Archive for February, 2013
I’m Still Optimistic That We’ll Get Over Our Accute Case of National Stupidity
Sequester is going to suck. Phony debt reduction through austerity is bullshit. Blatant lying gets rewarded locally and nationally. It is tough to stay optimistic, but the country does tend to pick smart over stupid over the long term.
So long loser…
The worst Pope ever? Hard to say, there were some really horrible Popes back in the old days. The worst Pope of the modern era? Certainly. Digby breaks it down…
Uh Oh! Looks Like Bob Woodward Will Have A Few Regrets
Okay, so this happened:
Longtime Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward is taking on the White House, saying in multiple interviews that the administration essentially threatened him to try to get him not to write a story.
[…]
“I mean, it makes me very uncomfortable to have the White House telling reporters, ‘you’re going to regret doing something that you believe in.’” Woodward said. “And even though we don’t look at it that way, you do look at it that way. And I think if Barack Obama knew that was part of the communication’s strategy — let’s hope it’s not a strategy, but it’s a tactic that somebody’s employed, and said, look, we don’t go around trying to say to reporters, if you, in an honest way, present something we don’t like, that, you know, you’re going to regret this. And just — it’s Mickey Mouse.”
And then all hell broke loose… especially on the Right.
And then the emails came to light.
And then came the regrets…
“Looks like we were played,” The Daily Caller’s Matt Lewis wrote Thursday morning.
Erick Erickson tweets: Ok wow. Finally read the email to Woodward. I must now move to the “not a threat” camp.
Brit Hume tweets: On one hand, only Woodward can say if he felt threatened by WH email. On the other, hard to imagine feeling threatened by Gene Sperling.
Thursday Open Thread [2.28.13]
James Carville told Morning Joe that Democrats have a big advantage in the debate over the coming automatic budget cuts because of the word used to describe them.
“The sequester has an advantage, and this is kind of cruel to Republicans, but it’s true. The sequester, not many people know what it is, but it sounds stupid and cruel. Therefore people think it’s a Republican thing.”
LOL.
“Perpetuation Of Racial Entitlement”
Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia, created quite a few headlines yesterday.
Scalia attributed the repeated renewal of Section 5 to a “perpetuation of racial entitlement.” He said, “Whenever a society adopts racial entitlements, it is very difficult to get out of them through the normal political processes.”
That’s quite a statement, and when I heard it all I could think was that the Voting Rights Act was enacted to stop the perpetuation of racial entitlement – for whites.
It’s been a long time since a statement truly shocked me. I’ve been a bit numb to Republican insanity, but this statement was beyond offensive. Since when is voting an entitlement? (Isn’t it adorable how he used the Republican dog whistle?)
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who asked many questions in defense of the law, appeared taken aback by Scalia’s insinuation. In the final moments of oral argument, she asked Bert Rein, the lawyer for the challengers, if he agrees.
“Do you think think Section 5 was voted for because it was a racial entitlement?” she asked. When he ducked the question, she asked it again. He did not endorse Scalia’s sentiment.
I bet she was taken aback. Scalia’s comment was outrageous.
Thursday Daily Delawhere [2.28.13]
The Shannon Hotel, on Main Street in Christiana. The old tavern was built in 1766, and likely was a lodging place for George Washington during his travels.
Climate change is real, and it’s causing Delaware to sink
Sen. James Imhoff (R-OK) is noted for suggesting that climate change is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people. He’s also the ranking minority member on the Senate’s Environment and Public Works committee.
Wonder why nothing ever gets done about climate change?
Democrats — This Is How You Treat Fox News!
Rep. Keith Ellison called out Sean Hannity in an interview yesterday that was supposed to be about the sequester. Ellison starts after watching a lead in that plays stupid scary music over a mashup video intended to show President Obama in a bad (not objective! not both sides do it!) light:
“I mean, you know, quite frankly, you are the worst excuse for a journalist I’ve ever seen. Quite frankly, you are the worst excuse for a journalist I’ve ever seen. …What you just displayed was not journalism. It was yellow journalism. It wasn’t anything close to try to tell the American people what’s really going on. I mean it’s just shocking.
…Every journalistic ethic I have ever heard of was just violated by you.
…You are a shill for the Republican party. …You alibi them 100% of the time.”
Miss Teen Delaware Isn’t Miss Teen Delaware Anymore
I’ll just let the Superficial fill you in on the details.
The Media Explained In A Tweet
I loved this tweet. National Park Guy @NatPkGuy Democrats: 1+1= 2 Republicans: 1+1= 3 Media: 1+1= 2.5 That sums it up.
Wednesday Open Thread [2.27.13]
Former Lt. Governor Gene Bookhammer (R) has died, at the age of 94. Our sympathy to his family and friends. Lt. Governor Bookhammer served under two different Governors from 1969 until 1977. He served under Republican Gov. Russell Peterson (who, contrary to the News Journal article’s revisionist history, was not a Democrat, despite his liberal policies) during his first term and Democratic Gov. Sherman Tribbitt during his second. Bookhammer and Peterson harken back to a time in the history of our state Republican Party where it was possible to be a moderate or even a liberal. It also harkens back to a time when the Governor and Lt. Governor’s electoral fortunes were not necessarily tied together. In my memory, I think the 1992 election was the time I recall seeing joint Gov-Lt. Gov. signs (i.e. Carper-Minner). But I’m a relative young’n.
Today is the Port of Wilmington Bond Bill Hearing
It started at 10AM in Dover and it doesn’t look like it is being live streamed anywhere — which is a pity. I’m hoping to hear from those of you who did go in the comments below. But in the meantime, I want to repeat what I think is one of the two most compelling reasons why the port shouldn’t be privatized — having over a monopoly for the running for the ONLY port shipping terminal that Delaware has to a private entity is not a business decision that is in the best interests of taxpayers.
Big Business Must Pay Its Fair Share in Future Budget Deals
This “Community Voices” Op-Ed sure makes a lot of sense.
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