Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let’s finish the job.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

If you are still in the GOP, you are an extremist.

Republicans in disarray!

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Fuck the extremist election deniers. What’s money for if not for keeping them out of office?

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

You cannot shame the shameless.

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Reader Interactions

102Comments

  2. 2.

    edmund dantes

    Just be happy you aren’t an Irish “football” fan. They got totally jobbed by the ref missing a blatant handball (two actually). No qualifying for World Cup for them. The ensuing goal robbed them of the chance to at least get penalty kicks to decide.

    I can’t believe “football” doesn’t have replay. This Henry play is the epitome of why you need it.

  3. 3.

    robertdsc

    Good morning. It’s my day off and I’m burned out from this week. More Modern Warfare 2 is on tap tonight but before that I get to work on a calendar for my lady friend. Creating 12 montages out of 350+ images can be quite an experience, but that’s what she wants.

  6. 6.

    donovong

    “And I am still locked out of my twitter account.”

    Just what everyone needs. ANOTHER technological stroke inducer.

  9. 9.

    Cat Lady

    Which media star hack will be the first to ask John McCain a substantive question about picking Palin? Is the MSM still on his tire swing, or has he now been revealed as the cynical FAIL that he really was and is?

  10. 10.

    Keith G

    I gave twitter a try. I felt it did some ok things for me, but realized there was just enough of an opportunity cost to make me not want to invest even that small amount of time. Nothing against it, just one platform too many.

  11. 11.

    koolaide

    @edmund dantes:

    The offsides & the two handballs were ludicrous.

    And the Irish got jobbed twice. The first time was when FIFA magically decided to alter the original qualification plan/playoff format and seed the teams in the playoffs. The Irish really shouldn’t have played France in the first place.

    That FIFA/UEFA about face happened just as it b/cm evident that several “big nations” would be in the playoffs. Just a coincidence, of course. Nothing to do w/ wanting to make sure certain teams made the WC finals. wink, nudge, etc

  13. 13.

    R-Jud

    @PaulW: Yes, 21K, but when AsianGrrlMN shows up, you will want to hang up your pen. I think she hit 50K before Nov. 10th.

    The fact that I have had to write about 15K words for clients in the last two weeks is sapping my enthusiasm to sit at a desk.

  16. 16.

    Bobby Yamaha

    I like Twitter because I can scan headlines quickly with NO Java scripts and I don’t have to look at Ann Coulter or any other blaring advertisement that flat just pisses me off unless the story looks interesting.

    Twitter’s just like anything else: You can set it to work for you or work against you.

  17. 17.

    DCPlod

    De-lurking after 6 months – good morning all.

    @koolaide:
    @edmund dantes:

    Tell me about it. It’s even worse if you’re like me – an Irish Arsenal fan who loved Henry to bits when he played for us. He was one of the few footballers who I always thought was a genuine sportsman. *sigh* Another childhood hero falls from grace…

  18. 18.

    arguingwithsignposts

    Ur doing it wrong!

    Seriously, JC. What’s the deal? I’ve been on for two years and never been locked out other than forgot my password.

  20. 20.

    Brick Oven Bill

    1. Based upon Principle, I refuse to ‘tweet’.
    2. Anytime this Carbon Dioxide wants to kick in, that would be good. It is very cold.

  21. 21.

    bemused

    A friend has a Persian cat who drives them crazy. He is no cuddle muffin. Try to pet him at your own peril. He draws blood. Trying to comb him is a nightmare. His worst trait is indiscriminate peeing. They have 4 litter boxes for him but he still pees elsewhere.
    After the vet eliminated physical problems, he suggested a new thing I had never heard of before, a plug in that diffuses synthetic pheromones that are like the pheromones left by cats who rub their faces on objects. Cats supposedly don’t urinate on objects they have left their scent on. The vet said this makes kitties happy & cuts down on offensive behavior.
    If people here have tried this with their peeing kitties, I’d love to pass on their experiences to my long suffering friends.
    A calming pheromone plug in diffuser that worked on humans & cut down offensive behavior would be awesome. Install plug ins in your workplace, for your co-worker from hell or impossible boss and in the offices of every republican senator & rep.

