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Monday, May 14, 2012
ICYMI: @MichaelEDyson ripping the skin off Anti-Gay Black Preachers (VIDEO)
Metaphorically speaking, of course. But if anyone's deserved a rhetorical thrashing, it's been black preachers.
Friday, May 11, 2012
For the record, @msnbc, you're not paying @tamronhall NEARLY enough (VIDEO)
Give her a raise, now. Just for this:
Thursday, May 10, 2012
So basically, Mitt Romney was pretty much a dick in prep school. (VIDEO)
So is this is who you want for your President?
Or this?
Mitt Romney returned from a three-week spring break in 1965 to resume his studies as a high school senior at the prestigious Cranbrook School. Back on the handsome campus, studded with Tudor brick buildings and manicured fields, he spotted something he thought did not belong at a school where the boys wore ties and carried briefcases. John Lauber, a soft-spoken new student one year behind Romney, was perpetually teased for his nonconformity and presumed homosexuality. Now he was walking around the all-boys school with bleached-blond hair that draped over one eye, and Romney wasn’t having it.
“He can’t look like that. That’s wrong. Just look at him!” an incensed Romney told Matthew Friedemann, his close friend in the Stevens Hall dorm, according to Friedemann’s recollection. Mitt, the teenaged son of Michigan Gov. George Romney, kept complaining about Lauber’s look, Friedemann recalled.
A few days later, Friedemann entered Stevens Hall off the school’s collegiate quad to find Romney marching out of his own room ahead of a prep school posse shouting about their plan to cut Lauber’s hair. Friedemann followed them to a nearby room where they came upon Lauber, tackled him and pinned him to the ground. As Lauber, his eyes filling with tears, screamed for help, Romney repeatedly clipped his hair with a pair of scissors.
The incident was recalled similarly by five students, who gave their accounts independently of one another. Four of them — Friedemann, now a dentist; Phillip Maxwell, a lawyer; Thomas Buford, a retired prosecutor; and David Seed, a retired principal — spoke on the record. Another former student who witnessed the incident asked not to be named. The men have differing political affiliations, although they mostly lean Democratic. Buford volunteered for Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008. Seed, a registered independent, has served as a Republican county chairman in Michigan. All of them said that politics in no way colored their recollections.
“It happened very quickly, and to this day it troubles me,” said Buford, the school’s wrestling champion, who said he joined Romney in restraining Lauber. Buford subsequently apologized to Lauber, who was “terrified,” he said. “What a senseless, stupid, idiotic thing to do.”
“It was a hack job,” recalled Maxwell, a childhood friend of Romney who was in the dorm room when the incident occurred. “It was vicious.”
“He was just easy pickins,” said Friedemann, then the student prefect, or student authority leader of Stevens Hall, expressing remorse about his failure to stop it.
The incident transpired in a flash, and Friedemann said Romney then led his cheering schoolmates back to his bay-windowed room in Stevens Hall.
Friedemann, guilt ridden, made a point of not talking about it with his friend and waited to see what form of discipline would befall Romney at the famously strict institution. Nothing happened.
Or this?
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
West Virginia is so racist, that they'd rather vote for the Mine Owner instead of the Mine Worker.
Even the Washington Post gets it:
Hmmm...
When West Virginia wonders why it's perpetually in the ninth circle of Economic Hell it ALWAYS finds itself in (like for example the fact that it's...dead last in K-12 Education) they can look back on decisions like this.
You have a Democratic State that votes Democratic, but because of its slavish devotion to coal, and the fact that the President's a black man, they'd rather vote Republican and thus vote to screw themselves over.
The President has no Political Allies in the States? That may be true, but that's also two way street. And people like Joe Manchin don't work for the people of West Virginia. They work for Massey Energy, which managed to kill how many of its employees again in 2010?
I would say if West Virginia were drowning, I wouldn't bother to throw them a life preserver. But they are drowning. They need a life preserver. Still, they'd rather be racist, and thus of vote for the party of the Mine Owner, instead of the Mine Worker.
They deserve what they get. @#$% 'em.
Keith Judd, who is serving a 17 1/2-year prison sentence for extortion at the Federal Correctional Institution in Texarkana, Texas, took 41 percent of the vote in West Virginia’s Democratic primary Tuesday night — 72,000 votes to Obama’s 106,000. He would qualify for convention delegates, if anyone had signed up to be a Judd delegate. (No one did.)
