09/24/2010 archive

Colbert has more experience on this than the Representatives on the committee.

Up Date: Stephen’s punch line:

CONGRESSWOMAN JUDY CHU: Mr. Colbert, you could work on so many issues, why are you interested in this issue?

COLBERT: I like talking about people who don’t have any power. And this seems like some of the least powerful people in the United States are migrant workers who come and do our work but don’t have any rights as a result. And yet we still invite them to come here, and at the same time ask them to leave. And, you know, whatsoever you do for the least of my brothers, these seem like the least of our brothers, right now. And I know that a lot of people are the least of my brothers because the economy is so hard, and I don’t want to take anyone’s hardship away from them or diminish it or anything like that, but migrant workers suffer, and they have no rights.”

There is a enormous and powerful difference between millions of people not voting for a particular party, and millions of people saying loud and clear to that party: “we guarantee we  will give you millions of votes, more than enough to tip the scale…… once you have done a or b or c or d or any combination of those things, and as soon as we see that you’ve done that you can relax in the confidence that you have won even before election day arrives, otherwise you’ve already lost and you might as well tell your corporate donors now that their money has been pissed away for absolutely nothing and that you were an utter and pathetic waste of their time, and quit campaigning”.

It takes planning, and it takes a determination to make decisions not out of fear but out of the power and leverage you know you have, but have only if you use it.

The best that can happen with this approach is beyond your wildest dreams, and the worst that can happen with this is that if nobody else does it while you do you won’t be defending yourself after the fact for having voted for people who could have done their jobs but wouldn’t.

Make it a credible threat. Not a bluff.

“Punting the Pundits” is an Open Thread. It is a selection of editorials and opinions from around the news medium and the internet blogs. The intent is to provide a forum for your reactions and opinions, not just to the opinions presented, but to what ever you find important.

Paul Krugman: Downhill With the G.O.P.

Once upon a time, a Latin American political party promised to help motorists save money on gasoline. How? By building highways that ran only downhill.

I’ve always liked that story, but the truth is that the party received hardly any votes. And that means that the joke is really on us. For these days one of America’s two great political parties routinely makes equally nonsensical promises. Never mind the war on terror, the party’s main concern seems to be the war on arithmetic. And this party has a better than even chance of retaking at least one house of Congress this November.

Banana republic, here we come.

On Thursday, House Republicans released their “Pledge to America,” supposedly outlining their policy agenda. In essence, what they say is, “Deficits are a terrible thing. Let’s make them much bigger.” The document repeatedly condemns federal debt – 16 times, by my count. But the main substantive policy proposal is to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, which independent estimates say would add about $3.7 trillion to the debt over the next decade – about $700 billion more than the Obama administration’s tax proposals.

New York Times Editorial: Tea Party’s Big Money

Tea Party supporters and their candidates like to imagine themselves as insurgents, crashing the barricades of Washington to establish a new order of clean and frugal government. In earthbound reality, many of the people pulling the Tea Party’s strings are establishment Republican operatives and lobbyists. Some have made money off the party for years.

One example is Sal Russo, a gun-for-hire who has worked for former President Ronald Reagan, former Gov. George Deukmejian of California, former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey, former Gov. George Pataki of New York, and many other Republicans. As The Times reported on Sunday, Mr. Russo saw a sure thing last year, establishing a group called the Tea Party Express to support candidates in the midterm elections and raise cash at the same time.

More Fear Factor enthusiasm

As we get closer to the election hardly a day goes by without Institutional Democrats demonstrating another “Profile in Courage” while they piss off anyone who might be inclined to vote for them.

Yesterday we saw the rare Double Axelrod.  After half an hour of pleading on a conference call with bloggers, showing all the “Vote for Us or Republicans will eat your babies” finesse we’ve come to expect from Joe Biden and Bill Clinton and Ed Rendell (Rachel Maddow has a little more finesse, but not much), David Axelrod “Political Genius” (firstly, you should hear that like “Wiley Coyote- SUPER Genius” and secondly, that arrogant bastard would be the first one to tell you), finally let Susie Madrak get a word in edgewise-

“Have you ever heard of hippie punching?”

Long pause.

“You want us to help you, the first thing I would suggest is enough of the hippie punching. We’re the girl you’ll take under the bleachers but you won’t be seen with in the light of day.”

David Axelrod, “Political Genius”-

“To the extent that we shouldn’t get involved in intramural skirmishing, I couldn’t agree more. We just can’t afford that. There are big things at stake here.”

Madrak replied that Axelrod was missing the point — that the criticism of the left made it tougher for bloggers like herself to motivate the base. “Don’t make our jobs harder,” she said.

“Right back at’cha. Right back at’cha,” Axelrod replied, a bit testily, an apparent reference to blogospheric criticism of the administration.

Dave, the only thing at stake here is your phony baloney job and the only reason that it is at stake is that you’re a craven cowardly fool.

Case in point (told you it was a Double Axelrod day)-

Democrats have also decided to not deal with the Bush tax cut repeal. Speaker Pelosi couldn’t rally her caucus, mostly because of conservative Democrats worried about midterms. Someone needs to explain what the hell having a majority is if so called Democrats are going to slither away without making the case for middle class tax cuts.