  22. 22.

    Comrade Jake

    @Persia:

    What I take issue with is this:

    There seems to be an unhealthy obsession with tearing her down. And really, guys, if you’ll just back off a little, she’ll do the job for you. Have you seen that resignation speech? How about we all act like she’s a former governor and vice presidential candidate, rather than Public Enemy #1?

    There are certainly people with an unhealthy Palin obsession, on the left and right. But they’re not really all that significant. And it’s certainly not the case that Palin is viewed as Public Enemy #1. Hell, plenty of people on the left want to see her win the GOP nomination in 2012.

    McArdle seems to be missing the fact that the reason Palin’s getting so much attention these days is, well, because she’s pushing herself and her own book. And she’s a pathological liar. I’m sure there are sexist elements to the treatment she’s received, but that misses the point of Sarah’s Molotov cocktails of personalities.

  23. 23.

    Randy P

    The suspense is killing me. Andrew Sullivan went on hiatus yesterday, locking himself in with the Moose Queen’s Memoirs and promising some major reaction/analysis/scandal. He’s back online today, but no Palin postings yet. Well, except this quote from Marc Ambinder.

    The key to making a political comeback is to have somewhere to come back from — and somewhere to return to. Sarah Palin can’t make a comeback because she didn’t go anywhere. Not up, not down. Not sideways.

    @Brick Oven Bill:
    I don’t think you have this concept of “average temperature” down yet.

  24. 24.

    Ann B. Nonymous

    @Brick Oven Bill: You’ll be warm all your remaining days with lighter fluid and a match. Personally, I think the Tea Parties should move to this form of protest. It really catalyzed the antiwar movement, you know. And even Glen Beck has thought about it.

  25. 25.

    mandarama

    @bemused:

    My vet told me about this product when I was having to cat-sit my brother’s crazy Siamese for 8 weeks while he was moving to another state. I think it’s called Feliway, and you can get a spray as well as a diffuser. It did seem to considerably calm the cat down in the short term. (She wasn’t going to get over being crazy until she was reunited w/my brother. Are Siamese just one-person cats?)

  26. 26.

    jayackroyd

    Well, that is one person I’m following who won’t jam up the stream. I am jayackroyd on twitter. (and everywhere else)

  27. 27.

    uila

    John,

    Forget twitter, you should sign up for my new social networking service… Instead of text messages, it broadcasts your random vocal outbursts… I call it “Mutter”.

    Cheers!

  29. 29.

    Col. Klink

    Sully’s obsession with Levi is way more worrisome than his obsession with Palin.

    And did hairy arms Levi really need to be the Face of the Day?

  30. 30.

    El Cid

    The crazy right crazy continues and gets better.

    One Kansan candidate for the Republican Senate nomination accuses the other of being a Communist. Literally. You see, the other one spoke in support of increased access of U.S. citizens to Cuba, and the CPUSA also supported that, so, guy’s a Communist, obviously.

    The Jerry Moran campaign is seeing red over an e-mail from Senate rival Todd Tiahrt’s campaign that implies Moran is a fellow traveler of the Communist Party.
    …
    The e-mail subject line asserts — falsely — that Moran has been endorsed by the Communist Party USA.
    …
    “The assertion that Jerry Moran would be affiliated with communists is so outlandish, only a desperate campaign like Todd Tiahrt’s would make such an assertion,” said Moran campaign spokesman Aaron Trost. “It’s a desperate public statement by a campaign that’s still trying to find a message.”

    And, again, those stellar Republicans in Texas may have outlawed all marriages.

    Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, says that a 22-word clause in a 2005 constitutional amendment designed to ban gay marriages erroneously endangers the legal status of all marriages in the state.
    …
    The amendment, approved by the Legislature and overwhelmingly ratified by voters, declares that “marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.” But the troublemaking phrase, as Radnofsky sees it, is Subsection B, which declares:
    …
    “This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.”

