Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

No one could have predicted…

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Why did Dr. Oz lose? well, according to the exit polls, it’s because Fetterman won.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

The revolution will be supervised.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Infrastructure week. at last.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

Accountability, motherfuckers.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

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46Comments

  1. 1.

    ppGaz

    In January 1991, when Desert Storm began, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf said, “The Iraqis just had no concept whatsoever they were getting involved with.” Twelve years later, neither did we.

    George Will

    George Will throws water on the foolish idea that the Zarqawi killing will dent the insurgency. His piece describes how one might examine history for a clue to the future of Iraq. Something that our government, apparently, has never bothered to do.

  2. 2.

    ppGaz

    So the decadence of the Republican Congress, displayed in the bloated “emergency” supplemental-spending bill, lacks even the dignity of originality. The noun “emergency” once had meaning: a severe, sudden, unexpected and temporary crisis. The original point of the president’s request for a $92.2 billion “emergency” supplemental was to provide money for the war on terror—principally Iraq—and Katrina recovery. Well.

    Why are we funding Iraq, one of the longest wars in American history—by Nov. 25, 2006, it will be 1,347 days old, the number of days between Pearl Harbor and VJ Day—with “emergency” bills? To hide, or at least obscure, the costs. Funding the war in dribs and drabs—as if the fact that the war costs money is a recurring surprise—spares Congress from confronting the huge cost and having to make room for it in the budget by shedding lower-priority spending. When the Korean War erupted, Congress immediately slashed discretionary nonwar spending 25 percent.

    Today’s supplemental contains $782 million for military research and development—important, perhaps, but hardly an emergency. That is a minor peccadillo compared with the Senate’s cynical packaging of pork as essential to Katrina recovery—e.g., the $700 million to move railroad operations (even though repairs after Katrina cost the railroad and its insurers almost $300 million) slightly north from the Gulf Coast to serve developers’ longstanding goal of clearing the space for casinos and tourism.

    Worse still, the “emergency” bill includes $594 million for highway projects, even in Hawaii, 4,000 miles from where Katrina hit. And $4 billion for supposed farm “disasters” unrelated to Katrina. And $150,000 for the Bronx Council of the Arts, $1.8 million to promote art in West Virginia, $500,000 for the Montana World Trade Center, and on and on. A poll shows approval of Congress down to 22 percent. Who are those 22 percent?

    Regarding the almost erotic pleasure of spending other people’s money, many Senate Republicans adhere to Oscar Wilde’s advice on how to deal with temptation: Succumb to it. That is how many conservative voters will respond to the growing temptation to boycott this November’s elections.

    In another piece, the lefty moonbat George Will talks about your Republican government and your tax dollars at work.

    More Will power

  3. 3.

    tBone

    Regarding the almost erotic pleasure of spending other people’s money, many Senate Republicans adhere to Oscar Wilde’s advice on how to deal with temptation: Succumb to it.

    Large stacks of cash, sensual oils, and fat sweaty Congressmen – otherwise known as the Senate Appropriations Committee.

  5. 5.

    The Other Steve

    Come on people.

    George Will is a RINO. If he truly believed in the conservative cause, he’d not be attacking the Greatest Conservative President Ever. He’d be embracing him, and working to promote a Permanent Republican Majority for the next 40 years!

  6. 6.

    Tim F.

    with the help of the referees, we may still beat Italy.

    Talk about a dated comment… With the help of one syphillitic asshole referee we may go home early.

  7. 7.

    Pooh

    With the help of one syphillitic asshole referee we may go home early.

    Good fucking god, I’m so mad right now…Can we invade Uruguay? (Further, how the fuck does a ref who gets suspended for quote “irregularities” EVER get invited to the World Fucking Cup.)

  8. 8.

    Pooh

    Irregularities:

    Jorge Larrionda the 33-year old Uruguayan referee has been suspended for 6 months by the Uruguayan FA for unexplained ‘irregularities’ only two days after his appointent to the FIFA list and may not now take up his whistle.

    From before the 2002 WC. Wanker.

  10. 10.

    Pooh

    ppG, not even Specter’s latest spinelessness or Hudson has been able to stop me from making my own place All WC All The Time.

  11. 11.

    fwiffo

    Speaking of science blogging, I like yogurt mixed with granola.

    You forgot the science part. Yogurt and granola gives you a complete set of amino acids. Other complete protein combos include rice and beans and cheese and crackers.

    Wow. You really care about the World Cup?

    What’s the World Cup? Is it that yachting thing? I really don’t see how referees can have that much impact on a sailboat race.

  12. 12.

    demimondian

    Pooh — I caught Italy versus US on television in a lounge in Logan while I was waiting to catch a plane home to Seattle.

    We could only find it in Italian.

  13. 13.

    Pb

    What’s the World Cup?

    Obviously, it’s ‘hockey’. At least, if you ask people over here about ‘The Cup’, that’s what they’d be talking about. It’s almost as if all other sports have been temporarily suspended here.

  14. 14.

    Steve

    I can’t imagine where Pb is from, to have the local community so captivated by a Carolina-Edmonton final – the equivalent of seeing Indiana and Utah in the NBA Finals.

