A Liberal's Hit List: Nov 13, 2009

The First Ten Lies from Going Rogue

Friday, November 13, 2009

By Geoffrey Dunn

The Huffington Post

Excerpts from Sarah Palin's Going Rogue have been released by several news agencies and other sources who have received advanced copies. Here are the first ten lies from Palin's memoirs:

1. The Cover Byline: Palin didn't write the book by herself. Most books with known ghostwriters list their co-author's name on the cover. In this case it was Lynn Vincent. Going Rogue does not.

2. The Subtitle: An American Life. Aside from her infancy, Palin has really spent very little time outside of Alaska, and according to John McCain's campaign advisors, was shockingly unfamiliar with American geography and American history. "Alaska," as John McPhee noted in his resplendent Coming Into the Country, "is a foreign country...Its nature is its own."

3. Going Rogue features Palin's obsession with Katie Couric and chacterizes the CBS anchor as "badgering." Palin refused to prep for the Couric debate because she was more concerned about her popularity in Alaska than about what was best for the campaign. Was it really badgering to ask what books or periodicals Palin read? Palin further claims that Couric suffered from low self-esteem. In fact, according to those close to Palin, it's the former governor who suffers from low self-esteem and frequently projects that onto other women.

4. Palin asserts that there was a "jaded aura" around McCain's political advisors once she entered the campaign. In fact, McCain's aides bent over backwards to protect Palin and to try to get her up to speed on international affairs. In addition to not knowing whether or not Africa was a continent, according to sources in the McCain campaign, Palin also didn't understand the difference between England and Great Britain. And much, much more.

5. Palin contends to have been saddled with legal bills of more than $500,000 resulting from what she calls "frivolous" ethics complaints filed against her. The lion's share of those bills resulted from the ethics complaint she filed against herself in a legal maneuver to sidestep the Troopergate charges being brought against her by the bipartisan Alaska Legislative Council....(Remainder.)

Did Captain Crazy Michele Bachmann Violate House Ethics Rules...AGAIN?

By The Big E

MN Progressive Project

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) may have gotten herself into even more ethical trouble. In her efforts to promote her healthcare protest that occurred last week, she used her official House website to promote it.

Did a rally geared at saving government resources actually misuse them? Could be, at least technically. Rep. Michele Bachmann's House home-page shout-out to tea party types for her Nov. 5 rally on the West Front steps may have violated the letter of the administration committee's rules on the use of official, taxpayer-funded websites.
(Politico)

So we can add misusing her House website to promote a mob rally, to using her House mail account to send mail to people in Colorado (Congresscritters can only use House mail accounts to mail to constituents), to misusing her House website to link to townhall.com (a far right website), to promising to break the law (a violation of House rules) by refusing to participate in the census.

This was mentioned on Countdown with Keith Olbermann tonight and hopefully an investigation into her multiple ethics violations will be forthcoming.

Although I won't be holding my breathe....(Remainder.)

Byron Dorgan's Financial Plan: Common Sense From The Senator Who Saw This Coming

By Dan Froomkin

The Huffington Post

He got it right last time.

Senator Byron Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, was one of eight senators who stood up to oppose the repeal of the Glass-Steagall act in 1999. That repeal, which was signed into law by President Clinton exactly 10 years ago today, broke down the barriers between commercial banking and investment banking, and led to the growth of behemoth financial firms that were able to take enormous risks with impunity, because they were "too big to fail."

"I think we will in 10 years' time look back and say we should not have done this," Dorgan said back then. The video of his speech has become something of a cult favorite for wonks -- ten years, a $700 billion bailout and a major financial crisis later.

Washington has an odd habit of listening to the people who consistently get such things wrong, and ignoring the ones who get them right.

So today, on this solemn anniversary, how about listening to this guy? What does he think we should do now?

"Three things," the senator told me in an interview. "One is to separate investment banks and FDIC-insured banks. Second, prohibit FDIC-insured banks from dealing in risky financial instruments on their own proprietary accounts... And third, abolish 'too big to fail.' If you're too big to fail, you're too big. Too big to fail is what I call no-fault capitalism."

All in all, it's a much more forceful agenda than his party leaders -- including his president -- are advocating.

Why isn't the administration at his side? "You'd have to address that question to the administration," Dorgan said. He did, however, express disappointment. "I would like to see them more aggressive on this issue."

