Krugman Wrong Again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q046lonbv2o&feature=related.......@ 2:43 of the video.

Talents Deserving MUCH Wider Recognition

Teresa Wright, Jean Simmons, and Joan Fontaine, folks. Eight Oscar nominations and two statues between the three of them. And not exactly brutal on the eyeballs, either, are they?

Gingrich at His Combustible Hypocritical Finest

"I would love to be civil, but I’m running against a maniacal liar."

Rusty, Is This You? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU08_lG2plU&NR=1&feature=endscreen

"Wasserman-Schultz is a sleazy big government thug clown puppet. With an IQ of a pine cone and the looks of a deranged drug addled homeless woman. This bitch ain't fooling anyone, except brain dead liberals who foam at the mouth when you mention the Constitution, and who march blindly along with the Democratic party no matter what, since they can't formulate an independent thought."

Empire, Heal Thyself

There's this one issue that seems to unite liberals, progressives, moderates, and even some libertarian-leaning conservatives. And that's the issue of wasteful /unnecessary defense spending. These people (rightly, in my estimation) point specifically to the burgeoning military industrial complex, the crony capitalism that's now associated with it, and the fact that we continue to see it as our responsibility to nation-build, be the policeman of the planet, etc......................................................................................................Yeah, well, guess what, I have a suggestion. We currently have some 900 foreign military bases - a fair amount of them in totally unnecessary locations such as Aruba. What do you say that we (to start, I'm saying) close a good hundred of them down? Fifty of them we could close altogether and the other fifty we could relocate to our shores and borders to work on homeland security. a) We'd reduce the deficit (a good 5-10 billion, I would think) and b) we'd actually be stimulating OUR economy and not the economies of other nations. So, what do you think? I bet that I could get Mr.s Paul and Kucinich on board.

An Attempt on My Part to Broker a Tax Deal Between Jerry and Heathen Republican

a) Lower the overall rates for everybody A TAD (an amount to be arrived at through intense negotiations between the three of us).............b) Completely eliminate the special exemption for capital gains (i.e., treat it as regular income).............c) Index capital gains for inflation (government often creates inflation and, because of that, the taxpayer shouldn't be penalized).............d) Reduce the cap on mortgage interest deduction from $1,000,000 to $500,000.............e) Reduce the top corporate tax rate from 35% to 20-25% AND eliminate ALL loopholes.............f) Gather around the campfire and sing Kumbaya.

Miscellaneous 112

1) Hillary Clinton was treated like garbage in 2008....BY LIBERALS! It started when you had clowns like Chris Matthews and David Shuster cheap-shotting her; Matthews saying that the only reason that she even had a political career was because her husband cheated on her, Shuster saying that she was "pimping" her daughter. That, of course, was followed by even more disgusting rants against her by Randy Rhodes (yes, she was shnockered when she did it) and the reverend Jeremiah Wright and Keith Olbermann basically running Mr. Obama's campaign from MSNBC. The whole sordid episode was flat-our disgusting, in my opinion.............2) Oh, and let is not forget, either, the way that the hard left vilified Mrs. Clinton when she didn't immediately concede. I mean, it was almost as if they wanted her to cry, "uncle" - never minding, of course, that Reagan never conceded to Ford in 1976, or that Kennedy never conceded to Carter in 1980 (I still remember poor Carter chasing Kennedy around the stage). It's like, what, a woman needs to know her place in politics or something?............3) Guarding Jason Terry (even at the ripe old age of 34)? Seriously?...I would rather guard Christ than Jason Terry, for Christ. I mean, I hate to be so sacrilege about it but, come on!............4) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWPSU8R-Yss.....A brief but definitive tribute to the beautiful and talented Eva Marie Saint (replete with footage of her kissing Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Warren Beatty, Paul Newman, and even Bob Hope!).

The Progressive Spin Machine, Central Tenets 3

g) George W. Bush must not be viewed in any favorable light whatsoever. h) Mr. Bush's motives must always be viewed perniciously. i) Rinse and repeat X3.

