was going to make this a short post, but the article is too full of flavor bursts of awesome.

Taibbi mostly focuses on the Tea Party's inevitable cooptation into the Republican party, especially as illustrated by Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul's change from opposition to embrace of the Republican establishment.

But I savor the Us-versus-Them-isms. Here's one where Taibbi has asked a Tea Partier, whose wife is on Medicare and who as a tax appraiser has received check after check from the government, why he's anti-government spending.

"Well," he says, "there's a lot of people on welfare who don't deserve it. Too many people are living off the government."

"But," I protest, "you live off the government. And have been your whole life!"

"Yeah," he says, "but I don't make very much."

Them. The undeserving and ill-defined them!. When will True Americans be free of their tyranny?

It would be inaccurate to say the Tea Partiers are racists. What they are, in truth, are narcissists. They're completely blind to how offensive the very nature of their rhetoric is to the rest of the country. I'm an ordinary middle-aged guy who pays taxes and lives in the suburbs with his wife and dog — and I'm a radical communist? I don't love my country? I'm a redcoat? Fuck you! These are the kinds of thoughts that go through your head as you listen to Tea Partiers expound at awesome length upon their cultural victimhood, surrounded as they are by America-haters like you and me or, in the case of foreign-born president Barack Obama, people who are literally not Americans in the way they are.

It's not like the Tea Partiers hate black people. It's just that they're shockingly willing to believe the appalling horseshit fantasy about how white people in the age of Obama are some kind of oppressed minority.

I'll go one further and say that calling the Tea Partiers racist is lazy and short-sighted. Sure, a lot of their attitudes amount to racism, but that's just a fragment of their whole oppositional outlook.

"They're [the medical death panels are] going to look at your age, your vocation in life, your health, your income. . . ." says a guy active in the Northern Kentucky Tea Party.

"Your race?" I ask.

"Probably," he says.

"White males need not apply," says another Tea Partier.

"Like everything else, the best thing you can do is be an illegal alien," says a third. "Then they won't ask you any questions."

An amazing number of Tea Partiers actually believe this stuff, and in the past year or so a host of little-known politicians have scored electoral upsets riding this kind of yahoo paranoia.

Go give it a read!

Both Sides Do It

2010-09-25T12:28:00.009-04:00

It seems a little unfair to pick on the right-wing conspiracy theorists and tribalists exclusively, I admit. But the simple fact of the matter is that you're not going to find this kind of lunacy and outright disrespect for reality in a Democratic Senatorial candidate:

The clip (lovingly compiled by Talking Points Memo) includes these classics:

-"...Because I dabbled in witchcraft; I hung around people who were doing these things"
-"One of my first dates with a witch was on a Satanic alter, and I didn't know it."

-"And then there's also the issue of murder, with Vincent Foster. That's a much more serious charge [against Bill Clinton] than failing to seek legal advice -- and yet we're all just blowing that off."

-"The Bible says that lust in your heart is committing adultery. You can't masturbate without lust!"

-"The total amount that we're spending currently on AIDS research and care with the Ryan White Act and Medicaid is over $8 billion, and our position is that there is a gross, disproportionate allocation of funds when it comes to treatment of AIDS, as opposed to the number-one killer, which is heart disease."

-"A lot of the money that we're spending goes to things that we know will not prevent AIDS, but will indeed continue to spread the disease. When a lot of our money goes to distribute condoms in high schools, when a lot of our money goes to distribute material that is literally pornographic..."

-"But these groups admitted that the report that said, 'Hey, yay, we cloned a monkey' -- now we're using this to clone humans."
[Bill O'Reilly]: "Let them admit anything they want -- They won't do that here in the United States unless all craziness is going on."
[O'Donnell]: They are doing that here in the United States! American scientific companies are cross-breeding humans and animals and coming up with mice with fully functioning human brains."

So, "witchcraft" and Satan are real things, the U.S. spends too much on a deadly communicable disease, condoms and "pornography" cause AIDS, American companies are cloning humans and cross-breeding mice and people to make super-brained mice!

And that's just this one Tea Party-backed candidate -- there's still Sarah Palin, Dick Armey, Newt Gingrich, Rand Paul, Debra Molina, various Tea Party leaders like Mark Williams, and their conspiracy factories Betsy McCaughey, Alex Jones, Orly Taitz, and on and on and on.

But Dennis Kucinich believes in UFOs!

Folks like The Beast's John Avlon depend on drawing a false equivalence between liberals and conservatives -- possibly because they're blind, but more likely because they're unwilling to take sides, believing that stance as a mark of true objectivity.

Heck, I'm reading Avlon's book, "Wingnuts -- How the radical fringe is hijacking America", and the best examples he can find for the left-leaning fringe include no Democratic leaders, candidates or officeholders -- just Cindy Sheehan, Code Pink, Keith Olbermann, MoveOn.org (who he says "took heat" when contributors to their contest compared Bush to Hitler!), and various protest signs. The rest of the book is an enumeration of conservative wingnuts. But he sticks to the centrist article of faith that "both sides do it," despite the evidence of his lying eyes.

The Dupes are a right-wing phenomenon at this point in history. It's about time we all recognized it.

Misunderstand, Exaggerate, Fear ... and WIN!

2010-09-24T10:53:00.005-04:00

What is it with right-wing tribalists and insidious conspiracies? Why the incessant need to exaggerate their enemies' threat/size/power/organizing prowess?

[Jihadwatch.org's Robert] Spencer has been one of a handful of neocons -- along with Frank Gaffney and Daniel Pipes, among others -- who have been sounding the alarm about Sharia law for years. They warn that Sharia, a system of laws defined by the Koran, is taking hold in the United States, and that it will eventually threaten the very Constitution.

Their warnings, so long spoken from the fringe, are now at the heart of today's anti-mosque rhetoric.

I've mentioned before the Tea Partiers' (and other right-wing partisans') weird inability to understand their enemies' motivations -- for want of a better word, their total lack of empathy. Maybe their mirror neurons are malfunctioning. Anyway, this belief that Teh Enemy is covertly working to undermine Amerka from within is somehow related. Certainly, ignoring your opponent's real motivations makes it easy to ascribe your own, but I don't see why Tea Party Dupes and their ilk are so ready to believe that their opponents are so formidable.

Now, it's easy to understand why Tea Party leaders would want to exaggerate Teh Dread Sharia Law Threat!!!11one! Enhancing group cohesiveness and fervor, of course. But is it just the bizarre, overriding in-group loyalty and "follower" mentality that causes the Dupes to fall for this kind of bullshit?

Gingrich has, likewise, seized on these Sharia fears (as have less famous politicians in Oklahoma). At the Values Voter Summit last weekend, he called for the U.S. government to ban Sharia law.

"We should have a federal law that says sharia law cannot be recognized by any court in the United States," Gingrich said to a standing ovation. "No judge will remain in office that tried to use sharia law."

'Course, it's nothing new:

Proponents of McCarthyism claimed that the CPUSA was so completely under Moscow's control that any American Communist was inevitably a puppet of the Soviet Union. As J. Edgar Hoover put it in a 1950 speech, "Communist members, body and soul, are the property of the Party." This attitude was not confined to arch-conservatives. In 1940, the American Civil Liberties Union ejected founding member Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, saying that her membership in the Communist Party was enough to disqualify her as a civil libertarian. In the government's prosecutions of Communist Party members under the Smith Act (see above), the prosecution case was based not on specific actions or statements by the defendants, but on the premise that a commitment to violent overthrow of the government was inherent in the doctrines of Marxism-Leninism. Passages of the CPUSA's constitution that specifically rejected revolutionary violence were dismissed as deliberate deception.

In addition, it was often claimed that the Party did not allow any member to resign, so a person who had been a member for a short time decades previously could be considered as suspect as a current member. Many of the hearings and trials of McCarthyism featured testimony by former Communist Party members such as Elizabeth Bentley, Louis Budenz, and Whittaker Chambers, speaking as expert witnesses.

Tea Partiers don't mind a little war spending; it's spending on others that really hurts

2010-09-07T16:39:00.018-04:00

The Iraq War's cost is way beyond their original estimate of $3 trillion, say economist Joseph Stiglitz and public policy academic Linda Bilmes in the WaPo today.