How did Judd get so many votes?
It’s likely not his past careers as a superhero and religious leader. Or his passionate FEC report ramblings. Simply put, West Virginia does not like Obama.
Keith Judd got 4 in 10 votes in West Virginia, despite living in a Texas prison.
“I voted against Obama,” a 43-year-old electrician named Ronnie Brown told the AP. His daughter planned to vote for Judd too, until she found out he was in prison. “I just want to vote against Barack Obama,” she said.
Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state. West Virginia regularly votes in Democratic officials at the state level (its governor and all of its statewide elected officials are Democrats) and narrowly supported Bill Clinton in 1996. But the very rural state has never warmed to the current White House occupant.
“President Obama has no strong political allies in this state. A couple leading Democrats grudgingly support Obama, but say that only when they are asked,” said West Virginia radio host Hoppy Kercheval. “Several are openly hostile to him.”
Obama, not surprisingly, rarely visits the state.
The president angered voters with new Environmental Protection Agency policies, which some see as a “war on coal” and have stalled mining permits for the state’s coal mining industry. Both Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Sen. Joe Manchin, both Democrats, have clashed with Obama on the issue, and neither has committed to supporting him in the fall.
“In talking to many West Virginians, they do recognize and realize that the president is working very hard to help working families across the country and in this state,” said state Democratic Party Chairman Larry Puccio. “It’s just that coal plays such a major role in West Virginia and folks are frustated with this administration’s position.”
In the latest state-by-state Gallup poll, Obama’s approval rating in West Virginia was 32.7 percent. A recent poll gave former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney a 17-point lead over Obama in the state.
But Obama was unpopular in West Virginia before he took office.
In the 2008 Democratic primary, Obama lost West Virginia to Hillary Clinton by 41 points — even though her campaign was all but over.
In the fall, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) beat Obama in the state by 13 points.
Race likely plays some role here. In the 2008 primary, 2 in 10 white West Virginia voters said race was an important factor in their votes, second only to Mississippi. Those voters went for Clinton 8 in 10 times.
Hmmm...
When West Virginia wonders why it's perpetually in the ninth circle of Economic Hell it ALWAYS finds itself in (like for example the fact that it's...dead last in K-12 Education) they can look back on decisions like this.
You have a Democratic State that votes Democratic, but because of its slavish devotion to coal, and the fact that the President's a black man, they'd rather vote Republican and thus vote to screw themselves over.
The President has no Political Allies in the States? That may be true, but that's also two way street. And people like Joe Manchin don't work for the people of West Virginia. They work for Massey Energy, which managed to kill how many of its employees again in 2010?
I would say if West Virginia were drowning, I wouldn't bother to throw them a life preserver. But they are drowning. They need a life preserver. Still, they'd rather be racist, and thus of vote for the party of the Mine Owner, instead of the Mine Worker.
They deserve what they get. @#$% 'em.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Mitt Romney Versus Reality: Auto Recovery Edition (VIDEO)
Oh, and did I mention?? (via Bloomberg):
During an election-year clash over which U.S. political party has the best prescription for curing unemployment, Democrats can argue that almost two-thirds of private-sector job growth in the past five decades came with them in the White House.
The BGOV Barometer shows that since Democrat John F. Kennedy took office in January 1961, non-government payrolls in the U.S. swelled by almost 42 million jobs under Democrats, compared with 24 million for Republican presidents, according to Labor Department figures.
Democrats hold the edge though they occupied the Oval Office for 23 years since Kennedy’s inauguration, compared with 28 for the Republicans. Through April, Democratic presidents accounted for an average of 150,000 additional private-sector paychecks per month over that period, more than double the 71,000 average for Republicans.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Go -- aka, President Obama's new Ad (VIDEO)
Twenty-five million...what again?
President Obama’s campaign spent the Republican primaries quietly amassing a war chest of over $100 million while his rivals dominated the airwaves in swing states around the country. But they’re done watching from the sidelines.
The president’s re-election team is out with a new ad, “Go,” running in nine swing states, as part of a whopping $25 million ad buy this month. To put the amount in perspective, Romney finished March with only $10 million cash on hand.
