the coffee party usa ~updated

The Washington Post reported that a group called The Coffee Party USA was launched on Facebook to counter the Tea Party peeps.

"We the People demand: Reason and civility in public affairs; A government accountable to the People; Liberty & Justice for All" ~ The Coffee Party USA

Furious at the tempest over the Tea Party -- the scattershot citizen uprising against big government and wild spending -- Annabel Park did what any American does when she feels her voice has been drowned out: She squeezed her anger into a Facebook status update.

let's start a coffee party . . . smoothie party. red bull party. anything but tea. geez. ooh how about cappuccino party? that would really piss 'em off bec it sounds elitist . . . let's get together and drink cappuccino and have real political dialogue with substance and compassion.

The snowballing response made her the de facto coordinator of Coffee Party USA, with goals far loftier than its oopsy-daisy origin: promote civility and inclusiveness in political discourse, engage the government not as an enemy but as the collective will of the people, push leaders to enact the progressive change for which 52.9 percent of the country voted in 2008.

Deep down, underneath the Tea Party's Revolutionary War garb and the Coffee Party's faded HOPE stickers, they seem to want the same thing. To save America. Which raises the question: "From what?"

The easy answer is "each other," when really their complaints are similar and eternal: The political system is broken, elected officials ignore the people, and the media warp truths and pit sides. A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that two-thirds of Americans are "dissatisfied" or "angry" with the federal government," the highest level in 14 years, and many have sought solace in social networking. The Coffee Party, whether it grows or fizzles, is the latest effort to turn virtual disenchantment into real-world results. Its members are incited by Tea Party tactics, which they believe obstruct reform and discourage thoughtful deliberation, and the Tea Party -- well, the Tea Party has not heard of the Coffee Party.

If both groups agree that the system is broken, the officials ignore the people, and the media warps the truth, why are tea party people being attacked for believing the same thing?

Did it occur to the Coffee People that the media is DISTORTING the tea parties and the tea party attendees? Did it occur to them that maybe the people who are yelling are frustrated because the system is broken, and they are being ignored?

Anyway...I checked out the facebook page. Most people seem to be progressive Dems who are mad that Obama hasn't led up to the hype, and they want to push the Dems to push further left. (There isn't a lot of info on the site, so that was my take away from reading the comments.) It sounds like they have similar complaints, they just want a different outcome.

This is some of the reason and civility you can find on their site (and I'm sure some people will argue and say that you can't control all the people who comment...but of course, that benefit isn't extended to Tea Party people is it?):

Janet Thoma The Republicans dont want to be identified with the Tea Party but do sanction the misguided efforts of this uninformed and uninteligent group. Thank you so much for giving a voice to us, the silent majority that embraces progress and know how to think critically and shuns the mass stupidity that runs rampant in the Tea Party.

Antevasin Nelson I joined this group because I am fed up with the extreme right wing racist, sexist, bigoted, homophobic, inhumane, intolerant, selfish, & idiotic behavior. And those who try to hide behind religion and the label of conservatism to explain away their disgusting predjudices!!!!!!

Max Holland "Tea Party" people are so uninformed anyway, starting with the name of their movement! The Boston tea party was an attack on UNTAXED British tea in Boston harbor which undercut the price of smuggled Dutch tea, in which our founding father's were highly invested. John Hancock was one of the more notorious tea smuggler... (I am pretty sure this dude is wrong...)

Deborah Lemieux Finally! Something that doesn't have to do with tea and tihe fear-mongering, and homogenity (both social and political) that they represent. In my opinion, we truly need to move away from the whole Lee Atwater style of politics of "win at any cost -- who gives a f-ck about the truth." Now, if we can only do it...

Doug Hinnant Sounds reasonable, so I'll take a chance and join in support of the sentiment. I would love to see reasonable dialogue without name-calling and accusations.

Scott Mears Terrific idea to counter the tea party baboons!

Joseph E. Bowker I am a Socialist-Democrat - far to the left of our Great President Obama who is a Center/Left-Moderate Democrat. Teabaggers are bad sorry losers who do not want a black president. Prove me wrong. Otherwise, Teabaggers need to reconsider their Obstructioism.

Jenn Knox Hastings I usually hate to throw around the word "racism," but what else would cause the teabaggers to doubt Obama's birth certificate (especially when there was a better argument against McCain being a natural born citizen, but of course he's the whitest person on the planet) and to constantly remind us that his middle name is Hussein?

Prentiss Goodroad Finally! Something that doesn't involve dogma, religion and it's associated social rules, and fear created by political and corporate backers! Frankly, it seemed as tho this country was moving toward the rabid right....and I mean really rabid....and losing any character at all. The dems compromising into unreconizibility of what we voted for and the repubs transforming into the far reaches of ideology. Gov't has its purpose and it's price....we cannot exist without either.....but it must be controlled by the people's will in a fair way with EQUAL representation (not 2 senators for a state population that commands only 1 representative....this has distorted our national vote since inception). I applaud the efforts of rational, sane individuals to try to throw off the influences that have shredded our integrity.

Kimberly Johnson Civil discussions with people who do not think education and information = elitist (bad). What an amazing concept. I love it!