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/06/federal-spending-by-the-numbers-2010

According to the historical tables from the Office of Management and Budget, federal social spending has increased markedly from 2000 to 2010. Here are the respective increases (adjusted for inflation) from specific areas; Medicaid and SCHIP 87%, Veteran's benefits 107%, Welfare and other income security programs 91%, Education 155%, Health resources and regulation 69%, Natural resources and the environment 47%, Unemployment compensation 559%, Medicare 81%, Housing assistance 108%, Food assistance 139%, WIC 52%, Child nutrition 47%, Child tax credit payments 2,155%, and the Earned Income Tax Credit 48%..........................................................................................Now, granted, some of these increases have accrued during the first two years of the Obama administration. But, as the previous table from the previous post clearly enumerated, Mr. Bush was hardly a piker when it came to a) entitlement spending and b) non-defense discretionary spending. Ergo, I can definitely see why the conservative didn't like him domestically and all but the liberals, it has to be more about the tax-cuts, I'm thinking.

Non-Defense Discretionary Spending Under George W. Bush

Over My Dead Body You Will

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what would you say if your kid told you that he wanted to play football at Alabama under Lou Saban, or at USC under Lane Kiffin?"

Word Association, Cable News/Talk Radio Edition

1) Ed Schultz - unhinged.............2) Sean Hannity - idiotic (with apologies to disrespectful).............3) Rachel Maddow - snarky.............4) Rush Limbaugh - blowhard.............5) Keith Olbermann - creepy (with apologies to paranoiac).............5) Glenn Beck - conspiratorial (to the nines!).............6) Anderson Cooper - professional.............6) Bill O'Reilly - arrogant (though, no, not as pronounced as it was before).............7) Geraldo Rivera - gonzo!............8) Shepard Smith - fair.............9) Chris Matthews - volcanic (with apologies to smarmy).............10) Fox and Friends - mindless.............11) Joe Scarborough - mavericky.............12) Greta Van Susteren - irritating.............13) Nancy Grace - bobbynoxious.............14) Lawrence O'Donnell - tolerable.............15) Dr. Drew - surprising (this, in that I like him and didn't think that I would).............16) Michael Savage - carnivorous.............17) Mike Huckabee - Gomer (with apologies to Goober).............18) Laura Ingraham - screechy.............19) Randy Rhodes - disgusting (that drunken rampage directed at Hillary, for example).............20) Wolf Blitzer - competent.............Bonus) No, he's not in broadcasting anymore but (drum-roll, please) Alan Keyes - berserk (with apologies to ranting, raving, and frothing).

Another Example of Say it Enough....?

President Obama has been beating a steady drumbeat over the fact that Warren Buffet's secretary has apparently been paying a higher percentage on her taxes than Mr. Buffett has, the fact that most of Mr. Buffett's present income comes from capital gains and is thus being taxed at only 15%. And it seems to be an effective form of messaging, too; the fact that it appeals to the public's sense of fairness, etc.. The only problem with it is that is that it may not be necessarily true. My colleague, Heathen Republican, has put forth an absolutely brilliant analysis and I'd like to share it with those who may not frequent his blog with the regularity that I do. Here, my friends, is a little bit of it.......: "With the recent release of Mitt Romney’s tax returns, there’s a lot of talk about how little he pays in taxes compared to the rest of us. Knowing that he pays 15% on most of his income – the capital gains rate – do you think you pay more than Mitt Romney?

The likely answer is no, you don’t pay as much as Romney, even with his 15% rate (to compare to Romney, you’ll need to calculate your effective tax rate, which is your actual tax divided by your gross salary). Sure, you and I have to worry about multiple tax brackets at 10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33%, and 35%, so naturally we’re paying more, right? Because each tax bracket is a marginal rate, we’re only paying the top tax rate on a fraction of our income.