But he's still hopeful. "We don't have any bill on the floor of the House or the Senate to evaluate," said Dorgan, who is not on the Senate's Finance Committee. "My hope is that we'll get a piece of legislation that will restore that separation."...(Remainder.)

Keeping Extremisms Out of the U.S. Military

By John Perr

Crooks and Liars

Revelations that the FBI, the Pentagon and even his medical colleagues were aware of Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Malik Hasan's extremist ideology have raised serious questions about the U.S. military's ability to screen, monitor and remove dangerous personnel from its ranks. But far from justifying the discrimination against patriotic American Muslims predictably called for by the usual suspects, the Fort Hood bloodbath should remind Americans that extremisms of all stripes have no place in the armed forces of the United States.

A nation which has chosen to depend on an all-volunteer military must have clear standards for admitting and retaining those courageous few who wish to serve in its name. Needless to say, they should not pose a threat to themselves or their fellow servicemen and women. They should uphold their oath to the Constitution of the United States and its government. And importantly, they should not undermine either American national security objectives or our timeless democratic values by advancing their own.

To be sure, as the always execrable Michelle Malkin fumed in the wake of the Fort Hood slaughter, potential Al Qaeda sympathizers and possibly deranged Muslim extremists like Major Hasan and Sgt. Hasan Akbar must be prevented from entering or quickly weeded out of the American military.

But the danger to America's security at home and goals abroad hardly ends there....(Remainder.)

On the Passage of Stupak-Pitts

By PithandWit

Gaythiest

This is a brief post by my friend PithAndWit. I asked her to contribute to the discussion about the anti-abortion Stupak-Pitts bill that was added to the Healthcare Reform Act before passing in the House. PithAndWit formerly worked for a woman’s healthcare provider that performed abortions. As you will soon see, she is my best and most charming frienemy for some very good reasons. – Reed

I was briefly given admin rights on this blog due to the recent healthcare bill. I was going to write something well-conceived and thought-provoking, but having had a few beers, I’m settling for plain old provoking, and talk about conception.

I spent half of the past year working at an abortion clinic. I started off in the front office, but by the time I was finished there I was giving birth control and MicRhogam shots, counseling, performing ultrasounds, drawing blood, assisting the physician during the procedure and even working in the POC room– the Products Of Conception Room. I’m the lady who sorted through the detritus to make sure we got everything out.

After all that experience, and talking to women from all backgrounds who’ve had abortions, strangers and friends, you know what I think?

If I got pregnant, I’d collect donations to get that shit sucked out. I take some steps to keep my womb vacant, but I know that plans get fucked and shit happens. I’ve already offered to name my hypothetical abortion after Mr. Braden if he contributes to the fund. I almost want to get pregnant, just so I can experience what all these other women have gone through.

Dear Congress,

Name one outpatient surgery, aside from abortion, that one-third of American women will undergo. Then suck my left tit when you decide that it’s not necessary for the public to pay for that shit. You’ll let Medicare pay to get herpes treated, and that shit sticks around. At least pregnancy is a sexually-transmitted disease that isn’t contagious. So fuck you, Congresspeople. You daft twats. The youngest Congresswoman was born in ‘70, which means it’s pretty much safe to say that statistically, at least 30 of the 92 Congresswomen have had abortions already. And of the 440+ men– yeah, Republicans and Democrats alike– at least one-hundred of you are the fathers of abortions. Suck it. Both literally and metaphorically.

Thank you.

P.S. Shit fuck piss cunt ass whore motherfucker.

Hey, Kid, You'd Better Make That Pledge

By John Brummett

Arkansas News

There’s a 10-year-old lad, a fifth-grader at West Fork Elementary, who decided he wasn’t going to say the Pledge of Allegiance at school anymore because there was no liberty or justice for all in America, as the pledge’s rote recitation asserts.

He’d concluded that gay people didn’t get equal justice or liberty in this country and that he was loath to mouth something suggesting they did.

That is to say the boy was thoughtful, sensitive, courageous and free.

So his class had a substitute teacher who bugged the boy for not standing. She told him he ought to get up and say the pledge.

The youngster didn’t care for being nagged, and he snapped. He told the substitute teacher to go jump off a bridge.