Dan Lear I can't wait until we all meet at our national convention. Imagine! A stadium full of rational people!

William Freudenthal no death panels ? no birthers ?

Olivera Teodorovic I like tea more than coffee (I drink coffee only when it has a crapton of stuff put in it) but GOD those airheads in the Tea Party piss me off. A for-profit organization (of whiny bitches who actually pay Sarah Failin to give speeches to their followers ugh) like them have no right to claim the name of the not-for-profit revolutionary American historical event.

Deborah Hartogensis Godden An intriguing development, but can it really calm down the nasty hysteria and polarization that is harming the nation? Can it help bring about an understanding that our government is not evil and something to be fought? That our representative government is us?

James Eugene Huffman I'm hopeful for an intelligent conversation without hyperbole, 'sound-bite' responses, and fear-mongering. "Come, let us reason together..."

Michael J. Olah It's about time people stood up against the misinformation filled vindictive attacks causing government to cease functioning.

Scott Sorg Thank you for providing an alternative to all the crap that the right wing crazies are spewing out endlessly.

Bart Fontana Yes! Thank you. This is like Air America was to me when they went on the air. I'm surrounded by right wingers here in central Illinois and believe when I tell you that it makes me feel insane. I grew up here and I can't understand what causes people I have known my entire life to believe the things that they do. So, nice to know there are more of me out here. Awww.

Marinell DeGraffenreid I live in Texas. I am so sick of sweet tea and the crazy tea party people

Charlie Fink Here. Here. Let's stop the fear mongering.

Neil De La Flor Question: can we still enjoy tea even though we're party of the coffe party? Green tea? And, can we also enjoy the art of teabagging even if we're for the art of humane discourse? :-)

Stuart Scarborough An excellent idea. I am tired of the shrill fear-mongering voices being the only ones people hear.

Stan Sloan The Coffee Party represents the heart of American democracy. We "javajoiners" should not allow the tea party know nothings to dominate the political playing field!

Judy Leetzow I want to join or start a Coffee Party in Bradenton FL. I am sick of the crazies. I am a moderate Republican and the crazies have ruined the GOP and it will be the country next.

Ryan Stotler If you like the Coffee Party Movement, be sure to check out Progress America. It is a group I formed no more than a month ago and could use some constructive ideas. We are essentially the twin of this movement, I started it because of the constant spoon fed nonsense about the Tea Party Patriots.

Liz Pinto I'm tired of having my "voice for change" drowned out by those who have no clue they're being exploited by the GOP and the corporations they represent. Frank Luntz sure is earning his money! PASS THE CREAM AND SUGAR!

Jeff Welling It's so encouraging to click on these page and see a hundred new fans! It's high time that those of us who cherish rationality and discourse collectively say ENOUGH to the forces of hatred and ignorance that want to destroy the country that we all share and love.

Jim Brown Finally, an activist group for me! I'm tired of obstructionist wing nuts attempting to co-op patriotism. I love America, too, and I want progress!

ay Nunenkamp I'm conflicted; on the one hand, I'm a liberal democrat tired of listening to right-wing fearmongering and racism. On the other hand, I like tea.

Steve Dupuis I'm so very happy to see this "Coffee Party Movement". The tea party movement, in my opinion, is a pack of ill informed, blindly led, right wingers, who guzzled the republican koolaid.

Kevin McCollum I think this is a great idea and it appears to be a true grassroots idea not astroturfed like the tea party. I look forward to learning more and adding my voice.

Kevin Duncan If you had a Repub. friend and a Dem friend hanging from the cliff...Who would you help?......* Answer- Always pick the Dem friend because he will reach down and help your other friend.....> Just thought you should know...

Naomi Bindman How can the republicans claim to speak for "The People" when they don't even have a majority????

David H. McCoy Let's get this country going again. I'm weary those these reactionary millionaire pundits and these anti-education wingnuts dominating the news.

Julia Tanner College Movement - how to jump-start? Chapters for Campuses? It'd be great if we could get Tea Partiers to listen to the real truth about their non-fact-based media, because right now they believe Fox News and Rush regardless of how often their "truthity" is debunked with indisputable facts. It would be awesome if we could convince these folks and fence-sitters to watch and listen to fact-based media. But sadly, studies have shown conservatives are the people most likely to use only one or two sources of information. How can we get to them before they happen to hear and be entertained by Fox or Rush? College movement, anyone? Do we need campus chapters?

Dawn Sheridan Slinsky Unbelievable - since I joined a couple of hours ago it has grown by nearly 5,000. Tea-baggers, watch out, there's a new kid in town!

Bren Tierney THINK - Something to which the Teabaggers have an apparent aversion

Matthew Chiapperino So glad to see something like this. I am severely disturbed at the Tea Party movement and it's goal of dividing and ruining this country in a simple play of politics. It's also disturbing to hear people take the words of Glenn Beck as gospel. Fact: Glenn Beck is not even considered part of Fox's news division...he's classified as entertainment...yet he is a key leader in the Tea Party movement. People need to start thinking for themselves and politicians need to stop playing politics and focus on the issues!