The ad, which focuses on how the economy has improved from the initial 2008 crisis that Obama inherited, is part of an aggressive effort from the president to remind voters of the dire circumstances the president faced in January 2009. The hope is that by putting his achievements in that context, Obama can overcome Romney’s message to voters still hurting among weak job growth that the White House has fallen short of its goals.
“The president has faced a combination of crises few others have ever had to deal with, all at the same time,” Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said in a conference call with reporters Monday. “Starting on Day One, he’s made bold and brave decisions to hep our economy get back on its feet and bring our troops back.”
I think Romney is about kaput money-wise until the Convention, when he accepts the nomination. Then he can start soliciting money for the campaign again. And here is the President just swamping him with money.
Remember, between now and Tampa...Romney's campaign can't say or do jack because he's basically out of money. He's down to $10 million cash on hand, and he's still got campaigning to do. That means until Tampa, the President pretty much can bombard the Airwaves at will.
Mind you, Romney's not broke, he's just hamstrung by a technicality of Campaign Finance Law. He's got a huge war chest waiting for him...but he can't use it until after Tampa. That will minimize the Romney Campaign's presence on the airwaves.
...but not the SuperPacs associated with him.
And believe it or not, that may also be a good thing...for Democrats.
The Republican SuperPacs, they are the unrestrained Id of the Party. They can't be coordinated with the Campaign, and...at the same time, they don't get any of the campaign's professional polish.
Basically, there's no one there at the SuperPac going: "You know that idea of yours is totally batshit insane right? Don't do it...you'll hurt the candidate."
But no, money trumps everything...even common sense at times.
There is just as much chance these SuperPacs will do harm to Mittens as well as good. We've seen what they've done in the Primaries.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Apparently, "Stand Your Ground" only applies if you kill Black People (VIDEO)
Who knew?
In her own home, threatened with physical harm by a man with a record of abuse, by a man with a restraining order...
As much as I despise this law, this seems to be the very kind of incident it was designed for, and yet...George Zimmerman is allowed to use, and Marissa Alexander is not. Please someone explain to me why.
Frankly speaking, if Marissa had killed her husband, and then told any old story she needed to, she might not be in jail today.
That's Florida for you.
That's why I just as soon it was cut off from our country and allowed to float away.
In her own home, threatened with physical harm by a man with a record of abuse, by a man with a restraining order...
As much as I despise this law, this seems to be the very kind of incident it was designed for, and yet...George Zimmerman is allowed to use, and Marissa Alexander is not. Please someone explain to me why.
Frankly speaking, if Marissa had killed her husband, and then told any old story she needed to, she might not be in jail today.
That's Florida for you.
That's why I just as soon it was cut off from our country and allowed to float away.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Why the Obama Team is better than the Romney team at the web, Part 397
The Obama Campaign now presents the Life of Julia. Worth checking out.
Rock Center: Inside The Situation Room Special on the killing of Bin Laden (VIDEO)
In case, like my Dad, you missed it we have the whole special here:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
What Ric Grenell's departure from the Romney campaign tells us about Romney as a leader...
It tells us that he isn't much of one, and that his first instinct is always to make the problem go away, not to solve it.
From Andrew Sullivan:
Some actual reporting from yours truly. It seems clear from sources close to Grenell and reporters on the foreign policy beat that his turning point came last week. He'd been part of organizing a conference call to respond to Vice President Biden's foreign policy speech, now known best for the "big stick" remark. So some reporters were puzzled as to why Grenell, a week into his job as Romney's national security spokesman, was not introduced by name as part of the Romney team at the beginning of the call, and his voice completely absent from the conversation. Some even called and questioned him afterwards as to why he was absent. He wasn't absent. He was simply muzzled. For a job where you are supposed to maintain good relations with reporters, being silenced on a key conference call on your area of expertise is pretty damaging. Especially when you helped set it up.
Sources close to Grenell say that he was specifically told by those high up in the Romney campaign to stay silent on the call, even while he was on it. And this was not the only time he had been instructed to shut up. Their response to the far right fooferaw was simply to go silent, to keep Grenell off-stage and mute, and to wait till the storm passed. But the storm was not likely to pass if no one in the Romney camp was prepared to back Grenell up. Hence his dilemma. The obvious solution was simply to get Grenell out there doling out the neocon red meat - which would have immediately changed the subject and helped dispel base skepticism. Instead the terrified Romneyites shut him up without any actual plan for when he might subsequently be able to do his job. To my mind, it's a mark of his integrity that he decided to quit rather than be put in this absurd situation. And it's a mark of Romney's fundamental weakness within his own party that he could not back his spokesman against the Bryan Fischers and Matthew Francks.