For example, if you are single and earned $35,000 in 2011, you’ll first subtract the $5,800 standard deduction, then pay 10% of the first $8,500 and 15% on the remaining $20,700. In the end, you’ll pay $3,959 in taxes for an effective tax rate of 11.3% (IRS source). Romney has a 33% higher effective tax rate than you do, which is pretty progressive.".......................................................................................................Interesting, no? I mean, at the very least Mr. Obama is oversimplifying the matter (that, and hopefully he's not being disingenuous). Now, does this change my mind on the issue? No, no it doesn't. I'm still in favor of doing away with the special consideration for capital gains. In fact, my proposal is significantly bolder than the President's. This, in that I would do away with the exemption completely. The deficit, people, is much too massive and Mr. Obama's so-called millionaire's surcharge would only close the budget shortfall by 30-40 billion a year (this, according to CNN's Erin Burnett). It's a pittance and we clearly need to raise more revenue. Unfortunately here, the President is playing election year politics and implying that this problem of ours will somehow be painless (yes, the Republicans are doing it, too). So much for that whole "Obama is a new type of politician" mumbo-humbo.

Tis the Season, I Guess

I agree with President Obama that we should do away with the special consideration for capital gains (I make up for it with conservatives by reducing the corporate tax rates significantly). But, if he's trying to portray this act as some sort of great deficit reducer, then he's wholly incorrect. Erin Burnett (smart AND good looking) on CNN last night said that this proposal would only reduce the deficit by 30-40 billion - a pittance. Methinks that this was much more a reelection ploy than it was any sort of substantive policy overture.

The Progressive Spin Machine, Central Tenets 2

d) Follow the money. e) Except when it involves a Democrat, then you don't follow the money. f) Rinse and repeat again.

Miscellaneous 111

1) I'm still not entirely sure what Newt Gingrich did to "earn" that 1.6 million from Freddie Mac. The historian explanation certainly didn't make sense and his subsequent attempts at justification have been even more convoluted. But even if he actually did do something, don't you think that he should give the money back? a) The taxpayers had to bail those miserable sons of bitches out and b) Mr. Gingrich in fact DID lobby for them. An honest person would no doubt give the money back.............2) Mr. Obama is trying to initiate some type of Visa reform. He wants to make it easier for people from emerging markets such as India, Brazil, and China to be able to come to America as tourists. To which, I say, bravo. I mean, seriously, can you even begin to imagine the voltage that this would provide to the economy, millions of people coming to vacation here; the hotel industry, the restaurant and cafe industry, local artisans, the car rental industry, convenience stores, gas stations, etc., etc.. I'm telling you here, folks, if Mr. Obama can succeed on this one, it won't simply help the U.S. economy. It'll help him, too.............3) I've conceded on many occasions that Bush was a bad President. His two unnecessary wars (I was in favor of the Afghan conflict until it became an occupation/propping up of Karzai) and reckless deficits are two things in particular that harmed the country. But I do think that there's one thing in which he's gotten a bad rap for; a common held notion that he ONLY did things which benefited the wealthy. Yes, he did cut taxes and the top two percent benefited handsomely. But, so, too, did the middle-class. Of the 370 billion that the tax-cuts cost the treasury, more than 80% of it went to the middle-class (yes, it's a larger population but 80% is 80%). And it wasn't just with tax-cuts that he helped the non-wealthy. Discretionary domestic spending also skyrocketed under Bush. For example, H.U.D. spending skyrocketed under Bush, transportation spending skyrocketed under Bush, educational spending skyrocketed under Bush, and H.H.S. spending (most of which goes to the poor and disadvantaged) really skyrocked under Bush. To say that the fellow only cared about the well-to-do really and truly doesn't seem to be the case.

Analysis Via Bromide

What would be my answer to the question, "So, how would you personally describe what passes for political punditry on prime-time cable these days?"