This price tag dwarfed previous estimates, including the Bush administration's 2003 projections of a $50 billion to $60 billion war.

That means the war cost 50 to 60 times as much as Bush said it would.

Where were the Tea Partiers? Perhaps waving flags somewhere. If I'm right about Tea Partiers' Us-versus-Them outlook, war spending feels acceptable, while social spending -- which helps another category of "Them" -- is just an outrage. Here's an April NYT/CBS poll comparing Tea Partiers' views with those of average Americans on spending on the poor:

Tea Partiers also choose against the government directly helping others when it comes to spending on "jobs" versus the "federal budget deficit":

But ask them to choose between money for themselves or the deficit, and priorities change:

Who did they blame for the deficit in April, despite the war?

Of course. Not Bush.

Where did the deficit really come from? The NYT's David Leonhardt counted it up last year, concluding:

There are two basic truths about the enormous deficits that the federal government will run in the coming years.

The first is that President Obama’s agenda, ambitious as it may be, is responsible for only a sliver of the deficits, despite what many of his Republican critics are saying. The second is that Mr. Obama does not have a realistic plan for eliminating the deficit, despite what his advisers have suggested.

Here's a graph Matt Yglesias made from that research (note the date on all this is June 9, 2010).

But we'll be hearing a lot more about all that awful health care reform than we did about the war. That money is for helping Our side or hurting Their side, and that's final.

Oh, and here's Stiglitz and Bilmes on the war's effect on the debt. When you're ideologically committed to more and more tax cuts, stuff like this is easy to forget.

There is no question that the Iraq war added substantially to the federal debt. This was the first time in American history that the government cut taxes as it went to war. The result: a war completely funded by borrowing. U.S. debt soared from $6.4 trillion in March 2003 to $10 trillion in 2008 (before the financial crisis); at least a quarter of that increase is directly attributable to the war. And that doesn't include future health care and disability payments for veterans, which will add another half-trillion dollars to the debt.

As a result of two costly wars funded by debt, our fiscal house was in dismal shape even before the financial crisis -- and those fiscal woes compounded the downturn.

It's Us versus Them, and they've got the Illuminati

2010-09-03T17:26:00.009-04:00

A couple days ago, a close relative of mine said something that perfectly encapsulates a lot of conservative thinking. It's like a fractal chunk of right-wing thought, as I see it.

We heard on the radio that under health care reform, we will have to pay for treating drug addicts.

It's like a crystal cube, it's so perfect. All the parts are there -- you only have to tweak it a bit to get almost any conservative whine.

--Credibility attributed to a forgotten / Questionable Source?
Check.

--The Victims are "We", "Us", "Americans", "Real Americans" or other tribal identification that excludes the Villains?
Check.

--The Villains are members of a despised out-group who gain from suffering Victims?
Check.

--The implication of a Conspiracy or malevolent tendency among some Villains that harms the Victims?
Check -- in this case, apparently nobody knew 'till now that the Democrats' Affordable Care Act would bring about this indignity.

--A profound Lack of Empathy or the inability to understand another person's point of view?

--And, of course, the Conflation of two Villains or the implication that they're working together?
Check! Here, it's the Democratically controlled Congress and the Obama Administration in cahoots with drug addicts.

These are the basic elements driving the conservative / Tea Party / Birther / John Birch freakout we're seeing, and it's nothing new. What's weird is that anyone takes these people seriously -- or rather that there's no concerted effort to single them out, ridicule them, and use their idiotic pronouncements as political weapons against Republicans.

I'm not talking about all Republicans, of course. But there is a significant portion whose reasoning, attribution of source credibility, and grasp of simple facts about the world are completely useless. And these folks have always been there, always will be. Sometimes they're on the left, but the bulk of them have been with conservatives for a long time now.

As it happens, these Dupes, as I call them, were the only adults I knew until about age 14. They fascinate me endlessly -- they're normal, caring, thinking people who somehow believe that nefarious forces are working together in the shadows to screw over good folks.

Graham bails and bails again

2010-04-28T10:45:00.007-04:00

I know Lindsey Graham has been under a lot for fire from his do-nothing obstructionist colleagues for doing what he is paid to do: legislating on the issues of immigration and climate change with the Democratics (Chuck Schumer and John Kerry respectively) across the aisle. He's even been writing joint articles on these important issues with his legislative colleagues here and here. Bravo.

However, Harry Reid was absolutely right on with his criticism of Senator Graham's bailing ship on the bipartisan climate change bill (because of some misguided concern about immigration taking priority).

I will not allow him to play one issue off of another, and neither will the American people. They expect us to do both, and they will not accept the notion that trying to act on one is an excuse for not acting on the other.

And today we learn that Graham also seems to be bailing on immigration reform too. This time because he thinks that border security is more important than immigration reform. Huh? Is border security not a part of immigration reform?

Graham's schizophrenia aside, I say "come now people!" These issues are important to the American people. Our government can and must do both. Let's not let the Rush Limbaughs of the world convince us that compromise is impossible and consensus is impractical. Of course we come from different places, culturally, economically, and politically, but we should all agree that these issue need a federal response now.

Economically to the right... Socially to the left

2010-04-14T14:10:00.000-04:00

"I'm economically to the right... but socially to the left", someone recently told me at a party. Hilarious.

She's probably a Schwarzenegger Republican. Came out against Proposition 8. Supports stem cell research, some aspects of the recent health care reform, and climate change legislation. Perhaps she believes in a woman's right to choose. Not so bad.

"Economically", she probably believes in unfettered free-marketism. She wants lower taxes, fewer governmental employees, and less "red tape". She probably has a knee jerk reaction about wasteful Democrats and thinks that Republicans are somehow more trustworthy on economic issues.

This last assumption is a little debatable. Historically, Democratic presidents tend to be more effective in combating unemployment (see Bureau of Labor Statistics). Even Obama's administration, after months of plummeting payrolls, has seem some improvement (see the "bikini" graphic here). Similarly, under Democratic leadership, despite common knowledge about wasteful "entitlement programs", federal debt has generally decreased (see historical data in recent federal budget).

There is some disagreement on how important these numbers are. Although a number of fiscal conservative disagree, Dick Cheney famously once said that "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter." Not sure what he meant by that, but conservative think tanks would probably say that the best way to combat debt is to grow the economy and to cut "entitlement" programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

Now, another name for these "entitlement" programs is social programs, because they provide social services which go beyond what the free market can provide. In that these programs take care of people who cannot take care of themselves, these programs reflect our social values. I am not saying that keeping social programs solvent is easy, but I do think we need to be reminded that they exist for a reason. Poverty, health and old-age are social issues not purely economic realities.

President Bart

2010-04-09T17:33:00.001-04:00

From an interview with Bill Cosby:

Q: Now that some time has passed, what do you make of people who say that “The Cosby Show” paved the way for Obama’s presidency?

A: I’ve had a chance to think it over, so I’ve had a chance to say something funny. If that is the case, that “The Cosby Show” is Obama and family — then when he comes out of office, the next one is going to be whoever is going to represent Bart Simpson.

Wait

2010-04-02T12:53:00.001-04:00

I think this from Gruber covers the instinct to wait for Gen2 well:

If you bought an original iPhone and regretted it a year later, though, you probably ought to skip the original iPad.

I did and I never did. I'm just trying to be frugal!

A Person Or An Animal

2010-04-01T12:00:00.001-04:00

Stephen Fry:

The iPad does perform tasks — it runs apps and has the calendar, e-mail, Web browsing, office productivity, audio, video and gaming capabilities you would expect of any such device — yet when I eventually got my hands on one, I discovered that one doesn't relate to it as a "tool"; the experience is closer to one's relationship with a person or an animal.

I also love this quote from Steve Jobs, in the same article:

"I don't think of my life as a career," he says. "I do stuff. I respond to stuff. That's not a career — it's a life!"

