Headline of the Day

Mitch McConnell: We Must Rewrite The Constitution Because ‘Elections’ Haven’t ‘Worked’

I'm speechless and my sides hurt...one quote:

It’s worth noting just what McConnell is asking the American people to choke down.

Isn't it always?

Please protect the innocent conjugal sex fruit

If it's Wednesday, it must be Morford.

Don't have sex. Gays are evil. Repress your urges. Close your legs. Quit asking questions.

Jesus loves Coors Light and large-caliber handguns. Iraq is packed like a Bieber concert with squealing nuclear warheads aimed straight at the Utah public school system. The homosexual agenda is alive and very, very real, and it wants to indoctrinate your children, steal your semen and organize your underwear drawer far, far too perfectly. Also, God is judging you. Right. This. Second.

This may be his best column yet. Go.

If ya listen to Larry...Part Deux

Follow-up to Fixer's post yesterday. This isn't settled by a long shot, but it appears to me, because I wish it to be so (why is my other hand filling up so much more quickly...?), that my Stealth Ninja Jedi Prez is pulling off a rope-a-dope worthy of Cassius Clay. The Repugs (and a lot of us) expected him to cave because that's what he's been doing all along. Perhaps he will fool us this time. It's more important that he fool the Repugs into doing what he wanted all along.

I don't like a lot of the stuff he's done or the way he's done them either, but it's all above my pay grade. I'm still down wid him.

Lawrence explains how President Obama continues to outsmart, out-strategize and out-talk the Republicans, in the debt ceiling standoff. Plus, Howard Dean joins The Last Word with more analysis.

If ya don't believe Larry or me, believe Howie.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Update:

Welcome to Republican Cave

Gee, is that anything like Osama's cave...?

Upate II:

You must go read The Rude One's take!

There's myriad ways to look at Mitch McConnell's Deal o' Last Resort that he proffered yesterday. All of them involve the phrase "Fuck it." There's "Fuck it. If Obama loves the debt ceiling so much, he can marry it." And there's "Fuck it. These crazy Tea Party motherfuckers aren't gonna be happy until we're all living in heavily-armed bomb shelters." And there's "Fuck it. I'm sick of negotiating." And on and on, all variations on "Just fuck it."

McConnell announced the plan after taking to the Senate floor to say, "Democrats suck monkey balls." He also said a bunch of nonsense about what he thinks "the American people" want without mentioning that one of the things we want, by a huge majority, is higher taxes on people making far more than most of us.

The Rude Pundit sees this as part and parcel of how McConnell and Boehner have governed. They take themselves out of the battle and merely stand on the sidelines, hurling Molotov cocktails while saying that their pathetic pyromania is leadership.

One other thing: because this doesn't just raise the debt ceiling $2.5 trillion in one fell swoop, it requires a certain amount of trust in the Republicans by the Obama administration. If they dick the President over, then we plunge once again into crisis. Those fuckers aren't worthy of that kind of trust. Why would you let the arsonists guard the gas stove?

The arsonists can guard the gas stove as long as it's in their house and not ours. I hope they set their house alight and stand around arguing if it's really on fire and whether they should call the fire department..

Give the gays an inch* ...

And the polygamists want the whole enchilada:

Kody Brown is a proud polygamist, and a relatively famous one. Now Mr. Brown, his four wives and 16 children and stepchildren are going to court to keep from being punished for it.

...

Hey, if you want 4 women telling you what to do and 16 children screaming through your house, god bless ya. Me? 1 wife and 2 dogs are more than enough.

Seriously, most of these polygamist marriages appear, to me, to be reminiscent of Sultanates and Sheikdoms. A dominant man with women and children being more property than partners. I wonder if a woman wanted to take 4 husbands, if the men would be so gung-ho about trying to make it legal. Seems to me the "bylaws" of these folks' belief system gives all the rights to the men and few, if any, to the women. There is too much room for abuse and that's where my beef comes in. If it worked both ways, I'd say let the masochists have at it.