Pamphlets and Prisms

There are basically two ways to interpret political history. One is through folklore, the other through facts (though, yes, I suppose that a combination of the two is possible, too).................................................................................................For example, just take a look at how the various elements view in hindsight Hillary Clinton's attempt at health-care reform. Those on the far-left continue to see it as a noble attempt at reform that was largely derailed by big industry. Contrasted, those on the far-right continue to see it it as a government takeover of the private insurance industry. AND THEN THERE ARE THE FACTS. a) Big business DID NOT oppose Hillarycare. Yes, the smaller providers opposed it in that they wanted a more market-oriented approach but conglomerates such as Prudential, Cigna, Aetna, Met Life, and Travelers (all of which by that time had become HMOs) - they were all basically behind it! And, b) because they were basically behind it, it was also unfair for the demagogues on the right to denigrate it as a big government takeover. It was what it was, in other words; yet another example of big business and big government enriching each other and maybe, MAYBE, the public benefiting from it.

On Ed Schultz Versus Anderson Cooper

Ed Schultz couldn't carry Anderson Cooper's pencil if it was stapled to his palm, his paper clips either. Technical knockout, first round.

The Fact That Edward G. Robinson Was Never Nominated EVEN ONCE

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what, in your opinion, is the darkest cloud that still haunts the Oscars?"

Matthews's Saving Grace

Proclaim what you want about Chris Matthews (i.e., that he's crazy, divisive, smarmy, etc.), the guy DOES come out with good ones. On tonight's show, for instance, he gave a little advice to Mitt Romney going into tonight's debate. He told him flatly, "don't get into a peeing contest with a skunk." Suffice it to say that I laughed out loud and am smiling still.

Miscellaneous 110

1) While we I agree with Newt Gingrich that that question about his ex-wife was an inappropriate one to start a Presidential debate with, his response that it was "as close to despicable as anything that he could imagine" was at least a tad over the top as well. As despicable as anything that the dude could imagine? Seriously? More despicable than child sex trafficking ? More despicable than serial killing? More despicable than dealing drugs to kids? More despicable than terrorism? More despicable than ethnic cleansing?....More despicable than genocide? Methinks here, folks, that Mr. Gingrich protested a bit too much and was mugging for the audience.............2) Under my tax proposal (a 40% top tax rate of everything over $400,000 a year, a doing away of the special consideration for capital gains, and a reduction pertaining to the cap on mortgage interest deduction from 1 million to $500,000), a person making 10 million dollars a year living in Allegany County New York, with a million dollar home in that jurisdiction, and a second million dollar home in Marblehead Neck, MA, would probably pay about half of that money back to the government; state, local, and federal. That, in my opinion, is fair. I certainly don't think that the government should get significantly more than half. That much I do know.............3) I'm not a major fan of Fox News (Sean Hannity and Fox and Friends, especially). But at least they put forth a quasi credible showing the other night (their primary coverage, I'm saying). The had Bret Baier and Megyn Kelly as hosts (no, not perfect, but certainly far less biased than Rachel Maddow) and, while, yes, there was the obligatory stooge siting (Karl Rove, for example) throughout the evening, the overall presentation (which included quite solid reporting by Ed Henry, Carl Cameron, and the recently acquired John Roberts) was far less ideological than that which MSNBC put on the air. Hopefully, they can continue to deliver coverage like this and, yes, maybe get a little credit for it, too.

Miscellaneous 109

1) Boy, does that Newt Gingrich ever have chutzpah. The dude's lost two consecutive contests to Rick Santorum (finishing behind him in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary) and he's saying that SANTORUM should get out of the race. Talk about some ballsiness, huh?............2) Conventional wisdom is that 1930s screen goddesses, Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, a) didn't know each other and b) never even met. It isn't the sole/unanimous opinion, however. This, in that tabloid journalist and reporter, Diana McLellan, alleges that not only did they know each other they actually had a love affair back in 1925. According to McLellan (this, from her 2000 book, "The Girls: Sappho Goes to Hollywood"), the two women (Garbo was 19 at the time, Dietrich 23) met on the set of the movie, "The Joyless Street", and proceeded to have a torrid six week love affair. McLellan also goes on to say that the relationship ended quite acrimoniously (Dietrich was allegedly jealous of Garbo's meteroric success) and that the two basically lied for 60 years that they had never even met each other. Youza, huh? Now, is it true? I'd certainly like to think so, no?............3) You'd think that it would be hard to steal any movie in which your costars were Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, Jean Simmons, and Carroll Baker. But that's exactly what Burl Ives did in the 1958 epic western, "The Big Country" (directed by the great William Wyler). Ives's turn as the uncouth, quasi moral rancher, Rufus Hannassey, is such a scene stealer that you almost forget about the star power in the film. And apparently his Hollywood peers agreed with this by awarding him an Academy Award that year. Pretty decent, huh? I guess that hard work, excellence, and determination can pay off after all.