If any Congress deserved to get blown out of Washington it’s the 111th. I know it will usher in ugliness from the Right. However, if Democrats won’t stand on a line to make the case they’ve stood on throughout history, which is standing up for the middle class, then they don’t deserve the majority.

…

Not even bothering to make the fight is the height of political cowardice and malpractice. It’s leaving a move on the board against Republicans un-played that Democrats need and the electorate wants to hear from them. Make the case, drive it home hard, then let the people decide who has their economic back.

If Democrats in “difficult” districts can’t make the case against extending Bush tax cuts for the top 2%, while resoundingly raising their voice for middle class tax cuts, then these Democrats deserve to lose, because the district is too red to help the Democratic agenda actually manifest real progress that matters.

And why should we expect any different?  It’s only wildly popular, like oh… say, the Public Option as opposed to Individual Mandates to spend 20% of your annual income to buy crappy non-coverage from Insurance Industry leeches.

And yet they bitch and moan about the lack of “independent” support after they did everything possible to fold the Veal Pen organizations into Obama for America and the DNC, screwed over the Unions on EFCA, sold out Women’s Reproductive Rights, and have shown a distinct lack of “fierce advocacy” for the GLBT community.

In 2008 we sent “Democrats” to Washington with filibuster proof majorities and gave them complete control of Congress and the White House and they have whimpered and whined like cowardly babies because they are too lazy and stupid to do their jobs.  Well in the real world that gets you fired you pampered privileged pantywaists.  I hope you’re all unemployed long enough to use up all your benefits just like every working class Joe you shafted.  You’re miserable excuses for human beings and a waste of the air you breathe.  Contribute to reducing Global Warming by shutting your big, fat, yaps.

We voted for change and we’ll keep voting until we get it.

Assholes.

This is your morning Open Thread. Pour your favorite beverage and review the past and comment on the future.

September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 98 days remaining until the end of the year.

On this day on 1789, The Judiciary Act of 1789 is passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices who were to serve on the court until death or retirement. That day, President Washington nominated John Jay to preside as chief justice, and John Rutledge, William Cushing, John Blair, Robert Harrison, and James Wilson to be associate justices. On September 26, all six appointments were confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

The U.S. Supreme Court was established by Article 3 of the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution granted the Supreme Court ultimate jurisdiction over all laws, especially those in which their constitutionality was at issue. The high court was also designated to oversee cases concerning treaties of the United States, foreign diplomats, admiralty practice, and maritime jurisdiction. On February 1, 1790, the first session of the U.S. Supreme Court was held in New York City’s Royal Exchange Building.

The New York Daily News reports:

Teresa Lewis died by lethal injection on Thursday night, the first woman in Virginia to be executed in nearly a century.

Lewis was prounounced dead at 9:13 p.m. as a small crowd of supporters stood outside in protest.

Though lawyers for Lewis waged a public campaign for the Gov. of Virginia to intervene, there was no 11th hour reprieve for the 41-year-old woman, who was sentenced to death for plotting the 2002 murders of her husband and stepson.

Lewis reportedly spent her last day meeting with her immediate family, a spiritual adviser, and supporters at the prison where she was executed.

For her last supper, she requested a meal of fried chicken breasts, peas with butter, a slice of German cake or a piece of apple pie, and a Dr. Pepper, according to SkyNews.

And so a woman with the IQ of 72 is killed by Virginia, and those who actually fired the shots that resulted in the double murders received life sentences.

If this is justice, the law is an ass.

simulposted at The Dream Antilles and docuDharma and dailyKos

All premiers on broadcast, none worth mentioning.  Last night this week for Keith and Rachel all night and the Boys.

You can break a man’s skull, you can arrest him, you can throw him into a dungeon. But how do you control what’s up here? How do you fight an idea?

• AMC– Airplane & II x 2
• Bravo– Real Housewives D.C. (premier)
• Comedy– [Futurama ]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurama marathon
• ESPN– College Throwball, Miami @ Pittsburgh
• ESPN2– High School Throwball, from Florida South Lake @ Apopka
• Food– America’s Best (Alton), Ace of Cakes (premiers)
• FX– It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League (premiers)
• History– The Universe (premier)
• Lifetime– Project Runway (last week’s and new)
• TBS– Rush Hour 3
• Turner Classic– Ben-Hur
• TLC– Sr. v. Jr. (last week’s and new), BBQ Pitmasters (premier)
• Travel– Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (100th episode repeat)

Later-

• Turner Classic– Samson and Delilah
• Toon– Delocated, American Dad x 2
• SciFi– WCG Ultimate Gamer (premier)
• USA– Undercovers, Outlaw (Series Premier repeats)

Dave hosts  James Franco, Sofia Vergara, and Shakira.  Jon has Abdullah II, Stephen Oscar Goodman.  Alton does Ginger.

But just remember, my name is ROGER MURDOCK. I’m an airline pilot.

I think you’re the greatest, but my dad says you don’t work hard enough on defense.  And he says that lots of times, you don’t even run down court. And that you don’t really try… except during the playoffs.

The hell I don’t! LISTEN KID! I’ve been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I’m out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes.

Over Macho Grande?

No. I don’t think I’ll ever get over Macho Grande.

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