This is just good common sense:
The U.S. Department of Education’s spokesperson hung up on The Daily Caller Wednesday when seeking clarification regarding…
It doesn’t even matter what they were calling about. I recommend that anyone, anywhere, when they hear the words “Daily Caller” or “Big Government” or “Fox News” just have the good sense to hang up. They’re going to make up shit about what you said anyway, so just save yourself the time and hang up and give them full artistic license.
YellowJournalism
A standing ovation is deserved here.
Martin
Protip: I you want the satisfaction of hanging up on someone without the potential backlash, hang up on them in the middle of something you are saying, and if they call back, accuse them of hanging up on you.
WereBear
In the immortal words of Mad Magazine:
Hoo hah!
Joseph Nobles
My country. It has been taken back.
beltane
Now we know why they picked the idiotic name Daily Caller-they like to prank call people. What a cackle of ca-ca.
JGabriel
Martin:
And refuse to talk to them any further.
.
Mister Papercut
Give that man a raise or a performance bonus, anything.
Menzies
Glad to know the Department of Education is doing something right these days.
Omnes Omnibus
@Martin: That, sir, is brilliant.
ItAintEazy
If that is true, then I wholly forgive the Obama Administration for everything and anything they did to cross this Professional Leftist®. In fact, I may have to make-believe gay marry them.
Ash Can
Our Department of Education is learnin’.
bemused
@beltane:
Cackle of ca-ca has a nice ring to it. I’m using that.
Allison W.
Arne Duncan is speaking at the wrong rally.
deaniac83
Hahaha, this is beautiful. The Daily Caller is a waste of time, and they should not be allowed to waste the government’s time.
Mike Kay (Team America)
The last combat troops have left Iraq, beating President Obama’s withdraw deadline by two weeks.
The Naderites/FBaggers were right – OBama is just like Bush.
SiubhanDuinne
Sorry for the OT — no, I’m not, actually. The last American combat troop just left Iraq, and I am in tears. Cry for happy. Yeah, I know we’re leaving 50K in place, but guys, this is major. I am so happy this moment came and so chewed up at the last 70+ years (McEstimate) of a pointless, needless, wasteful, hateful, illegal and immoral invasion.
Also too, Obama delivered on another campaign promise. How are the haters, right and left, going to spin that??
Can’t worry about it now. This is a wonderful moment. Can we celebrate, however quietly?
Mike Kay
The Naderites/FBaggers were right, OBama is just like Bush.
lamh32
@SiubhanDuinne:
I’m watching the coverage too.
This is hitting me hard as well.. My cuz is stationed in Iraq. I’m trying to find out now, if he’s one of the 50,000 staying or part of the troop leaving the area.
Violet
@SiubhanDuinne:
It’s something to celebrate alright. Watched a bit of it. Very moving.
stuckinred
@SiubhanDuinne: People are just numb I think. It’ll take years for the impact of this all to play out.
bemused
@SiubhanDuinne:
It is major and I’m feeling a huge sense of relief.
Now to get out of Afghanistan. I have a Marine nephew serving there until the end of Dec. We’re all praying he comes home with his body and mind in one piece.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Mike Kay (Team America): I realize this is a largely symbolic moment, that the idea of “non combat troops” is a term of art (okay, an oxymoron), but… the only places I’m seeing this acknowledged (on line), it’s being done with sarcasm and petulance (HuffPo and others)
lamh32
@lamh32:
I know he’s not gonna be home tomorrow or something, but the idea that he may be home or just not being “in harm’s way”, while selfish of me and my family’s part, makes my heart sour a little.
I’m hoping that he isn’t reassinged, or decides to re-up for Afghanistan.
stuckinred
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: KO and Rachel are trying to focus on the troops but the futility of the “mission” creeps through.
mr. whipple
@SiubhanDuinne:
The right will say he’s leaving too early, the left will bitch not every troop is out.
I had a fantasy that there would be tons of fanfare for this return, with a big thank you celebration for all concerned, but it seems like any good news it just gets ignored.
SiubhanDuinne
Didn’t realize the combat troop withdrawal had already been well-covered in the “Blackness App” thread a few aisles over.
beltane
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: It’s suddenly all over my FB page. Non-firebagger Dems are very, very happy. None of the shit-stirrers are going to harsh my buzz.
Mayken
@lamh32: I too am hoping that a loved one is one of the ones coming home. He’s had waaaaay too many trips to the Sand Box.
stuckinred
@lamh32: Selfish? He or she has gone there, you have nothing to feel selfish about.
demo woman
@SiubhanDuinne: I have a friend who lives in Hartwell and she called me in tears.
At the time only MSNBC was covering the trucks moving over the border. I don’t have cable but MSNBC online showed the videos shortly after she called. Rachel was wonderful. So much coverage going in and so little coming out. What a shame.
Yes I know we still have military personnel their but the combat troops are coming home. Those guys were thrilled to be heard.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@stuckinred: They are, and it does. I think they’re hitting just the right note. I was referring to the left blogosphere, largely born in opposition to the invasion of Iraq.
Anyone watching Larry King? Is he interviewing Pamela Gellar? Orly Taitz? Levi Johnson? an update on Michael Jackson’s funeral?
martha
The coverage is strangely moving. We’ve been remembering how horrified and angry we were during the invasion. This was “before blogs” for me, so we thought we were basically alone with our cynicism about it all. And now, a transition, hopefully in a better direction.
Mike Kay
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
They remind me of Kewl kids in Junior High, who were simply Kewl because they made fun of “teacher”. Yes, for the most part big time bloggers have arrested development.
stuckinred
@SiubhanDuinne: It jumped up on MSNBC right when that thread started so I made note. This was a surprise and Rachel has been there without her staff knowing about it for a couple of days. They are sort of beating it to death with the same stuff over and over but if one has not been watching it’s news.