Oh, Lord. Here we go again. (Paul Krugman Edition)...
Sigh.
When you read this, remember two things. One, this blog always trusts Paul Krugman's numbers, but never his Political sense (which is terrible).
...and two, Paul Krugman is trying to sell a book.
When you read this, remember two things. One, this blog always trusts Paul Krugman's numbers, but never his Political sense (which is terrible).
...and two, Paul Krugman is trying to sell a book.
Ending Afghanistan, an a decade of War (VIDEO)
The Speech:
Signing the Agreement:
And talking to the Troops:
Signing the Agreement:
And talking to the Troops:
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
The President's Speech at the White House Correspondence Dinner 2012 (VIDEO)
I just LOVE the fact that the President just kicked the holy crap out of the Huffington Post:
Plenty of journalists are here tonight. I'd be remiss if I didn’t congratulate the Huffington Post on their Pulitzer Prize. You deserve it, Arianna. There's no one else out there linking to the kinds of hard-hitting journalism that HuffPo is linking to every single day. Give them a round of applause. And you don’t pay them -- it's a great business model.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Spencer Ackerman (@attackerman) blasts the Beltway Culture (VIDEO)
Wow.
Traffic? Seriously, dude? Have you been to L.A.??
Also, as a Native D.C.er, as in born and raised in D.C., I have to admit, I've ALWAYS called it a Subway. "Hey, Malcolm...what's the Metro?" "Well, that's our Subway System." I don't know what else you'd call it.
Traffic? Seriously, dude? Have you been to L.A.??
Also, as a Native D.C.er, as in born and raised in D.C., I have to admit, I've ALWAYS called it a Subway. "Hey, Malcolm...what's the Metro?" "Well, that's our Subway System." I don't know what else you'd call it.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Rolling Stone Interview with President Obama...
Yeah, the link is right here. Jon Stewart, Paul Krugman and Andrew Sullivan are going to have reasons to smile a bit today.
Also, I thought this was important:
What do you read regularly to keep you informed or provide you with perspectives beyond the inner circle of your advisers?
[Laughs] Other than Rolling Stone?
That goes without saying.
I don't watch a lot of TV news. I don't watch cable at all. I like The Daily Show, so sometimes if I'm home late at night, I'll catch snippets of that. I think Jon Stewart's brilliant. It's amazing to me the degree to which he's able to cut through a bunch of the nonsense – for young people in particular, where I think he ends up having more credibility than a lot of more conventional news programs do.
I spend a lot of time just reading reports, studies, briefing books, intelligence assessments.
Newspapers?
I'll thumb through all the major papers in the morning. I'll read the Times and Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, just to catch up.
Do you read Paul Krugman?
I read all of the New York Times columnists. Krugman's obviously one of the smartest economic reporters out there, but I also read some of the conservative columnists, just to get a sense of where those arguments are going. There are a handful of blogs, Andrew Sullivan's on the Daily Beast being an example, that combine thoughtful analysis with a sampling of lots of essays that are out there. The New Yorker and The Atlantic still do terrific work. Every once in a while, I sneak in a novel or a nonfiction book.
I thought you were going to say Playboy.
No [laughs].
Also, I thought this was important:
In working with the Republicans in this term, it seems clear that the traditional rules of give-and-take politics have changed – that the Republicans have been playing a "lose-lose" game with you. What's your relationship with the GOP leadership at this point? A little frosty?
It's not frosty. This isn't personal. When John Boehner and I sit down, I enjoy a conversation with him. I don't think he's a bad person. I think he's patriotic. I think that the Republicans up on the Hill care about this country, but they have a very ideologically rigid view of how to move this country forward, and a lot of how they approach issues is defined by "Will this help us defeat the president?" as opposed to "Will this move the country forward?"
Is there any way to break through that obstructionism by Republicans?
My hope is that if the American people send a message to them that's consistent with the fact that Congress is polling at 13 percent right now, and they suffer some losses in this next election, that there's going to be some self-reflection going on – that it might break the fever. They might say to themselves, "You know what, we've lost our way here. We need to refocus on trying to get things done for the American people."
