Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

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

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

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

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

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Schmidt just says fuck it, opens a tea shop.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

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

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

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

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

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

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157Comments

  3. 3.

    Bostondreams

    So I suppose that in a game featuring Tom Brady and the Denver Jesus, you will be rooting for…wow, tough one.

  5. 5.

    Mark S.

    Come on, Cole. You know the only thing that will cheer you up is getting into a Twitter flame war with Jane Hamsher.

    Let the healing process begin.

  6. 6.

    4tehlulz

    Boston Sports Radio is going to be fucking intolerable this week.

    More than usual anyway…

  7. 7.

    Villago Delenda Est

    What Shawn said. I assumed that the absence was you strutting around fuming for an extended period at the total lameocity of the entire thing.

    Of course, I did sense through the Force that someone in WVA had cried out in terror…some wag assumed it was Tunch wondering where his next meal was coming from…

  11. 11.

    Don

    So who said that Gawd doesn’t like the NFL? This is Her first NFL quarterback, but what does She do when there are more than one. Jesus under center is a growth industry.

  15. 15.

    Shawn in ShowMe

    @Don:

    So who said that Gawd doesn’t like the NFL? This is Her first NFL quarterback, but what does She do when there are more than one.

    Drew Brees and Kurt Warner are prominent Christian quarterbacks and Super Bowl Champions. Tebow just waves the the Celestial Foam Finger at all times: breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, lunch, afternoon tea, etc.

  16. 16.

    DougJ

    Cheer up, Steelers had a brutal row to hoe, with road games against Pats and Ravens coming up. They went out fighting, a great game, even a Ben-hater like me had to respect the way the guy played.

  19. 19.

    cathyx

    The Steelers didn’t have it in them this year. You can’t expect them to win it all every year.

  21. 21.

    Aqualad08

    And after three regular season losses, he arose again in fulfillment of the scripture…

  23. 23.

    Svensker

    You think you feel bad? I have to decide whether to root for Brady or Tebow. That’s like being forced to choose between Santorum and Perry. Gaaahhh.

  24. 24.

    Ha Nguyen

    This may cheer you up. Both TPM and Charles Pierce are reporting that Mitt Romney is dropping like a rock in the NH polls. Apparently, to know him is to really, really dislike him.

    Paul and Huntsman are moving up.

  25. 25.

    jl

    Glad there is some remnant of the earthly Cole left. Hope he recovers.

    I wonder what Tunch will post about.

  27. 27.

    p.a.

    I still get a bit wound up as a fan, but nowhere near as much as I used to. I just tell myself, and I wish I knew who to credit for the phrase, “…rooting for laundry…” relax…

  29. 29.

    JenJen

    Really sorry, Cole. The Bengals’ humiliating loss yesterday ruined my whole weekend, but I really felt for you at the end of that Steelers game.

  33. 33.

    Joel

    That was a brutal kick in the nuts, Cole. Reminiscent of the David Tyree helmet catch.

    I’m sorry for you, if not your Steelers.

  35. 35.

    David

    “Just appalling secondary play.”

    Yeah, they missed Ryan Clark way more than I figured they would.

  37. 37.

    The Moar You Know

    Am I the only one who has an urge to run for a bit and bridle every time Elway’s unholy mug shows up on the tube?

  38. 38.

    Poopyman

    @Bostondreams:

    So I suppose that in a game featuring Tom Brady and the Denver Jesus, you will be rooting for…wow, tough one.

    Injuries, without question.

  39. 39.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Could we include a forgotten coal mine suddenly opening up just behind center on the Patriots’ side of the field? A hole roughly twenty feet across ought to suffice.

  41. 41.

    burnspbesq

    @Svensker:

    I have to decide whether to root for Brady or Tebow.

    There is an alternative. You could root for Eli.

    Just kidding. Put the gun down, slowly.

  42. 42.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @The Moar You Know: Just thank Tebow or the FSM or whoever that he never ran for office. IIRC the Colorado GOP tried to draft him for Senate a couple years back, I believe the year Pete Coors lost to Salazar.

  43. 43.

    cthulhu

    It’s pretty clear now that Jeebus loves the dramatic flourish. I always thought the whole crucifixion thing was a case of really milking it.

  45. 45.

    The Snarxist Formerly Known As Kryptik

    Look at it this way, John.

