No Judgement Yet

I have received several emails, a few phone calls, and a couple of in person inquiries regarding Sara Palin's resignation as governor of Alaska. I haven't commented much more on it than my post from a few weeks ago.

Her farewell speech intrigued me, though. This line...

So how about in honor of the American soldier, you quit making up things. And don't underestimate the wisdom of the people. And one other thing for the media -- our new governor has a very nice family, too, so leave his kids alone.

...perplexed me. Someone care to explain to me exactly what the fuck she was talking about?

Good Question

Bill raises an interesting point here...shouldn't there be some things in this country that are NOT for profit? And should health care be one of them?

When Congress breaks for recess, that's when I will be talking about health care. I've had some ideas bouncing around in my head but it took a few recent events in my own life to organize them to the point where I could articulate something worthwhile.

Long Walk, Short Pier

When asked whether or not she thought President Obama was born in this country, Liz Cheney (daughter of Dick), said the following on a recent edition of Larry King live.

I think the Democrats have got more crazies than the Republicans do. But setting that aside, one of the reasons you see people so concerned about this, I think this issue is, people are uncomfortable with having for the first time ever, I think, a president who seems so reluctant to defend the nation overseas.

First of all, Liz, FUCK YOU! I have pretty much had it with ass hats like yourself who think that being a Democrat means that you don't want to defend this country. Tell that to Tammy Duckworth, Paul Hackett or Ben Busch or the THOUSANDS of other Democrats who have fought and, in Duckworth's case, lost their limbs for this country.

And if President Obama is so reluctant to defend this country, why is he sending more troops to AfPak and adding 22K to the army? Why did he keep Robert Gates as SecDef? Why did he add a 40 year marine veteran (James Jones) as his National Security Advisor? Why is chucking the F-22, a cold war relic, in favor of the F-35 which is more adept at...well...bombing terrorist hideouts? Why is keeping many of the programs your father put in place?

Oh, and you're not-so-clever marrying of the birth certificate issue (see: weird fi'rner and not white) to the defense of this country is straight out of Joseph Goebbels playbook...proving my point once again that your father (and you, apparently) as well as others on the right are the ones that are more like fascists than Goldberg's psychotic fantasy.

Finally, Democrats have more crazies than Republicans? Where? The whole fucking Republican base (15-20 million people) are nutjobs. One of them has his own radio show which nets that many listeners.

By all means, though, get out their on TV on share your views to the ever growing group of voters who you continue to alienate every day with the "New Psychosis" of the conservative base. Meanwhile, we'll be over here defending this country so you can have a platform to be a brainwashed moron.

The Video

Well, here it is. The look on Castle's (the Republican rep at the podium) tells it all. This is my fucking party now?

Yep.

Absolutely Batshit

I have written many a word on here about how the base has become more and more nutty. A week or two ago, I put up a Bill Maher video in which he stated that "over the years the left has moved more to the right and the right has moved into a mental hospital." I caught a lot of flack for the that one but I stuck to my guns.

I did so because it seems that once a month or so the right, in what has to be the finest case of psychological denial in the history of the field, cannot accept Barack Obama as president. This simple fact is driving them (or already has driven them) insane and is driving them to do and say things that are completely maniacal.

I offer as an example the recent resurgence of the "Barack Obama was not born in this country" lie. A video has been making the rounds lately (I will post it tomorrow) that shows a nut ball woman yelling at Rep Mike Castle (R-Del) at a town hall meeting, waving a birth certificate and saying that President Obama is not eligible to president.

Clearly, this woman is a lunatic and some posters here would be correct in stating that if I used her as an example of the right, I would be guilty of out group bias. But Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh have been talking about it. There is now a bill in Congress, supported by 10 Republicans, that is calling for him to produce his birth certificate. Thus, I can officially say that, once again, the conservatives of this country are really going that extra mile to be even more fucking bat shit insane.