Frankly, I know that there are good, decent Republicans on Capitol Hill who, in a different environment, would welcome the capacity to work with me. But right now, in an atmosphere in which folks like Rush Limbaugh and Grover Norquist are defining what it means to be a true conservative, they are lying low. My hope is that after this next election, they'll feel a little more liberated to go out and say, "Let's redirect the Republican Party back to those traditions in which a Dwight Eisenhower can build an interstate highway system."
The President's Interview on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon... (VIDEO)
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
Part 6: (Man, there's a Part 6???)
And finally, and most importantly...slow jammin' the News:
Technically, that was first, but...it's a great way to end this post.
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
Part 5:
Part 6: (Man, there's a Part 6???)
And finally, and most importantly...slow jammin' the News:
Technically, that was first, but...it's a great way to end this post.
The Daily Show: The War on Women...Jason Jones style (VIDEO)
I've fallen behind...badly. So I'm catching up with a couple of greatest hits...
Friday, April 13, 2012
Courtesy of @beardedstoner, the ethical rationale of the Mitt Romney Campaign (VIDEO)
Full props to @beardedstoner for a damn good idea.
The complete Ed Show interview with Vice President Joe Biden (VIDEO)
Intro:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Part 1:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Part 2:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
The Colbert Interview with Michelle Obama (VIDEO)
Part 1:
Part 2:
And in case you missed this bit of Michelle Obama comedy goodness:
Just wait for it, you'll see it.
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Part 2:
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
And in case you missed this bit of Michelle Obama comedy goodness:
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Just wait for it, you'll see it.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Billboard Racism... (VIDEO)
Saw these stories in a couple places today, but Jonathan Capehart was the first to collect them both together:
“Long live Zimmerman” was spray painted on a wall outside the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center at Ohio State University on April 5. In a tweet that morning, university President E. Gordon Gee called it a “Deplorable act of intolerance.” As you see in the video [below], the message was removed.
“Trayvon A N-----” was the message to motorists on one of those electronic construction signs early this morning on Interstate 94 in Michigan. According to Shawn Ley of WDIV-TV in Detroit, the computer keyboard used to type those highway messages was torn out and stolen from the metal box on the back of the construction sign.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
One more accomplishment for the President to brag about... (VIDEO)
He signed the STOCK act today...so, I'm guessing Mittens is in favor of repeal??
The President's Barnburner of a speech in front of the Associated Press Editors (VIDEO)
Too bad the Associated Press, apparently, declined to listen to any part of it (via TPM):
One of the key moments of President Obama’s Tuesday speech before an Associated Press luncheon came at the end, when he urged reporters not to cast partisan disagreements about the key issues of the day — health care, the environment, the role of the federal government — as a product of equal intransigence on both sides. Republicans, he noted, have abandoned their previous support for Obama initiatives — from transportation funding, to cap and trade, to the health care reforms that comprise ‘Obamacare’ — many of which emerged as conservative alternatives to more liberal policies.
His hosts weren’t listening — and as a result they’ve made Obama’s points about Republicans and the media for him.
“[I]f Republicans have moved to the right on health care, it’s also true that Obama has moved to the left,” reads an AP wrap on the Obama speech. “He strenuously opposed a mandate forcing people to obtain health insurance until he won office and changed his mind.”
It’s true that Obama campaigned against an individual mandate in 2008, only to embrace it — however reluctantly — after he became president. But to say that constitutes a move to the left betrays a lack of understanding about the origins and purpose of the individual mandate, and of Obama’s broader evolution on health care reform.
In the early aughts, as a member of the Illinois state Senate, Obama strongly supported a single-payer health care system.
Over the years, that position became more tempered by political realities, and by the 2008 Democratic primary, he had embraced the basic framework of what eventually became “Obamacare,” with two glaring exceptions: He supported a public option, and he opposed an individual mandate — the latter of which was crucial to the success of “Romneycare” in Massachusetts.
Obama was criticized by a mix of liberal and conservative technocrats and industry stakeholders for opposing the mandate. By embracing it as president, while dropping the public option, he was arguably moving further right still from his past support for single-payer. As Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) — then the top Republican on the committee that drafted the health care law — said before health care reform turned toxic on the right, “I believe that there is a bipartisan consensus to have individual mandates.”
