Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Ah, the different things are different argument.

Republicans don’t trust women.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

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

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

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

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Joe Lieberman disappointingly reemerged to remind us that he’s still alive.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

American History and Black History Cannot Be Separated

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100Comments

  3. 3.

    bystander

    Since this is an Open Thread, I’m going to prompt anyone who had intended to listen to Tom Levenson’s discussion with Naomi Oreskes last night, but missed it, to take the time to do so. It was simply outstanding. I’m not a particularly good podcast listener; too twitchy. But, this was worth every minute. I can’t recommend it strongly enough.

  9. 9.

    rob!

    This.

    “Bush and Saddam – One Trillion dollars and thousands of US lives.

    Obama and Qaddafi – One Billion dollars and zero US lives.”

  10. 10.

    Dustin

    Yay an open thread! Guess that means I can pimp a good cause I found online last night: Kickstart a nanobrewery in Portland, OR

    The guy’s got one hell of a dream and fairly low startup capital requirements. I’ve already donated a bit this week but I’d advise any of you craft brewers on here to do the same. It may not be as good a cause as Tunch’s monthly hostage demands* or ABL’s food bill, but hey it is what it is.

    * Wait, you didn’t know about those? Oops.

  11. 11.

    J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford

    Life imitates art or Michael Gary Scott Lives!

    In Alabama, “Mexican” is Considered an Offensive Word

    Oscar: Both my parents were born in Mexico, and they moved to the United States a year before I was born, so I grew up in the United States… my parents were Mexican.

    Michael Scott: Wow, that is a great story. That’s the American dream right there, right? Um, let me ask you, is there a term besides ‘Mexican’ that you prefer? Something less offensive?

  13. 13.

    schrodinger's cat

    @jeffreyw: Organic farmer kitteh grows hims own fud.

    How is the Homer Bitsy feud? Detente?

  15. 15.

    JPL

    John, Feel better. It’s 47 now and there is a frost advisory for tonight. That’s pretty cold since it was 80 just a few days ago.

  17. 17.

    cathyx

    Every fall I would get the cold my daughter brings home when school starts up. But this year when she got sick I took Zicam right away, and continued it until she was past the contagious stage and I didn’t get sick. It worked just like the said it did.

  18. 18.

    Jess

    John,
    There’s some kind of mutated mega-cold going around here in Mass–are you sure that’s not what you have? I was bedridden for a week…hope you recover more quickly than I did!

  19. 19.

    geg6

    Jeebus, Cole, you are one unhealthy SOB.

    Speaking of which, I am glad to report that our Henry has finally gotten over the diarrhea caused by the steroids he’s been prescribed for part of his leukemia treatment. My John and I just went through about 4 days of doggie spewing poo all over the house, himself, and us, uncontrollably. Good thing it was warm enough yesterday after work to open all the windows and doors and finally get all the reek out before the weather got cold and rainy.

    I love Henry but was running on my last nerve with this shit (pun intended).

  22. 22.

    J.

    That’s what you get for hunting down Qaddafi all night.

    Hope you feel better soon.

    Looking forward to the first neti pot post of the flu season.

  23. 23.

    jwb

    The NY Times has stopped hemorrhaging money, though their finances still look very dicey. Increased circulation almost covered loss in ad revenue, but most of the gain came from decreased costs. How’s the paywall working:

    The Times now has 324,000 paid subscribers to the various digital editions of the paper, including e-readers and its Web site, compared with 281,000 at the end of the second quarter.

  24. 24.

    Roy Greene

    Sorry to hear you are feeling bad. Eat any chicken lately? You could be suffering from chicken flu. I believe a large majority of flu like symptoms stem from contaminated chicken. Get well soon.

  28. 28.

    Brachiator

    @geg6:

    I love Henry but was running on my last nerve with this shit (pun intended).

    Sounds like Henry had the runs as well.

    I hope everybody everywhere starts to feel better.

  32. 32.

    gbear

    @jwb: Jebus, I hate NPR’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition, but I love MN Public Radio enough to stay a member. Whenever I renew I request that they dump those two (very expensive) programs, but it’s chasing after windmills to think they’ll do it.

