Parting is such sweet sorrow...

No, not really.

So long Lou: we hardly knew you.

I'm sure you'll land on your feet... after falling flat on your face.

Did Hannity show fake video of Michele Bachmann's "press conference?"

On the Daily Show tonight, Jon Stewart exposed a trick Sean Hannity might have tried to pull last night on his show by showing supposed video of last week's anti-health care bill "press conference" on the steps of the Capitol Building, but which was actually a video clip from Glenn Beck's 9/12 rally in September.

The proof Jon Stewart offered was that the first portion of the Hannity video showed a September day in Washington, replete with full-Autumn colors and a clear blue sky, while the remainder of the clip showed green trees whose color had clearly not yet turned, and an overcast sky.

Regarding how this might have happened, the only things I can think are, (A) the Hannity staffer responsible for cueing the tape screwed up and "accidentally" showed the wrong video clip, or (B) the Hannity show intentionally tried to deceive viewers by making Michele Bachmann's "press conference" (a.k.a. tea party rally) appear better attended than it actually was.

Oops.

If it turns out to be the latter, this would be a serious breach of journalistic ethics and not at all in keeping with Fox News' slogans of "we report you decide" and "fair and balanced," and would do little to dispel the growing notion that Hannity is nothing but a PR shill for right-wing causes, as he demonstrated in this feeble attempt to offer doctored, badly edited video as "proof" of Cuba's dismal health care.

Sean... really. I thought even you were above this. So what do you think you'll do after you get fired from Fox News? Used car sales would probably be a perfect fit for you, but the protests from used-car salesman everywhere would probably preclude your getting the job.

Uh, oh...

Looks like little Eric might be in for a spanking when America's Anchorman finds out about this gaff.

Mr. Cantor better practice saying "I'm sorry Mr. Limbaugh," because that's exactly what he'll be doing in less than 48 hours, just as Misters Sanchez, Gingrey, Sanford, and Steele had to do.

They all learned you don't hush the Rush.

Winna win a chicken dinna!

Attaboy Lefty!

Right vs Left Revisited...

When are cable news shows going to drop the tired left-versus-right "punch-counterpunch" discussion theme?

It's not a discussion. It's a pointless exercise that all too often results in a shouting match. Nothing is ever resolved. Nothing new ever comes to light. Neither side relents its narrow, self-interested POV.

Both combatants (a.k.a. guests) yell, but neither one can hear what the other is saying, even if this truly were the goal of the show's host, which it isn't.

This tired theme just doesn't add to the public discourse. It's subjective, combative, and just plain stupid.

Yesterday, former Republican congressman Tom Tancredo was a guest on MSNBC's "The Ed Show" along with Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos. During their shouting match, Mr. Moulitsas launched an ad hominem toward Mr. Tancredo (who, to be fair, launches plenty of these himself), at which Mr. Tancredo became incensed, demanded an apology, and walked off camera and off the show when he realized an apology wasn't forthcoming.

Who benefited from this exchange? What good came of it? Which side won this "debate?" How was the public discourse aided in any way? The answers are no one, nothing, neither, and not at all.

The real answer to who won is "ratings," because here we are talking about it, and you just know it'll be the lead on other news shows on Sunday and Monday. The left will automatically support Moulitsas and the right will automatically support Tancredo.

Big surprise.

Wow.

I feel so much better now.

Please... cable news producers... stop this absurd left-right baiting, stop inviting each fringe's attack dogs, and simply invite people with whom your host can have a discussion.

Rachel Maddow, as an example, knows how to do this. Rachel has a strong progressive bias; she freely admits this. But she invites people with opposing views and when they agree to appear, she has civil exchanges with them. They both can disagree, but they'll neither yell at one another nor abuse one another. (Bill... Sean... you listening?)

Civility is the real victim, and these staged right-left dust-ups do nothing to counter this trend.

Cut it out. You're grownups. Behave yourselves.

File under U, for unbe-freaking-lievable!

W-w-w-what?

You need a license to drive, a license for your dogs, your cats, but any idiot can have children.

Right v Left, as usual, but with a twist...

