A Liberal's Hit List: Sep 30, 2009

Email Claims Democratic Congress to Blame for No COLA Increase in Social Security

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

By Robert Farley
PolitiFact

So every year you've gotten a little bump in your Social Security check due to inflation. Maybe you've come to consider it an annual raise from Uncle Sam.

Well, this January, you might not get one.

And a chain e-mail making the rounds tells you to blame Democrats in Congress.

"For the first time in history, the Democratic Congress will not allow an increase in the social security COLA (cost of living adjustment)," the e-mail states.

There are actually two versions of this e-mail floating around. One pins the blame generically on "Congress," while the other says "the Democratic Congress." The second version seems to have gotten more traction on the Web, so we focused on the latter version.

Up until 1975, it took an act of Congress to adjust Social Security payments for inflation. But a law enacted in 1972 -- and signed by President Richard Nixon, a Republican -- created a formula to automatically calculate the COLA every year. The Social Security cost of living adjustment was tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

The government compares that index in the third quarter (July, August and September) of the current year to the third quarter of the previous year. Every year since the formula was put into effect (1975), it has resulted in a cost-of-living increase. High oil prices last summer contributed in large part to a sizable COLA increase in January of 5.8 percent, the highest increase in more than 25 years....(Remainder.)

Cavuto Chyron Claims "Merkel Win: Sending Anti-Tax Message to Washington"

Watch Out for the Ass-Bombers

By Joe
Joy. My. God

Remember the guy who tried to light a bomb in his shoe? And now we have to take our shoes off at the airport? Remember the guy who tried to sneak in liquid explosives? And now we can't bring shampoo on board? What do you think the TSA will do about the ass-bombers? Richard Scneier:

Nobody tell the TSA, but last month someone tried to assassinate a Saudi prince by exploding a bomb stuffed in his rectum. He pretended to be a repentant militant, when in fact he was a Trojan horse: The resulting explosion ripped al-Asiri to shreds but only lightly injured the shocked prince -- the target of al-Asiri's unsuccessful assassination attempt. Other news articles are here, and here are two blog posts. For years, I have made the joke about Richard Reid: "Just be glad that he wasn't the underwear bomber." Now, sadly, we have an example of one. Lewis Page, an "improvised-device disposal operator tasked in support of the UK mainland police from 2001-2004," pointed out that this isn't much of a threat for three reasons: 1) you can't stuff a lot of explosives into a body cavity, 2) detonation is, um, problematic, and 3) the human body can stifle an explosion pretty effectively (think of someone throwing himself on a grenade to save his friends).

The comments on Schneier's blog are a riot....(Original.)

Monica "Moronic Slut" Crowley, Claims School Video is Attempt by Obama to "Get Kids Early"

Why Does the Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda Continue to Call Humans 'Illegal?'

By David Neiwert
Crooks and Liars

Fox News' morning crews -- both Fox and Friends and the regular newsroom -- were going ape about the Moonie Times' report on the pushback by liberal Democrats on including undocumented immigrants in the current health-care reform effort:

Fearful that they're losing ground on immigration and health care, a group of House Democrats is pushing back and arguing that any health care bill should extend to all legal immigrants and allow illegal immigrants some access.

The Democrats, trying to stiffen their party's spines on the contentious issue, say it's unfair to bar illegal immigrants from paying their own way in a government-sponsored exchange. Legal immigrants, they say, regardless of how long they've been in the United States, should be able to get government-subsidized health care if they meet the other eligibility requirements.

"Legal permanent residents should be able to purchase their plans, and they should also be eligible for subsidies if they need it. Undocumented, if they can afford it, should be able to buy their own private plans. It keeps them out of the emergency room," said Rep. Michael M. Honda, California Democrat and chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Of course, this really is only common sense, especially from a public-health perspective; do we really want people not getting treated for contagious diseases simply because they can't prove they're here legally?