*Before anybody gets pissed, I'm being funny here. As regulars know, I am a strident supporter of gay marriage and I'm not equivocating the right for two people in love to marry with polygamy, a true lifestyle choice and an emotionally abusive situation on its best day.

We been saying it ...

For the better part of a decade:

Human Rights Watch has called on Barack Obama, the current US president, to order a criminal investigation into alleged detainee abuse by his predecessor, George W Bush, and senior figures from his administration.

"There are solid grounds to investigate Bush, [former vice president Dick] Cheney, [former secretary of defence Donald] Rumsfeld, and [former CIA director George] Tenet for authorising torture and war crimes," Kenneth Roth, HRW's executive director, said.

...

"The US is right to call for justice when serious international crimes are committed in places like Darfur, Libya, and Sri Lanka, but there should be no double standards," Roth said.

...

American exceptionalism at its best. If we want the rest of the world to start taking us seriously again, a good start would be dropping these clowns at the Hague; at the least, putting them on trial ourselves.

Good ...

Seems this is still America:

A Manhattan judge has thrown out a lawsuit from a retired firefighter who sued to block construction on the proposed Park51 Islamic Center near Ground Zero, but the conservative group that represented him says it will appeal the decision.

The New York Times reported that Justice Paul G. Feinman of the State Supreme Court in Manhattan ruled on Friday that retired firefighter Timothy Brown is "an individual with a strong interest in preservation of the building," but lacks legal standing to challenge construction of the Islamic Center.

...

The conservatives can play their bullshit down in the "Jesus Belt" but in these parts, "freedom of religion" doesn't mean freedom for Christians to persecute those who don't believe their way.

Fap, fap, fap ...

All of the sexually-stunted Rethugs are gonna be touching themselves over this. Fez:

But somehow Rich Lowry is going to end up making these digital pages stick together.

Heh ...

You and I ...

Are supporting Rupert Murdoch.

I'll admit that I watch a couple of Fox networks (Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus) but I don't mind giving him my money for them because they're the only places I can get regular football matches from Europe.

That said, I got a problem with giving him billions of my tax dollars:

(Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch may not garner as much attention for his financial savvy as he does for his journalistic escapades, which last week led to the shuttering of Britain's oldest tabloid. But that doesn't make his money management any less impressive.

...

Over the past four years Murdoch's U.S.-based News Corp. has made money on income taxes. Having earned $10.4 billion in profits, News Corp. would have been expected to pay $3.6 billion at the 35 percent corporate tax rate. Instead, it actually collected $4.8 billion in income tax refunds, all or nearly all from the U.S. government.

...

I say it's about time we stop paying him to help destroy the country.

Great thanks to Jill for the link.

Fox blackmail ...

Olbermann recounts Fox's attempts to work him to death:

...

On his show Tuesday, he said that while working at Fox Sports he became sick and was advised by his doctor to slow down at work. When he requested to work five days instead of six, Fox Sports immediately pulled him off the air until he received a letter from his doctor guaranteeing he was well enough to work.

They then offered to either have Olbermann work a very busy schedule or receive a 60 percent pay cut.

...

Same way the Rethugs "support our troops".

News Corp/News International/News of the World/phone-hacking/scum-sucking pigfuckers/Murdoch-gate

El Rude-o on the Murdoch scandal(s):

Rupert Murdoch's products in the United States have long been engaged in a one-sided war with the Obama administration. Now there's a justification for joining the fight, bringing all the power of the law to bear. It's a gift. Obama could crush Murdoch and make Bill O'Reilly have to beg CNN to let them blow Blitzer for quarters. The phone-hacking scandal is like God just handed the President a perfect, wet pussy and said, "No, it's okay. You can fuck it. Enjoy."

(Note: He won't fuck it.)

Go read the rest.

Roger Ailes Explains Why FOX News Never Hacks

SPR

"Why waste time and expense intercepting real cell-phone messages ... when we can simply sell our own phony messages."

Good point.

Go ahead Repugs...

...piss off the old folks.

Note to the Prez: make goddam sure they know it was the intransigence and ideological stoopidity of the Repugs that caused them to go on half-rations of store brand cat food. Then make sure all the polling places have wheelchair access for disabled/Vets come next election day.

