Thursday, April 01, 2010

April Fools

I dedicate this post to the Republican National Committee, Sarah Palin, John Boehner, Dick Cheney, and all the rest of the righties.

Fools?

We've got the bottom-feeding thug contingent screaming epithets and throwing bricks; and on the top of the pile, we've got the likes of David Frum getting his nose quickly, harshly and publicly clipped for daring to speak out against his party's collective tactics.

How's that obstructiony thing workin out for ya?

* * *

Now for those readers who are thirsting for even more snarky politics:

I wrote this "Conservative Eulogy" in May 2009. No, the righties ain't sunk yet, but they haven't improved their lot much either in the past year.

No where--NO WHERE--will you find more glaring evidence of rightie bitterness than on the March 26th KCRW "Left, Right & Center" podcast. Tony Blankley has never been so red-faced and spittle-flecked.

I'll give the righties one point: I've never been more entertained.

* * *

47 comments:

Joe said...

Here are further examples of crazy hate speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6b1VOAATNk&feature=player_embedded

Those damn Repubs.

Oh wait, never mind...

Crazy, deranged assholes can be found on both sides of the political spectrum. Funny these words did not bother you until they were directed at your guy.

Tony Rugare said...

That picture of Palin says it all.

Bill said...

favorable ratings of US voters:

tea party 37%
democratic party 41%
republican party 42%

And, 50% do not approve of Obama

I agree with Erin that it is entertaining but libs should be careful about premature celebration.

Big Mark 243 said...

I second the sentiment behind Bill's comment. The left needs to be careful and not take for granted that they are winning for now. The right is more militant and active in a way that mirrors the political activity in the 60's.

I wonder if the liberals are willing to go toe to toe should things come to that?

A Daft Scots Lass said...

Never trust a woman who wears a wig!

Anonymous said...

"Huey Newton went and got Bobby Seale, the chairman of the Black Panther Party on a national level. Bobby Seale got his 9mm, that's a pistol. Huey P. Newton got his shotgun and got some stop signs and got a hammer. Went down to the intersection, gave his shotgun to Bobby, and Bobby had his 9mm. He said, "You hold this shotgun. Anybody mess with us, blow their brains out." He put those stop signs up.

There were no more accidents, no more problem."

http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/fhamptonspeech.html

Tell 'em to bring the pain Big Mark.

RJ

Bill said...

RJ: Pretty funny. Yikes!

Gillian: You make a good point about the wig thing. Here's another example: http://www.thefoxnation.com/politics/2010/04/01/maxine-waters-outrageous-gop-waved-american-flag-tea-party

For that matter; what about a man in a wig. Think Orzag.

Erin O'Brien said...

Nice vid, Hoose. What's funny about your sentiment is that I clearly remember leaving a comment somewhere on these here Internets (might have even been on your site) about how inappropriate I thought it was when missy Palin was called a disgusting name by a protester back in October 2008.

Iffin' I recall correctly, you actually chimed in and agreed with me that no one should have to field such verbal abuse.

Remember that?

Erin O'Brien said...

Regarding wigs, whenever I get my hair cut, they ask to keep it for some wig donation thing. I always comply.

Hence, there's peeps out there not only wearing wigs, but in wigs made from THE TERRIFYING HAIR OF ERIN O'BRIEN.

To be sure, a lot can happen between now and November, but I must admit, the Frum thing absolutely stunned me. If the righties are now snuffing out the voices of their self-appointed intelligentsia, they are really in trouble.

Bill said...

I still don't get the obsession with Palin. She's not going to be elected to anything. She's getting rich because the press likes to call her stupid. I'm sure she enjoys the attention though. I'd rather hear someone make a coherent critique of someone like Paul Ryan.

Erin O'Brien said...

So, um, Bill? I don't see anyone stopping you from making a coherent critique of Paul Ryan.

Bill said...

Who's Paul Ryan? LOL. Maybe I'll do that. I like him. Smart guy. Understands the numbers. Doesn't hang out at s&m clubs. doesn't spit on black congress people. Hasn't been caught with a hooker. Tells the president that he's wrong, to his face, but in a polite way. Basically the kind of conservative that doesn't get any msm attention.

Kirk said...

This topic seems to be on a lot of bloggers minds lately.

Bill said...