However, as sensible as it may be, these efforts realistically have little chance of succeeding, given the toxic political environment about immigration and health-care reform that's been floating about us ever since Joe Wilson shouted out, "You lie!"...(Remainder.)

Unabashed Traitor & Right-Wing Fluffer, Cowan, Says Obama Like Chamberlain

Propagandaministerium Flat Out Lies About Loans to Green Car Companies

Hey Glenn Beck Fans: Does President Obama Hate White People?

By David Neiwert
Crooks and Liars

I have to give Max Blumenthal, who I had the pleasure of hosting here in Seattle this past week, credit for coming up with the ideal question to ask the fans of Glenn Beck who showed up Saturday in the Seattle area to root for their favorite right-wing fearmonger:

Do you think President Obama hates white people?

The first person I asked was Sean Salazar, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate -- he wants to take on Sen. Patty Murray, and so far appears to be leading the GOP field -- standing outside Safeco Field, where Beck's Seattle event was held.

Salazar, as you can see, hedged and stammered and then quickly found someone else to talk to. But he typified the response in Seattle: "When did Glenn Beck say that? Really? He said that? Well, I need to see the context." One woman said that "Beck explained that," but I pointed out to her that all he said was that he was sorry how it was worded, but that it's still a "serious" question Americans need to be asking. So I was asking them.

I also asked the man who was carrying the big sign making fun of Beck. He pointed out how white the crowd was. And it was true, particularly inside the stadium (more on that shortly). Eventually, I did manage to find an African-American man who was outside gathering signatures on behalf of Ron Paul's "Campaign for Liberty." He said he wasn't going in to see Beck.

Finally, right at the end, I did encounter one honest soul. As you can see.

I met many, many more of these folks at the Beck rally in Mount Vernon later that afternoon and into the evening. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to capture most of them on video (a camera burp) -- just one couple towards the end of the evening. But I had at least five different people at Mount Vernon, supporters of Beck's, tell me they firmly believed Obama was a racist who hated white people....(Remainder.)

Greedy Right-Wing Whore, Dick Morris, Continues to Shill for Anti-Health Reform Ads

James Carville Slams Betsy McCaughey for Taking $ from Phillip Morris

Propagandaministerium Sunday Flat-Out Lies When Saying 100% of Military Behind More Troops to Afghanistan

Droopy McDumbass Moronically "Thinks" Obama Somehow Denigrated US in UN Address

Pathetic Right-Wing Cunt, Coulter, Latest Moronic Lie: Liberals Behind Obama=Hitler Signs at Klan Rally

Chris Wallace FAIL! Tries to Defend ACORN Filmmaker/Criminal by Attacking Media Matters

By Media Matters

On Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace helped videographer James O'Keefe defend his dwindling credibility by advancing several of O'Keefe's claims without noting that they are contradicted by readily available evidence. Wallace suggested that O'Keefe "denies reports" by Media Matters that O'Keefe, in Wallace's words, "got any money from conservative backers" -- without noting that the evidence Media Matters highlighted consisted of public statements by conservatives that they had funded O'Keefe in the past or planned to raise money for O'Keefe and his partner, Hannah Giles, in the future....(Remainder.)

CNN's Howard Kurtz Absolutely Destroys Douchebag Andersen's Lies About Obama

Right-Wing Ass-Weasel O'Keefe Not Sure if He Broke Wiretapping Laws

Rep. Alan Grayson on the GOP Health Care Plan: "Don't Get Sick! And if You Do Get Sick, Die Quickly!"

Nothing is Sacred in Glennbeckistan

By Larisa Alexandrovna
at-Largely

I am a Jew. This offends me beyond words. I am going to vent, if you would rather avoid my screaming in font, then don't read this.