The big Decision

So, who am I going to watch for election coverage tonight; CNN with Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, David Gergen, Gloria Borger, Candy Crowley, Jessica Yellin, and John King, or MSNBC with Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, the Reverend Al Sharpton, Chris Matthews, Lawrence O'Donnell, David Corn, and Eugene Robinson? Gee, I don't know, that's a real tough one.......LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Miscellaneous 108

1) The sad thing about Romney is that once upon a time the dude probably would have made a pretty decent general election candidate. Unfortunately, he's since then made far too many irrational and divisive comments for that to have even remotely stuck and he presently looks like nothing more than a partisan piss-ant. Man, oh, man, do I ever hate partisan politics.............2) I fully agree with the Democrats (and some Republicans) that revenues need to be a part of any deficit equation compromise. But I also agree with my colleague, HR (Heathen Republican), that this whole "the rich need to pay their fair share" rhetoric really needs to stop. It's divisive. It's demagogic. And it's deceptive (the top 1% make 20% of the adjusted gross income, but pay a full 38% of all income taxes). If I were to advise the President on this one, I would have him focus more on the need to reduce the deficit and how raising taxes on the affluent is one of the lesser disruptive ways to do that, and skip that nastier singling out rhetoric of his.............3) I'm also pretty pissed at Obama for his walking away from a deal (purportedly) that had 800 billion in revenue in it. I guess that he heard that the Gang of Six (which I also supported) plan had 1.2 trillion in revenue and decided to move the goalposts. Not a classy move by the President, in my opinion.............4) I was watching C-Span the other night and the always interesting Tom Friedman was on. I always learn a lot from this fellow but what I learned last night was especially gratifying. It seems that one of my all-time favorite movies is also one of his favorites; Orson Welles's groundbreaking "Touch of Evil". We even apparently have the same favorite scene in the movie; the part where Welles's character goes up to Marlene Dietrich and messes up the cards that she's reading for somebody else. Remember it? He says to her, "What's MY future?" and she goes (with that eerily deadpan Dietrich delivery), "You haven't got any." Now, Mr. Friedman was obviously making an analogy here. But I didn't care. I was just amped that the dude liked "Touch of Evil".

The Fact That He Gave a Bunch of Pro-Ethanol Speeches in Iowa

What would be my answer to the question, "So, how do you KNOW that Mr. Santorum is a typical pol?"

Miscellaneous 107

1) While it's fair to say that I don't speak for ALL swing-voters, I can say that when Mr. Gingrich throws around that "Obama is a food stamps President" line, this particular swing voter does in fact cringe. And I'm not even saying that it's a racist sentiment necessarily - just that it a) doesn't sound right in general and b) what in the hell was Mr. Obama supposed to do, let the people go hungry during a recession that he himself didn't create (yes, one could argue on the merits of his policies, and whether or not these policies made the recession worse, etc.)? I'm telling you here, folks, if Mr. Gingrich does get the nomination (still an extremely unlikely scenario), and talks like this during the general election, he'll more than likely get annihilated.............2) Two more huge gets for N.C. State skipper, Tom O'Brien. Desmond Owino (the 20th ranked player regardless of position in North Carolina - phenomenal in that the dude only started playing football about a year ago) and Kenderius Whitehead (the 25th ranked player regardless of position in the talent ladened state of Georgia) have both given their verbal commitments to play for the 'Pack in Raleigh. The latter commitment is especially significant in that Mr. Whitehead apparently also had an offer from (the University of) Georgia. For the 'Pack to have gone into the SEC's backyard and gotten not not just a leftover but a blue-chipper is extremely impressive. Hopefully, such coups can continue.............3) Here's a question for my conservative friends/colleagues. How in the heck could the "individual mandate" go from being a conservative Heritage Foundation idea to a radical European socialistic idea in less than two decades? I mean, is it simply because Obama and the Democrats are championing it now? Please, explain (and, no, I'm necessarily defending it here - I'm just confused) this to me.