Well I Do

2010-03-31T17:38:00.001-04:00

Some clear writing from Captain Erickson:

It may come as a surprise to many of you, but RedState writers do not get paid. Well, I do, and I forever remain guilty that I’m the guy getting the check living off the fine writing of others in this community.

I love how he blames "the Obama economy" for an associate not having a job for a while.

Last Thing

2010-03-30T01:15:00.001-04:00

Tap, tap. Hello?

What with my other life blogs goin', I've been neglecting this one.

But fear not, there are lots of things to quote and point out on the internet: John Cole:

I’m going to make the bold declaration that the last god damned thing we need in this country is “youth model” shotguns.

Maybe I need a Tumblr.

Rachel!

2010-03-28T21:29:00.001-04:00

I love her.

Found here.

Rembering Granny D

2010-03-12T14:43:00.003-05:00

Doris Haddock, aka Granny D, passed away yesterday after a full life. At the age of 89 ten years ago she walked 3200 miles across the country in support of campaign finance controls. Let's remember her with a few quotes.

After the recent SCOTUS ruling on corporate speech

“The Supreme Court, representing a radical fringe that does not share the despair of the grand majority of Americans, has today made things considerably worse by undoing the modest reforms I walked for and went to jail for and that tens of thousand of other Americans fought very hard to see enacted. The Supreme Court now opens the floodgates to usher in a new tsunami of corporate money into politics.”

Court statement in 2000 after being arrested reading the Declaration of Independence

Your Honor, it is now your turn to be a part of this arrest. If your concern is that we might have interfered with the visitor's right to a meaningful tour of their Capitol, I tell you that we helped them have a more meaningful one. If your concern is that we might have been blocking the halls of our government, let me assure you that we stood to one side of the Rotunda where we would not be in anyone's way. But I inform you that the halls are indeed blocked over there.

In a BBC interview during her walk across the country

This country has become one in which, in order to run for office, a poor man has to sell his soul, or he has to be a multi-millionaire. That's not democracy

From a Democracy Now! interview with Amy Goodman when she ran for senate against Judd Gregg in 2004 (and got 34% of the vote!!)

My main interest is campaign finance reform, and until we get public funding in this country, we will be in the mess that we’re in today. There is no other way to save our democracy and no other way to keep it a democracy, except through public funding.

But I care about the fact that we are the only civilized nation in the world that doesn’t have national health. We are letting our schools go to pieces. On one side, you have a country club-type of school; on the other side, you have a place that our children are ashamed to go into. That’s not fair. We are supposed to be a fair nation. And we’re not being fair at all.

What an incredible woman. Hats off.

"Political Capital" ... yawn.

2010-03-11T12:01:00.006-05:00

As the health reform debate continues, the pundits are again throwing out a tired cliché. The left is saying that Obama squandered his "political capital" by not acting decisively on progressive issues. The right props up grassroots campaigns using corperate money and then says that Obama's has less "political capital" because his is further left than a few angry government skeptics.

Where the hell did this expression come from?

Well, Bush used it after the 2004 election to derscribe the strength of his mandate. "I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it. It is my style." he said after beating Kerry. But that was not the first time Bush used the term. As Chris Suellentrop points out in his excellent article on Slate (http://www.slate.com/id/2110256), Bush was more than a little obsessed with the term all throughout his political career.

In Bush's mind, it probably meant simply political goodwill, generally and for particular initiative as well. Although I disagree with Bush's math (he only won in 2004 by less than 2 percent in the popular vote), an election does probably give you a window of opportunity to layout priorities and achieve accomplishments. Perhaps it could be described as political momentum or support.

Etymologically, the word "capital" comes from the latin capitalis which means "of the head." In that sense, the political capital is the "seat of goverment." In another way, the political capital can be ascertained by an actual counting of heads, by means of an election or a census. This meaning is where the expressions "capital goods" and "capital gains" come from, because capital is the actual count of animal stock. Historically, "head" has also become synonymous with "life" thus giving way to such terms as "capital punishment".

What is surprising about how Bush entertains the idea is his emphasis on spending political capital. "He probably likes the way it paints him as a CEO-president" says Suellentrop. True, but there is also something downright cynical about how Bush sees his role as lead representative of our country if his executive authority is thought of as an investment. There is a sense that his political captial bank account has only so many funds and that once used up, there is nothing left. Isn't authority given by way of elections because of shared values? I imgaine that he got used to receiving a weekly allowance from his family to pay for expenses at Yale, but that's no excuse. It's as if he already knew his policies would be unpopular.

Although Bush was probably not aware of the connection, sociology for many years has talked about the concept of social capital. This term means a whole lot more to the workings of democracy than Bush's pet term. It refers to connections within and between social networks and the potential of these connections to effect and eventually improve the lives of people (create value for them). These connections are not simply goodwill but fundamental building blocks to civic institutions: characteristics such trust, reciprocity, information, and cooperation.

The decay in social capital in recent American history history is seen by some as the reason for a decline in civil engagement, including decreased voter turnout, lower public meeting attendance, less involvement in political parties and social committees. Robert Putnam used the example of of bowling to illustrate what problems arise from this increased isolation. Apparently, over the last 20 years, although the number of people who bowl has increased, bowling leagues have seen a substantial decrease in participation. According to Putnam, "bowling alone" decreases the opportunity to partake in social interaction and thus civic discussion about daily life. I, for one, am definitively guilty of bowling alone.

Putnam's ideas are actually much larger than bowling and provide insight into today' political landscape. They provide a roadmap for understanding how diversity and civics intertwine and perhaps help us understand a little better the ebb and flow of political engagement. A recent article by Thomas B. Edsall in the New Republic suggests that the Tea Party Movement is actually an example of an organization founded on some of the more negative characteristics of social capital such as protective exclusivity, distrust in institutions, and decreased altruism. Very interesting shit if you ask me.

Obama, with history as a community organizer, is probably quite sensitive to how social capital can effect political momentum. Whether he has "political capital" he can spend makes no difference at all in my mind. However, whether or not he can garner and harness social capital to improve the living conditions of Americans as a whole is what matters. And health care is a perfect opportunity. Let's act now.

Values of Military ≠ Values of Society as a Whole

2010-03-08T12:34:00.001-05:00

In the United States, military voices are present in the national political debate. For issues of strategic importance, news shows continually invite military thinkers and generals to comment on the important decisions of the today. Should there be surge in Afghanistan? Should we continue to fund F-22 production despite the cost? We trust these people's judgment. No doubt it comforts us to see all the medals on General Patraeus' chest.

We listen to them because they embody the principals we hold dear. Military men are trustworthy. They are persistent, devoted, and honest. They are strong and reliable, efficient and motivated.

On the fancy Army recruitment site goarmy.com (http://www.goarmy.com/life/living_the_army_values.jsp), there is a list of important army values

Loyalty
Duty
Respect
Selfless Service
Honor
Integrity
Personal Courage

All very impressive qualities. On the Navy site, I found a list of principles outlined by the current Deputy Secretary of Defense and previous Secretary of the Navy, Gordon R. England:

Provide an environment for every person to excel
Treat every person with dignity and respect — nobody is more important than anyone else
Be forthright, honest and direct with every person and in every circumstance
Improve effectiveness to gain efficiency
Cherish your time and the time of others — it is not renewable
Identify the critical problems that need solution for the organization to succeed
Describe complex issues and problems simply so every person can understand
Never stop learning — depth and breadth of knowledge are equally important
Encourage constructive criticism
Surround yourself with great people and delegate to them full authority and responsibility
Make ethical standards more important than legal requirements
Strive for team-based wins, not individual
Emphasize capability — not organization
Incorporate measures and metrics everywhere
Concentrate on core functions and outsource all other

Again, very impressive qualities. Undoubtedly, these are some of the values that make our military the force which it is today.

Although grateful I am for the role the military has had in defending the freedoms we have in the country, every once and a while I am reminded that military has its own agenda which does not reflect the values of a democratic society. Back in December, a story emerged of a Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo in Iraq threatened to jail woman solders who have become pregnant and the men who impregnate them. The policy was not implemented but the fact that it was even discussed is absolutely ludicrous.