David Deming I'm afraid I don't quite get this group. The description states that the group stands for "liberty" "for all," but I don't see anyone advocating a return to 19th century laissez faire. Health care? If you really belive in "liberty," then end all state regulation, licensing, and control. Take away the physician's state-granted monopoloy. Make all drugs freely available. Stop regulating health insurance companies, end all mandates. Abolish the FDA.
Gail P Ferreira if you don't "get this group".. then perhaps you should exit that way-------->

Patrick McMahon Don't get the group? Change the channel. Go be with the right wing groups that the media loves and covers so much. Inclusion? Of backwards looking people. That's like bringing someone with measles onto the Mayflower.

Dan Lear I ask only that we maintain civility. The Tea Party is dangerous and their rhetoric is inaccurate and hateful. If this is different, I'm in. Show hateful or cultish stripes, and I'm out!

Louis Chevere Thank god for this movement. All we need now is some more media exposure, rallies, and town halls to get us out there to let them know tea baggers doesn't make up all of the country. THANK YOU!!!!!

UPDATE: More civility...

Lorena Cassady I am retired in Mexico and unfortunately there is a sizeable Tea Party contigent here, chuggalugging their tequila and ranting about Obama in their trailer parks. The good news is that they have left the US. The bad news is that they vote.

Bill Muller This site looks awesome, finally! Now we need to target all this mis-information being broadcast about healthcare...If it wasn't for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert I'd been in a straight-jacket by now. COLBERT NATION!

Nick Wreden Time for common sense. Now if we can only get the media to abandon the tea party crazies and join us.....

Donna Farrell I am so sick and tired of the antics of the lunitic fringe getting all the congressional and media attention...it makes them appear as it they represent most Americans!

Melanie Mumma It was scary that no one was saying anything to the hateful screaming Tea Party carrying guns to meetings basically advocating killing other citizens who want health care reform. This is a good first step

Diane Shannon Hansell I think that is why people love Sarah Palin. They love people who they can identify with... a non-intellectual, like them. Frankly.... I want my doctor, my accountant and my President to be smarter than me.

So much for civility.

More at memeorandum.com.

I just saw this at Left Coast Rebel - perhaps not so grass roots after all?

Be sure to check out this video and post at American Power, too. More race baiting?

And I don't know how I missed this one today from newsbusters.com (I just ripped off the cawfy tawk photo from their site - love it!!)

Allahpundit from Hot Air just posted this, Disaffected lefties launch … “Coffee Party” movement.

No Sheeples Here has a post, Déjà Brew: The Feeling That You've Had This Coffee Before (I love their header! So flippin cute!)

make it bigger and better!

H/T Hot Air

countbrown with keith olbermann ~updated

More on the racist Keith Olbermann and his all white network, msnbc:


For more, see my earlier post.
H/T Olbermann Watch and Broliath for the video.

Check out Broliath for an hilarious update!!

UPDATE: It's really unbelievable (not really) that Olby is making an issue about the lack of minorities at tea parties. The *door* is open to anyone and everyone. There is no guest list, no invitations are mailed out, no one is stopped at the door. Those who choose to come, come. And as we have seen, they do come.

But when you consider that 95% of the African Americans voted for Obama, and those that didn't were called Uncle Toms and worse, is it really that big of a surprise that there isn't a huge percentage at the tea parties?

So like I said, everyone is invited to the Tea Parties. There isn't any type of screening or review process to attend.

But, you can't really say the same for msnbc can you?

So, Olby can accuse tea party peeps of racism till the cows come home, but he surrounds himself in a tide of white at msnbc. How many black faces do you see on msnbc?

Surely there must be more than one African American who has applied for a lead anchor job at msnbc. Surely there must be African American commentators who have applied for jobs at msnbc. So, Olbermann, ask yourself, why are you surrounded by more people than you have viewers that consists of nothing but people who look exactly like you?

White people that were pre-screened, interviewed, and hired over people of color.


Me thinks someone has a big race problem, and it's not the tea party peeps.

sixty minutes and no teleprompter!

Glenn Beck gave a rousing tough love speech to Conservatives and Republicans at CPAC on Saturday.

“It’s not enough to not suck as much as the other side,” said Beck, on how Republicans can regain their ideals. “The first step to redemption is admitting you have a problem. … When they do say they have a problem, I don’t know if I believe them. … They’ve got to recognize they have a problem. … ‘I’m addicted to spending and big government.’”

View video here.

“One party will tax and spend. The other party won’t tax, but spend. It’s both of them together. I’m tired of feeling like a freak in America.”

cpac boos speaker for condemning invite to gay conservative group

Ryan Sorba from California Young Americans for Freedom gets boo'd off the stage at CPAC for condemning CPA for inviting GOPride to the event.

H/T HotAir

Bring it, they did! Way to go CPAC. Get that tool off the stage.

obama: acorn, i hardly knew ya, except when i knew ya well

Obama in October 2008:

Tapper: Senator McCain today said there was voter fraud going on in the battleground states. ACORN has been tampering with America’s most precious right. There has to be a full investigation and he also said you need to disclose your full relationship with ACORN. I’m wondering if you have any reaction to Senator McCain’s charge?

