so, cap and trade… is it a good thing or not?

I do think it a good thing to reduce pollutants in the air – and whether you believe in manmade climate change or not, I imagine you would agree. I also think the US needs to stop spending $200,000 per minute on foreign oil, and would love to see alternative methods developed and utilized.

The question seems to be whether Cap and Trade is the best method to achieve these goals. (And, how can Congress even make that decision, and vote on the bill when they haven’t read it? Heck, even Carol Browner, Obama's Energy Czar, hasn't read it....)

In theory, supporters of Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain shouldn’t be all that opposed to the Cap and Trade bill since all three candidates supported Cap and Trade during the primary. I don’t know if the proposals put forth by Clinton and McCain were similar to Obama’s, since, like Congress, I haven’t read the new bill.

Hillary Clinton and John McCain both supported cap and trade during the primary.

“Under Clinton's cap-and-trade plan, 100 per cent of carbon credits would be auctioned to polluting companies, with the proceeds going towards new technology investments and a program to help low-income families heat and cool their homes.

She also announced plans to increase investments in energy efficiency and cleantech R&D, set targets for a quarter of US electricity to come from renewables by 2025, and introduce legislation demanding all listed firms report on climate change risks.”

My biggest concern regarding this bill is the argument that it will kill jobs. Obama flat out told his supporters before the election that he would cause their electric bills to skyrocket, so I assume this must not be a concern, at least for the 69 Million who voted for him. But, losing jobs is a major concern, especially now.

Obama – Energy Prices Will Skyrocket

john edwards: the paris hilton of politics

John Edwards, he's cute in an odd sort of way, spends a fortune on his hair, likes to primp in front of the camera, and has an infantile fixation of the phrase *you're hot*.

He got caught with his panties down, and now, god save us all, there is a sex tape.

"Former presidential candidate John Edwards is out of luck if he hoped that the extramarital affairs of Gov. Mark Sanford and Sen. John Ensign would take people’s minds off his own cheating scandal.

Former Edwards aide Andrew Young says the ex-senator and his former mistress, Rielle Hunter, once made a sex tape, according to someone who has seen Young’s book proposal.

St. Martin’s Press just inked a deal with Young, who also says in his proposal that, contrary to his public statement last year, he is not the father of Hunter’s infant daughter — Edwards is. Edwards has denied that.

Young says that his belief in Edwards ran so deep that he agreed to take the fall for the candidate, inviting the pregnant Hunter to live with him, his wife, Cheri, and their three children. Later, after Hunter delivered the baby, Young and his family moved to a different home in California."

What? Young is NOT the father of Edward's baby? I'm shocked! Shocked I tell ya. What did Young tell his kids? "Hey kids, this lady is coming to live with us, and if anyone asks, she is daddy's secret baby mama. But don't worry, it's not true, I'm just covering up for Mr. Edwards, the guy running for President." Gross.

"While he was unpacking, Young discovered a videocassette, according to the book pitch. Hunter had been hired by the Edwards campaign to videotape the candidate’s movements, but this one is said to have shown him taking positions that weren’t on his official platform."

"According to our source, Hunter confided to Young that she and Edwards talked about getting married should the candidate’s cancer-stricken wife, Elizabeth, pass away, even discussing what music they’d play at their wedding."

Ok, that is beyond Paris Hilton. That's like Dr. Evil kind of shit. (No wonder Edwards continued campaigning when Elizabeth announced her cancer was back... he was already making plans for the future. What a pig.) I wonder if Elizabeth is going to do a new round of interviews after hearing this.

But, la pièce de résistance:

"Young’s proposal, which one editor said “was impossible to put down,” also contends that Sen. Edwards frequently clashed with running mate John Kerry during their 2004 race for the White House. And before Edwards owned up to his affair with Hunter, Young says he told him that Barack Obama had promised he’d make him attorney general if he didn’t pick him as his 2008 running mate."

My guess is that Hillary knew about the affair, and she wouldn't touch Edwards with a ten foot pole. Obama, however, promised Edwards either a Vice Presidential or Attorney General position. And who did Edwards endorse?

What a neaten headed ho!

remembering the good times...

I wasn't sure how I felt when I first heard that Michael died, besides total shock. Sadly, for the past decade he was in the media more for the circus surrounding his life, and scandals, then for his music. But, after watching so much coverage, I remember all the great music, and good times we had listening to him.

Michael Jackson died how I would have expected him to. He was destined to be one of those legends, lost too early. I could never imagine Michael Jackson growing old. And, personally, I think he is making a bigger comback now, then any concert tour could have provided.

From what I saw, he was a troubled soul.

He will be missed. But his music will live on.

lisa marie writes about michael

This is from her myspace page:

He Knew.

Years ago Michael and I were having a deep conversation about life in general.

I can't recall the exact subject matter but he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my Fathers Death.

At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, "I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did."

I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that.

14 years later I am sitting here watching on the news an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the Cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears.

A predicted ending by him, by loved ones and by me, but what I didn't predict was how much it was going to hurt when it finally happened.

The person I failed to help is being transferred right now to the LA County Coroners office for his Autopsy.

All of my indifference and detachment that I worked so hard to achieve over the years has just gone into the bowels of hell and right now I am gutted.

I am going to say now what I have never said before because I want the truth out there for once.

Our relationship was not "a sham" as is being reported in the press. It was an unusual relationship yes, where two unusual people who did not live or know a "Normal life" found a connection, perhaps with some suspect timing on his part. Nonetheless, I do believe he loved me as much as he could love anyone and I loved him very much.

I wanted to "save him" I wanted to save him from the inevitable which is what has just happened.

