100! And done. Kind of.

So, folks, this, fortuitously (or maybe just interestingly), turns out to be my 100th post. 

I am not actually quitting, but I am switching blog sites. While I enjoyed The Last 300 Days, when I started this blog it was intended to be a run down of the horrors of the last 6 months of the Bush Administration. Unfortunately, I never got around to it and it ended up being a comment about the last month of the Presidential Election and not much about Bush anyway. 

But I do sort of enjoy the title, so I kept it going, but now I feel it is time for something else. And to be honest, after rereading a lot of this crap I'm a little embarrassed by some of it and a little distance never hurt anyone.  Anyway, onward and upward, join me at my new, more appropriately titled blog, Drunk and Doomed. See you there.

Anyway...

Is that a pea under my mattress?

(I'm writing a lot about Palin, but bear with me, it's a big day for her, and thusly, For America!) So, really, this was the money shot from Sarah's parting speech, "Democracy depends on you, and that is why... that is why our troops are willing to die for you. So, how about, in honor of the American Soldier, you quit making things up."

Ahhh.. media bashing, self-pitying, jingoistic, and divisively patriotic; Sarah at her best! 

But this is really the sort of thing that has always driven me nuts about Sarah. Nobody flings red meat as naturally and unselfconsciously as Sarah Palin, and yet she's amazed when people take shots at her. (I love it, the woman on Hardball just called it a Defensive Speech, does she give any Other kind?)

www.conservatives4palin.com is doing Sarah's complaining for her. Recently Sarah wrote an Editorial slamming cap & trade in the Washington Post. Media Matters made a video slamming her for putting forth idiotic environmental policies in a public forum. This is apparently beyond the pale as Sarah is now a 'private citizen,' Media Matters is encouraged to 'stay classy'. So, a public figure makes a public statement and is publicly criticized and this is beyond the pale? And this is right after they call David Axelrod an idiot (see post below) for ignoring the most 'popular Republican' out there. So which is it? Why wouldn't you attack her if she's a threat? Or is she not a threat? Or she's a threat, but she's a private citizen who does public stuff, but you can't criticize her. Jeez. My head hurts.

You know, back during the election, and Hillary pissed me off more than once, but she did put up with Way more shit than I recall Sarah ever subjected to, before or since (and yes, I'm taking into account the Letterman flap).  Just one memorable example, a group was formed to combat Hillary's nomination, they were called Citizen's United, Not Timid. I'll leave it to you to work out the acronym. Stay classy, indeed.

Anyway...

Living on a Prayer

So, I've been dropping by www.conservatives4palin.com on occasion these days. It's awesome, the comments particularly are deliciously delusional.

Now, I know you should never say never, and I'm not exactly saying Never, but I do think Sarah has permanently screwed herself here, at least if she's thinking she'd look good in the Oval Office. I know that nothing will shake the belief of her ardent supporters (see the aforementioned comments), but the fact is Sarah came off looking like an idiot in the campaign and it wasn't because of the 'liberal' media. The fact is the entire Republican Machine was blocking for her during the campaign. I have to say anyone that thinks she could make it through a Republican Primary is, well, not delusional, but they are certainly thinking wishfully. Remember, these are people (cough, cough, Rove) who suggested that McCain's adopted African child was really a bi-racial love child he had with... one of his slaves?

The point being that during a national campaign, you can list something as stupid as being able to see Russia from Alaska as a foreign policy credential and no one but SNL will call you out on it. You say something like that on stage at a Republican Primary, well, forget it. You're done. Those guys are sharks, and Sarah, despite the furor of her followers, just does not pull that much water. And Sarah doesn't even have to say anything More, the Katie Couric interviews (again, I'm sorry, very soft) would give any political spinmeister worth a goddamn more than enough material.

The other day David Axelrod stated that he doesn't think about Palin and her future. I suspect because he knows she's done, whether she wants to be or not. Of course, her followers would never accept that, they think she's still going to hand Obama his ass in 2012, but that's what followers are for.

Anyway...

Quitters never... Oh, whatever.

Holy snot! I have not blogged in forever, even by my standards. Well, let me ease back into the groove slowly and easily, and that means only one topic.

Yes, folks, Sarah Palin has resigned. You may have heard. She is giving up her elected post in order to fight for the people of Alaska in a way that can only be done by giving up a post which would help her fight for the people of Alaska, but she needs the free time to... umm.. better help her constituents? Yes, it doesn't make a goddamned bit of sense, but that's our girl!

So, tonight on Countdown they ran a montage of Sarah's greatest hits. I started writing a whole essay on my feelings of Sarah, but I'll try to keep this short, as nothing I was saying was particularly insightful or unique. But, Jesus, what a train wreck.