    And since A = A, and anything identical to A is A, well…

  32. 32.

    jibeaux

    The one thing I will recommend about Twitter, and I realize it’s not exactly breaking news or anything — the “shit my dad says” feed. Supposedly, they are making a sitcom inspired by this twitter feed, which is too too much, but as a twitter feed it is just exactly right.

    And I don’t know what in the world you could possibly do other than forget your password that would get you locked out of a twitter account. It’s not exactly the nuclear codes. Wee-ird.

  33. 33.

    bemused

    @mandarama:
    I avoid Siamese cats, not just because that is the only cat breed that I am allergic to but because the ones I have known have ranged from neurotic to psycho. I blame it on inbreeding but do not mean to label all Siamese cats as lunatics. I’m sure there are some perfectly sweet & cuddly Siamese kitties out there.

  34. 34.

    R-Jud

    @jibeaux:

    And I don’t know what in the world you could possibly do other than forget your password that would get you locked out of a twitter account. It’s not exactly the nuclear codes. Wee-ird.

    Cole has skillz.

  35. 35.

    Skepticat

    @bemused: I’ve never had any luck with Feliway. Last time I had a cat who developed litterbox-avoidance problems, the vet prescribed a short course of Elavil for him. I didn’t give it to him (extra attention to a super-clean litterbox seemed to solve that problem without resorting to meds), but I’m keeping it on hand for myself, just in case.

  37. 37.

    WereBear

    Siamese cats were bred, over thousands of years, to be intensely devoted, so this often results in them tending towards one person cats. They definitely need someone to be devoted to.

    This recent cat show trend to extraordinary elongation has resulted in a lot of inbreeding. I deplore it. Look what they have done to the German Shepherd Dog! It’s a crime.

  38. 38.

    Morbo

    @El Cid: To be fair to the rest of the Republican party, Tiahrt is part of the “fucking nuts” wing of the party. What? Oh, that’s 99% of House Republicans? Oh, carry on then.

  39. 39.

    koolaide

    @bemused:

    Never had a cat but I used some pheromone plug in (like an air freshener) stuff for a while for my dog and it seemed to help in combination w/ other things.

    My dog had some anxiety/high intensity type issues for a while after I first got him (I did not actually see the dog sleep for about 9 months–I assume he slept while I was at work). I used the pheromone plug in stuff in combination w/ a whole bunch of behavior modification. Eventually, he learned to calm down and I stopped using it.

    So, literally the same as your friend’s situation. Only completely different.

  40. 40.

    Bobby Yamaha

    What if someone decided to fuck with John Cole by complaining to the good folks at Twitter that THEY were the real John Cole and Twitter needs to close that account?

  41. 41.

    Pigs & Spiders

    If I had gone to school for film and television, I’d be starting a series of vignettes called “When Republicans Attack!” chronicling the “Real American” vs. RINO primaries all over the country. It would be good times had by all.

  43. 43.

    South of I-10

    I just have to make it through today and tomorrow and I am off next week. As usual, I have to kill myself to get ahead enough to take a week off. I’m a little grumpy this morning, maybe some more coffee would help.

  44. 44.

    Comrade Mary

    I used to be very cautious about Siamese because a childhood friend had one that was kept leashed outside most of the day in nice weather. He adored my friend’s mother, but he was a cranky, snarling mess to everyone else. Poor guy.

    Fifteen years later, I grabbed the one and only Siamese available at a time when my live-in boyfriend finally relented on the pet issue. He was the last of a litter left in the pet store (and yes, I know now he must have come from a kitten mill, but I didn’t know any better and my idiot ex-boyfriend would not tolerate taking any cat from any shelter).

    This cat was timid, poorly coordinated, took years to learn how to miaow, and still didn’t reach the expected volume for a Siamese. He was also a cuddle cat — no laps, but he would huddle against our legs on the couch for hours — and would invite me to play chase games by dragging the battered measuring tape to me several times a day so I could drag it around for his stalking pleasure. We also worked out a game of tag that involved no toys. I’d lean over, clap my thighs, dash a little away from him, and he’d chase me with his tail high and crooked. Rinse, repeat.