His family and his loved ones also wanted to save him from this as well but didn't know how and this was 14 years ago. We all worried that this would be the outcome then.

At that time, In trying to save him, I almost lost myself.

He was an incredibly dynamic force and power that was not to be underestimated.

When he used it for something good, It was the best and when he used it for something bad, It was really, REALLY bad.

Mediocrity was not a concept that would even for a second enter Michael Jackson's being or actions.

I became very ill and emotionally/ spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him.

I was in over my head while trying.

I had my children to care for, I had to make a decision.

The hardest decision I have ever had to make, which was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tried to stop or reverse it somehow.

After the Divorce, I spent a few years obsessing about him and what I could have done different, in regret.

Then I spent some angry years at the whole situation.

At some point, I truly became Indifferent, until now.

As I sit here overwhelmed with sadness, reflection and confusion at what was my biggest failure to date, watching on the news almost play by play The exact Scenario I saw happen on August 16th, 1977 happening again right now with Michael (A sight I never wanted to see again) just as he predicted, I am truly, truly gutted.

Any ill experience or words I have felt towards him in the past has just died inside of me along with him.

He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together.

I desperately hope that he can be relieved from his pain, pressure and turmoil now.

He deserves to be free from all of that and I hope he is in a better place or will be.

I also hope that anyone else who feels they have failed to help him can be set free because he hopefully finally is.

The World is in shock but somehow he knew exactly how his fate would be played out some day more than anyone else knew, and he was right.

I really needed to say this right now, thanks for listening.

~LMP

attorney: michael jackson had drug problems

The Jackson Family attorney, Brian Oxman, was just on the phone at CNN and said that Michael had major medication drug problems. He said his problem was so bad, it made Anna Nicole Smith look like nothing ( or something like that).

Shocking story. Sad news day.

michael jackson dies of cardiac arrest

Michael Jackson has died. He was 50.

Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon and paramedics were unable to revive him. We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back.

Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II.

Jackson had 13 number one hits during his solo career.

This is a shocker.

Hot Air had posted this, before news broke that MJ died, and I felt the same way.

He wasn’t breathing when the paramedics got there and he’s in “really bad shape” in the hospital according to a family member. Apart from feeling instinctive human sympathy for his suffering, I’m not sure how to react. He’s super famous — yet mostly famous at this point for being a walking freak show. He’s had a tough life psychologically — but might very well also be a child molester. In a sense this is huge news, yet in another sense I’m not sure why anyone would much care these days. I’ve completely lost my news bearings!

Stand by for (hopefully happy) updates.

Update: A sentiment we can all hopefully agree upon: “Thriller” was a simply dynamite album.


News of his death is really shocking...

rip farrah fawcett

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sanford saga - i'm more interested in who brought him down....

Love letters between Mark Sanford and his *secret Latin lady lover* were printed yesterday in The State. The South Carolina paper reported that they have been holding onto the emails for six months, and were provided by an anonymous source.

Who is that source? (And how gross is that to print personal emails like that? OK, yes, I read a couple of snipits from them...so, sue me. But seriously, that was gross.)

E-mails obtained by The State newspaper in December detailed an affair between Gov. Mark Sanford and Maria, a woman in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

However, attempts to verify the e-mails — from an anonymous source — were fruitless, until Wednesday. Then, acting on another anonymous tip that Sanford would be on a plane returning from Argentina, the paper sent a reporter to Atlanta.

When Sanford got off a plane from Buenos Aires, he stopped an interview with The State when asked if he had been with anyone in Argentina.

Obviously at least one person at The State knew about the affair, per the emails. The person who provided the paper the emails knew about the affair. Someone on Sanford's staff knew he went to Argentina - regardless of what they say. Someone knew. Someone booked his ticket. Someone cleared his calendar. Sanford named a few people that have been working with him, and his family during these difficult times. And someone tipped The State that Sanford was arriving from Argentina (an anonymous passenger on the plane? uh huh).

John O'Connor, the newspaper reporter who wrote the story about the e-mails, told CNN Wednesday afternoon that The State did not confront Sanford with the messages in December because at the time "there was little way to tell that these were authentic e-mails."

The media basically ignored the John Edwards scandal, until it broke in the National Enquirer. (And then the MSM still ignored it). So, why the media fire storm over Sanford, who was, for all intents and purposes, on vacation for a few days? Why all of a sudden was the media acting like Dick F*chin' Tracy?

There is nothing particularly sexy about this scandal - except the DUMB DUMB DUMB lie about where he was. Sanford had already told his wife about his Latin lady lover five months ago. He confessed the affair to his father in law. It was a private matter between husband and wife at this point. The Sanfords were working on how to proceed, as a family. He reportedly went to Argentina to end this relationship.

As far as anyone knew, he was on vacation, but within hours it became a firestorm. His wife wasn't worried when asked about his whereabouts (she had already asked him to move out, so she was not privy to his schedule) but said he wanted to get some peace and quiet, and do some writing. His office said he was hiking. OK, a little mix up in detail, but no one on his staff, or his wife, was *worried* about his whereabouts. Why did the media become so concerned, all of a sudden?

The big political hoopla now is that Sanford left South Carolina unattended. A tragedy could have struck, and no one would have known where he was! Hogwash. People knew where he was. Had something happened, he would have been on the phone in a second. The Lt. Governor would have stepped in, just as they would if the Governor was on vacation, or out of state on business.

Yes, Sanford screwed up. He had an affair and he brought this on himself. This seems to be the M.O. of pols on both side of the aisle.

But, it seems to me that someone knew about it, and stoked the media firestorm with the intent to bring him down. Who? That's the real story. Affairs, sadly, are a dime a dozen in Washington these days.