Barack Obama: Well, first of all my relationship with ACORN is pretty straightforward. It’s probably 13 years ago when I was still practicing law, I represented ACORN and my partner in that investigation was the US Justice department in having Illinois implement what was called the motor voter law, to make sure people could go to DMV’s and driver license facilities to get registered. It wasn’t being implemented. That was my relationship and is my relationship to ACORN. There is an ACORN organization in Chicago. They’ve been active. As an elected offiical, I’ve had interactions with them. But, they’re not advising my campaign. We’ve got the best voter registration in politics right now and we don’t need ACORN’s help.

Obama, in newly discovered video, discussing his long relationship with ACORN (prior to the 2008 election):

“When I ran project vote, the voter registration drive in Illinois, ACORN was smack dab in the middle of it. Once I was elected there wasn’t a campaign that ACORN worked on down in Springfield that I wasn’t right there with you. Since I have been in the United States Senate I’ve been always a partner with ACORN as well. I’ve been fighting with ACORN, along side ACORN, on issues you care about my entire career.”

This quote was actually on his web site before all the ACORN scandals erupted, I blogged about it last September.

"I've been fighting alongside ACORN on issues you care about my entire career. Even before I was an elected official, when I ran Project Vote voter registration drives in Illinois, ACORN was smack dab in the middle of it, and we appreciate your work." ~Obama as quoted on his own campaign website, at an ACORN meeting.

H/T Gateway Pundit - click to read more.

So, nothing really new here, just video proof of him saying what we knew he said a year ago. Thus illustrating his, dare I say, fibs?

lysacek on taking gold!

haiti flight logs detail early chaos after quake

Some vital relief aid had to wait because of the way U.S. handled flights

The Air Force did initially give priority to military units that were sent to secure the airport, distribute aid and keep the peace. But then it started taking flights according to a reservation system open to anyone.

Because of that, key aid was delayed in some cases while less-critical flights got in.

Nearly all the groups sending in aid insisted their load was urgent, said Air Force Capt. Justin Longmire, who has been coordinating the flight schedules and is helping prepare the airport to reopen for commercial flights on Friday.

"Could I take the list of all the flights and put it in order of most important to least important? Water? Food? Digging equipment? Doctors? I don't think so," Longmire said.

‘It was extremely frustrating’

The result: Church of Scientology ministers landed, as did AP reporters, CNN's Anderson Cooper and diapers from Canada. But a French portable hospital and planeloads of doctors with medical supplies were diverted to the Dominican Republic.

Sanremo Festival 2010

It's time for the Sanremo Festival, and so far, I think the show is really good. The hostess, Antonella Clerici, has kept the show moving at a brisk pace, so much better than years prior that were torturous with way too much filler. She has had an interesting variety of guests, including the dancers from Moulin Rouge, and Michelle Rodriguez from Avatar.

Arisa is a contestant again this year. She won in her category last year with Sincerita. She's so cute, and I love the song. I woke up singing it this morning.

Arisa - Malamorenò


Susan Boyle was a guest.


This is one of the other songs I liked, Meno Male - Simone Cristicchi.


They also had, as guests, the Queen of Jordan, Rania. And Dita Von Teese.

The winner from X-Factor this year got to perform, Marco Mengoni, but I still think it should have been Silver. I think Marco is a good singer, but I didn't like the song.

For the *young* category, my favorite was Nina Zilli - L'uomo che amava le donne.


I liked this kid too, but he was eliminated his first night. Jacopo Ratini - Su questa panchina And Noemi who was on X-Factor last year is a winner.

olbermann: we're not racist! some of our best guests are black! ~update

Olby is at it again, calling Tea Party peeps racist. This time he tries to appeal to *racist Tea Klux Klan teabaggers* "sincerely and with sympathy" to get them to admit to their racism.

As he encouraged Tea Party members to be honest about feeling racism against Obama, he characterized racism as a normal human instinct, but for some reason singled out white men as all feeling some level of racism: "And I think, having now been one for 51 years, I am permitted to say I believe prejudice and discrimination still sit defeated, dormant, or virulent somewhere in the soul of each white man in this country."

Ok, so Olbermann admits what we all know - he's a racist. D'uh! He then goes on to say:

"Why are you surrounded by the largest crowd you will ever again see in your life that consists of nothing but people who look exactly like you?"**

Keith Olbermann posted a portion of his Special Comment on his Daily Kos blog. That "set off a series of back-and-forth comments between Olbermann and others about the diversity on the MSNBC airwaves."

The commenter “JoanMar” wrote that, based on Olbermann’s comment (of which she agreed), “a tea party gathering looks something like MSNBC line-up on week-days.”

UPDATE: H/T Olbermann Watch for the great video!


That led to Olbermann basically claiming, msnbc is not racist, because they used to have lots of black hosts on their channel and they "get Clarence Page on whenever they can"! (this on a network where one of their lead talking heads actually said he forgot Barack Obama was black for an hour, because his speech was just that good!

