December 15, 2009
And by “mine” I mean a giant pile of cash from the rest of you to “wean me” off the first giant pile of cash I took from you all because I managed my job and my money so poorly.
I’m going to go remind myself why I bother at all for a while.
Tip of the hat to HuffPo.
Update: Yes, I know it is more “complicated than that.” I just don’t think it is, nor should be.
November 9, 2009
…Obama is playing this one right.
History moves slow, and he knows it. Progress is made on incremental gains.
I know how he feels about it. It’s just that there are too many Republican Democrats to do anything else, or take any other position. Sad, but true.
The interesting and illuminating question is whether and how he can use this in the ’10 or ’12 elections.
How any woman could concede her uterus to a controlling authority is simply beyond me, no matter what she wants to do with it.
October 1, 2009
Update: It is very, very creepy to me that a goddamn comedy show that is actually funny is the only entity outside McClatchy (who as far as I know was the only major news organization that got the WMD in Iraq thing right) that is presenting what should be fucking OBVIOUS to any sentient being.
Update 2: Pat Tillman is a personal hero of mine of the first order, and somehow oddly and very intensely represents the horror show that was the second Bush The Lesser Administration to me in a big, big way. Turning an authentic American Hero into a prop. Lying about what happened to Tillman. Thinking not just first, but foremost and ever, of the politics of it.
I hope these people don’t actually believe in the just God they claim to, just as one of the primary reasons *I* hope there’s a God is for proper eternal Justice for people who could look themselves in the fucking mirror about shit like this.
July 16, 2009
If not a gay Muslim fascist communist abortionist terrorist non-American citizen painfully centrist and imperialistic militaristic Democrat.
I dunno, I found the whole thing sort of hard to argue with.
Update: I mean, at the end there where the President says, “And God bless the United States of America” you can tell he doesn’t mean it. *eye-roll*
April 22, 2009
…as torture since there is such a simple solution to it: Waterboard anyone who claims it isn’t torture, until they say it is or never break. We could even have Dr.’s around for them, and tell them they only had to go through it 183 times, so they felt all safe and secure about it, a luxury I don’t think our prisoners have. If they make it through 183 and never break, their principled stand is good by me.
It would make the case pretty rock solid on either side of the fence. They either don’t break, agree that it was torture, or come out later and say they lied about it to make it stop.
Simple, clean, and decisive! We could even tally up the results!
It makes too much sense to actually happen, of course. I’m torn on the whole prosecution thing. I’m wildly morally supportive of it, because people should be held accountable for breaking the law, but the country is in such a mess I’m afraid it will kill us economically and politically.
Another fine Bush legacy, and another demonstration of Bush’s special skill at putting us in lose-lose situations. Bizarro-genius.
Update: Step up, Sean Hannity! Can I do the questioning? I’ll do it for free.
Update 2: Right on! Keith Olbermann issues the same challenge to Hannity! And puts some money where his mouth is! It’s early in the show, but it will be fun to see how this plays out.
Update 3: MSNBC makes it difficult (OK, I found it impossible) to e-mail Keith the suggested ground rules, which is too bad. It would make for better TV.
Anyone who doesn’t think this idea is a deficit-busting (just kidding, but seriously highly profitable) pay-per-view event, done under my direction, is crazy.
January 28, 2009
I’ve said for a long time that this kumbaya bullshit with people as stupidly craven as the current version of the modern Republican party is as effective as praying for winning lottery numbers.
Then I say to myself, “Self, he’s (Obama) been a step or two ahead of most for about two years now. Maybe we have a reminder of Clinton’s first budget vote coming, along with a nice little quip or speech about the economic strangulation we went through during the ’90’s.”
Update: Atrios as usual sums it up concisely.
January 15, 2009
BIG Kudos to the pilot, who clearly did everything exactly right under what most of us would agree were rather high-pressure circumstances. In a perfect world, he should immediately be paid a bonus equal to his current annual pay times the number of years he has to retirement. He’s earned every dime of it. Whether he continues flying or not.
And don’t forget the co-pilot, who could be said pretty safely not to have screwed anything up, and probably was both spiritual and practical comfort to the pilot.
But watching the coverage, you’d think the pilot had no personal vested stake in getting the plane down safely. It’s weird and funny and vaguely uncomfortable for me to watch because it is simply not a realistic way of capturing what the pilot went through. I wish it were different. I just heard a Talking Head say that it was amazing that the pilot “kept his energy.” Uh, Mr. Head? The pilot had enough adrenaline coursing through his veins to keep him awake for hours, at least, and maybe wrestle a grizzly.
To me, a dream quote from the pilot would be along the lines of, “Passengers? I had passengers? *laugh* I was a bit more worried about my wife and kids. Plus, I didn’t want to die.”
Update: In related news, President Bush is telling us goodbye tonight.
Update 2: More on the pilot. Obvious mega-stud. If I ever become a billionaire, he’s got a job.
January 9, 2009
…he can come out of his election loss smelling like a rose, historically speaking.
This would suggest, so far, that he does.
September 19, 2008
Hat tip to Amanda for pointing this one out.
A former Christian conservative, and someone who sounds to me to be, well, almost actually Christian, weighs in on the election.
May 30, 2008
He’s not going to fall for the standard playbook of “Democrats are girls, only the Republicans can protect you,” that is clear.
This may be just a weird, self-congratulatory observation on my part, but I think my experience playing basketball in downtown Chicago gives me a little perspective on how Obama will play the game of politics. I’ve seen plenty of evidence thus far to support my conclusion: Obama isn’t going to let anyone give him a lot of unnecessary shit, and when he gets dunked on, which will eventually happen from a tactical perspective, he’ll say “nice dunk” and try to kick your ass during the next series.
Thanks to Atrios. This is all true. Here are some quotes on the subject from the McCain campaign.
Beware The Man 