Perhaps whoever sent those emails 6 months ago has been waiting for the right time to bring him down? They obviously have known about this for quite a while. Did the source panic, knowing that Sanford went to Argentina to end the affair, and the window for opportunity was closing? Or have they been waiting for the opportunity to catch him in the act?

The only reason, in my opinion, this story got the coverage it did was because someone KNEW he was in Argentina, and forced this story to break. (and because he is a Republican.)

I'm not saying it should not have broken. I just want to know who did it.

State Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, called for Sanford’s resignation immediately after Sanfords press conference. Perhaps he did it.

Or maybe a fellow Republican? A potential Presidential Candidate (Romney?) could have reason to want to bring him down. Sanford was gaining traction, and was a potential risk in 2012.

The Dems or Obama administration had reason to want to take him out - Sanford criticized the $787 billion federal stimulus law and was a big critic of Obama. Hey, would Obama have access to action on a passport?

Jenny Sanford is a potential suspect, a woman scorned and all that, but she is open to a reconciliation, so I don't think she is an obvious choice.

Or it could have just been someone in his office, who had access to his computer....

Who else?

The Today Show covered this and Meredith's opening remarks bugged me:

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Sex scandal? How tacky, Meredith. A sex scandal is Larry Craig trolling for boy toys in the airport bathroom. This seems like an emotional love affair. And seriously, Sanford saw the woman three times in one year... this wasn't a sex scandal.

At least the guy gave us the truth yesterday. No denials, or bullshit, just raw emotion. Yes, he was *caught* but he truly seems broken up. I think it's kind of sad.

Do I think Sanford should resign? Normally I would say no. I didn't think Bill Clinton should be impeached, either. Sanford did...so, what's good for the goose, is good for the gov'nor.


Oh, and John Kerry said this:

“Too bad if a governor had to go missing it couldn’t have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin."

John Kerry can suck it.

the obama effect...?

I have been following the coverage of Iran this past week, listening to both sides, those who think Obama is setting the right tone by staying out of it, and those who think he is not being strong enough - basically voting present. Now, I assume that Obama is listening to many experts, people who know a hell of a lot more than I do, and he is doing what they recommend - staying out of it. But, I can also see value in setting a firmer tone, in support of Moussavi's supporters.

"On this issue, I do not believe that the president is taking a leadership (role) that is incumbent upon an American president, which we have throughout modern history, and that is to advocate for human rights and freedom — and free elections are one of those fundamentals," the Arizona Republican McCain told CNN's "American Morning."

Even Hillary Clinton and Biden favored a firmer tone in support of the protesters.

There have been many Iranians with differing points of views as well. Some think Obama should stay out of it, others not so much.

"His (Obama) lack of response will not be regarded lightly. We will watch for how much his response will help the people or the regime. We will know more this week... Obama can hold talks with the regime in Iran if he wants. Is it morally correct for Obama to support the regime? Does he actually believe the people of Iran will appreciate that? The social movement requires support. If the world really wants the advent of terrorism to disappear in the Middle East, if they want peace with the Palestinians and Israel, if they want nuclear techhology to be developed for peaceful things and not nuclear weapons... They only need to support the people of Iran right now. This regime has the most dangerous of ideologies. They're killing the opposition.

And, people need to know that if they do not stand by the Iranian people shoulder to shoulder right now, that they themselves will come face to face with this very regime. And if this regime is allowed to have a nuclear weapon it will do the exact same thing with the entire world. This regime does not represent the people of Iran. And, morally the people of the world need to support the people of Iran and not what the regime wants."

After viewing the video from the Daily Show that Larry posted this past weekend, I had an idea about what I wanted to write. I held off though, still unsure, but after seeing Morning Joe this morning, I figured it out.

Obama made this statement the other day:

"We are excited to see what appears to be a robust debate taking place in Iran and obviously, after the speech that I made in Cairo, we tried to send a clear message that we think there's a possibility of change. And ultimately, the election is for the Iranians to decide. But just as what has been true in Lebanon, what can be true in Iran as well, is that you're seeing people looking at new possiblities. And whoever ends up winning the election in Iran, the fact that there's been a robust debate hopefully will help advance our ability to engage them in new ways.''

And then I saw this segment from Morning Joe:

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Chuck Todd said in this video that the Obama administration is disturbed that the Cairo speech, which had resonance isn't getting enough credit. He said they felt that Cairo speech "helped stiffen the backbone of the folks in Iran"....

So, what Chuck is saying, and Joe reiterates, and what Obama believes, is that his speech made a difference - that the speech inspired the youth in Lebanon and Tehran.

And the media, as witnessed in the Jon Stewart video, was more than happy to tie Obama's speech to the uprising of *hope and change* in Iran. The "Obama Effect" they called it.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Indecision 2009 - Everywhere but Here Edition
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

So, it seems pretty clear the media and the Obama White House all support the belief that Obama's Cairo speech was a catalyst in the revolution that is now happening in Iran.

Personally, I doubt Obama's speech is responsible, or perhaps even a factor, for the massive uprising in Iran, but for the sake of argument, let's say it is. What if the election of Obama, and the outreach to Muslim countries, and the idea that the US wants to mend the relationships with countries like Iran, and his Cairo speech did inspire them (as Obama and the media believe)? What if it was the final push they needed to rise up?

What kind of message are we now sending them?

“America’s position in the world is one of moral leadership. It’s not about what takes place in the streets of Iran. It is about what takes place in America’s conscience.”

In Cairo, Obama spoke of freedom and liberty, and change and hope, but when the youth of Iran rose up and stood up for Democracy and change, and fair elections, Obama seemingly bails on them. Isn’t that a bit like lighting a fire then running away once the fire starts to burn? Where is the follow through? Doesn't this seem like a typical Obama move?