    He was an awesome cat.

  45. 45.

    bemused

    @WereBear:
    The woman who owns the kennel where we board our dogs when we are out of town acquired a German Shepherd that a heart broken couple couldn’t keep. This German Shepherd was bred & trained in Germany & shipped to the couple, a very expensive dog. He looks very different from american German Shepherd dogs. Handsome dog.

  46. 46.

    Persia

    @Comrade Jake: The post directly after you is about how Andrew went on hiatus because of the book. Now, you know and I know that Andrew’s kind of crazy, but we both know he’s a pretty influential blogger. And he’s not the only one who has some form of Palin Derangement Syndrome. I for one am happy to just see her hang herself.

  47. 47.

    Punchy

    declares that “marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.”

    Went to a scientific talk on this. Interesting as hell. Do they mean phenotypically man and woman, or genotypically? Is a woman defined by having 2 Xs? What do Klinefelter’s suffers (males) feel about that? Or Turner’s patients? Etc, etc.

    Legislators never envisioned that such simple, boilerplate statements in these amendments could so epically fail biological definintions.

  48. 48.

    JenJen

    Your “test” tweet of a few minutes ago worked, FYI. I don’t use Tweetdeck so can’t answer your questions there.

    Still great to see you on Twitter!

  49. 49.

    Pigs & Spiders

    Legislators have no vision. never envisioned that such simple, boilerplate statements in these amendments could so epically fail biological definintions.

    Fixed that for ya.

  55. 55.

    arguingwithsignposts

    Sully:

    There is no proof here of anything, but there is a much more nuanced and detailed narrative of the events (especially now we have Palin’s first considered version of the events since the campaign) that when taken together has definitely helped illuminate what was once obscure and, well, bizarre. Believe it or not, it makes a little more sense now.

    He’s a hyperbolic, overly obsessive tease. Spent all day on this big project and he comes up with nothing. I’m glad I stopped reading him a while back.

  56. 56.

    soonergrunt

    @Brick Oven Bill:

    1. Based upon Principle, I refuse to ‘tweet’.
    2. Anytime this Carbon Dioxide wants to kick in, that would be good. It is very cold.

    And millions of twitter users breathe a sigh of relief!
    The rest of us would be thrilled if the Carbon Dioxide would kick in on you as well.

  57. 57.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @John Cole:

    You may have to reset the account password on Tweetdeck. Or allow it to access your keychain (on the mac). I get four alerts wanting it to be able to access something everytime I open the app.

  60. 60.

    Max

    I have a few days left of work sanity before the busiest time of my year starts. From 5am on Black Friday to 6pm on Christmas Eve, it’s essentially the time I earn my salary.

    I can’t believe this year is almost over. It’s gone far too quickly.

  68. 68.

    Grumpy Code Monkey

    @El Cid:

    Ah, that reminds me; Paul Burka makes a compelling case that Gov. Goodhair is angling to be the Republican 2012 Presidential candidate.

    Among the bona fides:

    Here are the reasons why Perry is well placed to be a viable contender in 2012:
    1. Unlike Huckabee, Romney, and Palin, he is still in office.
    —
    2. He is the longest-serving governor in Texas history.
    —
    3. He is governor of the biggest red state that sends the most delegates to the Republican convention.
    —
    4. He has the best conservative record of any contender: significant tort reform, a large property tax cut, refusal to raise taxes in the face of a $10 billion budget deficit (2003), declining to expand government by accepting strings-attached unemployment insurance stimulus funds, implementing efforts to enhance border security. During his tenure as governor, Texas has been active in passing social legislation, including a strong abortion bill in 2003 and a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage. You can argue that the effect of the property tax cut was wiped out by rising appraisals, or that his border security efforts were all for show, but it adds up to a record that will be popular with Republican voters.
    —
    5. He has assiduously courted key figures in the Republican establishment, such as Grover Norquist and Rush Limbaugh (whom he made an honorary Texan), as well as other talk radio hosts.
    —
    6. The Murdoch news empire loves him. He is the beneficiary of puff pieces in the Wall Street Journal and softball questions on Fox News.
    —
    7. He has an extensive fundraising apparatus in Texas that is capable of raising enough money to make the race, and he is now in charge of finance for the Republican Governor’s Association, giving him access to the GOP’s big national donors.
    —
    8. He has not one but two strong messages. One is the familiar refrain that Washington is corrupt to the core and out of touch with Main Street. The second is the Texas economic miracle: that by following conservative fiscal policies, Texas has been able to survive the recession in better shape than most, if not all, other states. Low taxes, low spending, constitutionally mandated balanced budgets, saving for a rainy day, and business-friendly regulatory policies have made Texas the top state in job creation year after year. Perry can say to residents of the other states: Do what Texas did and you can enjoy economic growth too. It is a strong message in a recession.
    —
    9. He was quick to understand the significance of the tea party movement and attended many of the early gatherings. The tea party people are a natural Perry constituency: angry, unyielding folk who are eager to go where few in American politics are willing to venture: states rights and secession.
    —
    10. With rare exceptions (such as the HPV vaccine controversy), he almost never deviates from the conservative line. He is against the border fence, but he makes up for it with his emphasis on border security, even though the cameras and the deployment of Texas Rangers were mainly for show.

    Things I’ll add: Unlike Palin, Perry actually has more than two brain cells to rub together. I wouldn’t call him a Rhodes scholar, but he’s actually pretty sharp. He also has pretty good political instincts. Yes, he won with only a 39% plurality in 2008, but Carole and Kinky split the R side more than the Ds; had it been a two-way race, he would have won handily. If he runs in 2012 he could very likely win the nomination, and if so he stands a significantly higher chance of winning the whole enchilada than most other candidates.

    Therefore, I’d like to get out in front of this right now and say, Hey, remember when all us Texans were telling you don’t vote for Bush? Would you fucking listen to us this time?

  69. 69.

    burnspbesq

    @edmund dantes:

    This. Henry looked like he was auditioning for a job as Chris Paul’s backup.

    And I know not to worry too much about friendlies, but what the heck is up with the US conceding three goals to Denmark???

  71. 71.

    WereBear

    @bemused: Exactly. My brother drove to West Virginia (hi John!) to get a real GSD, because what passes for a GSD in dog shows is a travesty of what is one of the most sensitive, intelligent, and empathic dog breeds around.

  72. 72.

    South of I-10

    @R-Jud: I’m having the second cup now – hopefully it will help. I am burned out and so looking forward to my week off. My brother and family are coming in tomorrow, so it will be a week of non-stop girl party for their two girls and mine – a 4, 5 and 6 year old. So entertaining.

  73. 73.

    Svensker

    @bemused:

    I avoid Siamese cats, not just because that is the only cat breed that I am allergic to but because the ones I have known have ranged from neurotic to psycho. I blame it on inbreeding but do not mean to label all Siamese cats as lunatics. I’m sure there are some perfectly sweet & cuddly Siamese kitties out there.

    Before I married the allergic hub, I had an old Siamese girl, named Fat Lady for obvious reasons, who was the mellowest, most relaxed, most loving kitty in existence. Her 3 favorite things were: sitting on top of the radiator with her blue eyes crossed and her pink tongue sticking out; lying down across my face in the morning and purring me awake; and eating cantaloupe. Other Siamese I’ve met have been weird, nasty and skittish. But my Fat Lady was a doll.

  75. 75.

    R-Jud

    @South of I-10:

    it will be a week of non-stop girl party for their two girls and mine – a 4, 5 and 6 year old. So entertaining.

    That does sound fun. If we don’t get kicked off the plane in Greenland due to teething infant stroppiness, we look forward to watching other people play with our kid, bathe our kid, change her nappy, etc. When your grandparents live 3500 miles away, they tend not to let you out of their sight when you visit.