There are some great blog posts around the internet machine covering this. I really love this one from Another Black Conservative:

Finally, I would like to point out that Olbermann’s view of the Tea Parties is merely his own views projected on all white Americans. Think about this, Keith Olbermann attended a predominately white Ivy League school, he lives in a predominately white enclave in NYC and he works for a predominately white cable station. If anyone is finding covert ways of releasing their inner racist, it is Olbermann himself.

Read the rest of his great post here.

There is also this post, Keith Olbermann's Plantation: 'Ask Yourself - Where Are the Black Faces?'

It's hard to be more racially offensive than this, for Olbermann's whole schtick essentially discounts America's achievement of the civil rights dream, one that culminated in the election of the nation's first black president in 2008. But it's more than that: After decades of Democratic Party policies that have systematically supressed black Americans (keeping them "in their place" through welfare policies of dependency, inner-city housing policies of ethnic warehousing, and voting rights policies of racial recrimination and ghettoization), Olbermann has the temerity to suggest that blacks just can't think for themselves. That's not to discount how the Democratic-left attempts to inculcate the young with the false consciousness of racial grievance and victimology. It's that on top of that Olby is asserting that black patriots need the "massa in de big house" to show them how to live.

Check out newsbusters for more, and a transcript of Olby's *special comment*. Isn't that special?

Also, check out this post I read, via Left Coast Rebel:

Keith Olbermann - Race Baiter Extradinaire

As a proud independent conservative, I am always, and forever amazed, at the virulent race baiting, and throw back the a time long gone that Keith Olbermann seems to be perpetually running from. Or could it be Olbermann is just the choir boy for the irrational liberal left in America?

Where does Olbermann, an unhinged, lying, sexist, racist, get off trying to appeal to people he has attacked, slandered, called names and disrespected for a year!?

Well, since Olby wants to play the *look, we have black friends* game, he needs to check out this post: Tea Party Coverage: From Blackout To Whiteout

The real faces of the Tea Party movement are the faces of America as a whole. And I'd bet it's a more accurate portrait of America than the media, or even the Obama administration, too often seeks to portray for political gain. And it's the contributions of all those faces, white, black, brown, red, yellow, or whatever, that are going to lead the way to taking America back for We the people beginning in 2010.

Remember when Garofalo appeared on Olbermann's Countdown, declaring all *teabaggers* straight up racist rednecks? Here was a response from the tea party peeps:

Zo spoke at a Tea Party in Sacramento, too.

I leave you with this:

Click to watch video.

Hey Olby - perhaps those in white houses shouldn't throw stones!

**I thought the tea party crowds weren't that big, Olbermann? The tea parties are now the "largest crowd of people the tea party people will ever see in their lives"? Dude, NASCAR has way more people than your average tea party! Yeeeee haw!

More at memeorandum.

a tell of two arrests

So, a guy named Gregory Girard was arrested for stock piling weapons and the internet went crazy with this headline:

Man Charged With Stockpiling Weapons Was Tea Partier, Palin Fan

The Massachusetts man charged this week with stockpiling weapons after saying he feared an imminent "Armageddon" appears to have been active in the Tea Party movement, and saw Sarah Palin, who he said is on a "righteous 'Mission from God,'" as the only figure capable of averting the destruction of society

Gregory Girard, a Manchester technology consultant, was found with a stash of military grade weapons, explosive devices including tear gas and pepper ball canisters, camouflage clothing, knives, handcuffs, bulletproof vests and helmets, and night vision goggles, say police. They believe Girard, who pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, was "preparing for domestic and political turmoil," and feared martial law would soon be imposed.

Notice the main focus is on Palin and Tea Partiers?

Now, for Amy Bishop, a mass murderer, with a history of violence, was arrested for "capital murder after she allegedly opened fire on six colleagues at a faculty meeting Friday, killing three.

A Harvard-educated professor who went on a shooting rampage at the University of Alabama may have escaped charges for the killing of her teenage brother in 1986 because of a police cover-up.

Amy Bishop, a 42-year-old neurobiologist, could face the death penalty for allegedly shooting dead the chairman of the biology department and two other professors on Friday after being denied a permanent university post. Two professors and an assistant were wounded.

And it turns out she is, according to a family source, a "far-left political extremist who was “obsessed” with President Obama to the point of being off-putting".

Which one do you think will get more attention? Do you think the Left might regret jumping on the Gregory Girard is a Palin fan meme now?

There are psychos everywhere, people. You can't blame politicians for the whacked out actions of others.

H/T Another Black Conservative and memeorandum.

hope floats

What's with all the Obama floats around Europe? And interestingly enough, they all seem to be negative...

A carnival float representing U.S. President Barack Obama, with the words 'Obama as liberator' on his shirt, is pictured during the traditional Rose Monday carnival parade in the western German city of Duesseldorf February 15, 2010. The Rose Monday parades in Cologne, Mainz and Duesseldorf are the highlight of the German street carnival season. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender

The float was also described this way:

A carnival float depicting a flying U.S. President Obama angel who landed on his head is seen during the traditional carnival parade in Duesseldorf, western Germany, on Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. The foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne, watched by hundreds of thousands of people, are the highlights in Germany's carnival season on Rose Monday. Words on tunic reads 'Obama the Redeemer'.