Eva Marie Saint, Folks Circa 1959

Yeah, huh? Strong consideration or what.

On the New Subway Pastrami Sandwich With Pickles, Mustard, and Cheese

Methinks that there might be some sodium in that bad boy.

Question for Paul Krugman 1

So, dude, is it ever possible to have a stimulus package that is TOO massive? I mean, seriously, that doesn't seem to be what you're saying. Of course, I also have to give you some credit for constructing such a fool-proof argument. I.E., if the stimulus package succeeds, you tell everybody, "See, I told you so", and if it doesn't work, you say, "Oops, it just wasn't big enough." Kind of brilliant (albeit, in a sleazeballish kind of way), if you're asking me.

The All Douche-Bag Team - The Nonpoliticians Edition

Bill O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs, Ed Schultz, Glenn Beck, Mike Malloy, Charles Krauthammer, Paul Krugman, Markos Moulitsis, John Gibson, Michael Savage, Mark Levin, Chris Hayes, Eric Alterman, Neil Boortz, Bill Kristol, Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, George Soros, Steve Doocy, Brent Bozell, Jonah Goldberg, Bill Maher, Eric Bolling.......

The Final Peabody Award Score-Card

South Park - 1 Keith Olbermann/Bill O'Reilly/Sean Hannity/Ed Schultz (yes, the radio station where he once worked has won one but that was more IN SPITE OF HIM than it was because of him)/Glenn Beck - 0.

A National Disgrace

There are a lot of things in this country that divide us; left, right, and center. But could I PLEASE get an amen on this one, just on this one?

Miscellaneous 106

1) I'm going to be honest with you, folks. I never, even for a minute, bought into that Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy analogy. I mean, don't get me wrong here. Mr. Obama in fact IS a good and decent man who truly inspires. But that, I'm afraid to say, is where the comparison ends. Mr. Kennedy had served 8 years in the Senate, 6 years in the House, and was also a war hero who saved his crew in the South Pacific. Add to that the fact that his Presidential accomplishments are now quite legendary; his heroism during the Cuban missile crisis, his starting up of the Peace Corps, his work in laying the ground work for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, his strenuous record of cutting taxes, his visionary commitment to NASA, etc.. Now, this isn't to say that Mr. Obama won't eventually be a great President and leader himself. But as of now, JFK HE IS NOT.............2) Hey, I heard that there was an actual Haley Barbour siting the other day. I'm kind of surprised, to be honest with you. This, in that I really thought that the fellow would try and lay low for a while. And, you know what, based upon what he ended up saying to people, he probably should of. It seems, folks, that Mr. Barbour has somewhat of a soft-spot in his heart for people who commit "crimes of passion" (in these instances, men who blew their wives away). They're the least likely of all criminals to re-offend (this, according to Mr. Barbour), and, besides, Mr. Barbour knows these men from their work at the Governor's mansion and can attest to the fact that they've been rehabilitated (he never once thought that these convicts were buffaloing him, apparently). I mean, I almost wanted to give the guy a frigging shovel, for Christ. That, and the number of a good public relations firm.............3) After a slow start on the field/recruiting trails, Tom O'Brien and his N.C. State Wolfpack are truly finishing strong. They won their final three games of the season and are now in the upper half of ACC schools in terms of recruiting for 2012. Amongst the bell-ringers that they currently have oral commitments from include Pennsylvania quarterback Manny Stocker, Georgia running back Shadrach Thornton, South Carolina defensive end Tyler Knox, Maryland safety Marchez Coates, and a bevy of players from his own backyard; offensive lineman, Bryce Kennedy, safety Majid Salahuddin, and defensive tackle K'Hadree Hooker (all among Rivals's top 30 players from North Carolina). Couple that with the fact that very few of his current players are graduating and it's easy to see why Mr. O'Brien, normally an extremely stoic dude, currently has a smile on his face.