SiubhanDuinne
If I were a prayin’ kind of gal, I’d pray for everyone with a loved one still in Iraq or Afghanistan or anywhere in harm’s way. They are all in my thoughts and in my heart.
stuckinred
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: In all fairness NBC/MSNBC is making a point of the fact that they alone have the technology that allowed them to be on the convoy on the way out.
deaniac83
@SiubhanDuinne:
Indeed. Another promise kept by President Obama. Well done, Mr. President.
stuckinred
@deaniac83: And you know what the wingnuts will do? Bitch and whine that he’ll take credit for something he said couldn’t be done.
beltane
What began with Shock & Awe has ended in a somber, dignified silence. I am loving my president very much this evening. May all our troops return home safely as soon as possible.
Dan
Check out http://mittromneycentral.com/2010/08/18/mitt-romney-focuses-criticism-on-obama-in-new-op-ed/ if you want to see President Obama get completely owned.
Martin
Yes, this is a sadly wonderful day. An awful thing not hardly undone, but at least not being done any longer.
Let’s hope things stay reasonably calm there, that the other 50K can leave (and any that stay long-term stay safely), and that we can now focus on winding Afghanistan down.
Unfortunately, for all that this day symbolizes it’ll fly past most voters.
Little Boots
At first blush, that is awesome. I think Obama is actually carrying out all his campaign promises, one by one. Not sure what it means in terms of actual combat in Iraq, but hell, it’s a hell of a lot more of a start than anyone could have dreamed of under McCain. For now, I’m gonna go with awesome.
It also gives me hope about the July ’11 deadline in Afghanistan.
SiubhanDuinne
@stuckinred #35: Yes and they deserve props for their technological prowess. But surely CNN and the networks and even Fox could spare a bit of airtime to note the historic event. And they’re just not.
demo woman
@deaniac83: Obama failed me today. I don’t think that I’m alone in assuming that he would have parachuted on a boat with a codpiece.
SiubhanDuinne
@Little Boots #40: Thank you for the remindert. I will take the same hope for next summer’s withdrawal from Afgh.
bemused
I don’t even feel like talking much about my Marine nephew to my republican friends and relatives. I find myself welling up with anger that they are still republicans. When I introduced my nephew to a republican relative on other side of the family, the R kind of stuttered and said thank you for your service. I wanted to hit him and hit him hard. I tell myself I’m overreacting but those are the times I have to leave the room for awhile because I cannot stand to be around these people.
stuckinred
@SiubhanDuinne: Well, it’s not important enough to rate a thread here, Daily Kos or FDL either. Not sure what that says.
jl
When I first read “Oh.. You Idiots.”, I assumed he had an important message directed at the B J commentariate.
But it was just generally sound advice, delivered with grandmotherly kindness.
Good advice, Mr. Cole. I hope that it is widely noted.
SiubhanDuinne
@stuckinred #47: That both surprises and troubles me quite a lot.
bootsy
@Dan: Transmission from the Mannequin Factory received, decoded, and destroyed. How’s LaRouche doing?
demo woman
@stuckinred: I was so pleased that a friend called at 6:30 and although it was 30 minutes later, I could watch it online on MSNBC. Earlier I mentioned that there was so much coverage going in and so little when the combat troops were coming out. I proud of our guys and I can’t imagine what it felt like nearing Kuwait.
Alwhite
@bemused:
My son was Army, had his enlistment extended twice & finally got out by resigning in a few day window between deployments & I have a very hard time not kicking everyone with one of those damn ribbons on their car in the nuts.
stuckinred
It Don’t Mean Nothin, Drive On
lamh32
TO ALL,,
When my cousin last went back to Iraq, we were under the impression that he wasn’t gonna be home until Thanksgiving!!
But I just talked to my aunt, and she said that he will be home in 2 WEEKS!!!! That’s how long it’s gonna be for “everything to be in order”. So I may have in fact been watching him in one of the vehicles driving over the border into Kuwait.
Like I said, now we just gotta see if he “re-ups” for Afghanistan. Ya’ll better believe that I’m gonna be on him “like white on rice” to make sure he makes an informed decision.
Looks like I’m gonna be booking a trip to NOLA soon…!
stuckinred
@demo woman: I was telling my wife what it was like on that Freedom Bird when we took off from Than Son Nhut. People can make what they want out of “the last trooper” but the one that really counts is YOU! We gotta get out of this place, if it’s the last thing we ever do. . .
Alwhite
BTW – sorry I can’t get really excited yet. There are still 50,000 sons & daughters in the meat grinder. We only had 5,000 non-combat troops in Viet Nam during the Eisenhower admin. 50,000 is better than 50,001 but it is still not the number that should be there, 0.
That is not a knock on Obama please don’t try to make it one.
stuckinred
@lamh32: Does he wear the big Indian Head?
stuckinred
@Alwhite: Richard Todd from the WH just said they ain’t saying shit yet.
bemused
@Alwhite:
You said it. It trivializes our loved ones serving, imo.
The spouse of the relative that I wanted to hit still thought Saddam had wmd just 2 years ago, maybe they still does for all I know. I can’t bear to ask.
Mike Kay
@stuckinred:
They’re gonna wait before making an official remark. They would rather error on being late than jump the gun landing on a banner laden aircraft carrier, wearing flight suits.
stuckinred
@Mike Kay: Yea and by the time we wake up in the morning it’s going to be another Obama communication fuck up. Take it to the bank. MSNBC got punked.
Dennis G.
A brilliant strategy. Whomever hung up that phone should jump a couple of pay grades.
Cheers
tofubo
but, but, but, he’s a professional journalist
http://matthewboylenews.com/