Of course, our men and women in the military give up rights that many of us citizens take for granted, but are these the values we hold dear in the rest of society. Can not another solution involving more sex education or more emphasis on the importance of duty be found? Seriously.

Historic Moment

2010-01-13T09:36:00.001-05:00

Hillary Clinton issues Statement on Google Operations in China:

We have been briefed by Google on these allegations, which raise very serious concerns and questions. We look to the Chinese government for an explanation. The ability to operate with confidence in cyberspace is critical in a modern society and economy. I will be giving an address next week on the centrality of internet freedom in the 21st century, and we will have further comment on this matter as the facts become clear.

On Behalf Of Al-Qaeda

2010-01-11T13:18:00.001-05:00

Eric Martin on the underwear bomber:

If the attack were a success, I'm not suggesting that fact should be suppressed - and some form of initial emotional overreaction is understandable, even if counterproductive in the end. But in the present case, it's as if some people were bending over backwards to try to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat...on behalf of al-Qaeda.

Exclamation Point

2010-01-11T11:22:00.001-05:00

Ta-Nehisi Coates on Harry Reid:

I think you can grant that, in this era, the term "Negro dialect" is racially insensitive and embarrassing. That said, the fair-mind listener understands the argument--Barack Obama's complexion and his ability to code-switch is an asset. You can quibble about the "light skin" part, but forget running for president, code-switching is the standard M.O. for any African American with middle class aspirations.

But there's no such defense for Trent Lott. Lott celebrated apartheid Mississippi's support of Strom Thurmond, and then said that had Thurmond won, "we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years.'' Strom Thurmond run for president, specifically because he opposed Harry Truman's efforts at integration. This is not mere conjecture--nearly half of Thurmond's platform was dedicated to preserving segregation. The Dixiecrat slogan was "Segregation Forever!" (Exclamation point, theirs.) Trent Lott's wasn't forced to resign because he said something "racially insensitive." He was forced to resign because he offered tacit endorsement of white supremacy--frequently.

Play Attention

2010-01-09T15:38:00.001-05:00

I find this fascinating and a little bit terrifying:

LONDON - A new software that will help reduce hyperactivity among kids is slated for release this month.

Karen Pine, professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, examined the effects of EEG (electroencephalography) biofeedback, a learning strategy that detects brain waves, on children with an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

They used a system called Play Attention, supplied by not-for-profit community interest company, Games for Life, three times a week for 12 weeks.

The system involves the child playing a fun educational computer game while wearing a helmet similar to a bicycle helmet. It picks up their brain activity in the form of EEG waves related to attention.

As long as the child concentrates, they control the games, but as soon as their attention wavers the game stops.

They Killed Britty!

2010-01-08T23:43:00.001-05:00

These people are too much:

During the Roman Empire's secularist era those who acknowledged the deity of Christ were frequently fed to the lions to entertain — for lack of a better word — the "progressive" elites of the day.

Really, just too much.

This is the start of an article called The crucifixion of Brit Hume.

Tsutomu

2010-01-07T23:01:00.001-05:00

J. Thomas Duffy:

Here's hoping Tsutomu Yamaguchi has the absolute best, most tremendous, most peacefully satisfying afterlife ... Ever!

Deal With

2010-01-05T09:37:00.001-05:00

Happy 2010!

And here's DougJ from the other day, before Erick actually appeared on Colbert:

This probably just goes to prove that I’m a lily-livered liberal, but I feel genuinely sorry for Republicans that they have to deal with Erick Erickson. Imagine devoting your life to a political party and then finding out all your candidates were kow-towing to such an idiot.

Straight Opposition

2009-12-24T10:55:00.001-05:00

Josh Marshall:

But it's worth noting once again that the Republican opposition on this whole issue [health care reform] is a sham. It is simply a vote for the status quo. And a bet that straight opposition can lead them back to power.

No

2009-12-23T20:23:00.001-05:00

The Heritage Foundation provides the latest stupid wingnut example of Headlines-Where-The-Answer-Is-No:

Could the Senate Bill Eliminate Private Insurance?

Darth Vader Opens Wall Street

2009-12-22T15:43:00.001-05:00

Divine.

Do In

2009-12-22T15:12:00.001-05:00

Yeah, that's right, Erick Erickson, this health care reform will "do in the Republic."

You're so heroic!

Leadership

2009-12-22T08:29:00.001-05:00

P122009PS-0001, originally uploaded by The White House.

This is how you show leadership for a scientific future.

NYC

2009-12-21T08:47:00.001-05:00

I use a webcam viewer in Dashboard on OSX called Slothcam, and one of my favorite is this shot from a site called Wired New York. Not sure who owns this, but I've added it into Slothcam as a custom url.

Add it yourself at:
http://wirednewyork.com/webcam/new-york-live.jpg

Grow

2009-12-21T08:20:00.001-05:00

Thers addresses Erick Erickson:

This is a four Leprechaun post, I believe. With a Toilet-Fishing Gnome to grow on!

Every Single Victory

2009-12-21T08:13:00.001-05:00

Booman:

Update [2009-12-21 1:23:56 by BooMan]: Senate invokes cloture on Reid's manager's amendment by a 60-40 vote. I will remind you that we needed every single victory from 2006 and 2008 to achieve this. We needed Tester and Webb and McCaskill and Whitehouse and Klobuchar and Franken and Begich and Merkley and Sanders and the two Udalls and Brown and Cardin and Hagan and Casey and Hagan and Shaheen and Warner. We needed to seat Bennet and Burris and Gillibrand. We needed to replace Kennedy with Kirk. With had to flip Arlen Specter to the Democratic Party. If we lost any single one of those battles, health care reform would be dead. Instead, it lives. And you have yourselves to thank for that. Your activism made the difference.

My emphasis.

Strange

2009-12-19T08:30:00.001-05:00

Even CNN is parroting this inanity:

Copenhagen (CNN) – In a strange twist, a Washington snowstorm is forcing Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, to make an early departure from a global warming summit here in Denmark.

If you know what the phrase "global warming" means, which you should if you are writing about it for a news organization, you would find nothing strange about the existence of snow on the Earth. More specifically: unusual weather.

Unsurprisingly, by including not educational details about what the phrase "global warming" means, CNN leaves the door open for insanity in its commentary. Endless ignorance that should have been headed off in the article.

Dennis
How's that for irony?

[...]

J.P.
Yep, must be more of that "manmade global warming" I've been hearing so much about. See, global warming doesn't actually make things warmer, it makes them colder and snowier. Err... uhhh... Okaaaaay...

Sort of like how "up" makes things go "down" and "in" actually makes things go "out."

If you give a monkey a brain, he'll swear he's the center of the universe...
and can change the weather...
accidentally...
by driving an SUV.

2010 simply can't get here fast enough.

[...]

Henry Miller, Libertarian
Oh, yeah, just watch those temperatures climb through the roof! Global warming sure is coming!

Not.

Thankfully, there are some smart voices on the page, too.

Lucasinaustin
For the love of.... Its not a "strange twist.." This feigned confusion over how it can be cold (In December!!!!) if Global Warming exists is just absolutely ridiculous. You're talking a few degrees which has a significant impact on the global ecosystem, but no one is suggesting that Global Warming is going to make cold weather disappear.. everywhere... forever...
Also, Global Warming can even (I'm going to blow your minds here) make certain areas COLDER.. Yes... even though its called Global WARMING. Who would of thought.. you can't learn everything about a scientific theory by simply... reading the word and inferring a meaning. And before you jump on "theory" that probably doesn't mean what you think it means either..

[..]

Dan
"In a strange twist"!? When are people going to realize "Global Warming" isn't just about warming? It means more extreme winters and summers, with shorter springs and falls. So with the reality of global warming upon us, there is absolutely nothing strange about a snow storm in DC this time of year. Do some research Ed. Or go get a job with FOX. They love rubes like you.

Stink Bombs

2009-12-18T12:35:00.001-05:00

Booman:

Do you get the feeling that if all else fails to kill the health care reform bill the Republicans will start pulling the fire alarms and phoning in bomb threats? Maybe Sam Brownback will throw a stink-bomb.