I understand the opinions from the Left, that the US can't be seen as influencing the election, or meddling in their affairs. I get that point. And as Larry said here, he believes Obama is doing the right thing. I said before I'm sure Obama is listening to many experts, advising him to stay out of it. There are many who disagree, but that always seems to be the case.

"The worst thing we could do at this moment for these reformers, these protesters, these courageous people in Tehran, is allow the government there to claim that this is a U.S.-led opposition, a U.S.-led demonstration," said Dodd, emphasizing Obama's longer-term goal of engaging Iran over its nuclear program."

But, wasn't the media, and the WH, just about a week ago, touting the Obama Effect, and crediting Obama for starting these movements for change? Isn't that like going around to factory after factory, and getting the union workers all riled up for a strike, and then not showing up for the strike?

They wanted to sell the idea that Obama had an effect on the movement, even Obama tried to point to his Cairo speech as a catalyst. But, when the revolution began, Obama said he couldn't meddle...?

By not taking sides, isn't Obama letting down hundreds of thousands (millions?) of young people who are literally dying for change in Iran? If he did indeed set in motion this call for change, what message is he sending to them now?



That it doesn't matter, we're fine with whoever wins, because there is no difference between Ahmadinijad and Mousavi?

"It also followed a wrong note from Obama last week, when he said he saw little difference between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the hard-liner who claims a landslide re-election mandate, and his conservative but pro-reform challenger. That left the impression that Obama discounted the votes of Mir Hossein Mousavi's supporters or the bravery of protesters who marched to say their votes were stolen."

Yes, the "Supreme Leader" still dominates areas of the political landscape in Iran, but isn't the election of/revolution for Mousavi a good thing? The fact that millions of Iranians are voting for change, and fighting for a new leader seems to be a very positive step, for the future of Iran, I would think. Even if the policies are not drastically different, it is a move in the right direction, no?

So, how can we not stand with the protesters, and the young people of Iran, who are the future (and 70%)of that country? How can we as a country not take their side? The Left seems to think that Obama's speech in Cairo is partly responsible for this uprising - so shouldn't he now be responsible for standing beside them?

I would think if the Iranians who support change look for reaction from the White House, (and around the world) and perceive the support as weak, that would damage our relationship moving forward. If we are seen as willing to work with just anyone, even someone who steals elections, and kills those who oppose the results, won't the new generation of Iranians turn against us, too?

How can we heal the divide if we bail on them in their most crucial hour? They are taking a stand, and dying for change. Don't we owe it to them to show the world that we stand beside them? (Especially if, as the media said, it was the Obama Effect that ignited them....)

Iran is already blaming us for interfering.

"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called on the United States and Britain on Sunday to stop interfering in the Islamic Republic's internal affairs, the ISNA news agency was cited by Reuters.

"Definitely by hasty remarks you will not be placed in the circle of friendship with the Iranian nation. Therefore I advise you to correct your interfering stances," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying in a meeting with clerics and scholars."

Obama hasn't even said anything, and yet is blamed for interfering. (There's just no reasoning with some people...)

Do we really still plan to just sit down, and have some tea with Ahmadinejad, obviously a madman, if at the end of this, he is still in power? Won't that breed a new generation that distrusts/hates America? Do we ignore who we are, and what we stand for because we want to sit down with one mad man? Won't we damage our relationship with Iran, for the long term? And doesn't sitting down with him, after this is over, if he is still in power, legitimize his (stolen) power?

If the media wants to believe that Obama sparked this revolution, shouldn't he be responsible for supporting their cause?

Don't we owe it to the young people of Iran to show them that we are with them, that we stand with them, that we support Democracy, and that we are there for them? That we are more than just rhetoric, and pretty speeches.

Like I said in the beginning of this post, Obama is taking the advice of experts, and they certainly know a lot more than I. But, if Obama wants credit for his speech in Cairo, if the media wants to claim Obama had an Effect on this election, and the uprising, then shouldn't Obama take a firmer stand? Not just offer his usual line of being saddened, troubled, or disappointed.

Obama said Monday he was "deeply troubled" by the violent protests that followed Friday's vote, which official results show resulted in the re-election of hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But he avoided siding with Ahmadinejad's opponents, telling reporters that "It is up to Iranians to make decisions about who Iran's leaders will be."

Tuesday, he added, "It's not productive, given the history of U.S.-Iranian relations, to be seen as meddling, the U.S. president meddling in Iranian elections."

I don't know, I just feel like, in this crucial fight for *change* we should offer the Iranians some *hope*.

"America has a moral responsibility to stand up for these brave people, to defend human rights, and to condemn the violence and abuses by the regime in Tehran."

Bottom line, Obama is probably doing the right thing, as recommended by the experts. I'm sure he has been advised on what to say, and the best approach to take. (I do think he made a massive gaffe by saying there was no difference between the two leaders.) But, if the WH and the media want to play the *Obama Effect* game then they shouldn't walk it back when the going gets tough.

"It is an Iranian moment, spurred on by Iranians, thoroughly supported by Iranians to the degree that the supreme ayatollah has now backed off his own support for the elections (and) called for an investigation," John Kerry said.

My personal wish is that we were stronger in our support of the *revolution* and that we reached out more to the protestors. I wish we would have showed them our solidarity in their quest for change, and supported their right for fair elections. I wish we could have done more. I only hope that they know we are behind them, and we hope for a better tomorrow.

inspector general round-up

Looks like Walpin isn't the only Inspector General the White House is attempting to silence or fire.