  33. 33.

    Brachiator

    @Mark S.:

    Should we have a betting pool on what time today Herman walks back his statement on abortion from last night?

    Fortunately it’s not real money, but I’m betting that he doesn’t walk it back.

    Of course, if he doesn’t, his chances for getting the GOP nomination will go from “ridiculously slim” to “near absolutely none.”

  34. 34.

    wilfred

    In the interests of peace…shalom:

    “In a blog post celebrating the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Rachel Decter Abrams, a board member of the Emergency Committee on Israel, advocates for the extermination of Palestinians, including children. Abrams is married to former Assistant Secretary of State Elliot Abrams, and is the half-sister of Commentary editor John Podhoretz and step-daughter of Norman Podhoretz, founder of the neoconservative movement:

    He’s free and he’s home in the bosom of his family and his country.

    “Celebrate, Israel, with all the joyous gratitude that fills your hearts, as we all do along with you.

    Then round up his captors, the slaughtering, death-worshiping, innocent-butchering, child-sacrificing savages who dip their hands in blood and use women-those who aren’t strapping bombs to their own devils’ spawn and sending them out to meet their seventy-two virgins by taking the lives of the school-bus-riding, heart-drawing, Transformer-doodling, homework-losing children of Others-and their offspring-those who haven’t already been pimped out by their mothers to the murder god-as shields, hiding behind their burkas and cradles like the unmanned animals they are, and throw them not into your prisons, where they can bide until they’re traded by the thousands for another child of Israel, but into the sea, to float there, food for sharks, stargazers, and whatever other oceanic carnivores God has put there for the purpose.”

    3 billion a year to pay for this shit.

    http://politicalcorrection.org/fpmatters/201110190003

  37. 37.

    Mark S.

    @Brachiator:

    I’m betting that he doesn’t walk it back.

    Really? Well, then it’s on, good sir. I propose the usual bet: $1 million in Tunch dollars.

    Herman seems to be one of those people who really tries to cater to his audience, so that when he goes on a non-Fox network he really tries to tone down the absurd rhetoric. Of course, this strategy works a lot better if YOU’RE NOT BEING RECORDED ON NATIONAL TELEVISION.

  38. 38.

    flukebucket

    I just want to take a moment to thank everybody who recommended Charles Pierce. I had never read his blog. He is wonderful.

    That is all.

  39. 39.

    geg6

    @wilfred:

    Fuck that bitch. Seriously.

    Israel is looking more and more like it is becoming that which they most hate. They have turned me, a formerly reflexive Israel defender, into someone who really sees no difference between them and Iran. They are both enemies of the United States, IMHO.

  40. 40.

    NorthernMNer

    Hey all,

    I don’t want to do any thread hijacking, but I know this is the place for progressives that also love animals, so I need some help.

    We had to put down our dog of 16 years today. A mixed-terrier that looked a heck of a lot like “Benji” and I know it was time. He lost control of his bodily functions, could barely walk, and essentially blind.

    But–I can’t help think there was more I could have done. Anybody else feel like this in these situations? Is this a normal part of grieving? Anybody that has gone through this–give me a shout.

    Again–back to regular thread posts. Sorry for the interuption, again.

  41. 41.

    geg6

    @NorthernMNer:

    I’m so sorry. Our Henry is my very first pet (so I’ve never had to put one down), but we are almost at that point with him. He’s 13 and a big, goofy yellow Lab. Not so goofy now, what with his bad hips and leukemia (along with the associated medications). It’s only a matter of time and that time is short.

  43. 43.

    NorthernMNer

    @geg6: Thank you. Unintended consequences and all, but if I had one wish, it would be that our dogs and cats could live side-by-side with our lifespans too.

    Having to decide when to do this, well, it is just wrenching. But its the price we have if we are to be so blessed with their presence in our lives at all, I suppose. But still.

  44. 44.

    catclub

    @wilfred: Well, it does help explain why Elliot Abrams is an asshole about Israel. If he were not, his wife would kill him.

    He is still an asshole about Iran-Contra all by himself.