Firm Hand

2009-12-15T09:25:00.001-05:00

Brad at Sadly, No:

We’ve now reached the point where Joe Scarborough is more willing to take a tough line on Lieberman than the vice president of the United States.

"Better" Part 2

2009-12-15T07:52:00.001-05:00

Hot on the heels of FOX News asking

Lowering the Minimum Wage: Is It Better For Workers?

comes this helpful contribution for good-faith discussions of Health Care Reform:

Is it Always Better to Have Health Insurance?

The Way It Is, By Dick

2009-12-15T07:41:00.001-05:00

Richard Cohen says that the reason there are less women in power in business is because they'd prefer to be raising children:

But it could be that the urge to get closer to cocktail waitresses and denizens of dimly lit hotel lounges is in some way linked to the drive to conquer, to prevail — to succeed. It could explain why all this time into the Age of Feminism, years after women were liberated, women make up less than 20 percent of Congress and only 3 percent of those top CEOs.

The reason the Glass Ceiling has not broken is that women have other priorities — maintaining relationships and being a mother. This is the way it is, and this is the way it has always been. As any of Tiger Woods’s cocktail waitresses could tell him, Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

N’est ce pas?

Ewww.

Update: More from Melissa at Shakesville.

Did I Seriously Just Read This at the Washington Post?

[...]

The unmitigated temerity of claiming women have been "liberated" from their oppression in the same column as he concludes that women have no drive to succeed because they want to be mothers is absolutely breathtaking. He literally repeats the same diminishing, marginalizing stereotypes about women against which feminists were fighting decades ago, only to conclude it must be biological destiny that women aren't more successful.

"Better"

2009-12-14T13:37:00.001-05:00

Epic chyron catch from Talking Points Memo.

Not Actively Trying to Destroy the Entire World

2009-12-13T15:16:00.001-05:00

Brad:

I honestly don’t know why a lot of folks ever really believed that Obama was the second coming of FDR when all he really ever aspired to be was the second coming of Bill Clinton. The guy always presented himself as a middle-of-the-road establishment Democrat who eschewed populism in favor of “post-partisanship” (whatever the hell that means). And c’mon, people: how much change could you really expect from a guy who chose Joe Biden to be his veep?

Now, I knew this perfectly well going into the 2008 election. And I was still incredibly enthusiastic about supporting the guy. Why? Because this country had been run for the previous eight years by sociopathic wingnuts and I didn’t want another sociopathic wingnut running the country for another four years. I didn’t want to go to war with Iran and I didn’t want to go to war with Syria. Also, I didn’t want to have a certifiable moron as vice president. These sorts of things are important to me.

And yes, I realize how sad it is that my standards have fallen so low, but that’s how things are. As long as my government is not actively trying to destroy the entire world, I feel OK about things. Others’ mileage may vary, but that’s sorta where I’m at.

Cynical, yes, but I know what he means.

(My emphasis)

Shorter John Nolte, Breitbart's House of Funny Clown

2009-12-12T15:00:00.001-05:00

Reality Check: ‘Jurassic Park’ More Convincing Than ‘Avatar’

The people who made Avatar totally suck at visual effects.

This kind of review is really what the Big Hollywood site lives for - couching their ultimate "I don't like liberals" message in some unrelated criticism.

Do You Really Not See The Difference?

2009-12-12T12:25:00.001-05:00

These people are so stupid. I don't know how else to put it.

Scott Whitlock writes a post about a joke on 30 Rock suggesting Obama is a Muslim, and says:

Apparently it’s okay to make jokes about Barack Obama being a Muslim, so long as you’re liberal.

Does he really not understand that putting a joke in 30 Rock about this topic is a joke on people like Scott and not a joke about Obama?

This kind of confusion is exactly why 1/2 Hour News Hour sucked.

Sketch Artists

2009-12-11T12:12:00.001-05:00

Steven Benen tries to understand the concerns of the GOP over trying KSM in a US court room:

We can't charge terrorist suspects and put them on trial because a sketch artist might draw a picture of a suspect in a courtroom, which in turn undermines our national security interests and "hastens the danger" of a nuclear attack?

Wingnut Freakout

2009-12-10T19:49:00.001-05:00

These people are killing me. Here's The Heritage Foundation with a little ditty entitled Does Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Violate the Constitution?

Can you imagine being RAISED by these people?

"Urban Back Alleys"

2009-12-10T13:03:00.001-05:00

The people are fucking cartoons:

Carbon dioxide is exhaled by every breathing human being on the planet, and is no more a "pollutant" than are the leaves that fall from trees. It has been vilified in recent years as the mechanism of "man made global warming," though the empirical evidence reveals a trend of global cooling for the past decade, and nothing more than the standard cyclical variations of earth's temperatures in the years of recorded data prior to that.

Yet now the government seeks to monitor and ultimately manage this harmless and completely natural component of the air we breathe, as if it has suddenly metamorphosed into some sinister "controlled substance" that might be dealt illegally in urban back alleys. This flagrant effort to extend the tentacles of the state into virtually every manufacturing process, every back-yard barbeque, and every exhaled breath in the country should alarm any citizen who recognizes the need for some limit on the scope and reach of government.

It Wouldn't Cost Him A Dime!

2009-12-09T16:38:00.001-05:00

Charles Lane knows best:

If Obama and Congress were really as serious as they say they are about reducing unemployment, they would at least be willing to discuss rolling back last July’s minimum wage increase. It would create some jobs for those who need them most, and it would not cost taxpayers a dime. Yes, those who get hired at a reduced minimum wage would have to work for less. But at least they'd be working.

At least they'd be working!

What Do They Have In Common Again?

2009-12-09T08:34:00.001-05:00

Little Wingnut Ben Shapiro wrote this:

President Obama fulfills the three requirements to receive the approval of the black community: he is black; he is not currently having sex with a white woman; and he is liberal. And he receives the lifelong and unwavering loyalty of the black community for it.

By contrast, the black community hates another prominent half-black man. This half-black man happens to be a political independent who has sex with white women. His name is Tiger Woods.

When the Tiger story broke, folks like Instaputz were wondering who'd be the first to somehow connect Tiger with Obama in a story. Naively, I thought there was no way that could happen.

Gimme a U!

2009-12-08T17:10:00.001-05:00

~~Shorter~~ Verbatim Gary Graham: The War of Words — Why We’re Losing:

Are we pussies – or are we Americans?

Enough already

2009-12-06T17:14:00.003-05:00

It is common knowledge that in August the French government pushes through unpopular laws when many citizens are on vacation. The newspapers are shorter, they contains larger word game and chess sections, and most of the articles focus on emergency airlifts of injured swimmers from various beach across the country. I am not even sure that France legislative branch is in session in the summer but the point should be well taken.

Similarly, what subjects news organizations decide to focus on directly influences political attempts to improve quality of life, provide better services, and fulfill the values that are dear to this country's citizens. For 3 weeks in November and December, this country was force-fed Tiger Wood's extramarital activities and news organizations are entirely to blame. The New York Post, in an extreme case of bad judgment, decided to put this evolving vulgar story on its cover for more than 15 days in a row. Please. Similarly, the story of party crashers at the White House has filled a disgusting number of articles, opinion pages, and TV reports.

While newspapers are focusing on Tiger's love life, our legislative branch has been on the brink of a historic health care reform. There has been a remarkable debate happening at the highest level of our government about the best way to serve this country's citizens. There are many subtleties of this debate and it does not translate easily into a slogan, but this story is significant. And yet some news organizations would prefer to ignore this debate or at least to relegate it to page 4.

The cynical part of me thinks that this is an ideological decision to downplay the importance of this reform. The extreme right-wingers, through misinformation and fear-mongering, have successfully polarized the debate so much that perhaps it is a bit of a hot potato. However, it may also just be journalistic laziness. It is of course much easier not to do research on a real story and just write about what everyone else is talking about. Either way. I have had enough and wish people would stop supporting news organization whose priorities are so off base.