Let me just say, I am still overcome with relief that this woman was not one Feeble Old Man Heartbeat away from the Presidency. And I am also still, slightly, Angry at that old man for putting her in that position. 

I understand Sarah's appeal to certain people in this country. She is charismatic, and, I believe, fairly obviously a devout Christian. If that's what you care about, if that's All you care about, and there are plenty of people that vote their faith, then Sarah is your girl. 

But she was also clearly over her head. Some people out there think Barack is over his head, which is fine, but believing that doesn't all the sudden make Sarah qualified in any way. Sarah Palin was George W. Bush in a dress with a tendency to wink inappropriately. She clearly did not understand governing, and how no desire to learn; she clearly does not understand the limits of her own power, even as Governor she clearly didn't get it, imagine her in the Cheney Chair; and she was clearly willing to alienate Half the fucking country to get the others whipped up like the home team at a fucking football game. 

Thanks for the entertainment, Sarah, I'm glad we collectively sent your ass back to the tundra.

Anyway...

The Pussies...

So, I believe it was Will Rogers who said, "I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat." 

Boy if that ain't the fucking truth. Anyway, the Daily Show highlighted this tonight, and I was glad to see it, but I thought I would put in my two cents. 

So, the Democrats have decided to not back their Party Leader (you know, The President. Republicans don't have this problem.) Apparently, closing Gitmo is just Not worth the money and/or trouble.  All of this smacks of caving into the current Republican Hysterics about how we somehow can not house Dangerous Terrorists on American Soil. 

All the jokes have really been made (thank you, Mr. Stewart), but really America, if we do one thing well, it's locking people up. We have one of the highest Incarceration rates in the World if not the highest. Hell, we Locked up All the Japanese during WWII.  Do you think THAT was easy? No, but goddamn it when we trample Civil Rights in this country We Do it Right, goddammit.  

However, I like Steven Benen's take on this. So, all the Repub bitching is clearly political, so let's say that a McCain had won and He was trying to shut down Gitmo and Nancy Pelosi was making a stink. What would the arguments from Limbaugh, Hannity and Co. be like? Well, they aren't hard to predict. Here's a taste, click the link for more.

-- Democrats believe in the midst of two wars and an ongoing terrorist threat, national security decisions should be made by 535 lawmakers instead of the Commander in Chief. 

(Boy, that DOES sound fucking familiar.) Again, it's not HARD to debate these idiots, someone just has to DO it.

Anyway...

The Cowards...

Hello all, been awhile, but I have a lot to say, so let's see if I can stay sober enough, long enough to get it all out.

So, for the last couple days, Jesse "The Gov" Ventura has been making the rounds on all the talk shows. And, not really being a fan, he's spectacular.  I really and truly do not care about Jesse. I thought it was a bit ridiculous that he was elected Governor. It was much more a comment on the ridiculous state of politics (and perhaps the insanity of Minnesotans (or whatever the hell they call themselves)).  

Anyway, as I was saying, apparently Jesse has a book out and he's been going around making the talk show stops and it's pretty impressive. Jesse is just going toe-to-toe with a few of these right-wing jack-ass idiots and their bully-pulpits on the tube. He went after that idiot Hasslebeck on the View, he went after Fucking Idiot Hannity, and, my personal favorite, he went after this douchebag I've never heard of on Fox and Friends. 

The thing is I don't find Jesse a particularly brilliant debater in any of the interviews. He basically says the same OBVIOUS things over and over again. 

1) Waterboarding is torture. Jesse has been waterboarded as a part of his SERE training in the SEALs. I don't know if any of you know any SEALs, but in the strictly Republican version of 'real' men... SEALs Are Real Men. So, shut the fuck up and listen to Jesse.

2) America does NOT FUCKING TORTURE. Or at least we didn't before the Bush nightmare. Now, this is highly debatable, as America has had it's fair share of absolutely horrendous policies both domestic (slavery, Indian genocide) and foreign (let's not even go there), but to set up a Government Torture Policy and to try to Justify it by law... well, I think many of us hoped we were past this. Thanks, George!

3) We are a country that Supposedly obeys the Rule Of Law, and this is really the main point of point Number 2 up there. We have agreed that Torture is against the Law. We've prosecuted the Japanese for things like Waterboarding. Supposedly everyone is subject to the Law in this country (well, we know that's Bull Shit, but still...). 

4) Just because Cheney and Yoo SAY something is Legal Doesn't Make it FUCKING Legal. That's for a court to decide with, what's the word, a JUDGE. Or at least we need Congressional Approval. I mean, Hell, I work at a Law Firm. If we could just Write Briefs and call them legal, well, that'd make things a lot easier on the attorneys.  Just because you take a Shit Sandwich and call it Fried Chicken doesn't make it so.