    We still have the Mountaineers. Especially since the basketball team is looking to be much better than their early season made them out to be.

  46. 46.

    Corner Stone

    @DougJ:

    Cheer up, Steelers had a brutal row to hoe, with road games against Pats and Ravens coming up.

    Ummm, I think you mean against the Texans, who had already beaten Pittsburgh this year.

  47. 47.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    @cthulhu:

    It could be that this was Tebow’s entry into Denversalem and that next week we shall see the crucifixion. Broncos fans will have to wait a couple of millenia for the second coming, but after Elway they should be pretty used to the idea.

  49. 49.

    Short Bus Bully

    As a lifelong Seahawks fan I am fucking REVELING in the schadenfruede of this win. The (superbowl) Stealers are not my fav team and Rape-lisberger needs to be run out of town on a fucking rail.

    Tebow is a nice guy. Kids could do worse for a roll model these days.

    That said, the knob slobbering of the ESPN mic monkeys will reach epic proportions over the next year. It’ll make the yearly “Will Favre return?” circle jerks look like dead air.

  50. 50.

    cthulhu

    @jrg:

    Is it just me, or does Bruce Campbell look just like Mitt Romney?

    Please don’t insult Ash like that.

  51. 51.

    Roger Moore

    @MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson:

    Broncos fans will have to wait a couple of millenia for the second coming, but after Elway they should be pretty used to the idea.

    Actually, I think a lot of Broncos fans have been fooled into thinking Tebow is the second coming of Elway.

  53. 53.

    clay

    @p.a.: I wish I knew who to credit for the phrase, “…rooting for laundry…”

    If you’re referring to what I think you’re referring to, that’s a Jerry Seinfeld bit. He argued that, since players move around so much, we root for the clothes (i.e. uniforms) more than any individual player.

  54. 54.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    @p.a.:

    A melting Brady is something I would prefer to be approximately two galaxies away from.

  55. 55.

    cthulhu

    @MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson:

    It could be that this was Tebow’s entry into Denversalem and that next week we shall see the crucifixion. Broncos fans will have to wait a couple of millenia for the second coming, but after Elway they should be pretty used to the idea.

    I don’t follow sports all that much but as kid lived in CO Springs for a while (during the Orange Crush era when Denver first showed some life). Thus I’ve been stuck with a passing preference for the Broncos. But, as an atheist, the whole Tebow thing confounds me.

    I thought the bit on SNL a few weeks back was hilarious and that’s a high bar for SNL these days.

  56. 56.

    JS

    So where in the name of John Facenda, Sonny Jurgenson and the Galloping Ghost was the safety on that last play?

  58. 58.

    Shalimar

    Look on the bright side. You could be a Broncos fan. Now they’re stuck with Tebow for at least another couple years.

  59. 59.

    Heliopause

    Fucking Tebow.

    Though it’s no consolation, I was conflicted. Root for the second most overhyped mediocrity in sports history or root for the whiniest little children in sports fandom. On the other hand, if Denver can’t let go of their collective emotional attachment to the 30th best starting QB in the league, all the better for those of us not Denver fans. Dear Lord, just give them enough success to not actually contend, but enough to keep them emotionally attached to the 30th best QB in the league. Amen.

  60. 60.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    @Heliopause:

    Root for the second most overhyped mediocrity in sports history or root for the whiniest little children in sports fandom.

    What do the Jets have to do with the events of today?

  61. 61.

    CaseyL

    Sympathies and condolences, John.

    Please don’t leave us. Please don’t leave us to Tunch’s tender mercies.

    All he ever talks about are The Ladiezz he lives with – you’d think he’d be less interested, since everyone is not only fixed, but they’re not even his species – and how much fun it is to complete with them to see who can make the most outrageous demands of you. (Though he does accord you a sincere, if grudging, respect for rehabilitating Rosie enough that he was able to cancel the hit.)

  62. 62.

    Shawn in ShowMe

    @Roger Moore:

    I think we’ve passed that point. One more win and Elway will be relegated to John the Baptist status by the current crop of Bronco fans. It took Elway 5 seasons before he got that far in the playoffs. Elway’s rise to glory started with “The Drive”. Practically every Tebow victory is punctuated by a variation of “The Drive”.

  63. 63.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    I am trying to work out what happens when Tebow loses to the Patriots. Does that make him a false prophet? Or is he really the messiah crucified under Roger Pontius Pilate Goodell? Will Mel Gibson make a movie showing him being brutally flogged by men speaking Latin? What’s the next step?