Overwhelming Evidence

2009-12-06T09:25:00.001-05:00

Phil Plait:

This has become so politicized it’s hard to know what’s right and what’s wrong. I personally would be thrilled to find out the Earth isn’t warming up. I’d like my daughter to grow up on a planet that isn’t on the fast track to environmental disaster. But I have no stake in the claim scientifically either way; I don’t cling to AGW because of political bent or any ideology. I think global warming is real because of the overwhelming evidence pointing that way.

I’ll note that some people are still upset by my use of the term deniers. Again, to be clear: a skeptic is someone who uses evidence and logic to reach a conclusion. A denialist is someone who will say or do anything to deny an issue. I stand by my definition. There are actual global warming skeptics out there — and I would not only support their efforts but praise them — but what I see on the web and in the comments overwhelmingly is denial, not skepticism.

(Emphasis in the original)

I also like this point.

In conclusion: I called this a non-event because it has no real impact on global warming science or our understanding of it. Of course it has a huge impact, politically. But that’s because the ideologues out there have seized on this and made as much noise as they can, so in that sense it is an issue — an issue of how political science has become, how easy it is to disrupt the process, and the effect this has had on the scientists themselves. This issue won’t go away any time soon, but we need to focus on the signal, not the noise.

We can be irritated to hell by the misunderstandings and willful ignorance and distortions. But public perception of science is still a real issue - and an important one to work on. I work in educational science media production, ie. scientific outreach, which is the same process as will be needed to confront nonsense like this, just shifted a little bit away from the insanity end of the scale. We may roll our eyes at this silliness, but it's still part of the overall goal of informing the public about what science is, why it is done, and why its conclusions are relevant.

Odd

2009-12-06T09:18:00.001-05:00

Want to see what thought processes of a climate change denialist look like?

Here's John Hinderaker:

The debate over "climate change" is odd, in that the climate changes constantly, and always has. Like most natural processes, maybe all, the climate never stands still. The Earth is always getting either warmer or cooler. At various times in the past it has unquestionably been warmer than it is today, and also colder--as when the place where I am typing was buried beneath ice a half-mile thick. That being the case, the fact that global temperatures have risen a bit during the last couple of decades is hardly a shock.

This is the same guy who posts photos of snow 10 times a year to disprove global warming.

I'm sure climate scientists will appreciate the helpful advice that "the climate never stands still."

Fozzy

2009-12-06T08:51:00.001-05:00

Waka waka waka!

As for the president, Palin joked that she was looking at a magazine cover of Obama and Chinese president Hu Jinato during an airplane flight. A nearby passenger stated, "Hu's the Communist," she related.

And, Palin said, "I thought he was asking a question."

Emotional Gratification

2009-12-04T12:52:00.001-05:00

Earlier today, I said this over on my twitter account:

Shorter Right: until the day Obama leaves office, we will fault everything he does and says, as well as things we imagine him to think

Now Brad at Sadly, No takes it a bit further in addressing a Charles Krauthammer "But He Didn't Sound Like He Liked War Enough!" post:

And this is why the neocons will never warm to Obama, no matter how many wars he eventually decides to start. It’s a personality thing, really — Obama likes to give off the air of someone who makes decisions only after careful deliberation and weighing the costs and benefits. The neocons, however, only respect fellow travelers who get funny feelings in their pants when they think about war, people who really get off on the idea of watching other people get blown up. For them, war isn’t merely an act of national defense but an emotional gratification and a validation of their personal strength.

To be fair, I can sympathize with them in some ways. When I used to play StarCraft back in the day, I’d really enjoy sending in a platoon of siege tanks to blow up Zerg encampments. But mercifully for the rest of the world, I learned to get out my primordial thirst for blood through computer games and not through becoming a member of the American foreign policy establishment. If only I’d applied to work at the American Enterprise Institute instead, I could have made quite a name for myself. What could have been and so forth.

Humans Are Malleable

2009-12-04T08:46:00.001-05:00

Can you imagine if you got your information about the world from someone who writes shit like this?

Muslim Barack Hussein Obama was quick to tell the public not to jump to conclusions regarding Army psychiatrist Muslim Nidal Malik Hasan's killing spree.

One Muslim must protect another Muslim. Obama must protect Hasan.

It is the same in Afghanistan. Muslim Obama is bound to protect US Muslim militia from killing Afghan Muslim killers. What restrictions then will Obama put on troops newly sent to Afghanistan? When will the public find out about them?

The author, Grant Swank, is just about the nuttiest of the nuts.

It is a crazy Oval Office and Americans are reaping the mob hysteriacs who pushed a Muslim into the White House.

Ramadan means more to him than the National Day of Prayer.

Allah means more to him that the Christ of his hoax Trinity United Church of Christ.

The Koran means more to him than the Bible as America's Christian heritage spiritual guide.

Fellow Muslims mean more to him that American citizens.

Fort Hood murderer stands out in bold relief as the evident example of Obama's split personality.

French Health Care

2009-12-03T13:51:00.006-05:00

During 6 years from 2001 to 2007, I lived in France where I payed taxes like everyone else and benefited from certain acquis sociaux. Specifically, I paid into and participated in social security, which in France refers not only to retirement and disability benefits but also access to a public health care system. I'm not yet of the age to receive retirement benefits but I did receive plenty of health care while living in France.

Here are a few of my experiences

1) When I first received my Vie Privée et Familiale visa which allowed me to live and work in France, I was invited for an appointment in a governmental building on the outskirts of Paris for a medical exam. Similar to the health screening which takes place in the Unites States, it is in the best interest of the French government to ensure that new arrivals are not bring in disease. The experience was surreal. A dreary concrete building near the highway. Long lines of men, waiting to get chest x-rays and to read eye exam charts. Cold floors and less than welcoming civil servants.

2) To oversimplify, the public health coverage handles around 75 percent of medical costs, perhaps even more. In order to cover the remaining 25 percent people buy into a private "complementary" insurance which reimburses the rest. The run-of-the-mill complementary insurance cost me 30 euros a month. 30 euros a month!! At the same time, several times a year in amounts indexed on my revenu, I paid into a caisse de securité sociale, an organization responsible for managing the input and output of social security funds.

3) Although my health needs were not great, I did require a few surgeries to remove some cysts in my eyelids caused by an allergic reaction. Quickly and simply, I was able to make appointments with several eye specialists. Each visit was cheap, often times reimbursed entirely by my public coverage. When it became clear that I need the cysts to be lanced, the operation took place in less than 1 week at one of the best hospitals in Paris and cost me nothing.

4) Once I fell ill with a high fever and violent vomiting. As weak as I was, my girlfriend and I thought it best not to wait until the next day. She called a 1-800 number (or the equivalent thereof). Within the hour, an experienced doctor came to our apartment on a house-call. He looked me over quickly, gave me a shot, and told me to get some sleep. After being reimbursed, I believe I paid 35 euros for this service.

Now, I am just one person who navigated the system in one singular way. These experiences are just anecdotal, but I feel inclined to shared given all the mud slinging we hear on TV and over the airwaves as a result of the debate on capitol hill.

Stomach-Churning

2009-12-03T08:42:00.001-05:00

David Neiwert, on Rove saying "It took [Obama] 80-some-odd days to do this, it took us 50-some-odd days to remove the Taliban from power after 9/11":

There's a special stomach-churning quality to watching the people who created one of history's great clusterf--ks telling the people saddled with the job of cleaning it up that they're doing a crummy job.

Tentpole

2009-12-02T09:28:00.001-05:00

Justine Bateman on Mister Rogers:

He gave my childhood a tentpole.

Why LGF Parted Ways With The Right

2009-11-30T22:10:00.001-05:00

I never knew Little Green Footballs back during the shrub years, but I've been enjoying watching him discover the crazy in the Right.

And in Why I Parted Ways With The Right he provides an powerful, concise enumeration of just why.

1. Support for fascists, both in America (see: Pat Buchanan, Robert Stacy McCain, etc.) and in Europe (see: Vlaams Belang, BNP, SIOE, Pat Buchanan, etc.)

2. Support for bigotry, hatred, and white supremacism (see: Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Robert Stacy McCain, etc.)

3. Support for throwing women back into the Dark Ages, and general religious fanaticism (see: Operation Rescue, anti-abortion groups, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Tony Perkins, the entire religious right, etc.)