CBS News via RawReplay.

I can make it through without a benefit payment or two or three. A lot of folks can't. I hope this does not come to pass.

Senate Republicans Block Benefits to Homeless Women Veterans

Ms.blog. Video of Sen. Murray's plea to do the right thing being shot down by that sonofabitch McConnell on behalf of that other sonofabitch Coburn.

Senate conservatives blocked the Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Act on Tuesday, following an objection from Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK, left), who spoke out in opposition to the bill. The $3.4 billion bill, introduced by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), would have provided special benefits to homeless women veterans (as well as to homeless male veterans with dependent children).

Women returning from war have unique risk factors for homelessness, such as trauma from sexual assault while in the military and lower earning potential than men.

Blocking the bill is a puzzling move on the part of conservatives, for whom talking about things like Christian compassion, family values and supporting our troops is a cherished pastime. Must be the whole doing something thing that makes them squeamish.

The whole concept of doing something for Vets that involves spending money that might better go to their Masters in the M-I-C is not on their agenda. Talk is cheap and so are they.

And after all, these Vets are just women. Vessels of unholiness and 2d class citizens who need to be subservient anyway. Single mothers? They must all be undeserving whores. Their children? No-account little bastards who are out of the womb and thus rate nothing from Repugs.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if a Repug Congress passes a law denying benefits to any Vet who participates in one of their for-profit wars if they don't win it like a football game.

No pull trigger, no get food. Support the troops my ass. The Repug bastards strike again.

No great loss ...

Looks like Karzai's brother played one too many sides against the middle:

...

Ahmad Wali Karzai, a leading power broker in the country's south, was shot dead at his home in a blow to Nato's battle against the Taliban in the area.

He was shot twice by his long-time head of security Sardar Mohammed, who was himself killed almost immediately.

...

Loyalty only goes so far as the next paycheck.

If ya listen to Larry ...

You'd think Obama is a political genius:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The only person I ever saw pull off a successful "rope-a-dope" is the man who created it, Muhammad Ali.

Still looks to me like Barry has given away the store and the Rethugs are whining that they want more without "raising taxes on the job creators". Far be it, thanks to the latest job report, that they actually, you know, created a job.

If Obama pulls this off without screwing grandma and grandpa, or the rest of us who might need Medicare in the future, I'll eat my words, but in my book, he took the wrong tack from the beginning; actually giving the Rethug crazy more credibility than they deserve.

More shed ...

More than Gordon (and probably most of you, dear readers) ever wanted to know about sheds. Heh ...

Start:



Prime:



Done:



It's 4 p.m. and I'm twisting myself a fatty, cracking a Newcastle, and going out to sit in the garden with the Dingo Sisters for a while. I iz tired ...

Slavery language dropped from “Marriage Vow” pledge, because it was “misconstrued”

Political Carnival, links and video.

In a previous post, I wrote about how Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum signed a pledge that likely has many right wing extremists salivating, and that had some highly controversial, highly offensive language in it suggesting that black children were better off born into slavery.
...

The anti-porn language was removed last week (file that under, “Mission Impossible”), and now THE FAMiLY LEADER (per Think Progress, the lowercase “i” is meant to represent individual submission) is scrubbing the “Slavery = Family Values” part, too.

“Can be misconstrued.” “Misconstruction.” Yes, that’s right… if you were one of those idiots who thought the LEADER sounded racist, thenhttp://www2.blogger.com/img/blank.gif they’re awfully sorry you somehow twisted their words, “a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in a two-parent household than was an African-American baby born after the election of the USA’s first African-American President” to mean something other than “Boy howdy, them slave kids were lucky ducks! They sure as heck had it good back in the day!”

The best part IMNSHO? Crazy Woman and Frothy Mixture had a contract changed on them after they signed it! IOKIYAR.

Update:

Liquid Alert!

Bachmann did not read pledge calling slavery a better arrangement for blacks

Santorum told CNN Sunday that he was "taken aback" by the pledge at first, but host Candy Crowley failed to ask him about the slavery claim.