Jake Tapper reports:

Behind the scenes, the Treasury Department is embroiled in a disagreement with Neil Barofsky, the watchdog for the $700 billion government bailout Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP.

As part of his duties performing audits and keeping tracking TARP dollars, Barofsky asked the Treasury Department for some documents about a financial institution receiving tens of billions in taxpayer bailout dollars. The Treasury Department refused to hand them over, “on a specious claim of attorney-client privilege,” Grassley wrote. “It is my further understanding that this disagreement then escalated into broader questions about whether SIGTARP is subject to your direct supervision and direction, which may have been referred outside Treasury for an independent legal opinion.”

“The ability of Inspectors General to secure agency records subject to audit or investigation is essential to ensure the integrity and reliability of their work on behalf of Congress and the American People,” Grassley wrote. “The Inspectors General were created by Congress as a means to combat waste, fraud, and abuse and to be independent watchdogs ensuring that federal agencies are held accountable for their actions.”

obama: lord of the super fly

"He's a Harvard educated lawyer, leader of the free world and has the reflexes of a highly trained ninja. America's enemies, beware."~ The Daily Beast



Oh, oops, wrong video, sorry. Here is the video the Daily Beast was referring to:

David Shuster remarked: "John, I know that the President is credited with being sometimes awfully lucky, rainbows appear sometimes when he speaks, but I understand there was an instance today where he killed a fly out of mid-air during your interview." Harwood began to tell the tale: "Well, David, this reminded me of that moment during the campaign when he took a three-point shot at a military base and it swished."

"He had this fly that was persistently buzzing around him during the interview...he swatted his hand and he said ‘I got the sucker’...it was a, you know, Dirty Harry ‘make my day’ moment."

After detailing the President’s courage in battling the insect, Harwood also noted Obama’s cleanliness: "...and at the end of the interview, David, he picked up a napkin off the table and said ‘I clean up after myself’ and he picked up the fly off the carpet." In awe, Shuster observed: "Amazing...An amazing interview...it never fails, great weather, rainbows, incredible speeches, and three-point basket. A fly and he nails it. Unbelievable, unbelievable."

Here is just a snippit of the coverage this received from around the globe:

Ireland Online: Obama kills fly during TV interview
President Barack Obama, annoyed by a fly during a television interview at the White House, took matters into his own hands by killing it.

Guardian.co.uk: Obama's White House is a no-fly zone
The US president has once again demonstrated his unflappable cool – this time by gracefully swatting a pesky Musca domestica

Al Bawaba: Obama fly: “I got the sucker.”
An invading fly that assaulted US President Barak Obama during a White House interview yesterday with CNBC’s John Harwood met its end as Obama proved his hand eye coordination to the world.

Italy Global Nation: Guerra tra Obama e la mosca durante l'intervista, il presidente la uccide con un colpo da 'ninja'
Su internet lo chiamano già il 'presidente ninja'. Stiamo parlando di Barack Obama, che durante un'intervista alla tv Cnbc ha ucciso con un colpo secco una mosca che lo infastidiva.

Corriere della Serra: Obama e la mosca, intervista-show
Il presidente ha ucciso l'insetto molesto con un colpo secco a mano aperta. Ai cameraman: «Volete filmarla?»

Le Point: Obama prend la mouche
Mais quelle mouche a donc piqué Barack Obama ? Au beau milieu d'une interview diffusée mardi sur la chaîne d'information financière CNBC, le président américain a livré un surprenant combat avec... une mouche.

Rubriken Stern: Barack Obamas Fliegen-Attacke
Während eines Inrerviews mit dem US-Sender CNBC im Weißen Haus wollte eine neugierig aufsässige Fliege nicht von dem amerikanischen Präsidenten Barack Obama lassen.

The Sir Mix a Lot story didn't get this much attention....

Now, I'll grant you, he "nailed it". He did kill the fly. But, Mr. Miyagi like precision or reflexes of a highly trained Ninja? For killing a fly? (The comparison should have been to the Karate Kid, not Mr. Miyagi...Danny's the one who caught the fly in the chopsticks.)

How about the precision of a one year old?



Or perhaps a hairless cat?

white house fires americorps inspector general...because he's senile?

From FOX News:

An official responsible for monitoring how federal funds for volunteerism are spent told FOX News he was fired by President Obama for doing his job, and suggested it was payback for investigating the alleged misuse of grant money by the Sacramento mayor, an Obama backer.

Gerald Walpin, who until last week was the chief internal watchdog for AmericCorps and other service programs, suggested "political pressure" was behind his ouster. He said he worried the action will have a "chilling effect" on other inspectors general.

Obama gave little explanation for the decision, writing in a letter sent Thursday that he no longer had the "fullest confidence" in Walpin.

"I am the victim of being fired because I was doing my job and doing it properly," Walpin told FOX News Tuesday. He said he could not let concern for "political pressure" interfere with his staff's pursuit of the investigation -- noting that it was his staff, not him personally, that pursued the inquiry.

good news, obama really didn't know what wright was preaching all those years

Apparently Obama really didn't know all the vile hate Reverend Wright was preaching at Trinity United. He just lied about being a faithful churchgoer to garner votes. It was all just a big fabrication to make Obama out to be the good christian, who attended church every Sunday, at 11am.

Jeff Poor reports on newsbusters.com "According to Richard Wolffe, an MSNBC contributor and former Newsweek columnist that covered the Obama presidential campaign for the weekly magazine, people don't have to worry about the rantings and ravings of Obama's controversial preacher having any impact on his world view because he wasn't there.

david letterman apologizes, and maher makes desperate cry for attention

David Letterman is still feeling the heat for his jokes attacking the Palin daughters, and finally decided to do the right thing, and apologize. And no, he didn't apologize last week. He made excuses and covered his buttocks.