  67. 67.

    BlueDWarrior

    Can’t wait for Brees to have an efficent 300 yd passing game and to watch Alex Smith flail around in the Red Zone 4 times before kicking FGs

    Saints over 49ers — 31-19

  69. 69.

    Roger Moore

    @JS:

    So where in the name of John Facenda, Sonny Jurgenson and the Galloping Ghost was the safety on that last play?

    Up close to the line defending the run and biting hard on the play fake. It looks as if the Steelers defensive plan this week was, “Do whatever it takes to stop the run and force Tebow to beat us with his arm”. They did a pretty good job of stopping the run, but Tebow was uncharacteristically successful at beating them with his arm.

  70. 70.

    Morbo

    Fucking Tebow. Just appalling secondary play. Cripes.

    Oh, look at the bright side, they still held him under 50%.

  73. 73.

    Monkey Business

    As a resident and native son of the great city of Indianapolis, I wholeheartedly encourage all of the teams luck, and encourage all of the fans of whichever teams advance to the Super Bowl to come visit our wonderful city.

    Except for Patriots fans. You guys can stay in Boston. I’d rather burn Lucas Oil Stadium to the ground than watch Tom Brady win another ring in the House That Peyton Built.

    We accept cash, check, and all major credit cards. Bring plenty.

  74. 74.

    Svensker

    @burnspbesq:

    There is an alternative. You could root for Eli.

    Of course I’m rooting for Eli. But, so far as I know, he’s not playing in the NE/Denver game, unless I missed something really big.

    If you give me the gun back, I can shoot Tebow’s knees out and then I can hope for the Broncs to beat up the Pats with a clear heart. If not, I have a problem.

  75. 75.

    Shawn in ShowMe

    @MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson:

    I am trying to work out what happens when Tebow loses to the Patriots. Does that make him a false prophet?

    What do Christians normally do when a prophecy fails to come true? Reinterpret the prophecy.

    Tebow can not fail us. We can only fail Tebow.

  78. 78.

    Gator90

    @Heliopause: 30th best QB in the league, eh? How many of those other 29 QBs have passed for 300 yards and the game-winning TD in their first playoff game? Just wondering.

  80. 80.

    devtob

    Tebow is a great football player, who somehow finds a way to win.

    He’s different from the NFL model of a modern quarterback, but most NFL-model quarterbacks are playing golf now.

    His teammates help a lot — the defense, his receivers, and the kicker.

    But Tebow, in this game and several others, is clearly the team leader.

    Let’s give him some credit.

    And not diss him because of his religious beliefs.

  81. 81.

    Johnny Gentle (famous crooner)

    The guy only completes 10 passes, yet averages almost 32 yards per completion. That’s truly embarrassing secondary play.

    So great, we can look forward to a Tim Tebow vs. Bill Belichik fellation contest from the media all next week.

    “Tebow’s just a winner!”
    “Yeah, but Belichik is the Master Strategist!”
    “But you can never count Tebow out!”
    “Belichik is such a genius, he’s probably already created the perfect gameplan for next week while sitting on the toilet!”
    “But you can see how his teammates just really want to win for Tebow!”
    “All of Belichik’s players win because he’s instilled a winning attitude”

    And so on. Oh, and Tom Brady, too.

  88. 88.

    Elie

    @Short Bus Bully:

    I hear ya — TotALLY — Pittsburgh Stealas is right on — hate their fucking guts..

    I just can’t stand that Tebow crap. Otherwise, all this would be 100% splendid. They are so overrated on everything… even their crippled rapist motorcycle gangbanga quarterback.. (who should be in jail instead of the playoffs). The only other NFL player for whom I have less regards is the dog killer, Michael Vick.

  89. 89.

    Nom de Plume

    Steelers fans are such fucking babies. Seriously, the worst. Six Super Bowl rings, and they whine worse than anyone else.

  91. 91.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @devtob:

    And not diss him because of his religious beliefs.

    If the shit kept them to himself, I would not have a problem with him.

    But he doesn’t.

    So fuck him. And all like him.