This was the float last year from the same parade:

A carnival float depicting a flying U.S. President Obama with Europe being dragged along is seen during the traditional carnival parade in Duesseldorf, Germany, on Monday, Feb. 23, 2009. Rose-Monday-Parades in the carnival strongholds of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne are watched by hundreds of thousands of revelers and mark the highlights of Germany's carnival season. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Fools dressed as the statue of Liberty and Oncle Sam under the theme 'Jeck we can', that means, 'as foolish as we can', during the traditional carnival parade in Duesseldorf, western Germany, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. The foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne, watched by hundreds of thousands of people, are the highlights in Germany's carnival season on Rosemonday. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

The floats from that parade aren't really flattering to any leader...

Then, from France, we have this float:

A float called 'Yes we can be ecologist', despicting U.S. President Barack Obama, parades during the 126th edition of the Nice Carnival, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, in Nice, southern France.The carnival celebrates the theme 'King of the Blue Planet'. (AP Photo)

(What exactly are they going for here? Is Obama ripping trees out of the ground?) Obama is King? I don't get what they are saying here...)

Then these from Cologne, Germany:

A papier-mache figure representing the statue of liberty and U.S. President Barack Obama on a carnival procession float is seen during a preview in Cologne February 9, 2010. The carnival procession will take place on Rose Monday, February 15, when hundreds of thousands of people all over Germany will celebrate. REUTERS

Really? That's how Reuters describes that float? Obama farting in the face of the Statue of Liberty and that's how Reuters describes it? (H/T Left Coast Liberal and Weasel Zippers)

This was Obama with the Statue of Liberty last year:

While kids are entertained by candy and clowns, adults get a kick out of the "political" floats featured in most Rhineland Rose Monday parades, such as this one of US President Barack Obama featured in the February 23, 2009 parade in Mainz.

So we've gone from him propping up the Statue to farting in her face? Lovely.

And how about this one? Obama in bed, literally, with China.

Figures of US President Barak Obama and Chinese Prime Minister Hu Jintao are seen sitting together in a bed on a float for the upcoming Carnival Rose Monday Parade in Cologne, Germany, as it is presented to the media on Tuesday Feb. 9, 2010. The float satirically illustrates the ties between the USA and China. (AP Photo)

Hope no longer floats?

georgian luger dies after horrifying crash at whistler track

From the Vancouver Sun: Georgian luge competitor Nodar Kumaritashvili has died after launching from the track and hitting his head on a metal pole during a training run Friday at Whistler Olympic Park, the IOC has confirmed.

International Olympic Committee Vice-president Thomas Bach confirmed just after noon Friday that Kumaritashvill died after the crash.

The luge track is closed. Coaches of the national teams are in meetings with FIL, the international luge federation. The training run has been cancelled.

Kumaritashvili was going close to 150 km/h, near the end of the course, when he launched off the track. Witnesses say his body hit a metal pole. Medical personnel performed CPR through a plastic tube and almost immediately an ambulance rushed Kumaritashvili from Whistler Olympic Park to the local hospital.

Kumaritashvili turned 21 in November. He had competed in luge for Georgia since 2008.

And MSNBC Sport: Earlier in the day, gold-medal favorite Armin Zoeggeler of Italy crashed, losing control of his sled on Curve 11. Zoeggeler came off his sled and held it with his left arm to keep it from smashing atop his body. He slid on his back down several curves before coming to a stop and walking away.

Training days in Whistler have been crash-filled. A Romanian woman was briefly knocked unconscious and at least four Americans — Chris Mazdzer on Wednesday, Megan Sweeney on Thursday and both Tony Benshoof and Bengt Walden on Friday in the same training session where Zoeggeler wrecked — have had serious trouble just getting down the track.

“I think they are pushing it a little too much,” Australia’s Hannah Campbell-Pegg said Thursday night after she nearly lost control in training. “To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we’re crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives.”

This is so sad. It sounds like maybe the track is too dangerous? Are they just getting too fast? I'm sure this is very sad and upsetting for all the athletes at the Games. Condolences to Georgia, Nodar Kumaritashvili's family and teammates.

funniest blog post headline, ever

"Don’t show this to Orly Taitz."

From Don Surber at the Daily Mail

I don't know if this is real, or photoshop, I just thought the headline was so flipping funny. (I'm guessing photoshop.)

get well, big dawg!

We miss you, and wish you a speedy recovery!


h/t Uppity Woman

cool time lapse of snow in d.c.

obama supporters want to know: why the blind support of palin?

Someone re-posted this *letter* at mediaite, in a thread entitled Sarah Palin Cheats With Her Hand For Tea Party Convention Talking Points, and asked me to respond:

Dear Palin Supporters
I’ve spent my morning reading and Mrs. Palins overpaid tea-party speech as well as many of her other speeches to try and understand the mindset of her supporters.

Unfortunately I can’t figure you out. Your blind support of this woman truly baffles not only Americans but the international community as well. Over the past year she has been caught telling over 30 lies and have misled you on multiple issues ranging from the Economy to healthcare. Yet like sheep you follow her blindly. I recently watched a video that showed that many of you couldn’t explain your blind faith in her as well.