  45. 45.

    atlliberal

    @NorthernMNer: Sorry for your loss. There is never 100% certainty when making this decision. It’s always a gut wrenching choice between wanting to keep our family member with us, and ending their suffering. All pets are special, some more special than others. I still tear up thinking about Opus the cat I had to put down 20 years ago when he developed tumors in his lungs. everyone grieves in their own way. There is no right or wrong, only how you feel.

  46. 46.

    bystander

    @NorthernMNer:

    Normal? Certainly in my experience. I’ve a graduate degree in second-guessing these decisions. Sooner or later you will come to recognize that 16 years is a long time, that a good life isn’t necessarily a longer life, and you confront the question whose needs were best served by extending that life. It sounds to me like your “Benji” was well loved. And, that’s the best life of all. Tuck “Benji” safely under your heart, remember the best times, the funny times, and carry the memory of that tenacious terrier forward with you. In that way, “Benji” still lives.

  48. 48.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @NorthernMNer:

    I can feel for you. I had to have my beloved cat Con put to sleep a couple of weeks ago. It was all the harder because I had to make the decision, a decision I really did not want to make. When my beloved dog Judy died last Thursday it was much easier in that she simply chose to go to sleep on the bed and not wake up. You are in my thoughts.

  49. 49.

    MomSense

    I’m on week 3 of the pestilence. You have my sympathy, John.

    Really shouldn’t bring up Sully when you are already not feeling well but he posted this http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/10/finally-a-poster-i-could-gladly-hold-up.html

    Then he asked “How bad is the Obama messaging that so few know this?” Given the level of interest/outrage/coverage of Wall Street bailouts one would think our media would cover this story. No, the blame is with the Obama administration’s messaging and not with our lazy/corrupt/corporate media.

  50. 50.

    Brachiator

    @Mark S.: RE: I’m betting that he doesn’t walk it back.

    Really? Well, then it’s on, good sir. I propose the usual bet: $1 million in Tunch dollars.

    You’re on. And I will try to keep track of this.

    The weird thing is that Cain makes an old semi-libertarian argument for the state keeping out of people’s personal business. I wonder if he was asked about this before and had a similar response.

  52. 52.

    Amir Khalid

    @NorthernMNer:
    I think the rule here is that all topics are welcome in an open thread.
    You know what you did for your dog: you stood by him all the way to the end. It’s entirely natural to wish you’d done more or done better; but unless there actually was something your vet said you could have done but didn’t (I really doubt that) you didn’t fail him. This is just your grief talking.

  53. 53.

    gbear

    @NorthernMNer:

    Anybody else feel like this in these situations? Is this a normal part of grieving?

    Yes and yes. From what you wrote it sounds like his ‘quality of life’ was pretty much gone. It’s hard not to wonder if he might have had some kind of miracle recovery, but realistically it wasn’t going to happen.

    I lost a cat to old age last winter and now I’m getting a lump in my throat thinking about it. It’s incredibly hard to lose a pet. Do what you can to remember how good a life you provided for your pup. I’m sorry for your loss.

  55. 55.

    Martin

    Yep. I’m on my second since the kids went back to school. (And they say the US is losing the biological weapons arms race – what about our elementary schools!)

    Take extra care with the neti pot. Last night I mixed mine up and did something wrong because it felt like I snorted battery acid. Measure twice, snort once.

  57. 57.

    srv

    Put science guy Tim F. or the Harvard boy on this story:

    When the team further untangled the web of ownership, it found much of it tracked back to a “super-entity” of 147 even more tightly knit companies – all of their ownership was held by other members of the super-entity – that controlled 40 per cent of the total wealth in the network. “In effect, less than 1 per cent of the companies were able to control 40 per cent of the entire network,” says Glattfelder. Most were financial institutions. The top 20 included Barclays Bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co, and The Goldman Sachs Group.

    http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228354.500-revealed–the-capitalist-network-that-runs-the-world.html

    Little wary of the New Scientist.

  58. 58.

    NorthernMNer

    @Amir Khalid: @gbear: @Litlebritdifrnt: @atlliberal: @bystander:

    Thank you all so much. I didn’t want to unload on anybody, but I just had to know that I wasn’t alone in what I had to do.