Since there are people that read this blog who will believe anything Rush says, I am here to tell all of you that all of this absolute nonsense. When Rush, Lou and others say that all President Obama has to do is "produce a birth certificate," they are completely full of shit. He did so nearly two years. ago. Here is is.
When they say it was not an official one with a raised seal, they are completely full of shit. Go to this site and you will see the official Hawaiian birth certificate of Barack Hussein Obama...raised seal and all. There are several photos of all the legal documents. There is also an announcement of his birth in the local paper. And if you call the state and/or the city, you yourself can obtain a copy of this birth certificate.

For the briefest of moments, I felt pity for people that believe things like this. They are uneducated and it's my job to educate, right?

And then I realized that their rage, paranoia, fear, and complete fucking ignorance has caused so much pain and heartache for many American families in the last ten years (or probably more) that any sympathy I felt was washed away quickly. It was replaced by a very evident truth which is still a central conviction of this blog.

These people are insane fucking morons that don't want to be educated. They are not the "fringe" of the right. They are the base. They are the 15-20 million people that listen to Rush Limbaugh, who now believes this, and the other 10 million or so that watch Lou Dobbs. They are the VERY NUMEROUS AND PERVASIVE conservative media who are reporting this story now as truth.

They need to be called on their bullshit every minute of every day. And at the loudest possible volume. So fucking go and do it!

Wait....

I wonder how long it will take right wing pundits to blow a bowel over this one.

I haven't checked Michelle Malkin's blog today but this story seems a sure fire bet for intestinal colon overload on her part. What I can't figure out is why would conservatives...and I know they will...side with the police on this one? Other than the fact that they love to play "make believe that we aren't racist" and then condescendingly smirk about it, the guy was in his own fucking home.

Wouldn't that constitute an intrusion by the state into a citizen's private domain?

I'll be here waiting for yet another example of

"It's not _____ when we do it!"

Only in this fucking state....

...would this be headline news. Sometimes, I have to say, I wonder why I live here.

The headline from WCCO.com

Man With Workout-Ball-Slashing Fetish Charged

From the article....

Court documents say Bjerkness told police he slashed the rubber balls to satisfy a sexual urge. Experts said he has an unusual attraction to inflatable exercise devices.

With every challenge we have facing us in this state as well as our nation, this warrants top billing?

What a load of shit.

Yep

"I love these folks who helped get us in this mess and then suddenly say, 'Well, this is Obama's economy.' That's fine. Give it to me! My job is to solve problems, not to stand on the sidelines and harp and gripe"

-President Barack Obama, July 14, 2009.

Back In Black

Sorry about the lack of posting lately folks. Been busy with school, kids and coaching tennis. I thought I would return with a doozy of a quote from our president. He was talking about parenting.

"We have to accept our responsibility to help them learn. That means putting away the Xbox. Putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour. It means attending those parent teacher conferences. And READING to our children."

Man, I love that guy!

Honestly, they need to ask why?

I spent this last weekend at my in-laws. Being that they know I love a good political discussion, they asked me why I thought Sarah Palin quit as governor of Alaska. My ultra conservative brother in law was perplexed.

"Why would she do that? It doesn't make sense, damnit!" he asked vehemently, "I only voted for McCain because she was on the ticket."

My wife, who is a moderate liberal, couldn't understand it.

"What...she's a quitter? I don't get it."

They both turned to me waiting to hear a political wonk (see:obsessive) 's point of view...the same one I have had since she first opened her mouth.

"She's a fucking moron."

Thank You, Michelle!

MN-06 representative Michelle Bachmann stated last week that she would not fully fill out her census report in the next federal census taking set to take place in 2010. She cited ACORN (eep urp bleep....output: insta right wing hot flaming anger) as one of her reasons. She went on to say that "between 1942 and 1947, the data that was collected by the Census Bureau was handed over to the FBI and other organizations at the request of President Roosevelt, and that's how the Japanese were rounded up."

!!!??

Someone please give this woman a guest spot on every major news network in the nation. And let's give her that spot....oh...around the fall of next year:)

The story, of course, gets better. By failing to fill out her census report fully and by encouraging others in her district to do so, the chances are raised significantly then when they reduce the districts from 7 down to 6 in Minnesota, the Sixth will be the first one to go due to a not so real population drop because incomplete surveys will not be accepted.

So, if you live in the Sixth, please listen to your congresswoman!