On Rick Santorum and Pork-Barrel Spending

One more dollar of it and he would have started oinking.

Delaying the Obvious Via the Oblivious

I think that we all know what the final deficit reduction compromise is ultimately going to look like. It's going to resemble something very similar to the Bowles-Simpson/Domenici-Rivlin/"Gang of Six" proposals. It has to. It has to because there's a) no way that we can simply tax our way out of it (even if we taxed everything over $250,000 at 100%, we'd still have a deficit) and b) no way that we can simply cut our way out of it (that moronic Tennessee Congresswoman, Marsha Blackburn, seems to think that we can reach a balanced budget simply by cutting non-discretionary defense spending). We have to do both. WE HAVE TO DO BOTH......................................................................................................And, yes, it's going to be painful, too. This whole progressive schpeel that we can somehow create prosperity by taxing the shit out of a certain small segment of society is ludicrous (and, yes, the very type of thinking that, in a far saner society, would probably get you locked up).........................................................................................................Thankfully, folks, we DO have some sane politicians who are actually interested in addressing this issue; Mike Crapo and Tom Coburn on the Republican side, Dick Durbin, Kent Conrad, and Ron Wyden on the Democratic side (hell, folks, even the fairly progressive Chris Van Hollen has stated that the above-mentioned plans are probably where we're ultimately going to end). Unfortunately, as long as we still have idiots like Marsha Blackburn, Nancy Pelosi, and Michele Bachmann to deal with, the can will probably continue to be kicked down the road.

The Fact That Madonna's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Jethro Tull Isn't

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what, in your opinion, is the clearest evidence of a disordered universe?"........................................................................................................P.S. This, in that, while, yes, Jethro Tull was at times quite pretentious and odd, their earlier work such as "Locomotive Breath", "Hymn 43", "Teacher", "Nothing is Easy", "Fat Man", and "Living in the Past" were absolute classics AND that, for those songs alone, they thoroughly belong in Cleveland.

Rebound and Determined

Dallas Mavericks' owner, Mark Cuban, is either the smartest guy in all of professional sports, or the dumbest. He's certainly a gambler - that's for sure. I mean, how in the hell else could you describe a guy who allows his best defender and rebounder, Tyson Chandler, to get scarfed up, absent resistance, by the Knicks - THE KNICKS!? The ONLY thing that I can think of here (other than that the guy is totally nuts, of course) is that Cuban is trying to create some salary space so he can go out and sign Dwight Howard in the off-season. That, and he probably figures, "Hey, I still got Nowitski and Jet (Jason Terry), and with the recent addition of Lamar Odom, who the hell knows, maybe I can tread some water for a while." And, plus, who in the hell am I to question him? The frigging guy is worth over a billion and I'm sitting here talking to you knuckleheads.

Miscellaneous 105

1) My progressives colleagues want what from me exactly - to admit that George W. Bush screwed up? Wow, that's an easy one. George W. Bush screwed up. The dude started 2 idiotic wars and an expensive entitlement program that wasn't at all paid for. But, the thing is (and I don't know whether or not my colleagues have fully recognized this still) - he isn't the fucking President anymore!!! Obama is. And it's HIM who's currently playing footsie with big business and bankrupting the country with out of control deficit spending. HELLO!............2) And I also want to challenge my colleague to follow the money. The vast, VAST, percentage of it (the stimulus spending) went to mega business and hardly any of it went to mom and pop. I think that we all just have to face it here, people. This guy is every bit as much of a crony capitalist as Mr.s Bush and Clinton were. He's just better at getting away with it.............3) Hey, I got some good news on the Haley Barbour fiasco front. It now appears that several of those convicted murderers that the dude just recently pardoned were actually black. Hm, maybe the dude isn't a racist after all. Maybe he's just simply an idiot.............4) "I don't think that President Obama 'understands' America." This is what Mitt Romney apparently thinks these days. Or at least that's what he's saying. Wow, huh, talk about offensive. I mean, who in the hell is he to use such coded language? Not that I was necessarily going to vote for him anyway; the fact that he's such a flaming phony, opportunist, etc. but to hear the guy talk like a Glen Beck clone like this is especially obnoxious. This, my friends, is one independent swing-voter who ISN'T impressed.