    Also, this year, I’m not pregnant, so I can play football.

  76. 76.

    bemused

    @Svensker:
    You had a sweet one.
    The first time I discovered that Siamese cats turn my eyes itchy & blood red & my nose into a perpetual drip & explosive sneeze machine was when I stayed at a friend’s home. This crazy Siamese would go into the parents’ closet, jump up & claw at the clothes until she had them all pulled down. The other odd thing was that she would leap full body into the toilet bowl. She was just bizarre.

  77. 77.

    WereBear

    @bemused: One suggestion for your friend with the Persian… they can easily be neglected because they are less likely to demand affection. Their mode is often to hang around and wait for an opportunity. In busy households, this often does not arrive.

    Here’s an example from my blog, where I cured a Persian’s howling problems.

    Making the time to fuss over him, twice a day, (verbally is good too!) can often resolve a stubborn issue like this, since there is no medical problem.

    Cats will sometimes develop litter box issues as a way of letting their people know they are in distress, medical or otherwise.

    They are right that it is hard to ignore. Where they go wrong is in thinking humans always understand their signals.

  79. 79.

    Rhonda

    @jibeaux: Finally, a reason to actually login to the twitter account I set up six months ago! Very funny stuff! And can someone explain to me why I keep having feeds added to my “following” list that I never added in the first place? For instance, this morning I had MC Hammer on my list of feeds that I am following. Is there some setting I need to change?

  80. 80.

    bemused

    @WereBear:
    Thanks, I’ll direct them to your blog & that post.
    This cat hangs around near them like he wants to petted but when they put their hands down to pet him, he bites or scratches. Maybe over time trying your tip will change that.

  81. 81.

    Libby

    Hey John Cole. Delurking to say thanks so much for adding me to your follow list on Twitter. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I was to find your name there last night. And how glad I was to see you tweet something.

    For you unbelievers, I scoffed but I’m hooked now. As someone said upthread, it depends on how you use it. I don’t use it to chat much, Facebook is better for that, but it’s a great way to keep up on breaking news. It all hinges on your follow list.

  82. 82.

    koolaide

    @burnspbesq:

    No Donovan. No Onyewu. No Cherundolo. No Howard. No Dempsey. No Davies. No Torres.

    That’s at least 6 starters. And a high quality sub. The
    USA doesn’t have top level depth.

    Oh, and Denmark is quality. Not World Cup winning quality but still pretty darn good.

  84. 84.

    JenJen

    @Libby: It really does all hinge on your own, personal “follow” list. And these days, Twitter can’t be beat for breaking news. They’re several minutes ahead of the major news wires and cable news networks. Heck, Twitter kept me in the Michael Jackson loop before it even hit TMZ.

    Not the best example, I know. :-)

  86. 86.

    Libby

    @JenJen: I’ve noticed that Twitter beats the MSM by hours sometimes on breaking news. Think the journos get their leads from there too.

    It’s also great for obscure links and cute pix. I’m enjoying it much more than I expected to. I thought I would sign up and never tweet. Now, almost 3,000 tweets later…

  87. 87.

    JenJen

    @Libby: And, need I mention the invaluable feed of @jayrosen_nyu? I get giddy every time the man tweets. Wisdom in <140 characters.

    And @jaketapper, obvs. That dude actually fights back. It doesn’t work, but damn, it’s amusing to watch.

  88. 88.

    Bender

    Osama-Osam-Oba-Obama gives KSM’s lawyers a big early Christmas present!

    “I don’t think it will be offensive at all when he’s convicted and when the death penalty is applied to him,” Obama told NBC’s Chuck Todd.

    Shorter Obama: “Take it easy, Chuck. It’s just a show trial!”

    Oops! Is this being televised? Let’s see if The Present (and Constitutional Law Genius!) can lie his way out of this one in his next breath…

    When Todd asked Obama if he was interfering in the trial process by declaring that Mohammed will be executed, Obama, a former constitutional law professor, insisted that he wasn’t trying to dictate the result.