Many of you have said that she will “make America great again” yet her criticisms of President Obama and lack on knowledge on the basic issues that America faces should be enough to show you that her IQ is on par with a simian at best.

Rather then take responsibility for her mistakes on basic issues, she blames the mainstream media for calling her out, while claiming the answer to all of Americas problems are common sense solutions. What are these solutions that she speaks of and why is she keeping them a secret?

I challenge all Palinites to respond to this post by, instead of attacking, tell why you support her. Give intelligent reasons for your support. Lift the embarrassment that she has brought to Americans. Prove to the world that you are not blind sheep following this false profit.

This was my reply:

I like her. I am not a blind faith supporter. I defend her against inhumane, irrational and unfair attacks. I am reading her book, and find it interesting. Do I think she should run in 2012? No. She shouldn’t have quit her Governorship, or she should have moved down to the lower 48 and ran for Congress or something, to get more experience. Does she have more experience than Obama did? Yes. Does she give a good speech? Yes. Yet, Obama was elected because he gave good speeches, and has quit every job he has had to move on to another. But Palin is attacked for moving on.

The blind faith some have for her is nothing different, if not less so, than those who supported Obama. I don’t see people fainting at her rallies, or people whispering, *I love you, Sarah* with glazed over eyes at rallies.

She has been caught telling over 30 lies? such as?

ALL pols have been caught telling lies, mis-truths, and exaggerations. Obama told some whoppers during the primary, debates, and now as President. I don’t see all of his die hard followers faltering in their worship. She also did a great job in the VP debate, and Biden made major gaffes, and told some lies, but yet she was attacked as the stupid one? She also had about two weeks to prepare – Biden and Obama had, what? Two years on the trail. She was attacked unfairly, and many of those were sexist, and downright hideous.

I support her because she was a popular gov, asked to serve her country, and went through HELL to try and serve for her country. And she was grossly attacked because of it. If she runs in 2012 would I support her? That depends entirely on how she does, her platform, and what she campaigns on. And if she is the nominee. Am I pushing her to run? No.

Her criticisms of Obama are quite accurate and valid. Obama supporters hail him as the smartest president, evah but COMPLETELY overlook ALL of his gaffes, blunders, mistruths, flipflops, and lies. And his MAJOR dependency on TOTUS.

What embarrassment has she brought to America? The embarrassment is with those who went to the polls believing the SNL version of Sarah Palin. (and they did) The embarrassment is with those in the media who lied, created scandals, edited her interviews to support their liberal bias, attacked her unfairly, and supported the numerous false attacks on her. The embarrassment lies with those who brought false ethics charge after ethics charge against her, wasting tax payer dollars trying to bring her down. The embarrassment lies with the MSM who challenged her children, vetted her clothing, and makeup, but completely failed when it came to vetting Obama. The embarrassment lies with those who attack her but turn a blind eye to Obama.

So, what I would like to know is, why the blind support of Obama? Because that truly baffles the other half of America.

Did you notice the title of the post on Mediaite? Yes, there is actually a scandal now about Sarah Palin writing three key talking points on her hand - "energy, tax cuts and Raise American's spirits". Three little key points she wanted to make sure she covered during her speech at the Tea Party Convention...which of course, according to those in the Left, makes her an idiot.

They don't care that Obama can't give a five minute speech, or talk at a cabinet meeting without reading every single word on TOTUS, but she is an idiot for scribbling three things she wanted to remember, during her speech. A 41 minute speech she gave, without a teleprompter, mind you.



Check out Left Coast Rebel for his take on this. I love the last video.

Need more?
OBAMA'S GAFFES, LIES, BROKEN PROMISES & EXAGGERATIONS!

Top 10 gaffes by Barack Obama and Joe Biden

Top 10 Obama Gaffes

Barack Gaffes

Navy "Corpse-men" everywhere ask: Where's the Mainstream Media?

Top 10 Obama Gaffes (Part II)



Yea, but let's focus on and attack Sarah Palin because she wrote three points she wanted to remember, on her hand...

obama: she insisted she's going to be buried in an obama t-shirt

I am speechless...



Obama: 'She insisted she's going to be buried in an Obama t-shirt'
By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
02/05/10 11:42 AM EST

Many observers have noted that the president often seems extraordinarily self-referential. It's all about him, they say. But even those critics might be a little taken aback by the "buried in an Obama t-shirt" remark. Is it really that much about him?

Others ask how some of Obama's statements would have been covered had George W. Bush made them -- for example, if Bush had pronounced "corpsman" as "corpse-man" (as Obama did twice at the National Prayer Breakfast). Had Bush mispronounced the word so badly -- and he did say some weird things -- it's likely many commentators would have rushed to fit it into their Bush-is-stupid narrative. Now, it's Obama who's sounding strange. And even putting aside the "corpsman" gaffe, what does the president's telling of the "buried in an Obama t-shirt" anecdote tell us about him? (By the way, this is not about the woman and her choice -- people do all sorts of things, and we respect the decisions they make -- but about the president's choosing to tell the story himself.)