  93. 93.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    May Mitt live in interesting times

    Last night I saw a link on Twitter to the news that Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire c*s*no mogul had given $5 million to a Gingrich-backing SuperPAC to run a brutal series of ads against Mitt Romney in South Carolina. I knew this was big if for no other reason than the fact that $5 million thrown at a relatively small state like South Carolina over little more than a week is enough to totally change the calculus of a race.

    JMM says there may be more where that came from

  95. 95.

    Corner Stone

    @devtob:

    He’s different from the NFL model of a modern quarterback, but most NFL-model quarterbacks are playing golf now.

    Pretty much every “X, Y or Z” position player is in off season now.
    It’s called “post season”.

  96. 96.

    Elie

    @devtob:

    Sorry man, but folks with his religious beliefs are ready to take away all my and everyone else’s freedoms to do much of anything except worship his God. He and his ilk have successfully turned me into an anti-religionist. Not that I want to do anything to them, but just want them to shut the fuck up and stay the hell into their own lives and outa mine. Dono if you have been paying attention in the last 8 years or so, but this is WAR for what remains of a liberal way of life where folks get to live and let live. We are a dying breed and I am just sick of watching assholes kneel and pray about anything … He wants to kneel and pray, maybe he should do that at home or in his effing church. I dont find that entertaining to see in a freakin football game.

  98. 98.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    D’oh! I typed a Forbidden Word and got stuck in moderation. If anyone’s interested, Josh Marshall says Sheldon “Swiftboat” Adelson has written a Newtie SuperPAC a check for $5 million for So Carolina.

  100. 100.

    dedc79

    My condolences. This pleasantly surprised Giants fan is enjoying what will likely be only one more week of football this season. But as the Broncos proved today, anything can happen…

  103. 103.

    lamh35

    I talked about possibly supporting that new super-pac “1911 United” which is backed by 2 African Americans fraternities and who’s aim is to motivate and GOTV of African American and PoC. Here is an intro video from that group:

    1911UNITED.COM

  104. 104.

    gnomedad

    @shoutingattherain:

    Go get naked and mop your bathroom floor.

    Poor John. I think he deserves a moratorium on naked mopping references. Provided it gets an entry in the Lexicon, of course.

  105. 105.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    @devtob:

    And not diss him because of his religious beliefs.

    Then don’t give me some bullshit that he’s great, or that the Broncos didn’t draft him because of the fans he’d bring, both obviously based on his outspoken evangelism.

    I don’t know if you’re in the same universe as the rest of us, but Trent Dilfer didn’t get the spotlight on him when the Ravens were on their Super Bowl run, and it isn’t like his numbers were worse than Tebow’s. In fact, at the time, the CW said that the Ravens won despite Dilfer.

  107. 107.

    LT

    Evangelism is a form of rudeness. it is built into to evangelism to think less off the person being evangelized to.

    I’d be polite to Tebow if I met him. It’s my momma’s fault.

  110. 110.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    @devtob:

    And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (Matthew 6:5)

    Jesus doesn’t seem completely to agree with your assessment of what makes for acceptable religious behavior.

  111. 111.

    Corner Stone

    I have to say, I am loving the Pepsi Max and NY Jets commercials.
    So much freude that is being schaden.

  112. 112.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    If God is using his/her free time to decide football games, then I want a word with him/her: There are Congresspeople that need lobotomies.

  113. 113.

    burnspbesq

    @JS:

    So where in the name of John Facenda, Sonny Jurgenson and the Galloping Ghost was the safety on that last play?

    Up at the line of scrimmage on the left side of the Broncos’ formation, getting ready to either blitz or jam a slot receiver who was every bit as invisible as the bond vigilantes. A brain-cramp of Freddie Brown proportions.

  114. 114.

    burnspbesq

    @Svensker:

    If you give me the gun back, I can shoot Tebow’s knees out and then I can hope for the Broncs to beat up the Pats with a clear heart.

    Remember to put the safety back on, and don’t leave a round in the chamber, when you’re done.

  119. 119.

    BruceFromOhio

    @devtob:

    Let’s give him some credit. And not diss him because of his religious beliefs.

    You’re missing the picture. There’s ire directed at the athlete for being athletic, no doubt. Dude put on a damned good show after weeks of really weak stats, and someone has to lose the contest. Alas.

    And that’s where I get warped. The blatant fawning in the sports media, the hypervelocity idolatry, the embarrassing sight of gibbering Xtians wearing “#15 Jesus” jerseys … it is really, really sad. Particularly in a year when other rookie QBs were putting up stellar numbers and being ignored.

