Because I’ve got the power to do that, and I don’t need no stinking up or down vote, either.
Also, go fill out the petition to thank Justice Stevens.
John Cole started Balloon Juice early in 2002. Those who have followed along know that this has been quite the journey.
by John Cole| 72 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
Because I’ve got the power to do that, and I don’t need no stinking up or down vote, either.
Also, go fill out the petition to thank Justice Stevens.
This post is in: Bring on the Brawndo!
Charlie Cook is on Hardball telling us how many seats the Democrats are going to lose, Nate Silver had a pessimistic piece out today, and they were talking about it on NPR today. And I have got to say- I can not figure out why.
When the President was elected and this congress took office, we were losing over half a million jobs a month. Now, we are gaining jobs.
In the past year and a half, they’ve stabilized the banks, the economy, and the major car companies, they passed health care reform that adds thirty million people and cuts the deficit long term while getting rid of the worst abuses of the insurance companies, extended the solvency of Medicare for a decade, we’re drawing down troops in Iraq, we are making progress with green energy, there has not been one successful terrorist attack on American soil, we’ve just signed a nuclear arms reduction treaty and re-examined our use of nuclear weapons and we are making great progress on the global stage. Hell, the DOW is up over 3,000 since we got rid of the bums. Personally, we’re getting a road paved near me that was a disaster, and it is being paid for with stimulus money. We’re gonna put some people to work and have a nice paved road! And Obama and company did it all without getting blowjobs from interns.
And we’re going to reward them by kicking a lot of them out of office. We’re a really stupid country.
by John Cole| 25 Comments
This post is in: Bring on the Brawndo!, Clap Louder!, Clown Shoes, Schadenfreude
This is too damned funny. Apparently Mickey Kaus was denied a speaking role at a convention for the California Democratic Party and was denied due to the fact that he is not a viable candidate. This angered him, so he fired off another letter asking how that was determined, and received this response:
Thank you for your note. All four statewide officers agreed on the question of your campaign’s viability – based in part on statements that you had made to the press on that very topic – and forwarded their recommendations to the Chairman. One of the quotes was from an article you sent to us as part of your endorsement request on March 23rd.
* “I do not expect to win, and that is the difference between Franken and me. ” (New York Times Magazine, March 14, 2010)
* “‘I’m not going to win, don’t worry about it,’ he told one guest, who was reluctant to sign. Others were assured that they could still vote for Boxer in the fall.” (LA Weekly, March 11, 2010)
The general session is already overscheduled, and the statewide officers’ decision stands. We’re sorry but we just cant accommodate your request to speak during general session. We will return your check to you via mail tomorrow.
Thank you
Shorter California Democratic Party- “We don’t have time for this Mickey Mouse bullshit, and your check is in the mail.” You’d think with the Instapundit endorsement in his pocket, a brother could get some respect.
by John Cole| 46 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads, Sweet Fancy Moses!
Been a really long week, but I got a lot done. I feel like dancing:
I probably shouldn’t be telling you all this, because I know what it is going to lead to, but last night I was sprawled out in the La-z-boy, fully extended, dog in my lap, watching Life on Discovery, and Tunch decided he wanted to be on my lap. He jumped up and went near my head and his weight almost tipped the entire damned chair. I over-compensated and Tunch and Lily went flying in different directions as the footrest came slamming down. Might be time for a diet for him after all.
by John Cole| 60 Comments
This post is in: Our Failed Media Experiment
Also via Washington Monthly, this excellent news:
As you may know, we’re trying out some new things on THIS WEEK. Two weeks ago we started live-tweeting of the show (which will next happen at 10 am ET this Sunday).
This week we’ve invited Pulitzer Prize winning website PolitiFact to fact-check the newsmaker interviews featured on the program.
The idea was first proposed by NYU journalism professor Jay Rosen and I thought it worth a try. PolitiFact editor Bill Adair, the St Petersburg Times’ Washington bureau chief, and I know each other from fact-checking forums and such (I was at the Fact Check desk during the 2004 elections) so I asked him if he’d be willing to give it a try. He was.
Good for Tapper.
With that having been said, I think it is important to reflect on how screwed up things are that we now need to team independent fact checkers up with our news media. Our news media. The folks whose sole job is to inform us with… facts.
We live in a media environment in which a several decade assault on facts and the truth has taken us to the point that our news coverage is rarely if ever factual but is instead, fact-based. Colbert called it “truthiness.” Our media is so terrified of being called biased, that what we get now is not a clear presentation of facts, but of a he-said she-said mess, and where facts have a “liberal bias.”
So while I think this is great, we need to realize what is going to happen next, should this catch on- a full on assault on the independent fact checkers. Just like they went after the media, just like they went after the academy, just like they went after the sciences, and just like they have gone after anyone else who has dared to stand in the way of their lies, if the notion of independent fact-checking gains popularity, and the truth starts to seep back into our discourse, expect the Brent Bozell’s and the Newsbusters and the Hannity’s and the rest of the well oiled wurlitzer to try to tear down the independent fact-checkers and the folks like Jake Tapper who work with them. You can bet on it.
by John Cole| 74 Comments
This post is in: Republican Stupidity, Clown Shoes, Wingnut Event Horizon
You know, there were times back in the day when I was into gaming and I would have a ping over 350 and I was ready to kill someone at Adelphia/Comcast/whoeverthehellIwasusing. Even then, though, I probably would have though launching nuclear weapons was an over-reaction for a cyber attack.
You Have No Chance To Survive Make Your TimePost + Comments (74)
This post is in: Manic Progressive, PUMA = Propping Up McCain's Ass
Taylor Marsh, still not understanding politics:
Lefties get infuriated when I parse the traditional and new media spin against Sarah Palin. I can hear the caterwauling already, but don’t care much about it, as I’m more interested in following the story, not the negative Hillaryesque stereotyping, the latest of which comes compliments of the latest CBS poll, which I’ll get to in a minute.
The fact remains that there is a “Hillary hole,” with women wanting their turn, while people hunger for something radically different, which is currently being filled by the Tea Party, a star named Sarah and her fans. Not surprisingly, as poll after poll on her rolls out, the narrative on Sarah Palin continues to be filled out unfairly. I know, you’re shocked. But love her or hate her, whether she runs in 2012 or not, when you look at the left, the reality is there’s no anti-Palin progressive who matches what Palin’s got.
Yeah, Taylor. It’s a real shame that there is no lefty Sarah Palin, because what the party could really use is a know-nothing empty suit who is wildly unpopular with the majority of Americans, extremely divisive to the folks you need to reach out to, completely unversed in anything regarding policy, and leading the party into a ditch. It really sucks there is no left-wing Palin.
That ain’t star power you’re seeing- it’s starbursts, and Rich Lowry is going to get jealous if you go after his woman.