Drooling buffoon and paranoid girlie-man Glenn Beck (Roman Catholic converted to Mormonism) is co-opting the holiest of Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur, to use for his political porn. He has called a national day of prayer for the republic and invited us Jews to our own holy day as though this were some movement, part of the larger Borg-like thing that he is constructing. Here is what Beck said: "

"They're already gonna be miserable. ... We could all not eat together ... for the republic"

Who is the "they" in this? Does he mean, us, the Jews? And why are we going to be miserable? Are you kidding me? This is anti-Semitism of the "I have friends who are Jews" variety. It is ignorant and it is absolutely offensive.

---The Jews are invited to our political hate rally on Yom Kippur (because that is how it sounds to me) in which we will fast for the very things the Jews are fasting to distance themselves from---

Does he know why we fast? No seriously, does he not understand that we fast to be closer to the spiritual and further from the material, physical - including politics? The republic won't make our radar because it is of the physical realm.

It is not just what he said either, or the tone in which he said it, but the fact that he wants to exploit our holiest day for his political propaganda. He wants to pray for the republic? Fine. He can do that on Christmas or Easter. Yom Kippur has nothing to do with the republic. There are no gifts to unwrap. There are no speeches to be made. There is no gathering to demonstrate anything. This day has nothing to do with the physical world whatsoever. It is precisely the reason why we fast!...(Remainder.)

Wow...Dan Riehl Does Enjoy Performing Fellatio on Glenn Beck

By Larisa Alexandrovna
at-Largely

UPDATES AT BOTTOM

So the glue-sniffers are all upset because rational folks are asking rational questions relating to William Sparkman's murder. But it is entirely okay, however, to speculate/accuse this man of being a child predator. It is one thing to have no reasoning skills. It is a whole other thing to use hate as the substitute of reason:

"The condition of the body and his being naked also seems curious. Why strip someone down to their socks only to kill them? Finally Sparkman's bio and work history suggests at the least he was not just your average guy. No teaching degree, no full-time means of employment and no wife or kids so far as I am aware. But he certainly did gravitate towards children. I can't help but wonder if this wasn't a revenge killing disguised to look like something else. If he did have issues in this regard and messed with the wrong kid, it isn't as if something like that can be ruled out until we know more."

I can't help but wonder if Dan Riehl enjoys performing fellatio on Glenn Beck. Oh, I am sorry is there no evidence for this speculation.

UPDATE I

Apparently, the propaganda the editorial staff at the glue-sniffer/birther rag WorldNetDaily has also enjoys performing fellatio on Glenn Beck:

"Now it looks more like Sparkman was yet another victim of illegal drug operations on national forest land, and possibly also a victim of our still open border with Mexico.

Taking the Census in our national forests is dangerous business. Law enforcement sources say meth labs and marijuana plantations are "prevalent" in the area of Sparkman's death. Did he stumble across a drug operation in the Daniel Boone National Forest? No one is saying for sure, but the locals believe it."

How does one say FED in Spanish?...(Remainder.)

Rep. Trent Franks (R-Racist-Nazi-Fuck) Calls the President "Enemy of Humanity"

Top GOP "News" Portal Discusses Military "Coup" Against Obama

By John Aravosis
AMERICAblog

This is beyond the pale. If the Democrats don't step up and shut this kind of talk down right now, I fear we are going to see violence in this country. And yes, it will be the Republicans' fault. But it will also be the fault of the Democratic party for watching the crazy talk grow, and not doing a thing to stand up to it. At some point, silence abets.

Imagine a bloodless coup to restore and defend the Constitution through an interim administration that would do the serious business of governing and defending the nation. Skilled, military-trained, nation-builders would replace accountability-challenged, radical-left commissars. Having bonded with his twin teleprompters, the president would be detailed for ceremonial speech-making.

Military intervention is what Obama’s exponentially accelerating agenda for “fundamental change” toward a Marxist state is inviting upon America. A coup is not an ideal option, but Obama’s radical ideal is not acceptable or reversible.

Unthinkable? Then think up an alternative, non-violent solution to the Obama problem. Just don’t shrug and say, “We can always worry about that later."