    I don’t give a tin shit what the man believes. Its the hoopla that has been inflated on his behalf that is just disgusting.

    After watching in disbelief the triumphant heights of language being used to describe a rookie QB disguised as a lumbering teenager trying to run away from a street gang (with equivalent stats) it was starting to really wear thin. Can this many people have this many hallucinations, repeatedly? Fortunately, the answer will remain unknown, because Broncos put up enough consistent, muscular offense tonight to put up serious points. And they did it as a team, last I recalled. And there’s this other bunch of guys called a “defense,” and who’d a thunk, they showed up, too.

    So, go for it, claim your high ground, thank whoever, whatever, get down on your knees and worship. Power to you. You still can’t win a wild card playoff game playing solo.

    And *none* of that shit’s got anything to do with some lucky young QB’s religious beliefs.

  121. 121.

    babygiraffes

    Tim Tebow 29
    Steelers 23

    And they said he could not pass. Denver won it on an 80-yard pass — the first play in overtime.

    10 for 21, 316 yards, 2 TD and a quarterback rating of 125.6.

    Oh, and he ran for a TD as well.

    Next stop: At New England, Saturday night at 8.

  127. 127.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    @Mark S.:

    Yes, Gault was- and a shitty one at that, with no hands- who got big pub and thought he deserved a lot more money than he was getting based on his SB ring. It ain’t just QBs.

    And, really, I don’t think Johnson was any better than Dilfer, ever. I think that he had the luck to be used in a way that gave him better opportunities to hide his weaknesses- the equivalent to a so-so hitter taking advantage of the abilities of the great hitter behind him in the batting order.

  128. 128.

    eemom

    so the Steelers won’t be in the super bowl and it’s because this Tebow guy and Jesus fucked John Cole’s shit up. Have I got that right?

  129. 129.

    devtob

    Were Tebow an elected politician who voted “to take away all my and everyone else’s freedoms to do much of anything except worship his God,” then he would deserve the calumny he’s been getting.

    As of now, he’s an NFL quarterback who has not won every game, or completed every pass, who wears his conservative Christian religion on his sleeve more than any other pro athlete.

    The national attention to that, from both sides, is just weird.

  132. 132.

    BruceFromOhio

    @The prophet Nostradumbass: Perhaps. There’s some ire remaining at Michael Vick still rolling out once in awhile. I get it.

    I stick to what’s on the field and the stats. Somebody’s a Jesus freak or a dog killer or a gun-toting moron off the field, that’s their problem. @Elie does makes a good point, though I’m just as satisfied to direct my ire elsewhere. Spoiled rich NFL players aren’t particularly worth it.

  133. 133.

    mak

    Serves ’em frickin right for not even attempting a field goal at the end of regulation. Also, too, Roethlisberger sucks ass (even more than his o-line), especially in his new role as offensive coordinator (or is it head coach now? wtf).

  135. 135.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    @BruceFromOhio: Michael Vick is someone I don’t like, but he paid his debt with his prison time, and has shown some contrition. People who use their fame to push the restriction of the rights of women, I can do without.

  136. 136.

    FlipYrWhig

    @eemom: Pretty much. But it really was odd. I’ll even credit Corner Stone for the statement on one of the earlier threads that Tebow threw 4 of the best passes he’s ever thrown in his life. I’ve been sick of Tebow since his pre-LeBron announcement of his returning to U. of Florida, done for maximum adoration, but he pulled it off with skill today.

  137. 137.

    FlipYrWhig

    @devtob: Well, keep in mind that Tebow has been being hyped for “character” for what feels like a decade already. His status as a media creation/darling and his ostentatious Xty have always been intertwined.

  139. 139.

    Nerull

    @The prophet Nostradumbass: Not just women. Focus on the Family is one of the leading anti-gay groups, along with their sister organization the Family Research Council which is a SPLC-recognized hate group. The anti-abortion stuff is really just a side thing to their real goal, which is denying equal rights for LGBTs.

  140. 140.

    PIGL

    What is this you are talking about? Football? You are all crazy, that’s what it is. Crazy, I tells ya.

  142. 142.

    Quiddity

    Tebow throws for 316 years. Ten passes for 31.6 per.

    TEBOW 3:16

    For God so loved the world that He gave Tebow to Denver, so that whoever believes in the Broncos quarterback shall not lose wagers, but have eternal playoff games to enjoy.

