Here and There

update: great analysis of Wilson’s erroneous (not to mention disrespectful and misplaced) outcry at PolitiFact.com.

original post: I’m doing my best to look to the example of Barack Obama in his effort to move beyond partisan bickering in the dust-up over Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) screaming out “You lie!” after Obama claimed that his health care reform bill would not insure illegal immigrants.

Therefore, my only response is: No, President Obama isn’t lying (PDF).

Such a terrible human being I feel justified in making fun of how ugly he is.

My vote, by a Michael Jordan longshot, is James Inhofe, R-Okla. My disgust has driven me as far as to think about giving up everything, moving to Oklahoma, and doing all I can to help convince Oklahomans to fire this utter piece of shit.

But who’s your most-reviled senator? I’m curious.

Find a list of all 99 senators here. Answer in comments, por favor*.

* Inhofe would probably have a huge problem with my use of Spanish here, to cite just one example of his terribleness.

You know what’s un-American? Torture.

You know what’s socialistic? Medicare.

You know what’s shameful? When the government does nothing.

You know what’s pathetic? Incompetence.

You know what’s Soviet-like? Gulags, indefinite detention*, extraordinary rendition.

* To be fair, the guy I voted for in 2008 recently endorsed this shitty policy. For shame.

What the right thinks the left is up to: Killing seniors, babies, fetuses, the disabled, and (who knows?) gun-toting conservatives.

What the left thinks the right is up to: Protecting the enormous profits of health care industry* executives.

Not sure where you fit in in this debate? Read those two sentences again and decide for yourself. Think about ulterior motives, think about transparent motives. Then act.

* I don’t hyphenate “health care” here based on years of working with the AP Stylebook.

She left just about everyone baffled by her resignation as governor of Alaska on Friday, a good year-and-a-half before her first term ends.

Everyone and their mother has put forth one or more explanations, ranging from some lurking or existing scandal to political brilliance. I’ll let you google those.

I’d just like to add my $0.02 to the betting pool.

I think Sarah Palin resigned because she’s taking the advice of terrible advisors, those suggesting that in doing so, her supporters will solidify behind this maverick move, and those 40.1 percent extra she’ll need to win the presidency (in addition to the 10 percent who are still hanging on) in 2012 will be so excited by this “bold” move that they will rally behind her, too.

In other words, there’s no new scandal. She gets to use the excuse that the media are beating up on her family, and that she’s resigning to protect them. Never mind that running for president will put her even more front-and-center for the media spotlight. She gets to claim teh awesome of mother cub, then return as Momma Maverick in a couple of years in a formal run for the presidency.

My only response: Go Mitt! Go Mike!

On some of my bike rides to and from work recently, I’ve been thinking about how seemingly difficult it’s been for Barack Obama to enact parts of his agenda — health care, tax hike on the wealthy, ending corporate-tax loopholes, drawing down in Iraq, funding the closing of Guantánamo Bay, to name a few.

Then I thought back to how George W. Bush really did seem to just show up and start kicking ass, cutting off funding for overseas family-planning clinics who advocate abortion (which, to be fair, Obama has since restored), cutting taxes almost to the point of eliminating them, and (ahem) getting us mired in this whole Iraq mess in the first place.
Read the rest of this entry »

Also missed this submission from Scott. Sorry, bro. Meanwhile, maybe someone can write a WordPress plugin that notifies blog owners when someone has written a draft that needs approval?

Is it just me, or is singing ‘My Country ‘Tis of Thee,’ ‘The Star Spangled Banner,’ and even “Born in the USA’ a little less hokey these days?

I’m in a horribly pessimistic mood today. It seems all those powerful Americans, the ones running the businesses, the government, really pulling the strings, are either out-and-out crooks, and just deceptive idiots and enormous hypocrits who don’t pay taxes.

My towel is ready to throw in today. Anyone know of any good vacation deals?

Opened my browser to find that Tom Daschle has withdrawn from being considered for Health and Human Services secretary. Good. Cheats and crooks don’t deserve such high governmental positions (hear that, Geithner?).

A little further down the page on Huffington Post, though, my mental question, Who it should it be then? was answered by this headline: Elizabeth Edwards’ New Book to Address John’s Affair (proper punctuation mine).

As far as I know, she’d be an amazing pick. Thoughts?

Was the so-called Bush deficit more a result of Republican über-spending, or Democrats not paying their taxes?

If this story could somehow acquire legs, it would be the end of Sarah Palin, methinks. Apparently, Palin snubbed House Republicans, declining their invitation to a weekend retreat. “State business” was her excuse. That would imply Alaska business. Where was the good governor this weekend? In D.C., natch, four hours away.

Okay, this is meant to be a serious question: Why is it that the Republicans in Congress have any ability or right to hold up stimulus legislation? I mean, they’re the minority, right? And while they beat back a filibuster-proof Senate with the 2008 elections, Democrats are only two votes short of that.

I just don’t understand how or why the GOP can retain so much power. Explain me, please.

I hesitate to use terms like “worst presidency ever.” Sure, we can analyze and rank the 43 who’ve held the office to date, but what we’re all missing is context. Relativism.

All I can do, simple-minded blogger that I am, is reflect on how this presidency affected and impressed (not in the sense of delighted, but had an impression on) me.

Read the rest of this entry »

Go read the Buffalo Beast’s annual homage to the best of the best. It’s a literary work of freaking pure genius.

My favorite is 20. Joe the Plumber.

Whoa, stop the presses, Cue the reel at CNN. There’s actual disagreement among Obama supporters, and the man’s not even president yet.

From Josh Marshall and John Judis joining some Democrats in Congress to demur on the stimulus, to Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, announcing flat out that Obama should rescind his nomination of Sanjay Gupta to become Surgeon General, it’s beginning to look a little like a democracy.