What's really depressing is that this Proves that it's not Hard to debate these people, you just have to be Tenacious and Loud enough to do it, because they all argue with Volume not Facts. And Jesse is nothing if not Tenacious and Loud. 

So, sorry, this went a little long, but it REALLY pisses me off. This is a ridiculous 'debate', and the only reason it's going on is because a Big part of our current media are these Right-Wing cowards that coddle this shit.  Watch the Hannity clip where he's talking about the Evil People flying Planes into our Buildings. You can practically Hear the piss running down his leg and pooling in his shoes.

Christ, I don't want to die at the moment, particularly by some fuck killing for Allah (or Jesus or Oil or Whatever), but how Debased are people willing to be?

I hate all these spineless fucks so much. God Bless you, Jesse. Preach on, Brother.

Anyway....

Now he gets it...

So, on Fridays I enjoy reading Bill O'Reilly's column in the NY Post. Enjoy is probably the wrong word, but I am a bit of an intellectual Masochist and Bill-O is certainly skilled in delivering migraine inducing pain. 

Occasionally, however, I actually do agree with Bill-O. He is not always insane, he does have a bit of a common-sense/populist streak that allows him to occasionally say something that makes sense. On these occasions I always feel a little dirty and disappointed as I am Much more comfortable disagreeing with O'Reilly. Plus, when I disagree it usually means a blog post. 

So, you may imagine my disappointment when Bill's column from last Friday (yes, I'm behind) was entitled something like, "Give Obama a Break." I couldn't find the original title, but I did find the article reposted under the title "Obama Derangment," which is almost as good.

The thrust of the article is this, Bill-O participated in the wide-spread and ridiculous practice of 'grading' the President's first 100 days using, well, grades.  If you read the article, you'll know, but to reiterate for the lazy (which I understand), Bill-O gave Obama a "B" in Domestic Policy, a "C" in Foreign Policy (not a big fan of the "Apology Tour" is Bill-O) and a "C+" for Leadership... whatever the hell that means.

Now, marks like these aren't exactly going to get you into Harvard, but I have to hand it to Bill, for being a guy who is Largely in the tank for the Republicans, and a guy who regularly speaks to Glenn Beck without murdering him, these are pretty good grades.  

So, what was the response from Bill's audience? Well, naturally he got a lot of hate mail. One person apparently thought Bill had Lost His Mind (Only NOW you think this?) because "Obama deserved 'Fs' across the board." 

Bill-O then goes on for a fairly eloquent couple paragraphs about how fairness and restraint are cornerstones of American Democracy and Society. It is a very good point. HOWEVER, one can not help but notice, and perhaps even point out to Bill, THESE ARE YOUR PEOPLE!! 

Bill has made a Living demonizing 'liberals' and anyone else he happens to disagree with. He has Glenn "Obama is a Nazi" Beck on his show every other fucking day. How Unaware can you be? Seriously? You can't feed people on hate and intolerance for Years and then sit back in astonishment when they suddenly display Hate and Intolerance. 

The thing is Bill won't change his ways, he doesn't see the need. He will just boggle at the intolerance of his constituents while he continues to rant about the ACLU and Code Pink and ACORN and whatever "Pinhead" he decides to call out that week. 

Part II  (Forgive me, this is a long post.) 

So, this ties into another thing I was thinking of. While I honestly do believe that a lot of these crazies actually do believe the shit they shovel, they are, in their own way, in a bit of a psychological cage. Let's take Rush as an example. He has for years blamed every single problem in America on the Liberals. Now, this is patently false, but a) Rush Believes it (yes), and b) Even if he Decided he didn't, there's NOTHING he could do (except retire and live out his life in comfort and ease from his amassed fortune.. That MOTHER FUCKER). He has got his own audience so worked up over Liberals, that if he changed his schtick he would lose his audience. 

I honestly don't think they can bring their own audience back from the edge. Take the people writing Bill-O. Bill did something perfectly reasonable (I Know!). He gave moderate grades to a President he does not like after a Very short period of time. Compared to the idiots out there calling for Secession this is ridiculously fair behavior. Now, did his audience respect him enough to give his arguments a chance? Did his audience just let this obviously ridiculous exercise pass? No, he, BILL O'REILLY, got enough hate mail he decided to write a whole column about Obama Derangement Syndrome.  Now, given Bill-O I would postulate that only One hate letter (from a Republican) would be enough to set him off, but I suspect it was much more than that. 

I'm sure that not everyone that watches Bill-O or listens to Rush or whoever is a crazy. But I'm fairly certain that there is a Large segment of this population that is Convinced that Liberals are going to burn the world down and use the bodies of the Conservatives to stoke the flames. And while Bill and Rush and Coulter perhaps did not Start these ideas they sure as hell are keeping them aflame with plenty of fuel of their own. 

But you know, Fairness is the cornerstone of our society.

Anyway....