  143. 143.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    @2liberal:

    i am looking forward to having EVERYONE pulling for the Patriots next week.

    The choice between God’s most recent progeny and Satan’s twin brother is perhaps more complex than you make it seem.

  144. 144.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    @Nerull: That is true. I mentioned women’s rights because that’s specifically what Tebow has been about.

  146. 146.

    Another Halocene Human

    Doesn’t this Demariyus guy deserve any credit? Great catch, made it look easy, ran like a powerhouse, batted off the defensive player like a fruitfly, outran them all the way to the end zone–but it’s all about Tebow?

    Fuck that guy.

  149. 149.

    RadioOne

    I think this game might become one of my favorite games of all time. I thought the Steelers were without question going to come back and win the game with a final field goal there, and then Ben gets sacked numerous times to end that possibility and…the very first play, in OT, the Broncos win the coin toss and decide to pass on a 1st down run blitz from the Steelers, and gets an 80 yard stiff-arm touchdown.

    Unreal. The opening kickoff was a touchback that hit the goalposts and amazingly rebounded without human intervention back to the 20-yard line exactly.

    It’s God’s (Tim Tebow’s) world, we’re just stuck living in it.

  151. 151.

    William Hurley

    Revolting indeed!

    Don’t fret though, Brady & company will reintroduce Tebow to the limits of his talents.

  152. 152.

    Amir Khalid

    @amk:
    You rang?

    No one in Malaysia has ever believed Anwar was gay. I mean, you shoulda seen how inept Dr Mahathir’s goons were at trumping up the evidence the first time around, back in ’98. And this trial is just a continuation of that vendetta, which Dr M started because he was convinced, probably with cause, that Anwar was going to challenge him for the Umno presidency and thus the PM’s job. (Dr M was then in the 17th of 22 consecutive years as PM — nearly twice as long as the second longest tenure.) Now, of course, the current PM Najib Abdul Razak is going after him because, as opposition leader, Anwar is a threat to Barisan’s hold on federal power, uninterrupted since independence in 1957.

    Gawd bless our judges, or some of them anyway. You really got to cross your fingers when you hope for political independence from a Malaysian high court judge. What happened in 1998 was the Barisan eventually got the judge to convict him of abusing his power, allegedly by leaning on the cops not to investigate the sodomy charges. (Of which, I remind you, he wasn’t guilty.)

  153. 153.

    amk

    @Amir Khalid: yeah, I was in M’sia working in cameron highlands power projects from 2004 to 08 and could tell from the local news that mahathir and his coterie hated anwar to their bones. Poor guy had to suffer a lot because of one man’s vendatta. The sick aspect this drama was some gobinment minister claiming y’day how this proves that judiciary is independent there.

  155. 155.

    Amir Khalid

    @amk:
    My colleagues in the media who were at Dr M’s press conference in 1998, where he first accused Anwar of sodomy, brought back a story that never made the news because no editor here would have dared put it in print: Dr M’s explicit description, to reporters, of Anwar doing teh buttseks with another man. The impression I got from our reporter was that Dr M sounded, well, deranged.

    The independence of our judiciary is a fitful thing. some of them do have principles when it comes to politicaly sensitive rulings, some are careerists first. But there was this one time in 1988, when a judge actually declared Umno itself an illegal organization; for comparison, imagine an American judge ruling that the Republican party was a criminal organization. This was for a very technical violation of election laws, i.e. Umno had set up new party branches without properly notifying the Election Commission. There was not a lot of sympathy from outside the party then, because Dr M’s own Umno-dominated government had enacted those laws to trip up the opposition.

  157. 157.

    Amir Khalid

    I hope Anwar succeeds at what is his most important job now: establishing Pakatan Rakyat as a viable alternative to Barisan Nasional. It’s very tempting for him to make a grab for the PM’s post, which he’s wanted for decades. He’s even tried it once, after the general elections in 2008, which I thought was very premature. He should be concentrating on building a more united Pakatan, even if it means he runs out of time to become PM.

    Pakatan’s long-term survival is by no means a sure thing. His main coalition partners PAS (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party) and DAP (Democratic Action Party, secular and lefty) are old-line opposition parties with very different visions of what Malaysia should be, who have allied together before but failed to make it last. They’ve got through four years this time, but you never know …

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