As Obama lurched toward Massachusetts’ plan as a potential framework for bipartisan consensus, Republicans quickly abandoned the pretense of supporting the principle of universal health care of any kind.
Steve Pearlstein: Why we should tell Corporate America to drop dead...
From Eat your broccoli, Justice Scalia, published on March 31st:
My first thought on perusing the briefs filed in the combined cases was to notice what wasn’t there: any involvement on the part of Corporate America.
For the past 20 years, big business has complained endlessly about escalating health-care premiums, which they correctly blamed on “cost-shifting,” including paying indirectly for the free care provided to the workers at firms that did not provide health benefits. They wanted an end to fee-for-service medicine that rewarded doctors for providing more care than necessary. Some even talked of reforms that would begin to move the country away from an employer-based insurance system.
Yet despite the fact that “Obamacare” did all of those things and more, there was not a single brief in support of the law from an organization representing big business.
Small businesses have spent the past two decades complaining that the reason they don’t offer coverage is that it’s too expensive because they don’t get the large-group and community rating advantage. So how did the National Federation of Independent Businesses respond to a law that assured small businesses the benefits of large-group purchasing and community rating and threw in billions of dollars in subsidies to boot? It signed up as one of the named plaintiffs challenging the constitutionality of the new law.
It’s hard to know what the business community will demand if the Supreme Court overturns the health-care law. At that point, however, it will hardly matter, since they will have lost all political credibility on the issue, particularly with the Obama White House and anyone who happens to be a Democrat.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Just getting warmed up... (VIDEO)
The President launched this ad today, pissing off Mittens:
And Priorities USA came out with this ad on March 30:
I don't think they're coordinating, but they sure as heck are thinking the same.
And Priorities USA came out with this ad on March 30:
I don't think they're coordinating, but they sure as heck are thinking the same.
Friday, March 30, 2012
For once, Santorum should've gone with "Anti-Government Blah Person" (VIDEO)
Key point. Rick Santorum does not call our President a N***** int his video.
But he really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, meant to.
I feel very comfortable pronouncing Rick Santorum as a cheap, two bit racist.
But he really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, meant to.
I feel very comfortable pronouncing Rick Santorum as a cheap, two bit racist.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
If Claire McCaskill is good enough for @votevets, then she's good enough for me (VIDEO)
Claire McCaskill has been driving me crazy these last two years, tacking right while trying to keep her seat. She's done it enough to make me not care too much if she got re-elected.
However, if she's good enough for VoteVets, then...
Still mad about Mizzou bustin' my Bracket, though.
However, if she's good enough for VoteVets, then...
Still mad about Mizzou bustin' my Bracket, though.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Uhh, does this guy look like he's been assaulted to you?? (VIDEO)
This is from ABC News. It's pretty sharp-looking video.
The video might bleed over my format's margins, but Zimmerman doesn't disappear as far as I can tell. A smaller version of the video is below.
Okay, so at least he was detained for a time.
So I'm back to one of my questions. The lead Homicide Investigator says he thought a charge of Manslaughter was appropriate. It looks like Zimmerman was arrested, at least for a little bit.
So what happened after he goes in that door. Because something changed after that, and we still don't know what.
Also, we are being told a story that this man was under mortal assault, fear for his life, so much so that he had no choice but to go for his gun.
You tell me. Is the back of his head bloodied up? Is his nose broken? Does he look like anything's happened to him at all?
I can't say that these things did not happen, but the very lurid and vivid descriptions provided by Zimmerman's defenders seem to be 100% Grade-A Bullshit.
The video might bleed over my format's margins, but Zimmerman doesn't disappear as far as I can tell. A smaller version of the video is below.
Okay, so at least he was detained for a time.
So I'm back to one of my questions. The lead Homicide Investigator says he thought a charge of Manslaughter was appropriate. It looks like Zimmerman was arrested, at least for a little bit.
So what happened after he goes in that door. Because something changed after that, and we still don't know what.
Also, we are being told a story that this man was under mortal assault, fear for his life, so much so that he had no choice but to go for his gun.
You tell me. Is the back of his head bloodied up? Is his nose broken? Does he look like anything's happened to him at all?
I can't say that these things did not happen, but the very lurid and vivid descriptions provided by Zimmerman's defenders seem to be 100% Grade-A Bullshit.