You're supposed to read the fine print before you sign things, ya fuckin' idjits! Candy "Chins" Crowley is a Repug operative and ain't gonna question anything you do.

Wading Into the Shallows

Good read at TPJ Magazine about the "fundagelicals":

The shallows I’m talking about are virtual cesspools of right-wing religious dogma that pollute the cultural and political landscape of the U.S., especially in the South (where I live) and the Midwest. The outrages being committed in the name of dogmatic religious myths are growing, as the faithful and their political cohorts in God’s Own Party continue their relentless assault on vulnerable people’s lives and our democratic traditions.

Anyway, if the term dogma upsets the dogmatic, that’s too damn bad. When dealing with fanatics, no good can come from phony respect, especially at the expense of accuracy. And the fanatics who are bent on theocratic domination will only view any respect from the left, feigned or otherwise, as a sign of weakness to exploit to their advantage in their long-term war against all forms of enlightenment.

So while I hate to do it, I must chastise my liberal and moderate friends, irrespective of their religious views, for being far too tolerant of the madness of the religious right. It is very late in the game, and the well-organized religious fanatics already have a lock on one of our major political parties. So, contra President Obama, it is way past time to abandon the suicidal notion that we can reason with them or work with them constructively. Instead, we must match their determination. How about we start by dropping any pretense that they are rational people or that anything they are saying is even worth talking about? How about recognizing that our overriding goal must be to do everything in our power to prevent them from expanding their power, before it’s too late? We can start by publicly rebuking them any time they express their crazy ideas and by exposing their anti-democratic agenda at every opportunity. We need to match their determination, go into attack mode on all fronts, and make our voice heard in the timid, bought-and-paid-for mainstream media before they completely own it.

So let’s stop acting like the current crop of democrats, stop treating brainwashed fanatics like they’re worth talking to. [...]

So in conclusion, religious fundamentalists talk and act like they expect some special privilege to be granted to their religious beliefs; but as soldiers in the cultural and political wars, they deserve no privilege to be protected from criticism. Everyone understands that democracy is meaningless unless it permits vigorous debate. But they have no commitment to Constitutional democracy, which is an obstacle to the domination they seek.

Finally, a closing quotation from Christopher Hitchens:

“Since it is obviously inconceivable that all religions can be right, the most reasonable conclusion is that they are all wrong.”

Amen.

Amen.

The Real Fox Problem With Ryan's Plan: The Truth DID Come Out

Hillbilly Report, with video.

Since Paul Ryan introduced his draconian "roadmap" for cleaning up the mess he and his cohorts caused on the backs of working Americans the Republican lie machine has been spinning in high gear. They have the tough propoganda sell of telling Americans that they should sacrifice anything the government does for them so the wealthy can horde more money. With their sophisticated network to do just that and many complicit Democrats they have set out to accomplish just that task. However as always in right-wing fantasy land the facts are against them.

As always again the true facts are out there. Why do you think the propoganda machine has to kick into high gear?? They know they have to convince Americans that those nasty liberals are just lying and that they should not expect social security, medicare, or anything else the government provides.

So as always with Republicans if you want to know the real truth just listen to what they say and believe the opposite. Their real problem is not that they truth about the Ryan plan has not come out it is that it has. As always the truth does not support them and they have to lie to try and make it what they want.

This time however it appears as if Americans are smarter than the Republicans thought.

The Repugs have their Dead End Quarter sewed up tight, but the others are starting to catch on after the disastrous results of voting when they were angry in 2010.

Oh, the irony...

Ironic Times

U.S. Holds Back Aid to Pakistani Military
What are they going to do — sell their nukes?

I think we should make them an offer on their nukes they can't refuse.

GOP Spending Bill Slashes Budget of Consumer Product Safety Commission, Defunds Consumer Complaint Database
And calls for arrest and deportation of all undocumented consumers.

The Prison Industry Complex thinks they should be incarcerated domestically.

Murdoch Shuts Down News of the World in Light of Hacking Scandal
May have to sell majority ownership of British government.

Marijuana Dispensaries Outnumber Starbucks in Denver
“Mile High City” rebranded “High City.”