Then the substitute teacher sent him to the office where the principal did not coerce or punish him in regard to the pledge, but did assign him, on account of his sassing the teacher, to do a report on the history of the pledge and the symbolism of the flag.

Let me help the youngster.

The Pledge of Allegiance was cooked up by a Baptist fellow in 1892 and subsequently promoted in youth publications for recitation by school children. It is, of course, not anything our founders envisioned and is, in fact, kind of antithetical to our very principle of constitutionally guaranteed liberty.

You cannot force somebody to promise fealty in this gloriously free country.

Having our little kids stand up in public school and salute a piece of cloth to vow faithfulness to their nation is harmless in nearly all cases, like a rhythmic and memorized child’s prayer before meals or at bedtime.

But a mass forced pledging of nationalistic allegiance is, when you really think about it, a perversion of the greater notion that we love and support our country by our own choice and for the very freedoms it grants us, including the freedom not to have to spew officially required words or mantras or chants.

I’m not saying we need to stop the rote practice each morning in our schools. I’m just saying we should leave a 10-year-old alone if he doesn’t participate....(Remainder.)

In DC, Catholic Church Puts Hatred of Gays Above Caring for the Sick and the Poor

By Joe Sudbay

AMERICAblog

Just when we think the leaders of the Catholic Church can't sink any lower, they do. And, the latest example is happening here in DC. The Archdiocese is threatening the District government that it will stop providing services to the poor, the homeless and the sick if the marriage equality law passes:

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.

Fortunately, the Archbishop's ploy doesn't seem to be working. The Catholic Bishops may control Congress, but they don't control the DC City Council:

The church's influence seems limited. In separate interviews Wednesday, council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) referred to the church as "somewhat childish." Another council member, David A. Catania (I-At Large), said he would rather end the city's relationship with the church than give in to its demands.

"They don't represent, in my mind, an indispensable component of our social services infrastructure," said Catania, the sponsor of the same-sex marriage bill and the chairman of the Health Committee.

Caribou Barbie's Book is Only 5 Chapters of Really Small Words

By Julie Bolcer

Advocate.com

The new book from former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, due on Tuesday, contains just five chapters, but they are reported to be “very, very long.”

Mark Halperin at The Page reports that some Palin associates received copies of Going Rogue, duefor widespread release November 17, in advance.

“Based on discussions with various sources who have seen or been briefed on the book's contents, here's what you can expect from Going Rogue,” says Halperin.

"Just five chapters (but they are very, very long); some score settling with McCain aides she believes ill-served her (names will be named); a hearty bashing of the national media; an account of how her upbringing shaped her maverick sensibilities; a testimonial to the importance of faith in her life; a warm and personal tone, written in Palin's own voice, despite the involvement of a collaborator.”

Halperin says that the book does not contain much in the way of policy prescription. It also lacks an index....(Remainder.)

Maddow Talks With Scozzafava

Colbert Says "Longtime Xenophobe" Resigns to Spend More Time "Misinforming His Family"

Jon Stewart Agrees that Dobbs' Audience Will Understand Issues Now That Dobbs Has Quit

Jon Stewart Mocks Hannity's Apology

South Park Brilliantly Mocks Glenn Beck

Right-Wing Hate Group, 60 Plus, Airs Completely False Anti-Reform Ads

By Media Matters

In a series of three very similar ads, the right-wing group 60 Plus has attacked the pro-reform votes of Congressmen Snyder (D-AR), Hill (D-IN), and Pomeroy (D-ND). Just like their other ads, however, this series is full of misleading information and scare tactics....(Remainder.)

President Obama Announces Job Creation Forum

Baron of Batshit's New Conspiracy Theory: George Soros & ACORN are Installing Secs of State in NY & MN

Über-Antisemite, Reichsführer Beck, Says Gov'ts Keeping Gold Prices Down & that People "Have to Think Like a German Jew in 1934"

Right-Wing Media & Glenn Beck Spread Bullshit Meme that Cap-and-Trade Gives President Chavez-Like Powers

By Media Matters

On his radio show, Glenn Beck claimed that "in the cap-and-trade legislation that is being proposed, the president has new emergency powers" that would allow him to "take over industries" if greenhouse gas levels reach a certain level, echoing other conservative media outlets that have claimed that the legislation requires the president to declare a "climate emergency" and "act like strong man Hugo Chavez." But the legislation explicitly directs the president to respond within existing statutory authority and to present to Congress any recommendations for legislative action....(Remainder.)