4. Support for anti-science bad craziness (see: creationism, climate change denialism, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, James Inhofe, etc.)

5. Support for homophobic bigotry (see: Sarah Palin, Dobson, the entire religious right, etc.)

6. Support for anti-government lunacy (see: tea parties, militias, Fox News, Glenn Beck, etc.)

7. Support for conspiracy theories and hate speech (see: Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Birthers, creationists, climate deniers, etc.)

8. A right-wing blogosphere that is almost universally dominated by raging hate speech (see: Hot Air, Free Republic, Ace of Spades, etc.)

9. Anti-Islamic bigotry that goes far beyond simply criticizing radical Islam, into support for violence and genocide (see: Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, etc.)

10. Hatred for President Obama that goes far beyond simply criticizing his policies, into racism, hate speech, and bizarre conspiracy theories (see: witch doctor pictures, tea parties, Birthers, Michelle Malkin, Fox News, World Net Daily, Newsmax, and every other right wing source)

And much, much more. The American right wing has gone off the rails, into the bushes, and off the cliff.

I won’t be going over the cliff with them.

Yeah, but besides that, how is the modern Right? ^_^

Despicable

2009-11-29T16:21:00.001-05:00

John J Miller makes a run towards Most Despicable Comment of the Year in a little post titled In Praise of Stigmas. After referencing a NYT article that notes that about 20,000 more Americans per day are having to go on food stamps (including 1 in 4 children in the country), he states:

Seems like there ought to be a stigma attached to the use of welfare. A little bit of shame can go a long way toward encouraging people to find jobs. The federal governmentmay think it's doing people a favor by providing them with access to food, but it's doing them a disservice if it also robs them of the motivation necessary to break free from dependency.

Your modern compassionate conservatism.

Horseshoe Crabs

2009-11-25T08:09:00.001-05:00

Horseshoe Crab, originally uploaded by Bill Keim.

Beautiful thing to witness.

But...

2009-11-23T08:40:00.001-05:00

John Hinderaker's a tool:

I don't think that President Obama fully approves of Hugo Chavez, let alone Carlos the Jackal and Idi Amin. But...

Knowing Less

2009-11-21T18:44:00.001-05:00

Quite simply...what John said:

It is starting to become clear to me what the GOP strategy is- they are trying to turn the entire country into California- an ungovernable mess where the majority is incapable of governing because of an obstinate and insane minority party and ridiculous procedural hoops.

And when you realize that, it makes complete sense why no one in the Republican party stands up to the lies spewed by Sarah Palin, like, for example, this nonsense about mammograms and death panels. She is flat out lying, as she does most every time she opens her mouth, but no one in the GOP will call her on it because it is to their advantage to make the country ungovernable. They like it when there is so much bullshit and disinformation out there that the public is incapable of being informed. Sarah Palin is cheaper and far more effective than all the bullshit factories the Koch Foundation and others have been funding for decades.

And our media elites, desperate for access and a way to fill a 24 hour news cycle, comfortable with their village status, and cowed by decades of being called liberal, rather than calling obvious lies for what they are, will instead sit by and act like play by play announcers and color commentators at a football game, with a he-said she-said approach: “Sarah Palin claims mammogram guidelines are legally binding, Kathleen Sebelius says this is not true. What do you think? Our roundtable next with Stephen Hayes, Karl Rove, and James Carville, where we will discuss what this means for Obama and the 2010 midterm elections.”

Just depressing. On any given day, if you just quickly read a newspaper or watch cable news for fifteen minutes, there is a very solid chance you will leave the experience knowing less than when you started.

They are attempting to turn the country into a crazy mob that can only be pointed in directions like War Support.

Too Many

2009-11-20T17:17:00.001-05:00

Poor Cartman.

We don't fear you, Glenn, we're laughing at you.

Ack

2009-11-19T11:51:00.001-05:00

Palin's in Michigan:

"Alaska and Michigan have so much in common with the huntin' and the fishin' and the hockey moms," said Palin Wednesday, adding that Michigan is "the heart of industry in America."

The World Is Still Growing Up

2009-11-18T13:02:00.001-05:00

A story from Boing Boing reminds us that other countries have serious race problems, too:

The presenters adoringly called her "chocolate girl" on stage — meanwhile, on web forums, people called her gross and ugly and criticized her mother for having sex with a black person out of wedlock.

Always

2009-11-17T12:37:00.001-05:00

My God, they really play the victim at every turn, huh?

Hatred With A Joke

2009-11-17T07:49:00.001-05:00

Digby on Palin:

Her ignorance of everything else is what will likely keep her from becoming more than a political celebrity, but I can see why she's so popular among the wingnuts. Just like Reagan, she knows how to give voice to their hatred with a joke and a smile on her face. It's a unique gift.

Who Else

2009-11-17T00:09:00.001-05:00

Cole:

Seriously, when is this Palin bullshit going to stop? You know who else isn’t prepared to be President? Pauly Shore. How come there are no polls about him?

Yours Should Have Gone To Eleven Before

2009-11-16T12:49:00.001-05:00

Kos:

On Twitter, the AP was bragging about the 11 reporters it assigned to fact check Sarah Palin's new book.

That's fine and dandy.

But would it have killed them to assign 11 reporters to fact check Bush and Cheney's Iraq WMD claims?

Exactly.

The Way That Only A Book Can Do

2009-11-16T08:04:00.001-05:00

She's gotta hope she'll have better supporters than John Ziegler:

Second of all, Palin’s analysis of what really happened with the now infamous (and totally misunderstood) Couric and Gibson interviews could not be LESS whiny — it is instead full of fact-filled writing that finally provides the full story of what really happened in the way that only a book can do...

The book is totally full of words and facts and stuff - the special power of a book!

My emphasis.

Investigative Journamalism!

2009-11-14T10:55:00.001-05:00

Please be sure you know that there people out there that actively seek out and collect photos that show Obama not saluting the flag while others in the photos *are* saluting the flag in order to prove...?

Enough Reason

2009-11-14T09:18:00.001-05:00

Josh Marshall:

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) says it makes New York City more of a target for attacks. And there's at least some logic to the argument. But fundamentally, I don't think terrorists aren't attacking New York because they don't think there's enough reason to do so.

Exactly.

(My emphasis)

Too Cool

2009-11-13T19:35:00.001-05:00

This picture of the Talking Heads over at Last.fm is so awesome.

Reaching

2009-11-12T12:22:00.001-05:00

What hell kind of lede is this from Fox News?:

Spitzer to Give Lecture at Harvard Ethics Center
Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's lecture does not appear to be directly addressing the issue of ethics, though there's no guarantee he won't be asked a question on that topic.

Reaching, Fox. You're reaching.

Hasta La Vista

2009-11-12T11:54:00.001-05:00

My God Dobbs is a delusional prick:

Some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem solving as well as to contribute positively to the great understanding of the issues of our day.

Maybe, but you know what others think?

We don't need your "contributions," you fucking xenophobe.

Shorter John Hinderaker

2009-11-12T09:48:00.001-05:00

The Times Explains

It's because he's Muslim!

First Introduction

2009-11-10T08:48:00.001-05:00

Writer bs at RedState complains that they're tea partiers, not teabaggers!

It needs to stop. Sexual innuendo is inappropriate in political discourse…as wrong today as it was when the children of the United States received their first introduction to the term “oral sex” courtesy of the behavior of President Bill Clinton. That level of conversation was wrong then, and it is wrong now.

Ahh, yes. I remember when Bill just couldn't stop going around to elementary schools and talking about "oral sex."

Also, the term "oral sex?"

The Horror... The Horror

2009-11-09T17:09:00.001-05:00

Some children in the terrible Westboro Baptist Church, the group that pickets funerals, in a photo posted by one of the members, Megan Phelps. Today they were picketing outside of Sasha and Malia Obama's school.

What a terrible bastardization of what a smile is.

The parents should be arrested.

Science 101

2009-11-06T12:30:00.001-05:00

There is some beautifully rich irony in this post from the recently-insane Victorial Jackson. She's running down misc liberals-suck things on her mind, such as this point:

Okay, then I find out Gingrich is pal-ing up with Pelosi about Global Warming! Eww! Defector! Oh man! Strike him off my list. Now! He’s off!