Politics is actually getting a little scary (not as scary as RJ's post). I've been watching Chris Matthews and his cohorts talking about how racist the tea party people are and why there aren't any blacks. It's so obvious to me that 95% of blacks support the democratic party why would they joing the teaparty, coservatives? It's NOT like the congressional BLACK caucus or the Hispanic caucus. It's just a bunch of conservative people trying to get their voices heard. Did anyone see that teaparty lady on Letterman the other night? Dave didn't quite know how to handle that. She obviously wasn't dangerous. (like that evil Beck)

Different subject (sorry) but interesting, is how the union retirement benefit trusts are all seriously under funded and how they are bankrupting lots of cities. Now there is some trouble brewing. Buying union votes works in the short term.

Bill said...

You have got to check this out! At least he's not running for VP. Seriously check this exchange!
http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/93533?fp=1

Erin O'Brien said...

I guess I have a problem with the message of the Teaparty. They want less gov and taxes--okay, fine. Do they support the two largest and most "socialist" programs in the country: SOCIAL security and Medicare?

The gov spends its $$ on SS, Medicare/Medicaid and the military. The rest doesn't add up to beans compared to the big three.

So which of those does the Teaparty want to shrink, and why weren't they making noise about it years ago? Our federal taxes are much lower now than they were under Reagan courtesy of all the Bush cuts.

When the Teaparty comes out against Social Security and Medicare, I still won't like them, but at least they'll have some integrity. As it stands, they are simply windbags against Obama to me with little substance.

Bill said...

I hear ya Erin, but social security and medicare are there and going broke. The younger teaparty people would probably be against those programs if given options. The new healthcare bill is a big effing deal and that, combined with the hard left turn, just got a lot of people off the couch. All of them are not articulate or really good spokespersons but they were ignored at first (remember the big protest that only Fox reported) and now are not ignored but ridiculed by the left.

The government IS too big and growing. Government jobs are growing and private sector jobs, the ones that pay for govt jobs, are not growing. It IS a problem even if you consider those pointing it out to be hypocritical.

Harry Finch said...

When is the government too big? What is the measurement? Is it the % of tax revenues to GDP? The % of expenditures to GDP? The % of debt to GDP?

Does it have anything to do with percentages or GDP?

Is it the size of the military or the size of Congressional staffs?

Do we measure it by the number of Social Security checks sent each month? Or by the average $ per check?

Should we measure it by the number of conservative versus liberal members of the Supreme Court?

How about the total mileage of the interstate highway system? Or average annual projects taken on by the Army Corp of Engineers?

Maybe the yardstick ought to be the amount of private emails read and phone conversations listened to by the government.

I used to have a blog under the pseudonym Bobby Farouk, and it wasn't unusual to check my stats and see I had been visited by the someone at the Department of Homeland Security. The government felt very large on those days.

My sense is that, in a democratic society, the size of the government at any given time is fairly close to the size we want. That's my opinion, as ill-informed as it is. And I love it so.

Bill said...

It's too big when it runs out of other people's money to pay for it and/or when it infringes on the individual liberties of it's citizens. Of course I'm talking about our government. The good ole US of A.

Al the Retired Army Guy said...

Sorry. I still like hot hockey Moms.

Al
TRAG

jonas said...

Something to think about:

Big gov't = bad, right?
Socialism = bad, right?
Obama = socialism, right?
Big, socialist gov't = bad, right?

Ok then. Then, for those of you you agree with that, check this out and explain it away:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index

Highlights:
1) The US is 18 on the list of most democratic countries
2) All of Western Europe is above us.

You know, the place that is all BIG, SOCIALIST government. And that's REAL socialism, not the not-really-socialism people are afraid of here.

Alexis de Tocqueville once observed (in 1830) just how democratic the US was (only one in the world at the time, more or less). One of his most important observations was how in Europe people waited for the gov't to do things for them, in the US we did it ourselves. Self-starters and such. Now, 170 years later, the Europeans have only added more government and somehow surpassed our level of democracy. Weird, eh?

Enjoy.

Erin O'Brien said...

Alexis de Tocqueville?

Aw, blame it on Jonas: I love you, Alice B. Toklas!

Anonymous said...

Gravy-sucking pigs= bad, right?
Cultural Imperialists= bad,right?
Radical Conservatism= bad, right?
Radical Conservative Gravy-sucking cultural imperialists= REALLY BAD, Right?

For those that agree- ^5!

For those that don't, go join the Cqatholic Church. The Pope has immunity.