Mark Halperin Tells Morning Joe that Jon Stewart is "Now the FNC Ombudsman"

Mark "Steaming Bucket of Syphilitic Diarrhea" Levin Attacks CNN Over Poo Blobs Quitting

Festering Boil on the Ass of Humanity, the Pig-Man, Tells Braindead Audience that Obama is "Purging Repugs from Civil Service"

Ain't Misbehaving, Saving My Contracts for You

By Jason Sigger

Crooks and Liars

I am shocked, shocked to discover that US contractors bribed Iraqi government officials to overlook its misconduct... Really, does this surprise anyone when it comes to Blackwater?

Top executives at Blackwater Worldwide authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after a September 2007 episode in which Blackwater security guards fatally shot 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, according to former company officials.

Blackwater approved the cash payments in December 2007, the officials said, as protests over the deadly shootings in Nisour Square stoked long-simmering anger inside Iraq about reckless practices by the security company’s employees. American and Iraqi investigators had already concluded that the shootings were unjustified, top Iraqi officials were calling for Blackwater’s ouster from the country, and company officials feared that Blackwater might be refused an operating license it would need to retain its contracts with the State Department and private clients, worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

----------

The four former Blackwater executives, who had held high-ranking posts at the company, would speak only on condition of anonymity. Two of them said they took part in talks about the payments; the two others said they had been told by several Blackwater officials about the discussions. In agreeing to describe those conversations, the four officials said that they were troubled by a pattern of questionable conduct by Blackwater, which had led them to leave the company.

A senior State Department official said that American diplomats were not aware of any payoffs to Iraqi officials.

Of course the US government was blind to this - they didn't want to know, they turned a blind eye to what Blackwater was doing because it would have been too hard to arrange for another contractor to do all the security missions that it had ongoing. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, there are as many private contractors as there are uniformed military personnel. Most of them are not security guards as Blackwater's most visible function was. The lack of oversight is abhorrent but not surprising; the State Dept's failure to can this company is inexcusable....(Remainder.)

Obama Finally 'Taking Control' on Afghanistan

By David Edwards and Murial Kane

The Raw Story

In the wake of an AP report on Wednesday that President Barack Obama is not satisfied with any of the options on Afghanistan he has received from his national security team and is demanding revisions, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow turned to veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh for insight.

"It could be huge," Hersh told Maddow, "simply that the president's finally saying, 'I'm taking control.'"

"The one thing that mystified a lot of people," Hersh explained, "was the decision to let General McChrystal write a report. There's no general in history that will come back, given that assignment, and say 'We can't win.'"

"This is basically a war, at best, that's going to be a stalemate," continued Hersh. "And so Obama is just putting his foot down, and that's great. ... He's grabbing it and he hasn't been grabbing it until now."

Hersh also commented on a New York Times story which revealed that the US Ambassador to Afghanistan, former Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry, had cabled Washington last week to express "his reservations about deploying additional troops to the country," thereby putting himself "in stark opposition to the current American and NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who has asked for 40,000 more troops."...(Remainder.)

GOP Senator Slammed for Being Lone Holdout Blocking Veterans’ Health Bill

By David Edwards and Daniel Tencer

The Raw Story

Sen. Tom Coburn is taking political heat this week for blocking a vote on a bill that would significantly expand access to health care for American veterans, despite broad bipartisan support for the measure.

Using a Senate procedure known as a "hold," Coburn (R-OK) has single-handedly stopped the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009 from moving forward, and in the process exposed himself to accusations of hypocrisy, acting "illogically" and acting "shamefully."

The bill is designed to address the health needs of at least some of the roughly 1.5 million US veterans who are not currently covered by the military's health system. It would also provide assistance to veterans' caregivers.

Coburn argues he cannot allow the bill to proceed because it doesn't address how its $3.7-billion tab will be paid for. The Oklahoma senator is known as a fierce fiscal conservative, but critics of his move to block the veterans' bill say he is acting hypocritically, because he has in the past voted in favor of emergency war spending bills that had much larger tabs than the vets' bill.

"Sen. Coburn's rule on that, of course, did not constrain him from voting for funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that made this veterans' bill necessary," MSNBC's Rachel Maddow said Wednesday night. "Funding for wars that wasn't offset by anything."...(Remainder.)