Neda

A Good Run

Well, the mainstream media had a good run recently in regards to actually covering events that fucking matter. CNN led the way with wall to wall coverage of the amazing events going on in Iran. Other news networks and outlets followed with heretofore unseen and in depth coverage of a pivotal point in that country's history. I was elated to see your ordinary Joe on the street asking me about Iran and talking about it with a higher level of knowledge. People seemed to care about what was going on there and frivolous stories were nowhere to be found.

Then Mark Sanford, Governor of South Carlolina, went on a walkabout and....they started dropping like flies in CelebrityWood.

While I feel sad for their families (and am especially bummed that the passing of Ed McMahon got swept aside quickly...no one EVER will come close to him and Johnny), the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Billy Mays are not "Breaking News" in the way that a revolution in a fucking country is news. My cup had already runneth over with Michael and now there will be no escaping it for the next month or possibly more.

And people will return to caring about shallow, meaningless bullshit when they were so close (!) to turning the corner and focusing on poignant matters like Iran, Pakistan, health care, energy, and Iraq. Do we really need to know the intimate details of Governor Sanford's life? I don't care. It's his business and I don't judge him for his actions...although I do find it HILARIOUS that my colleagues on the right are very sympathetic. Where was that sympathy from 1998-2000?

If any of you are wailing uncontrollably at the death of Michael Jackson, first of all....get a fucking life. You didn't know the guy. Save your sadness and empathy for people in your own life for crying out loud. And, if you must weep for someone you don't know, check this site out tomorrow for the video that changed my life.

Not Even Close

The next time you hear a conservative tell you that our government is close to socialism, show them this.













And then gently direct them to the nearest mental institution.

Another Classic (at 2:00)

"I don't want to be on your team. Pick another kid."

Given a recent post by Kevin Baker regarding last week's New Rules, I hope he checks this one out too:)

"We don't have a left or right party in this country anymore. We have a center right party and a crazy party. Over the last 30 odd years, Democrats have moved to the right and the right has moved into a mental hospital....they actually worry that Obama is a socialist. Socialist? He's not even a liberal."

And many of his commenters as well. I can already feel their heads exploding.

Wow.

"We had one vote and we gave it to Mousavi. We have one life and we'll give it up for freedom."

Anonymous Twitter from Tehran.

The Twitter Revolution

Like many of you, I am stunned by the events in Iran. Each day's news brings more excitement and more danger. The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a warning today to protesters saying that the government would crack down on further dissent.

While they have been able to block some transmissions from Iran, the government has had a difficult time controlling all of the Twittering that has gone on. Everyday citizens have become global reporters pushing real time information out to the rest of the world. It's an amazing thing to watch a lumbering old and out of step theocracy sadly attempt to block free speech.

And, I have to say, my chiding of Twitter of late amongst my social circles seems to have come back and bitten me on the ass. I'm still not a big fan of people having to know and tell other people what they are doing exactly at every second of their lives but if you live in Tehran....I say Twitter away, revolutionary brothers and sisters!

Yet another reason to smile:)

Wow. They continue to amaze me. Just when I thought there was a smidgen of hope that the GOP might pull together and be a little smarter about how they communicate, this happens.

Really?

No prob, Hugh. We'll take all those votes off your hands:)

The Best

A few years back, the tennis world (mostly overzealous and irritating announcers like Mary Cirillo) claimed that Roger Federer was the best player in the history of the game. This was back when he had won a few Wimbledons and the US Open.

Many of my tennis pals said that he was the best ever and I reminded them that until he wins the French, my guy Andre is still the best. To win all four slams in a career had only been accomplished by Agassi, Laver, Perry, Emerson, and Budge. To understand how difficult this is, stand in your back yard and bounce a ball off of grass, a muddy patch, and your driveway. Watching how differently it bounces and you will get the idea. The French, played on clay, eluded Federer for years.

But yesterday, he fucking won it. And in convincing fashion.

So, it is NOW official. Roger Federer is the greatest player in the history of tennis. If he wins Wimbledon this year, he will have passed Pete Sampras (with whom he is currently tied at 14) with 15 Grand Slam wins. And Pete never even won the French!

Congrats, Roger. You are the man!

65 Years Ago Today