There is a web site called firedavidletterman.com that is organizing a rally to be held outside of his studio Tuesday night, demanding Dave be fired. I'm not sure if his apology is to thwart continued demands for his dismissal, or if he really truly gets it, now.

this is the dumbest article, evah

Palin Can't Outsmart Letterman
by Margaret Carlson

"The governor has spent much of her public life in high-pitched feuds—but taking on late night’s prince shows a complete lack of political sophistication."

I left a comment telling Ms. Carlson how ridiculous I thought her article was, but they have yet to appear in the comment section at Daily Beast.

I asked her to point out exactly WHERE Letterman apologized. I asked why she felt just because Palin's children appeared during the primary they are fair game, but yet the Obama daughters are off limits. I decided to expand on her article, and my comments below, since they have yet to appear.

"But picking a fight with a trained comedian, refusing to accept his apology, and continuing to battle after the white flag is shown reveals a complete lack of political sophistication."

Palin didn't pick this fight. Letterman dragged her children into this crap when he mentioned them. Did Carlson knock Obama when he picked a fight with FOX news, or Rush Limbaugh? (And he DID pick that fight.)

"Letterman apologized at unprecedented length for a comment about Palin’s recent trip to New York."

WHERE?? Where is his apology? I watched the entire video, a few times, and there is NO apology.

"Who said anything about a 14-year-old girl? Not Letterman. That would be… the Palins. It turns out it was Willow, not Bristol, who went to the baseball game. But who knew that until the Palins brought this “disgusting” comment so painful to their younger daughter to the attention of the 300 million people not tuned into David Letterman?"

WILLOW knew it was Willow at the game. The media knew it was Willow at the game. How do you think Willow felt hearing about the jokes the next day at school?

"Not that Bristol should have been left at home in the dark, but if you want a “zone of privacy” around your daughter, do you have her appear on stage with her then-fiancé hinting at prospects of a White House wedding waving to the crowd like Charles and Diana of the Klondike?"

Obama's daughters are given a zone of privacy and they appeared on stage for two years!! They appeared in magazines, on covers, and have been interviewed by the media. I don't see anyone attacking them.

"Bristol could have been sheltered and given space to rebuild her life, the Palins arranged to send her out like a vaudeville act, traveling the country to talk about teenage pregnancy..."

Are you kidding me? Perhaps as a young unwed mother, who tried to live by her beliefs in abstinence but made a big mistake, wanted to share her story, and educate other young girls on how one mistake can change your whole life. That it isn't all peaches and cream getting pregnant so young. She was trying to be a good role model, wasn't she? Because she makes a mistake, one that hundreds of thousands of girls make, she tried to reach out, and share her story. So she deserves to be attacked for it? Bristol didn't ask for the publicity in the beginning. Her family was forced to reveal her pregnancy because of the attacks on Trig. She was forced into the spotlight because her mother accepted the VP nomination, wanting to serve her country. She was *outed* because of the ugliness from the media (about Trig's borth mother) and was then left to try and make the best of a most uncomfortable situation. She was outed because she chose life over having an abortion.

"When you become the ambivalent poster child for unwed motherhood, you attract off-color jokes."

Again, are you KIDDING ME? So she asked for it? She deserved it? Her skirt was too short, so she deserved to be raped...?

"Letterman’s eight-minute expression of regret on Wednesday night was almost as riveting as the one where Letterman talked about his heart surgery with the doctors and nurses who cared for him."

You mean the one that was full of sarcasm, and repeatedly drew laughter. The one where he REPEATED all of the jokes, even pausing to comment that he liked the slutty flight attendant one? How the hell does Palin look like a slutty flight attendant? Because she is pretty?

"Palin was so intent on maintaining her fury, real or manufactured, that she used Letterman’s apology to escalate..."

The media is the one keeping this feud alive for Sarah Palin. Just watch Matt Lauer's interview on Today Show. Palin was there to speak about the pipeline in Alaska. But she has every right to be angry about the attacks on her daughters! She gave a lengthy interview, but msnbc only cares about the Letterman controversy.

"So in the end, Palin spent a week when she could have given a substantive speech, laid out a political philosophy, or choosing the issues she wants to run on, deliberately misinterpreting a bad joke, in the process dragging yet another child into the celebrity scrum."

How did she misinterpret the joke? The joke was about her daughter. EITHER daughter, it doesn't matter! And her 14 year old was with her. Does anyone give a shit about how Willow might have felt, hearing about the jokes? She was the one THERE.

"Palin’s final mistake was to refuse Letterman’s invitation for a late-night make-up appearance, a moment on the studio sofa every bit as good as make-up sex for smoothing over any scandal, misunderstanding, or affront, real or imagined."

She should just roll over and appear on his show for makeup sex? Are you SERIOUS? Just roll over and take it? Boost his ratings, and feed his ego, and just bend over. Who is this woman?

"Instead, she chose to get the last word on the Today show Friday morning, damning “a so-called comedian” for eroding “a young girl’s self-esteem” with a “joke about statutory rape.”

Ms. Carlson doesn't think that calling women sluts, and calling young girls whores and prostitutes isn't demeaning to self esteem, as well as further demeaning to women as a whole?

I can't believe this whole crap article. Especially since Margaret Carlson, when speaking about Don Imus, and his nappy headed ho comment said that Don Imus disgraced himself. But now, Carlson thinks it is Palin who is disgracing herself...not Letterman.

