Month: September 2014
Gillibrand Can’t Get a Break from Male Jerks
Don’t lose too much weight now. I like my girls chubby!
— Former Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), quoted by the New York Times, to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
There’s Still Time for Republican Crazies to Emerge Before Midterms
I have to give the Republicans credit for one thing in this election cycle. They’ve been able to keep their crazies quiet. But the big question is: Will some GOP crazy talk seep out between now November 4? In the words of Sarah Palin, I’d have to say, ‘You betcha.’
— Dean Obeidallah, writing for the Daily Beast.
N.C. Congressional Candidate Suggests War with Mexico to Cure Illegal Immigration
I will tell you if you have foreigners who are sneaking in with drug cartels to me that is a national threat. And if we got to go laser or blitz somebody with a couple of fighter jets for a little while to make our point, I don’t have a problem with that either. So yeah, whatever we need to do.
— North Carolina congressional candidate Mark Walker (R), suggesting war with Mexico might be a way to stop immigrants coming across the border, TPM reports.
An Aerial View of the Climate Change Rally in Manhattan
As many as 400,000 people attended this rally yesterday, but it is largely being ignored by both legit cable channels — maybe the rally’s organizers should have beaten their spouses or chopped off someone’s head. So far today, MSNBC has run just one, short end-of-the-hour segment, and it’s unclear whether CNN has done a broadcast report on it at all.
The video was posted by Democracy Now:
Blackwater Ex-CEO’s Multimillion Security Contract in Iraq Ended in Disaster – Now He Blames Obama for ISIS ‘Mess’
In the spring of 2004, U.S. Marines had to be sent into Fallujah twice after local fighters released video they’d taken while they killed Blackwater contractors and mutilated their bodies. The result was some of the bloodiest fighting of the occupation. On Dec. 24, 2006, an allegedly drunk Blackwater contractor shot and killed a bodyguard for Iraq’s vice president. Nine months later a squad of Blackwater mercenaries rolling through Baghdad opened fire at a crowded intersection killing 17 civilians. That incident was the beginning of the end for Blackwater. Its security contract in Iraq was cancelled after Bush left office.
Over the weekend, in a session at Maverick PAC, a right-wing political group with ties to the Bush family, Prince seemed to suggest that if only the Obama administration hadn’t cut off flow of millions in taxpayer dollars to Blackwater, his mercenaries could have stopped the rise of ISIS:
Nearly a Quarter of Poll Respondents Want Their State to Secede
23.9%
Of those surveyed said they were strongly or provisionally inclined to have their states secede from the United States, a new Reuters poll found.
Former ‘Idol’ Star Aiken Challenges the Press
Let’s see if you can write this whole story without mentioning how fat I’ve gotten.
— Former “American Idol” star and North Carolina congressional candidate Clay Aiken (D), quoted by the Washington Post.
Gingrich Lambasts GOP for Lack of Positive Messages
The fact that we do not have positive themes and positive issues is going to cost us seats this fall because moderates and independents aren’t going to turn out. It’s an enormous mistake. … You have to sound like you’re more than anti-Obama, and you’re more than some … politician whose primary role in life is to raise money for your consultant to buy attack ads. It’s pathetic … and it’s turning people off.
— Newt Gingrich, who is not thrilled by the current state of the Republican party, Roll Call reports.
An Imbiber’s Self-Interest
They’re off to the polls — all kilted and frisky,
Though many think Scottish independence is risky.
David Cameron’s sweating it,
The bookies are betting it,
But I worry what it means for the price of scotch whiskey.