All right, fine. She believes she understands the science better than the scientific community. What else is up, Victoria?

Fourthly, I start college tomorrow. It’s my last class. Science 101. I need to focus. I started my college degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, in 1976. I had to stop and work, you know, to pay for it. College tuition is expensive. Then, there was the six-year “Saturday Night Live” distraction in NY, and the 15 years of raising a family in Miami distraction. But now, I’m back and ready to finish my degree. I took all the fun classes first and left the “vegetables” for last. So, I just finished Math, and now Science. How timely though, because now I can become an expert on Climate Change and explain to Gore, Pelosi and Obama how ridiculous their hoax is, if I can catch them between their fuel-guzzling, earth killing, private jet trips. I mean, really. (Nancy’s private jet costs taxpayers $60,000 one way for the trip she takes weekly to D.C. where she is working hard to take our freedoms away!)

Incredible.

SEK on V

2009-11-05T13:56:00.001-05:00

SEK:

The only people for whom universal health care signals a creeping fascism are 1) people who were convinced by the "arguments" proffered in Liberal Fascism, and 2) people who believe Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin are the future of the Republican Party.

Shooting Each Other

2009-11-04T15:34:00.001-05:00

Wise Atrios is wise:

This has long been one of the weirdest thing about Villagers to me, that they long for the day when all political disagreement ends, along with the idea that it should be the overarching goal of any president. People disagree about stuff, and representative democracy is how we try to hash that out instead of shooting each other.

My emphasis.

Dream Ticket

2009-11-04T12:36:00.001-05:00

P103109PS-0527, originally uploaded by The White House.

So awesome.

Save Themselves

2009-11-03T12:55:00.001-05:00

Ta-Nehisi Coates susses out one reason why I'm also skeptical of Avatar:

I don't think I can take another "good white man save the natives" story. When do the natives save themselves? When the natives start investing in cameras.

Nope, That's the Tops

2009-11-03T11:39:00.001-05:00

INSTAPUTZ:

Is anything more amusing than wingnuts projecting their worldview and trying to think symbolically?

Some Clown

2009-11-01T13:08:00.001-05:00

Quoting the whole thing from John Cole:

You know the thing that I find most amusing about the NY race is that what they are basically telling every moderate Republican across the country is that it doesn’t matter if you’ve been a loyal Republican for decades, it doesn’t matter if you know the district and the people, it doesn’t matter if you fit the district, and it doesn’t matter that you have given decades to the party. It just doesn’t matter. If the teabagging wingnuts and the shrieking lunatics like Malkin don’t like you, high profile crackpots like Palin and Dick Armey and others are going to swoop in and back some clown who doesn’t even live in the district and then shit all over the area’s voters, telling them their interests are “parochial.”

Cut Rate

2009-11-01T12:53:00.001-05:00

Karl Schroeder:

Spaceflight is not bad for our health. Cut-rate spaceflight that avoids the obvious solutions is.

The Temerity To Coup

2009-10-30T18:05:00.001-04:00

They'll never cease taking my breath away:

Screw them. The Obama administration has bungled this from the start. What the Honduran's did was well within their legal framework and we should have supported them as they worked through this crisis.

The fact that the United States took the side of two-bit thug and punished a small country for having the temerity to chose the rule of law over tyranny. The fact that we were on the wrong side of this fight from the get go is not a victory but a mark of shame we will carry for a long while.

Good luck to the Honduran people and please know that what Obama did was Not In My Name.

My emphasis.

Do they think the NYPD should depose Mayor Michael Bloomberg because he changed the laws to make it possible for him to serve a 3rd time, something that was not legal when he was elected?

This Robot Can Jump

2009-10-29T17:56:00.001-04:00

Why am I not making jumping robots for a living? What did I do wrong?

(via Japan Probe)

Imaginary

2009-10-29T14:01:00.001-04:00

David Frum tries to talk down the crazy people in the GOP that fear that Obama's declaration of a "national emergency" is a plot to round up conservatives:

We all have enough to worry about in these hard economic times without fabricating imaginary nightmares.

He should leave that sentence in large letters at the header of his blog all the time.

Shorter Kurt Schlichter

2009-10-29T08:47:00.001-04:00

The Worst Song of All Time: ‘Imagine’

Look at me! I'm claiming "Imagine" is the worst song ever! Does that... get your goat? Also, I have a job.*

Bonus verbatim Kurt:

Let me put it another way for emphasis – this guy chose to see Yoko Ono naked. Many times. The only response to someone with that kind of judgment is to listen carefully to what he says and then do the exact opposite.

*Correction: "I have a job" is also verbatim.

They're Taking Mah Fries!

2009-10-28T17:20:00.001-04:00

Tintin:

[J]ust how the fuck did telling children to finish their vegetables and get off the couch and get some exercise become a bad thing?

They're losing their minds.

Great Books

2009-10-26T08:17:00.001-04:00

More non-Nazi comparisons from RedState:

As you may know, RedState has started a Great Books style program. We are rather slowly making our way through a series of books on conservative thought and ideas. We have started with Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism.

...

According to Jonah Goldberg, the Nazi Party was “in favor of universal education, guaranteed employment, increased entitlements for the aged, the expropriation of land without compensation, the nationalization of industry, the abolition of market-based lending . . ., the expansion of health services, and the abolition of child labor.” Which party platform does that remind you of.

My emphasis.

Shades of DIVX

2009-10-26T00:40:00.001-04:00

Yes! Netflix to stream to the PS3!

Still, this is a legendarily embarrassing corporate fuckup:

The PS3 implementation of Netflix is not the most elegant. PS3 owners will have to order a special, free disc from Netflix and pop it into their gaming console whenever they want to access the Netflix queue and watch a movie. Sony and Netflix seem to suggest this is a short-term solution, until an upgrade next year in the PS3 software.

Fine, though. Write the software and I'll deal with this for now.

Baby Einstein Refunds

2009-10-24T15:52:00.001-04:00

Wow:

Last year, lawyers threatened a class-action lawsuit for unfair and deceptive practices unless Disney agreed to refund the full purchase price to all who bought the videos since 2004. “The Walt Disney Company’s entire Baby Einstein marketing regime is based on express and implied claims that their videos are educational and beneficial for early childhood development,” a letter from the lawyers said, calling those claims “false because research shows that television viewing is potentially harmful for very young children.”

The letter cited estimates from The Washington Post and Business Week that Baby Einstein controlled 90 percent of the baby media market, and sold $200 million worth of products annually.

The letter also described studies showing that television exposure at ages 1 through 3 is associated with attention problems at age 7.

In response, the Baby Einstein company will refund $15.99 for up to four “Baby Einstein” DVDs per household, bought between June 5, 2004, and Sept. 5, 2009, and returned to the company.

Shorter Joseph C. Phillips

2009-10-19T15:39:00.001-04:00

Big Hollywood » What is Pornographic? What is Hip?

There's no evidence we have to care about sick people. To suggest otherwise is por-no-gra-PHIC!

Touched!

2009-10-16T17:56:00.001-04:00

Touched!, originally uploaded by cricketheron.

I don't think I ever posted this - a Flying Spaghetti Monster sighting, right there in my olive oil!

Go With The Smear You Have

2009-10-16T12:41:00.001-04:00

The "Anita Dunn likes Mao!" nonsense is being photocopied and passed around all around the web, and I think it just proves that wingnuts have quotas, and if they reach the end of the week and still don't have a coherent thing to criticize Obama with, they still have to run with something.

Motherhood

2009-10-16T09:13:00.001-04:00

Great example from John Aravosis:

Whenever you catch the right doing something wrong, they will turn it around on you at the drop of a hat. If you say the sky is blue, they'll turn around and say you insulted motherhood.

Vivid Imagination

2009-10-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

Jed Lewison:

Steve King's attack doesn't tell us anything about Kevin Jennings or the Obama Administration, but it tells you everything you never wanted to know about the vivid imagination of King and 52 of his GOP colleagues.

(via Steve Benen)