Questions about the Trayvon Martin shooting...
This list started out with one question, and quickly grew to many. I would love to add more.
This is not a list of political questions, these are all questions that could be (or rather should be) asked at a Legal proceeding, and answered with hard documentation. The fact that we don't know the answers...and may never know the answers...to these questions terrifies me.
In the end, I think George Zimmerman is going to get away with murder, because the Police have hopelessly botched the case. I also think they hopelessly botched the case on purpose.
If you've got any more, I'd love to hear 'em.
Now, it's also fair to ask Trayvon's parents some questions, but I'm betting I don't know the answer to these out of my own ignorance rather than a concerted effort to conceal them:
UPDATE: 10:54pm Pacific: Well, I got one of the answers. From Joy Ann Reid at the Griot (Thanks Dirk!)
This is not a list of political questions, these are all questions that could be (or rather should be) asked at a Legal proceeding, and answered with hard documentation. The fact that we don't know the answers...and may never know the answers...to these questions terrifies me.
In the end, I think George Zimmerman is going to get away with murder, because the Police have hopelessly botched the case. I also think they hopelessly botched the case on purpose.
Where is the gun?
Where are Mr. Zimmerman’s clothes, along with any physical evidence of an assault?
If you needed these pieces of evidence, now way after the date, could the Sanford Police Department get them from Mr. Zimmerman?
Where is Mr. Zimmerman now? Could the Sanford Police Department find him if they needed to?
Is there any documentation backing up the claim that Mr. Zimmerman was assaulted?
Is there a Medical Report showing that Mr. Zimmerman was assaulted?
Was an ambulance called to treat Mr. Zimmerman because of this alleged assault?
Where there photographs taken at the scene? Of Trayvon’s body, of Mr. Zimmerman’s head and face?
Why did the Sanford Police Department hold onto Trayvon’s body for three days without identifying him?
Did anyone at the Sanford Police Department make any attempt to look at Trayvon’s phone during those three days?
Who made the decision to hold onto Trayvon’s body for three days without identifying him?
What position was Trayvon found in?
Was Trayvon shot in the back or front?
Were any nitrate tests done on Mr. Zimmerman’s hands to determine if he had fired a weapon? If not, why not?
Were any nitrate tests done on Trayvon to determine how close he was to the weapon that killed him? If not, why not?
If the Lead Homicide Investigator was overruled at the scene as to whether or not to charge Mr. Zimmerman with manslaughter, who overruled him?
Who are the eyewitnesses to the assault?
Does the Sanford Police Department have records of testimony from these eyewitnesses to the alleged assault on Mr. Zimmerman?
What was Mr. Zimmerman’s height and weight at the time of the incident? What was Trayvon’s? (Goes to the relative threat Mr. Zimmerman is alleged to have faced).
What is the status of ALL the 911 Recordings from the night of the incident? Will they be released in their entirety?
Do we have a complete timeline of the incident, collating with hard evidence, because even Mr. Zimmerman’s own alleged account seems to leave out about a minute of time.
And because it can’t be asked enough...where is the gun?
If you've got any more, I'd love to hear 'em.
Now, it's also fair to ask Trayvon's parents some questions, but I'm betting I don't know the answer to these out of my own ignorance rather than a concerted effort to conceal them:
When did you call Police to report Trayvon missing?
Did you hear the shots?
Did you notice the Police activity nearby?
How close was Trayvon to getting back to his Dad's Girlfriend's place when he was killed? (I saw the walk through the father gave on Reverend Al's show, but all the distances were relative. I want to know in terms of feet and yards.)
Was the place where Trayvon was shot actually visible from the Girlfriend's House?
UPDATE: 10:54pm Pacific: Well, I got one of the answers. From Joy Ann Reid at the Griot (Thanks Dirk!)
A source with knowledge of the investigation into the shooting of Trayvon Martin tells theGrio that it was then Sanford police chief Bill Lee, along with Capt. Robert O'Connor, the investigations supervisor, who made the decision to release George Zimmerman on the night of February 26th, after consulting with State Attorney Norman Wolfinger -- in person.
Wolfinger's presence at the scene or at the police department in the night of a shooting would be unusual, according to the source. On a typical case, police contact the state attorney's office and speak with an on duty assistant state attorney; they either discuss the matter by phone or the on duty assistant state attorney comes to the crime scene - but rarely the state attorney him or herself.