Much will be made today by the right about the gubernatorial wins in Virginia and New Jersey, but I think the far larger story is in the 23rd District of NY.

Look, New Jersey's incumbent Corzine didn't endear himself to too many people, on the right or on the left, so his demise isn't a shocker. And if you consider that Virginia typically votes for the party not in the Whitehouse, and has done this for decades, the win there isn't a shocker either; it's just cyclical.

But if you consider that Dede Scozzafava, a Republican, dropped out of the 23rd District race and supported the Democratic candidate, and that the furthest right among Rightublicans (Palin, Limbaugh, Bachmann, Hannity, et al.) didn't support her as their own party's candidate, you have the real story.

The right-wingnuts threw their support behind the human dynamo Doug Hoffman, who doesn't live in the district and who... wait for it... isn't even a Republican! Nope. Mr. Hoffman is a member of the Conservative Party of New York State, a party that thinks the Republicans are left-leaning wussies.

It's what happened in upstate New York that puts into stark relief the fractures that exist within the Republican Party.

If there are people who can make Newt Gingrich seem like a reasonable, moderate guy, then the Repos have a real schism to deal with. Sure, they will no doubt spin what happened to Mr. Hoffman, but, in truth, the Dems would have spun a loss in the 23rd as well, so is Bill Owens the best man for the job?

I have no clue and that's not the point.

The point is that the farthest-right fringe of the Republican Party is about to cut off the more-moderate-portion-of-the-party's nose to spite its arch-conservative face, and it's going to be fun to watch.

Asking Merriam-Webster's to revise a definition...

I'd like to ask Merriam-Webster's Dictionary to revise their definition of "smarmy" by adding this photograph...



...as a clear example of what the word means.

But don't take my word for this. All you have to do is realize this guy said "I don't recall" (or things similar to it) a total of 72 times in his 2004 interview with the FBI.

Seventy two!

He didn't recall!? Are you kidding me!? Was he suddenly demented?

I don't think so, but I'll just bet that Representative Joe Wilson (R. SC) knows the correct word to use for what Dick is.

Hey... maybe if the FBI water-boarded him he'd come clean, but I almost forgot: Dick doesn't think it's torture so it wouldn't work on him.

Man, if anyone could make Dubya seem like a sympathetic character, it's Dick.

Please cash a sanity check...

Read this article, and then please explain to me why we and other countries have our men and women over there risking their well being, losing their limbs and their lives, when these knuckleheaded chowderheads can't even run their own %$#@ing country?

If this isn't an enormous waste of lives, money, time, and energy, please show me what is.

President Obama just can't win...

Today, President Obama...

• Sneezed into a Kleenex and was accused by the Rightublicans of not recycling
• Sang in the shower and was accused of being a little flat and a little sharp
• Played tennis with the First Lady and was accused of misogyny for not letting her win
• Went for a walk and was accused of not supporting the auto industry by driving
• Ate White House garden vegetables and was accused of not supporting the grocery industry
• Burped up some radish and was accused of air pollution
• Received his H1N1 shot and was accused of denying it to someone who was actually born here
• Did not criticize Fox News and was accused of not paying enough attention to them
• Listened to Rush Limbaugh's radio program and was accused of spying
• Used a personal check to buy some new shoes and was accused of exacerbating the credit crisis
• Broke a little wind and was accused of contributing to global warming
• Turned up the heat in the Oval Office and was accused of hogging all the natural gas
• Tried to give the Nobel Prize back and was accused of disrespecting the nominating committee
• Thanked Olympia Snowe for her vote and was accused of favoring L.L. Bean over Eddie Bauer, and...
  
• Dog-sat a friend's Boston, Jack Russell, and Airedale and was accused of palling around with terrierists

Political limericks...

There was a large man named Rush
Whose opinions did constantly gush.
His radio rants,
Sure ruffle some pants,
But his thinking just seems so much mush.

There was a young man named Glenn
Who uses his chalk like a pen.
His arguments seem ruthless,
But his logic is toothless,
And he thinks commies hide in his den.

There was a young man name of Keith
Who rips at the right with his teeth.
He mocks them with voices,
And questions their choices,
Giving many of them a nightly worst wreath.