Happy Easter.

RJ

jonas said...

EO:

You find the weirdest shit. Yes, AdT. He's great. More people should read him.

RJ: Wow....Capt. Bring Down....have a drink ;)

Anonymous said...

I read "Democracy in America" over 30 years ago as a university undergraduate. A quaint period piece published between 1835-40 when slavery was still widely practiced in America and Europe. But then human rights have never interfered with free market economics, right?

RJ

Erin O'Brien said...

christ awmighty.

I TRY and post a link to a marijuana brownie vid ... THEN I post a vid of a cute bunny hopping around the house and STILL with the politics over here.

What? I gotta transmit chocolate eggs to y'all?

jonas said...

RJ:

"Quaint period piece" might be a bit of an understatement. It is widely considered one of the greatest ethnographic, sociological, anthropological, political, cultural, and religious studies done on American society. Scholars continue to mine it for insights that seem to hold true to this day. That he was only 27, and sort of produced such an opus almost accidentally is not to be over looked.

Not sure what your point of slavery is, other than to point out the one thing that makes any conversation about the history of American freedom a bit suspect.

Harry Finch said...

I'd like my chocolate egg to come from the government, please.

jonas said...

HF:

Good idea. It'll put all that squirreled-away powered milk to good use!

FYI: G&T season is open down here...

Erin O'Brien said...

Your request, Mr. Finch, will be processed in the order in which it was received.

Harry Finch said...

Jonas, we could have opened G&T season in Vermont today. It's 80.

(I sure hope the government sends my G&T ration soon)

jonas said...

Well, it is Friday my dear boy. With my blessing, open the season early, won't you? Perhaps I will as well.

Rationing of the G&T...seems like something out of a 1940s British dystopia.

Erin O'Brien said...

G&T? What the hell is that?

Goat & Toast?

Grape & Toenail?

Grill & Titrate?

jonas said...

Why the almighty Gin and Tonic, of course.
The season, like wearing white, generally corresponds to Memorial Day demarcation. However, exceptions have been known to be granted. That said, one shouldn't haphazardly open the season without appropriate due diligence. It's just not done, you see. Thus, a seasoned and thus knowledgeable co-conspirator (pun intended), HF often acts the the "decider," as it were, in all things G&T related. His reliability in such matters is unwavering. I recommend his services without hesitation.

Harry Finch said...

The next couple days would be good for a little Gin&Tonic spring training, but it's going to drop back into the 50's next week. Nothing worse than G&T season having a false start. BIGGTIC (Big Interferring Government Gin and Tonic Intake Commission) frowns on it.

jonas said...

See! This is why consulting HF is a must in these situations. His sagacity is unmatched.

That was a close, close call.

Harry Finch said...

I take a lot of pride when I say to folks those eleven special words: I'm from the Government and I'm here to help you drink.

By the way, Ms O'B, that rabbit in the above post...is he a Government sanctioned bunny?

JEFF9K said...

Republicans are so full of stupidity and hypocrisy, it's a wonder there's any room for the hatred.

Bill said...

JEFFK9: Very inciteful

Harry Finch said...

If only it were true that Republicans owned the corner on stupidity and hypocrisy, if only the Democrats were brighter and worthier.

The most alarming political spectacle is that of idiots attempting to outwit each other.

Bill said...

Harry Finch: Fortunately there are a few savante's around to keep us all humble when attempting the outwitting thing.

Harry Finch said...

That savant job must be lonely, bloodless work. I'll stick with the idiots. We get bacon for breakfast and highballs at lunch.

Erin O'Brien said...

Finch said "highballs." Finch said "highballs" at 8:11 on Easter morning.

This is what I'm talking about when I'm talking about what I'm talking about.

Anonymous said...

I haven't read all the comments (and don't intend to) but I think you grossly misunderstand the primary process where the most rabid are rewarded because they turn out. Look at the senate race between Marco Rubio and the centrist governor of Florida, Charlie Crist. jemison

Erin O'Brien said...

No idea who or what you're addressing, jemison.

Anonymous said...

Erin, I'm shocked. I think the Righties (as you so eloquently call them) have improved their prospects by whipping up their base--the same retards who show up in droves for primaries and elect more and more radical representatives.

Hope that clears it up. jemison

Bill said...

jemison: retards? people who stand for something they believe in (like the constitution) are retards? AND, they vote in the primaries. Deep. Very deep.