  15. 15.

    Pb

    Steve,

    I can’t imagine where Pb is from, to have the local community so captivated by a Carolina-Edmonton final

    Heh! Would you believe… Carolina? Near Raleigh? They really have gone nuts over here, our local rock station even *changed their name* to ‘96.1: The Cup‘…

  16. 16.

    Steve

    I’m a little surprised, to tell you the truth. I think it’s because 90% of y’all are actually from the North.

  17. 17.

    Jim Allen

    John and Tim —

    In an earlier thread, the Online Integrity Pledge was mentioned. I did a quick check and found that, of the 222 blogs you link to, only 22 of them have signed on as endorsers. When will you be delinking the other 200?

    It was quite easy to find out which ones haven’t endorsed. A little cutting and psting into Excel with a quick look up function and, voila. Took me all of 15 minutes. I’ll e-mail the spreadsheet to you both later today.

  18. 18.

    Punchy

    I can’t imagine where Pb is from, to have the local community so captivated by a Carolina-Edmonton final – the equivalent of seeing Indiana and Utah in the NBA Finals.

    I’m stunned at the lack of interest in both Cups. Playoff hockey is incredible to watch, and WC is like the Olympics of soccer. Apparently if teams in either sport can’t score ~10 times, nobody thinks it’s interesting.

    Looks like steriods in baseball has ruined both hockey and soccer, too.

  19. 19.

    neil

    Jim Allen, the Online Integrity pledge is like the Ten Commandments. Conservative bloggers have a very hard time remembering what about it is such a good idea so they believe that it should be plastered all over any blog that wishes to receive public support.

    I would, actually, like to see a bit of followup from Mr. Cole about why he hasn’t held to his blustery pledge. Has the Blog Integrity pledge already become such a laughing-stock?

  20. 20.

    Pb

    Steve,

    I think it’s because 90% of y’all are actually from the North.

    Who says I’m not actually from the North? Just because I’ve lived in the South for ~85% of my life… :)

  21. 21.

    Andrew

    Heh! Would you believe… Carolina? Near Raleigh? They really have gone nuts over here, our local rock station even changed their name to ‘96.1: The Cup‘…

    Well, from all the way over here in Chapel Hill:
    There’s a hockey team in Raleigh? WTF?

    But really, I’ve seen people with the silly Hurricanes flags and it’s ridiculous band-wagoneering. I don’t think anyone actually cares one bit about hockey, and I imagine that 100x more people will watch a rerun of CSI tonight instead of the game, even in Raleigh.

  22. 22.

    Steve

    I’m stunned at the lack of interest in both Cups. Playoff hockey is incredible to watch, and WC is like the Olympics of soccer. Apparently if teams in either sport can’t score ~10 times, nobody thinks it’s interesting.

    Maybe if the Stanley Cup was actually televised, or something. Other than the last few games of the Finals, the playoffs have been carried on the alarmingly obscure Outdoor Life Network, just as the regular season was. As a result, viewership is microscopic.

    Back home in Michigan, we were able to watch playoff coverage on Canadian TV, and you could watch virtually every game. It was a blast staying up till 2am to watch some double-overtime game from Vancouver or Calgary.

    I can’t imagine what possessed the league to sign a TV contract with such an obscure cable network. I sure hope they have something better worked out for next year, because as much televised hockey as I saw this season, there might as well have been another lockout.

  23. 23.

    Punchy

    I can’t imagine what possessed the league to sign a TV contract with such an obscure cable network.

    ESPN cornholed them, from what I understand. ESPN correctly realized that last year’s lockout would disenfranchise a number of viewers, and dropped the NHL TV contract. OLN was all the NHL could find; sad as that is/was.

    I’m convinced the vitality of the NHL will be soley based on their ability to re-sign with ESPN. Otherwise, their viewership by the casual fan will evaporate.

  24. 24.

    Filthy McNasty

    I came here hoping to see an articulate defense of John Murtha’s bumbling on MTP yesterday, but again it seems the blogger took the weekend off, and so did his commenters. Not much for you guys to crow about lately, I suppose, especially when you have a half-wit like Murtha as your spokesman. Diana Irey’s going to clean his clock at the polls this year, and we’ll mercifully have one less shrill voice like Murtha’s to hear, and one less Democrat to surrender this country.

  26. 26.

    Punchy

    Mr. Cole, or Tim.

    Please do a post on THIS

    Truly, the most incredibly disturbing thing I’ve seen from a cable news clown in years. Connie Chung MUST be on drugs to do this. NOBODY does this sober. Hell, nobody sings this poorly regardless.

  28. 28.

    Krista

    Punchy; that was seriously disturbing. I don’t have speakers for my work computer, and for once, I’m extremely glad of that fact.

  29. 29.

    srv

    Truly, the most incredibly disturbing thing I’ve seen from a cable news clown in years.

    Excrutiatingly cute. She’s always been a class act. Look forward for more media displays of unreality. What was it Tony Snow said yesterday to explain our ‘fatigue’ with the Iraq War?

    If somebody had taken a poll in the Battle of the Bulge, I dare say people would have said, wow, my goodness, what are we doing here?