Read more:
Video: Obama eulogizes woman buried in Obama t-shirt whose name he can’t remember

If this doesn’t scream egomaniac, I don’t know what does. Didn’t he feel the least bit funny about mentioning the Obama t-shirt? I am glad the audience laughed at him.

When I read this I gasped – for real. Wow! Just when you thought he couldn’t sink any lower. Not only did Obama eulogize a woman whose name he can’t remember, and turn it into an opportunity to reflect on himself, he even lied about her situation. He said she didn’t have health insurance, when in fact she did.

Obama cites death of StL activist in speech

More at memeorandum.

pelosi: where are the jobs, mr. president?

August 1, 2003

Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' announcement that 470,000 people abandoned their job searches in July and that 3.2 million private sector jobs have been lost since President Bush took office:

“The fact is that President Bush’s misguided economic policies have failed to create jobs. Since President Bush took office, the country has lost 3.2 million jobs, the worst record since President Hoover. And today we learned that in July nearly half a million people gave up looking for a job.

“Job losses are taking a real toll on the financial security of American families. While Democrats are fighting for opportunity, jobs, and economic security for working families, Republicans continue to focus on helping those who need help the least.

“According to today’s survey, while the national unemployment rate dropped slightly, it still stands at a near record high. In addition, the unemployment rate for African Americans was still over 11 percent in July, and the unemployment rate for Hispanics was 8.2 percent in July.

“It is time for President Bush and the Republicans to get to work for all Americans, not just the elite few.”
h/t Drudge Report

January unemployment rate drops to 9.7 percent

beck: arianna huffington is “media matters after a couple of drinks”

h/t mediaite for the video

huffington chooses den of inciteful rhetoric to complain about inciteful rhetoric

Monday night, Arianna Huffington appeared on Countdown with Keith Olbermann to complain about Glenn Beck's inciteful language?

Keith Olbermann - the unhinged man, person, human...er...talking head who spews hatred nightly. She chooses Olbermann, the purveyor of inciteful, hateful rhetoric, she chooses his show, to make her point?

What exactly is Arianna all in a huff about wrt Beck? This is a continuation of her face to face with Ailes on This Week. She accused Beck of inciting the American people, and points to these comments:

BECK: I told you yesterday, buckle up your seatbelt, America. Find the exit -- there's one here, here, and here. Find the exit closest to you and prepare for a crash landing. Because this plane is coming down, because the pilot is intentionally steering it into the trees! Most likely, it'll happen sometime after Christmas. You're gonna see this economy come up -- we're already seeing it, and now it's gonna start coming back down again. And when you see the effects of what they're doing to the economy, remember these words: We will survive. No -- we'll do better than survive, we will thrive. As long as these people are not in control. They are taking you to a place to be slaughtered!

She called him a liar for his response:

BECK: I don't even know if I've ever used the word "slaughtered." And if I used the word "slaughtered," if it wasn't in a context of Mao, Stalin, or Hitler, [Ailes was referring to Beck's airing of a documentary "The Revolutionary Holocaust: Live Free...Or Die"] it was in the idea that the truth is being slaughtered by this administration... not saying that this administration is going to slaughter anyone.

So she really thinks Beck is saying/believes that people are actually going to be slaughtered? Does she think his viewers actually believe that? When you talk about sports, and say one team slaughtered another, is the other team really dead? When you say the Saints killed the Dolphins, are the Dolphins dead? Does that scare you? Are you really worried you are going to be slaughtered?

Arianna paraphrases Beck:

"Not Stalin. Not Hitler. Not Mao. Not "the truth" being slaughtered. YOU. "They are taking YOU to a place to be slaughtered."

He didn't make the type of comparison like Matthews did the other night:

Chris Matthews compared Republican conservatives to the Khmer Rouge, the murderous Communist regime that racked up a body count of some two million during its reign of terror:

"What's going on out there in the Republican Party is kind of a frightening, almost Cambodia re-education camp going on in that party, where they're going around to people, sort of switching their minds around saying, if you're not far right, you're not right enough."

Or attack millions of Americans, like Olbermann:
"folks that watch Fox News are "tin foil hatters, conspiracy theorists, paranoids and racists."

Olby has spewed hatred towards: Bush, calling him a facist; the millions of people who don't support Obama, calling them racist; Scott Brown; Sarah Palin; Carrie Prejean Hillary Clinton; Republicans; Michelle Malkin; Limbaugh; O'Reilly; and on and on...

But Arianna selected Countdown with Olbermann to complain about Beck's inciteful language? That is just flat out hysterical.

So, I guess words only matter when they are said by people with whom you disagree. She apparently has no issue with the hateful inciteful garbage Olbermann and msnbc toss around weekly. And she takes no responsibility for the inflammatory language on her site.

But she wants to hold Ailes responsible for something Beck said, she wants to limit the freedom of speech of her opposition? Typical. Don't believe me? Take a look around the comment sectons on Huff Po. Well reasoned, factual comments that don't agree with the liberal content of a post are bannned. They allow a few inflammatory comments to appear, I assume to further their screed that all conservatives and opponents of Obama are racist or whackos, but I can't tell you how many people have complained that they were banned or moderated for stating well thought out opposing views.

(I wonder why she asked Beck to be a contributing writer on her blog last year?)