    Our Vet, a year and a half ago, actually said that she didn’t want to prescribe anything, because the side effects of the meds would have erased what quality of life he had left. She expected him to make it about 6-8 months after that visit. So I feel lucky in that regard.

    But, on the up side, I am making a donation to http://www.aspca.org/ to honor him. Better, in my mind, than just a framed picture. Thank you all again so much.

  61. 61.

    Hill Dweller

    @MomSense: I’ve given up the hope of ever having a truly objective, competent MSM in this country.

    Benen has a post up over at his place talking about the media treating the Republicans’ “Real Jobs Plan” as credible, when in fact it won’t accomplish shit, and could possibly put us back into a recession. Even that hack Kessler calls their claims “ludicrous”. But that isn’t the narrative right now.

  62. 62.

    Skepticat

    @NorthernMNer:

    Anybody else feel like this in these situations? Is this a normal part of grieving?

    Absolutely, but I’m so sorry that you have to go through this; it’s incredibly difficult even when it is the right thing. I’m still second-guessing myself about putting to sleep my cat with cancer even when it was obvious he was beginning to suffer.
    I still torture myself because I couldn’t afford a dental for one of my cats and she died horribly in my arms of a mouth infection because we were out of the country with no decent vet care available. At least you know you did all you could for your good companion and gave him a wonderful life.

  64. 64.

    NorthernMNer

    Not sure when my earlier comment will be approved, but thank you all so much. I didn’t want to unload on anybody, but I just had to know that I wasn’t alone in what I had to do.

    Our Vet, a year and a half ago, actually said that she didn’t want to prescribe anything, because the side effects of the meds would have erased what quality of life he had left. She expected him to make it about 6-8 months after that visit. So I feel lucky in that regard.

    But, on the up side, I am making a donation to the ASPCA to honor him. Better, in my mind, than just a framed picture. Thank you all again so much.

  65. 65.

    Poopyman

    @Martin:

    Measure twice, snort once.

    And stir three times. Every time I’ve done that to myself I’m pretty sure it was because the salt was still a bit undissolved at the bottom. And when that hits sinus tissue ….

  66. 66.

    fasteddie9318

    @Svensker: Vaccines totally made Michelle Bachmann retarded, or whatever. That’s some scary shit there. Myself, I just got mine this morning. Just starting to feel that post-shot ache in the shoulder.

  69. 69.

    bystander

    @Svensker:
    Experienced an anaphylactic reaction to the last one, so now I suffer along with John Cole. Cannot express how much fun these symptoms are and I sure as hell hope it doesn’t take 3 weeks to clear it. My own opinion – after years and years of innocuous flu shot experiences – is that the clinic had acquired a dose of dirty vaccine, but they won’t even consider administering another round unless I’m somewhere where they can intubate me. I am now dependent on the charity of herd immunity.

  70. 70.

    Hill Dweller

    So Rubio and McCain are all over the teevee thanking the French and British for Moammar Gadhafi’s demise, and minimizing any role the US(and by extension Obama) has had in Libya. Country First.

  73. 73.

    MomSense

    @HillDweller
    Media are just depressing. When I was in college I had a summer job at the Kennebunkport Press HQ. One of my jobs was to photocopy the daily press briefing from the WH Press Secretary and then photocopy it to distribute to the press corps. I used to play a little game of actually reading the thing and making a list of questions I would ask if I got the chance. Then I would watch the press corps walk around gossiping, hang out at the bar, and repeat the gossip they heard from each other as “news”. One of the salty, wire photographers said the whole thing was a farce.

  75. 75.

    Paul in KY

    @NorthernMNer: He lived 16 years. That’s like a human living 95.

    Celebrate his life & when ready, go get another bundle of joy from your local shelter.

  77. 77.

    bemused

    Being stuffed up is the pits. Our local health food store runs out of Santa Cruz lemon, ginger, echinacea juice during flu & cold season. Very popular. I love it. It’s got a zing to it that is really soothing.
    I also discovered ginger chews made by Ginger People.

  78. 78.

    bemused

    @NorthernMNer:

    I feel for you. We’ve been there several times and it never gets easier.

    I’m also a northern Minnesotan, northeast. Which area are you in?

  80. 80.