My comments have yet to appear on Daily Beast, although I did notice that these comments were approved:

Do you really want to be talking about whores anywhere near Palin - I mean really - whores-Palin - WHORES-PALIN - again since you are stupid and have never been with a woman (and no, a man in a wig does not count as a woman) - there is no bigger whore in the history of politics than Palin - and there never will be.

She is cheap carny trash - but then that is why you love her so

Palin is too stupid to be taken seriously.

No - we do not stand alone - plenty of people see Palin for what she is - opportunistic ignorant carney trash - more than willing to pimp out her entire family for her political ambitions.

Palin is a petty, vicious, stupid, vindictive, lying, immoral, opportunistic, evil woman - and now she is creating artificial feuds playing to the ignorant cheap seats in America - as her last political rallies on pig farms suggested - Palin knows that power of hate better than anyone. By all means you may stand with her - though I hardly call what she is doing standing - buy how DARE you suggest the rest of America - hard-working, educated, and well-bred - have to stand with you.

Palin would not get into my house to do the floors - I do not bring trash in - I take it out.

There is no bigger coward than the cheap piece of Alaskan trash pimping out her daughters to create her own victim hood - and you can't nail her to the cross fast enough can you honey? Your Alaskan Moose - Martyr - and Saint.

She is disgusting, and the mainstream press -- and even David Letterman himself -- won't call her out about her own pregnancy.

Palin looks increasingly road-tested and weary - she has - as evidenced by the terrified look in her eyes - seen the future and for her - it will not be pretty. She will remain the hero - the Queen - for the stupid and hate-filled - but she will never command the national stage as she had briefly hoped to do -- and as she looks out at her supporters - she sighs - since, really, honestly, who wants to be Queen of the Pig People?

i personally let out a sigh of relief when letterman said palin had a "slutty flight attendant look". Hell yeah!! It's about time that critics stop tip- toeing around this prissy woman because she's well, a prissy woman. Letterman said what I think a lot of Americans are thinking about sarah palin, and it was funny because it is true. she is dumb, stupid trash who openly manipulates the lives of her children for political gain. it's time critics stop pulling the punches. this is not some dignified woman. this is an ignorant, manipulative, dangerous skank. don't let her "slutty flight attendant look" fool you.

Amen. I could not have said it better. Best take on this whole silly mess - yet another that our aging MILF Sarah loves to put herself in the middle of.

Whore is not a strong enough word for Governor Palin. There is a word with a Germanic root ku- meaning "hollow place," and cunt became used for a barren prostitute's vagina that is "hollow" and of no value. Valueless. Hollow. and for Sale. Ladies and Gentlemen. Sarah Palin is a cunt.

Nice.

Bottom line - Letterman DID NOT apologize. He had no right attacking her daughters. Don Imus was fired for insulting college aged women. He was joking, too. They were innocent, did nothing to deserve his comments, and he was fired. Willow and Bristol did nothing to deserve these attacks. But instead of the Left demanding Letterman be fired, they are making excuses for him, and BLAMING the Palins.

The only thing Carlson said that is remotely accurate is that Palin should not be engaged in this fight.

She shouldn't HAVE to be. Her daughters should not have been dragged into Letterman's obvious hatred towards Sarah Palin. And men and women everywhere should have jumped to the defense of the Palins, so she didn't have to.

Letterman regrets telling these jokes. Did he apologize for them? No. He denied he attacked Willow, therefore, I guess has no qualms about attacking an 18 year old. He regrets telling these jokes because people started calling the station and complaining, and threatened to boycott his advertisers.

He doesn't seem to care that he insulted the Palin's, and women everywhere.

go bo! the darker side of chrysler

This is Bo, he is my mom's cousin. Franco and I visited Bo and his wife a couple years ago when we went to DC. My mom bought her PT Cruiser from Bo, and Franco and I drove it across the country. They own one of the oldest dealerships in the country, started by my great uncle in 1945.

Here is another interview:

Local Chrysler Dealer Sells Off New Car Inventory

"After today, I don't have any franchise rights. I can't sell new Jeeps, new Chryslers – I can't do factory warranty work on Chryslers and Jeeps," Bo Corwin said. "So, from here forward, we're going to stay in the service business, parts business, the used Jeep business and the used whatever else business we want to do."

Corwin's father opened the dealership in 1945 after WWII ended and the Jeep gained popularity.

He never imagined how the new car business would end.

"I think he would be appalled at the way the manufacturer has treated us," Corwin said. "Instead of going forward with them shoulder-to-shoulder like we fought for the last 65 years day in and day out – some 20,000 days I think probably in business or something close to that," he said.

"if david letterman were a man — and he’s not a man, he is a coward"

"we're in a position to take a stand aganst the disrespect shown to females"

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Matt seems a little defensive over the Letterman matter...doesn't he? Maybe it's because Sarah called him naive. haha He does save himself at the end, though, admitting it was in bad taste.

As for the *keep Willow away from Letterman* comment it can be read many ways. One, that Letterman is a pervert, who can't be trusted around 14 year old girls. Considering he felt perfectly comfortable writing, rehearsing and performing such jokes, some people might have a right to wonder.

Palin was insinuating that Willow might be, rightfully so, uncomfortable around him because he insulted her. Or perhaps she might want to open up a can of whoop ass on him. However she meant it, even if it was implying Letterman is a sexual deviant, I'm sure it was just a joke, right?

I'm glad that Palin read those emails, and spoke about the damage and erosion that these types of comments cause. I'm glad to see people finally getting tired of this crap.