Quoting @Lawrence, @CharlesMBlow's fury is a magnificent thing to behold (VIDEO)
Again, Lawrence commits another act of Journalism.
First segment:
Second segment, after the lighting was fixed:
The post-mortem afterwards:
Charles M. Blow's port-mortem apology (which I don't think he needed to give):
And Lawrence's Last word:
First segment:
Second segment, after the lighting was fixed:
The post-mortem afterwards:
Charles M. Blow's port-mortem apology (which I don't think he needed to give):
And Lawrence's Last word:
"The member will suspend..." (VIDEO)
Here's Bobby Rush (aka the only man to have ever beaten President Obama in an election) getting thrown off the House Floor for wearing a Hoodie in support of Trayvon Martin.
Typical GOP House.
Typical GOP House.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
@Lawrence O'Donnell commits an act of Journalism LIVE on air (VIDEO)
For viewing over and over and over again. This is how it's done:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The complete Trayvon Martin... (VIDEO)
Video after video after video after video...
One of the earliest segments from MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry:
Last night's Lawrence O'Donnell:
And if you thought that segment was good, I thought this one was better:
Big Eddie...
And more Big Eddie...
And Reverend Al's Two Segments:
And Reverend Al's Interview with Trayvon's Father:
One of the earliest segments from MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Last night's Lawrence O'Donnell:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
And if you thought that segment was good, I thought this one was better:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Big Eddie...
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
And more Big Eddie...
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
And Reverend Al's Two Segments:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
And Reverend Al's Interview with Trayvon's Father:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Friday, March 16, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The President's 2012 NCAA Bracket (VIDEO)
The President's had a rough two years, but that's because I think he's clinging to his Tar Heels and his Spartans, but we'll see.
Behind the Scenes:
And then there's this from the Wall Street Murdoch:
Here’s a clear difference between Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama: Mr. Romney said he won’t be filling out an NCAA college basketball tournament bracket this year.
“I’m not plugged in well enough this year to do that,” Mr. Romney told reporters traveling with him on Tuesday in Missouri, the Associated Press reported.
Mr. Obama, on the other hand, is making his choices public again this year. The First Fan even brought British Prime Minister David Cameron to a “First Four” game in Dayton, Ohio, on Tuesday between Mississippi Valley State and Western Kentucky. ESPN disclosed the president’s Final Four picks — Kentucky, Ohio State, Missouri and North Carolina – and will release his entire bracket on Wednesday.
Was it just me, or was the tone of the piece just a little bit snide?
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Professor Derrick Bell and something called full context. (VIDEO)
Nice try, Andrew Breitbart. You lived as a racist, and clearly you died as one.
UPDATE: 11:19am Pacific:
A reader on the Daily Dish pointed something about this video that pretty much parallels what I thought all day:
When I saw that video making the rounds yesterday, I didn't watch it. Do you know why? I'd already SEEN it. It was part of a PBS Frontline documentary that came out in 2008. It's available for instant streaming on Netflix. Dud, indeed.
Here now is the Frontline Segment that I too saw, and downloaded, YEARS ago:
Hmm. Took ten times the grief from the Liberals on the Law Review than the Conservatives. Now where have I heard that before?
Watch Obama Speaks at Harvard Law in '90 on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.
UPDATE: 11:19am Pacific:
A reader on the Daily Dish pointed something about this video that pretty much parallels what I thought all day:
When I saw that video making the rounds yesterday, I didn't watch it. Do you know why? I'd already SEEN it. It was part of a PBS Frontline documentary that came out in 2008. It's available for instant streaming on Netflix. Dud, indeed.
Here now is the Frontline Segment that I too saw, and downloaded, YEARS ago:
Hmm. Took ten times the grief from the Liberals on the Law Review than the Conservatives. Now where have I heard that before?
President Obama's speech on American Energy in Mount Holly, NC (VIDEO)
I noticed two things:
One, when the President introduced Heath Shuler, the applause...was a little muted.
Now they know how we Redskins fans felt.
Two, the Dukies got booed, a lot when he mentioned them.
The Road We've Traveled Official Trailer (VIDEO)
Yeah, kinda looking forward to this.
Nice job by Tom Hanks.
Nice job by Tom Hanks.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
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