    PurpleGirl

    @NorthernMNer: Oh, that is so hard to do. But it can be the best thing for the pet, saving him pain. Even more medical intervention would probably only lead to more pain in time. Please accept a virtual {{{hug}}}.

    I didn’t have pets growing up so when I met N and his animals, they became mine. Years later Hugo (Doberman pinscher) had to be put to sleep (age, multiple medical issues, and constant pain). I felt shattered to lose Hugo, even though there were lots of other animals in N’s household.

  81. 81.

    Svensker

    @bystander:

    Gah! That’s horrible. Also, I had no idea that was possible so now every time I or a loved one gets a shot I’ll be panicking. Yay!

    Best wishes to you!

  82. 82.

    NorthernMNer

    @bemused:
    Thanks for the kind and comforting words. They are very much appreciated. I am in Northwest Minnesota, about two hours from the Canadian border.

    Which means if we get to the point of a President Cain, my house will be the last jump to Manitoba. I’ll have pretzels and peanuts for everybody.

  84. 84.

    Svensker

    @wilfred:

    It’s still hard for me to understand how the zionists can get away with this crap, but then I remain a naif apparently. Substitute “Jew” or “Black” for Palestinian in that screed and she would never be seen in polite society again.

  87. 87.

    S. cerevisiae

    @bemused: Sorry for your loss, NorthernMNer.

    I am also from that neck of the woods, even though I am currently in OR I have a lot of family up in Cook County.

  89. 89.

    bemused

    @S. cerevisiae:

    I’m in St. Louis Co where we have the pleasure of having Chip Cravaack for our Rep, first Republican rep on the Iron Range in decades and it had to be a teaparty guy. Blockhead voters.

  90. 90.

    NorthernMNer

    @bemused: At least you can rid yourself of him next year. We are stuck with Collin Peterson until he decides to retire. Probably in 2068.

  92. 92.

    bemused

    @NorthernMNer:

    I sure hope so. I had no idea we had that many idiots here. I’m counting on people not as stupid realizing they really threw away their votes on a loser and people who didn’t vote making sure they get to the polls next time.

  95. 95.

    piratedan

    shamelessly cribbed from a commenter over @ GOS

    Just to recap, since 1975:

    Republican Presidents:

    Illegally sold military arms to Iran
    Legally sold military arms to Saddam Hussein
    Trained Osama Bin Laden in guerilla warfare
    Missed 9/11
    Invaded the wrong country, getting 100,000 innocents killed and adding trillions to the deficit
    Missed North Korea going nuclear in 2004

    Democratic Presidents since 1975:

    Brokered an historic peace deal between Israel and Egypt, still in effect
    Came close to brokering an historic peace deal between Israel and Palestine
    Killed Osama Bin Laden and decimated Al Qaeda leadership
    Got us out (mostly) of Iraq
    Engaged in a limited strike campaign that overthrew the terrorist dictatorship of Momar Gaddafi

    note to Dems: need more shameless self-promotion.

  96. 96.

    quannlace

    @NorthernMNer:

    I’m so sorry, Northern. And yes, pretty much everything you’re feeling is normal. With my last dog, Clemmie, (I’ve been it twice ) I felt guilty both ways at the same time. That I did it too soon and should have done more for her AND that I waited too long and maybe she was suffering more than she should have been. It’s a miserable situation to put into, but like they say, it’s the one last thing we can do for our pets.
    Doesn’t make it any easier though.

  97. 97.

    Uncle Clarence Thomas

    .
    .
    Uh-oh, ABL (Accurate Black Lesbian) is going off on Mr. Herman Cain, full of approvingly used terms such as “shameless tap dancing,” “Steppin Fetchit,” “fried chicken,” “watermelon” and “a certain kind of minstrelry.” A paid refudiational post on griftio.com by ABL angrily accusing ABL of white liberal racism should prove profitable in the near future.
    .
    .

  98. 98.

    gbear

    @bemused: @NorthernMNer:

    I’ve got Betty McCollum! (does happy dance)

    St. Paul is incapable of electing a conservative.

    Cravaack seems to be doing a really excellent job of destroying himself though. I hope you only have him for this one term.

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