No matter how this debacle ends, I just have two words for you: Don Imus


There is a great article from Salon.com I recommend reading:

Did David Letterman get a free pass? ~ Amanda Fortini

If there was any question that a stubborn strain of old-school sexism persists in Obama's America, one has only to look at certain leaders of what the right wing loves to call the "liberal media" but which is sounding and acting, recently, more like the frat-house media. There, like a virus hiding in the body before, perhaps, staging a comeback, misogyny has found a place to lurk almost undetected, at least by the usually sharp eyes of progressive feminists.

snip

Asking why it is that liberal women do not often take liberal men to task for these attitudes is well worthwhile. Maybe we don't want to appear shrill and humorless, unable to take a joke. Or maybe it's thought that conservative women are too
ideologically reprehensible to merit a defense. But to challenge this kind of sexist talk is not the same thing as agreeing with a woman's politics. If the left is allowed to remain a refuge for this sort of misogyny, if this virus in the body politic is allowed to flourish, then it is likely only a matter of time before it is once again directed at liberal women who are threatening in some way, as happened to Hillary Clinton. Call Pamela Geller racist for her anti-Islamic views, but leave her "top-heavy frame" aside.

reverend wright complicit in murder at holocaust museum

"Reverend Wright will never restrain himself from incitement to murder and terrorism – not until his profits begin to decline, when his church's growth stops." Potential Keith Olbermann headline?

I'm just taking a guess at how the shooting at the Holocaust Museum will be covered by Olbermann tonight. Keith and his ilk were quick to blame Bill O'Reilly for the shooting of Tiller, so I assume they will also blame Wright for the murder of a security officer at the museum. Watch the video here, if you can stomach Olbermann.

So, why would Olbermann blame Wright? This interview with Reverend Wright appeared in the Daily Press today:

“Of course I voted for him; he’s my son. I’m proud of him,” Wright said. “I’ve got five biological kids. They all make mistakes and bad choices. I haven’t stopped loving any of them.

“He made mistakes. He made bad choices. I’ve got kids who listen to their friends. He listened to those around him. I did not disown him.”

Asked if he had spoken to the President, Wright said: “Them Jews aren’t going to let him talk to me.

do as I say, not as I do...

What's with the EU looking down their noses at the US, accusing US of being a bunch of right wing, racist, capitalist pigs who torture, yet they reject socialist democracy, and elect a bunch of anti-immigrant (racist?), right wing conservatives, who happen to be all white?

Oh, and the London Police are accused of waterboarding a bunch a pot dealers.

Sounds like a case of do as I say, not as I do. Or maybe those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones...? Or what's good for the goose, sucks for the gander? Or how about you take the high road, and we'll take the low road?

"Europe's voters trust conservatives more than the left to handle the most severe financial and economic crisis since World War Two.

That was the key message of European Parliament elections that produced strong results for incumbent conservatives in Germany, France, Italy and Poland, but heavy defeats for governing socialists in Britain, Spain and Hungary."

The European Elections, Country by Country

Funny how that works....

i see the pile on sarah palin shit parades are still popular....UPDATED

From No Looking Backwards:

"Call It a Hunch...

...but, I have to think that if Barack Obama had taken his daughters to a Washington Wizards game, and a conservative television personality made a joke about one of them getting raped and impregnated at halftime by Antawn Jamison, that person might be in the middle of a major shitstorm right about now."



From Jim Treacher's Blog:

"Okay. Most of the attention is going toward Letterman's "slutty flight attendant" crack, but this one is actually worse.

At first I thought "her daughter" referred to Bristol. Which would be a pretty crappy joke to make about somebody's kid, no matter how much you disagree with the parents' politics (or mere existence, apparently). But it'd still be fair game. After all, Bristol did what she did. That's not to say she should be happy about over-the-hill comedians getting cheap laughs from her mistakes, but hey, that's comedy.

The thing is, that joke isn't about Bristol: Palin brought her 14-year-old daughter Willow to the Yankees game with her.

That's right: A state governor went to a baseball game with her underage daughter, and a national talk show host made a joke about the girl being sexually assaulted by one of the players.
I realize I'm just an inbred backwoods moron who can't abide by any criticism of Sarah Palin whatsoever, but is this really the precedent we want to set for our politicians and their families?

After all, Samson Obama, one of the president's many half-brothers, isn't allowed in the UK because he tried to assault a 13-year-old girl. Are we to impose the Letterman standard there? Is it okay to make a joke like this?

"How come the First Family never invites Uncle Samson to visit? Because whenever Sasha and Malia sit on his knee, it takes six Secret Service guys to pry them off!"

Or how about this?

"Joe Biden keeps saying he's not really sure where all that stimulus money is going. In other news, Ashley Biden's coke dealer just bought Luxembourg."

Hey, I didn't say they were good jokes. But are they really worse than what Letterman just got away with on national TV? If so, why?"

And surprise, surprise, the joke was somehow left out of the transcript...

As if comparing her to herpes wasn't bad enough....



Well, I guess we can definitely say that times have indeed changed.

UPDATE: Check out Hillbuzz's coverage of this.

And Mark Levin's take on this:



Apparently Letterman didn't get enough Monday night. Here he is last night:



Really? He couldn't leave 14 year old Willow alone?

Comments from the Palins:

"Any 'jokes' about raping my 14-year-old are despicable. Alaskans know it and I believe the rest of the world knows it, too."

- Todd Palin

"Concerning Letterman's comments about my young daughter (and I doubt he'd ever dare make such comments about anyone else's daughter): 'Laughter incited by sexually-perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/NY entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands - that acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone's daughter, contribute to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others.'"

- Governor Sarah Palin

home again, home again, jiggity jig

I'm back in Italy, and it's nice to be home. I had a great month in Seattle, and Cabo, but it is always nice to come home. I am slowly getting back into the groove, and will resume normal blogging soon. In the mean time, here's a funny video on TOTUS.

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