  30. 30.

    VidaLoca

    Punchy,

    Indeed, truly frightening.

    The “celebrity journalists” gave up on journalism years ago — but celebrities they remain until the end, a legend in their own minds.

    They continue to think we care as much about them as they do.

  31. 31.

    VidaLoca

    Krista,

    Hey, with all the goodness raining down from YouTube and Crooks&Liars, you’re missing half the fun — get a pair of cheapie $10 headphones, they’re really worth it!

    And best part is, once you’re job is terminated you can take the headphones with you…

  32. 32.

    srv

    And for another humongous story falling between the cracks here:

    Cindy does Canada

    “They say we’re traitors, we’re deserters,” said former Marine Chris Magaoay, 20, of the Hawaiian island of Maui. “No, I’m a Marine and I stand up for what I believe in, and I believe the Constitution of the United States of America is being pushed aside as a scrap piece of paper.”

    “They’re moral human beings who don’t want to go to Iraq and kill innocent people to line the pockets of George Bush and the war machine,” she said.

    Where are JC and Darrell when they are really needed?

  33. 33.

    Krista

    Vida – I had to wear a headset at work for way too many years. (“Thank you for calling [insert name of major financial institution], Krista speaking, how may I help you?”) Wearing headphones at work would just bring back too many bad memories. Besides, I have great speakers on the home computer.

    Cindy does Canada, huh? Well, there’s a long history of war deserters coming up here. Plus ça change…

  34. 34.

    Filthy McNasty

    Get that weak shit outta here.

    Weak shit, as in John Murtha? The man takin’ your party’s case to the Sunday yak shows? That weak shit?

    I said I was hoping to hear a defense of Murtha somewhere in the moonbat blogosphere, but it’s not to be found.

    Back to your strong shit…..Connie Chung.

  35. 35.

    The Other Steve

    Not much for you guys to crow about lately, I suppose, especially when you have a half-wit like Murtha as your spokesman.

    You’re right. It would be so much better if we had a half-wit bumbling idiot like GW Bush as our spokesperson.

  36. 36.

    Mary

    Videosift is a great viral video site. People link to material from YouTube, Google and a few other more obscure sites and vote for their faves.

  38. 38.

    VidaLoca

    Krista,

    Ouch! OK, I get your point about the headphones…

    Well, there’s a long history of war deserters coming up here.

    So, when we build a fence along the Canadian border — will it be to keep the “illegal aliens” out, or the troops in?

  39. 39.

    Krista

    Vida – yeah. The headset. I got so used to wearing it that I’d forget I had the damn thing on and would be walking home with it on.

    As far as the fence goes, hard to say. The “illegal alien” traffic is going both ways, you know.

    Ah, screw the fence. We make a nice bit off of each other in tourism — why mess with that?

  40. 40.

    Punchy

    Ah, screw the fence. We make a nice bit off of each other in tourism—why mess with that?

    To keep Mike Myers out, Sidney Crosby in, and damn Ricky Williams from so easily hopping back and forth from the NFL to the CFL back to the NFL…

  41. 41.

    HyperIon

    OT I saw a very good talk about the New Orleans levy “problems” on BookTV last night. The book is:

    The Storm: What Went Wrong and Why during Hurricane Katrina—The Inside Story from One Louisiana Scientist — Ivor van Heerden and Mike Bryan

    Which reminds me of all the “failed vs. overtopped” acrimony here at the time of Katrina. Some folks said “Let’s wait for a careful analysis of the problem.” This has been done now and a consensus reached. So, Mr. Blog Owner, how about a review of what was said then and what is known now?

    The tech stuff and the politics continues to be interesting. For example, van Heerden said that the wetlands could be back in operation in around 10 years and mitigating surges in 5 years. He said nice things about Blanco (which surprised me) and bashed the Army Corps of Engineers (which did not). This guy seemed very competent and measured in his remarks.

  42. 42.

    Steve

    Sorry, but we went straight from the “plenty of time to play the blame game later” stage to the “this is all old news” stage. Yet another accountability moment appears to have slipped through our fingertips.

    Meanwhile, streets in New Orleans are still flooded…

  43. 43.

    VidaLoca

    Steve,

    Re: accountability. Once again, 9/11 changed everything.

    Didn’t you get the memo?

  44. 44.

    HyperIon

    i started poking around in the b-j archives to try to refresh my memory about the various katrina posts and was brought to an immediate halt by this from Mr. Cole:

    if you aren’t reading Jeff every day, I don’t understand why you even bother reading blogs. He is one of the best out there

    i seldom read Goldstein. he seems really dumb. and gross.

    Mr. Cole: do you still stand by this? if so, could you explain WHY you think he is “one of the best”?

  45. 45.

    Andrew

    Mr. Cole: do you still stand by this? if so, could you explain WHY you think he is “one of the best”?

    Dog anuses everywhere would like to know.

    Perhaps this was before John’s great awakening.

  46. 46.

    The Other Steve

    Mr. Cole: do you still stand by this? if so, could you explain WHY you think he is “one of the best”?

    Mr. Cole was recovering from a three week drunken bender when he wrote that.

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