Miscellaneous 104

1) Have you ever considered as to why President Obama and others in his administration (a fellow by the name of Rham Emanuel comes to mind) gave up so easily on the "public-option", and why they didn't even consider a single-payer approach? I think that I might have the answer for you. According to opensecrets.org, back in 2008, then candidate Obama received 3 times as much money as his opponent, Mr.McCain, from HMOs, 3 1/2 times as much from pharmaceutical giants, and 4 times as much from hospitals and nursing homes. Yes, folks, it was payback - pure and simple payback.............2) Of course, the more penetrating question here is, where in the hell was the media on this? I mean, you've got this candidate who's absolutely eviscerating the health-care industry and, at the same time, filling his coffers with money from them. This did not in any way seem peculiar? It's like, seriously, were they THAT in frigging love with the fellow?............3) After two consecutive piss-poor performances, is it now safe to say that Mr. Gingrich is officially toast? I mean, he certainly isn't going to run simply out of spite and vengefulness is he? IS HE?............4) WHAT WAS HALEY BARBOUR THINKING? I mean, did he really think that pardoning 17 convicted murderers wasn't going to make it in the news or something? Uh, duh! Of course, the fact that this asshole is going straight back in lobbying......

The Progressive Spin Machine, Central Tenets

a) Anything good that happens during Obama's tenure, credit is given him. b) Anything bad that happens during Obama's tenure, blame George Bush. c) Rinse and repeat.

To All of Those Who Want to Blame George Bush Solely for Solyndra, This

"The results of the Congressional probe shared Tuesday with ABC News show that less than two weeks before President Bush left office on January 9, 2009 the Energy Department's credit committee made a unanimous decision not to offer a loan commitment to Solyndra."......ABC News 9/13/11.............And this from Wikipedia - "The Department of Energy began evaluating Solyndra's application on January 9, 2009 and determined that the project had merit but that additional issues would need to be resolved before approval could be granted.^"

No Maturity

Here, folks, is a perfect example of why I can't stand Keith Olbermann. Remember back when that centrist, nonpartisan group, No Labels (a group of disaffected moderate Democrats and Republicans whose sole purpose was to try and get the two parties to work together and knock off the bullshit), was formed? Remember how everybody (myself included) was essentially amped by it? "Finally", we said, "a few individuals out there who actually want to get some things done and not be destructive about it." Yeah, well guess what, folks, not Mr. Keith Olbermann. Nope, he went up and put 'em on his "Worst Persons" list. Let's just say that THAT was the final straw for me - him essentially saying that he wanted all the toys or nothing.

So Much So That's it's Coming Out His Nose

What would be my answer to the question, "So, just how much DOES Newt Gingrich hate Mitt Romney?"

Closing Down for Surgery

Hopefully back by the weekend. Commenter moderation activated because of the troll.

Their Marked Inability to Comprehend (Never Mind Appreciate) Nuance

What would be my answer to the question, "So, what's the thing that frustrates you most about extremists?"

Dear Rachel Maddow

I oppose using the budget reconciliation process to pass heath-care reform and climate legislation. As one of the authors of the reconciliation process, I can tell you that the ironclad parliamentary procedure it authorizes were never intended for this purpose.......Sincerely, Senator Robert Byrd West Virginia.

Robert Mitchum's Reverend Harry Powell From the Charles Laughton Classic, "The Night of the Hunter"

What would be my answer to the question, "So, who's your all-time movie villain?"...........................................................................................P.S. Number two would probably have to be Henry Fonda's Frank from Sergio Leone's epic masterpiece, "Once Upon a Time in the West".