Germany's Likely Next Foreign Minister is Openly Gay

By Kirsten Grieshaber
Associated Press via Google News
Photo: Frank Augstein (AP)

BERLIN — Guido Westerwelle and his gay partner are Germany's new "power couple" — at least according to the nation's leading daily, which splashed a photo of the pair hugging on election night on the front-page above the fold in Tuesday's paper.

The ringing endorsement for the 47-year-old Westerwelle, who is widely expected to be tapped for the high-profile post of foreign minister in Chancellor Angela Merkel's new government, in the Bild daily also highlighted his personal life in a way he rarely has.

"His man makes him so strong," Bild wrote about Westerwelle, declaring that his 42-year-old partner Michael Mronz was not only his most important adviser during the campaign, but also "gives him security and ... supports him when he suffers a setback."

Despite eight years as leader of the pro-business Free Democrats, Westerwelle's homosexuality has generated relatively little discussion. But with his party set to become kingmaker to Chancellor Merkel's conservatives and him foreign minister, it has been thrust into the spotlight.

On Monday, a local official had to apologize for an anti-gay remark he made about Westerwelle on election night. Peter Langner, the city treasurer of the western city of Duisburg and a Social Democrat, had said that "I don't want a gay foreign minister."

Germans have been generally tolerant of openly gay politicians and others have paved the way, including Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, who already declared back in 2001 that "I'm gay, and it's good that way."

While Westerwelle's certainly no gay activist, he has said before that his lifestyle may be "encouraging for some young gays."...(Remainder.)

The Bible and Homosexuality: Pastors Offer Differing Views

Can someone please explain to my why I should care what a story book says about my sexual orientation? Isn't this a little like turning to Harry Potter for advise on physics? These morons who think that the Bible is the magic words of some mysterious cloud-being, need to have their heads examined.

By Kathy Jessup
Kalamazoo Gazette

A young lesbian couple listened to the scriptural discourse seated beside an older married pair who shared a well-worn Bible between them.

One minister used the Bible’s book of Genesis to explain why God does not consider homosexuality a “mistake.”

Another pastor quoted the same passages to demonstrate why heterosexuality is God’s plan.

In the end, few minds were likely changed Monday night in a downtown Kalamazoo ballroom where more than 800 people heard a divided but civil discourse on what the Bible says on homosexuality.

The forum — privately sponsored by Kalamazoo business owners and Republican activists Lorence and Nancy Wenke — was a prelude to Kalamazoo’s Nov. 3 ballot proposal to ban discrimination against homosexuals in employment, housing and public accommodations.

The large turnout surprised Lorence Wenke, who said he was expecting about 300 people.

A panel of six area pastors — three who believe same-sex relationships violate biblical teaching and three who say Scripture does not support that conclusion — spent two hours giving their perspectives and answering questions posed by the audience and each other....(Remainder.)

Tancredo Hypocritically Denounces KKK Comparisons

By Matt Finkelstein
Media Matters

Back in May, former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) caused a stir when he likened the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the "largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States," to the Ku Klux Klan. Tancredo was trying to defend his allegation that Justice Sonia Sotomayor is a "racist" by citing her membership in the group, which he described as "a Latino KKK without the hoods or nooses."

As such, it was surprising to find out yesterday that Tancredo has a problem with comparisons to the KKK. In a column at VDARE.com, an "extremist" anti-immigration website named after Virginia Dare, "the first white baby born in the English colonies," Tancredo wrote:

The SPLC [Southern Poverty Law Center] describes itself merely as a civil rights organization that tracks hate groups. They made a name for themselves by suing the Ku Klux Klan, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars in the process. With the Klan virtually non-existent, they raise money by tarring opponents of illegal immigration as the second coming of the Klan.

Tancredo didn't offer any examples, making it impossible to specifically address his complaint. But still, the moral of the story is clear: Tancredo can smear a Latino civil rights organization however he wants, but comparing hate groups to other violent hate groups is wrong.

Watch Tancredo's comments on NCLR:

(Remainder.)

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