There was a thin woman named Ann
Who certainly could use a tan.
She lashes the left,
As morally bereft,
While thinking more right than most can.

There was a young man named Barack
Whose critics he often does shock.
They question his birth,
Say he lies without worth,
But say “no” to him as they dead lock.

There was a tall man name of Bill
Who nightly presents all his will.
“You’re in no-spin zones,”
To his guests he intones,
But he comes off as just nothing but shrill.

There was a young woman named Sarah
Whose beauty just might rival Farrah’s.
But when she opens her mouth,
All who hear her run south,
With a strong sense of fear and sheer terror.

There was a young man name of Sean
Who says lefties do everything wrong.
His rantings enable,
Right fringe groups who table,
The conspiracies for which Sean does long.

Added on 11/12/2009...

There once was a man named Lou Dobbs
Whose opinion he did spew out in gobs.
He ranted of illegals,
As he acted all regal,
So now he's considering new jobs.

Stop staring at yourself!

Someone at Fox News has got to tell Martha MacCallum to stop admiring herself in the monitor in front of her.

This is most noticeable and annoying when she takes part in those silly multiple-choice "nooooz" quizzes on The Factor. She spends more time catching glances at herself in the monitor than she does looking anywhere else.

Of course she's pretty. She is. But does she have to prove this to herself constantly?

Bill, please. Point some of your famous No Spin attitude straight at Ms. MacCallum and get her to stop stealing glances at herself in your monitors. It's annoying.

Bum's Rush for Rush?

Rush Limbaugh has fallen victim to a vast Liberal conspiracy of staggering proportions.

It's obvious that the NFL is a nest of lefty Socialists and Communists, because it has rejected Rush's honest desire to be an NFL-team owner, dropping him like a Favre bullet over the middle, rejecting him like a smothering defense on 4th and short.

Who could possibly believe that as an owner Mr. Limbaugh would not comport himself with the same dignity and restraint he has so clearly demonstrated on his radio broadcasts over the last decade?

What proof is there that he's anything less than a fair and impartial man who wants nothing more than to be one of the guys, to hang with his peers?

What has this world come to when a multi-millionaire can't spend his money on whatever he wants to in a supposedly free market, unimpeded by political and social pressures?

I, for one, can't wait for Rush's appearances on the fairest, most impartial media shows, like Hannity and The Factor and On the Record, so he can make his case and they can give him the support and props he so badly needs. The Teabaggers should take up his cause. Glenn Beck should diagram it on his chalkboard and expose it for what it is: Obama's fault. Women around the country should come to Rush's aid and support him in this unfair denial of his rights as he has so clearly done for them, time and time again.

This is just so obviously a case of left-wing pressure brought to bear on an innocent, right-thinking man who simply doesn't deserve any of it.

No... not really.

Deny wrongdoing yet pay anyway?

In what twisted part of the cosmos does it makes sense for a corporation or company to be able to admit no wrongdoing (in terms of what they were sued for), yet have to pay money in a settlement?

How can they agree that they owe someone money but be able to say they did nothing wrong?

If they truly did nothing wrong, they shouldn't pay anything at all. That they paid, however, means they did something wrong: paying is admitting this.

What am I missing here?

If I smack into someone in traffic or a tree in my yard falls on my neighbor's house, I pay for these transgressions. I can't say, "These weren't my fault, but here's some cash anyway."

If corporations want corporate personhood, want the rights that people have, they should behave like people and admit wrongdoing when they do wrong.

Hello Pot? This is Kettle.

Eric Cantor's name is perfect: he's a can't-er, all right.

Here's how his meeting with Steny Hoyer will probably go.

Hoyer: "So, I'd like you to get on board with health care reform."

Cantor: "No."

Hoyer: "You said it would be good 'to see if we in Congress could try to work together for a change.' So you're now saying you didn't say this?"

Cantor: "No."

Hoyer: "All you Republicans can seem to say is 'no'; is this any way to seek meaningful change?"

Cantor: "No."

Hoyer: "You're kind of a dick, aren't you?"

Cantor: "Yes... I mean, no."