    “What I said was, people will not be offended if that’s the outcome. I’m not pre-judging, I’m not going to be in that courtroom, that’s the job of prosecutors, the judge and the jury,” Obama said.

    He forgot to preference that lie with “As I have always said” or “Make no mistake.” “What I said was” is an artless cover-up, especially when teamed with the Jedi-mind-trick hand-wave…

    Of course, Chick Todd didn’t have the balls and/or the inclination to point out to Zero (Con Law lecturer-god!) that he didn’t say that at all. What Zero said was “when” KSM is convicted, not “if”… but silly words aren’t important in trials, right?

    Example #428 of “If Bush would have said it, it’s front page news for a month…”

  89. 89.

    Libby

    @JenJen: Jay Rosen was born for twitter. I find his feed more educational than I ever did his blogs, which were smart but too wordy and technical for an amateur like me.

    And I’ve grown rather fond of Jake Tapper. He can still piss me off, but I’ve come to believe he actually cares about getting the facts straight. In fact, the interaction with the journos is what really got me hooked on Twitter. It feels like the most direct way to send them feedback and Jake is best at responding so you know he’s actually reading your tweets.

    Love Mark Knoller for his geeky charm.

    Meanwhile, Joe Scarborough can bite me. Can’t believe he blocked me before I could unfollow his annoying ass.

  90. 90.

    JenJen

    @Bender:

    Example #428 of “If Bush would have said it, it’s front page news for a month…”

    Which, I think, gets us to Example #429 of “Hey, maybe if it didn’t take 7+ years to try KSM we’d have a comparative Bush quote?”

    Do you Twitter?

  91. 91.

    mcd410x

    @Libby: Hear, hear. Twitter is best as a news aggregator.

    Also, if John can figure out Twitterfeed, we can get automatic Balloon Juice updates on Twitter … *crossing fingers, legs, everything pretty much* … lol.

  93. 93.

    soonergrunt

    @Bender:
    You really are sad, coming here with that. Were you hoping to convert someone or are you just too stupid to smell the rancidness of your three-day-old diapers?
    Did your parents have any children who lived?

  94. 94.

    Libby

    @JenJen: It is like having your own journolist and I really like that you can choose who shows up in your stream. I can’t follow 1000 people. I feel too overwhelmed, but I can still keep track of the big, popular, prolific tweeps via the RTs of the ones I do follow that follow them too. Like the APStylebook parody was too much, but they get Rt’ed enough that I feel like I’m still sort of following them without losing my low tweet peeps in the stream.

    OK, now I really have to focus on this moving thing. Later you fabulous people. Haven’t been commenting in ages here, but I do lurk regularly to get my fix of pithy BJ commentary. Love you all.

  95. 95.

    asiangrrlMN

    @PaulW: Yes. I am.

    @R-Jud: Aw, don’t feel like that! Does it help if I say that seventy-five percent of what I’ve written is crap?

    As for Twitter, I still am not into it, but it’s fun to see who from BJ starts following me.

  96. 96.

    R-Jud

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Does it help if I say that seventy-five percent of what I’ve written is crap?

    Only marginally. My crap-not-crap ratio is about 2:1.

    And I’ve tweeted more today than I have in the past three months, so if you’re following me, be prepared for the silence.

    Profound silence, of course.

  101. 101.

    mandarama

    @Grumpy Code Monkey:

    Therefore, I’d like to get out in front of this right now and say, Hey, remember when all us Texans were telling you don’t vote for Bush? Would you fucking listen to us this time?

    I have to say, reading your post actually made me feel a clench of fear in my middle. The horror, the horror!

  102. 102.

    JenJen

    @Grumpy Code Monkey:

    Therefore, I’d like to get out in front of this right now and say, Hey, remember when all us Texans were telling you don’t vote for Bush? Would you fucking listen to us this time?

    I realize mandarama singled out this Very Important Message from Grumpy, just above, but honestly, it bears repeating, people.

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