Cowardly Chickenshit Pussy-Boy, Savage, Claims Women Join Navy "Just to Get Pregnant"

Raving Cowardly Asshat, Savage, Says the Manatee and the Pig-Man are Chickenhawks

Joe Scarborough Thinks Poo Blobs is "Considering" a Run for President...Oh Please Let it be True! So Fun!

U.S. Chamber Forgot to Include Facts in New "Titus" Ad

By Media Matters

On November 11, 2009, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Employers for a Healthy Economy coalition released new anti-reform ads. Their "Titus" ad attacks Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) for her pro-reform vote, but because the Chamber's attacks are based on faulty information, the ad's message is just a few seconds of fear mongering....(Remainder.)

U.S. Chamber Ad Doesn't Contain a Single Fact

By Media Matters

On November 11, 2009, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Employers for a Health Economy coalition released a new anti-health care reform ad titled "Skyrocket." Just like the Chamber's other recent anti-reform ads, this new ad is in dire need of some factual information....(Remainder.)

Did You Get That Memo? Right-Wing Smear Machine Falsely Claims New Obama Administration Policy Will "Purge" Republicans from Civil Service

By Media Matters

Reading a RedState blog post on his radio show, Rush Limbaugh stated that the "Obama administration intends to purge Republicans from the civil service retroactive to five years ago, starting in the year 2010." In fact, the Office of Personnel Management memo that Limbaugh was referencing would require federal agencies to seek OPM's approval to hire both current and recent political appointees for jobs they apply for in the future, not jobs they already hold; furthermore, the memo explicitly states that "political appointees may not be excluded from consideration for Federal jobs because of their political affiliation."

Right-wing media conveyor belt forwards notion that OPM will "purge" Republicans from career jobs like "Marxists do"

Instapundit emailer: "OPM is now claiming authority to weed out every former political appointee from being considered for ANY federal positions at EVERY level." From an email published by Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds:

OPM is now claiming authority to weed out every former political appointee from being considered for ANY federal positions at EVERY level of the GS Pay Scale, for both the competitive AND excepted service -- made RETROACTIVE for the past 5 years! (This is a new, extra layer of scrutiny previously reserved for SES hires.) OPM will now check the recommended hires to "ensure they comply with merit system principles and applicable civil service laws."

It is well established anti-discrimination law in the Federal sector -- the public (political appointees included) may not be excluded from consideration for federal jobs because of their political affiliation. [Instapundit.com, 11/12/09]

CO State Senator Compares President Obama To 9/11 Terrorists

By Melinda Warner

Media Matters

Colorado State Senator David Schultheis (R-Colorado Springs) recently took to Twitter to express his true feelings for President Obama.

Schultheis' tweet, first noted by ColoradoPols.com and picked up by TPM, likened President Obama to the 9/11 hijackers.

It really shouldn't have to be said that comparing anyone to those who sought to murder thousands of American citizens in a blitz attack is ridiculous and disgusting.

True to form, Schultheis made a ridiculous, transparent, and disingenuous retraction of the tweet:

State Sen. David Schultheis said he didn't intend for a Twitter post accusing President Barack Obama of "flying the U.S. plane right into the ground" and ending with "let's roll" as a threat or a reference to United Flight 93, which crashed during the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Right.

Of all the incredible stories that emerged following the horrific events of 9/11, one of the most poignant was of the Flight 93 passengers who overtook their hijackers. One of those passenger's final words were "Let's roll."...(Remainder.)

TN State Rep. Decries "Socialist Leader Obama And His Gang Of Thugs"

By Walid Zafar

Media Matters

Rep. Richard Floyd, a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, is a big fan of guns. Accordingly, Floyd, who is a strong proponent of a controversial law allowing guns in restaurants, is no big fan of President Barack Obama, who he sees as trying to infringe on his 2^nd Amendment rights. As the Nashville Post reports, Floyd "has blasted e-mails to constituents about congressional efforts to infringe on gunowners' rights." Yesterday, Floyd forwarded an email to constituents warning against a proposed gun bill in the U.S. Senate:

I pray all of us will take heed to what socialist leader Obama and his gang of thugs are trying to do to this country. We had better fear the government that fears our guns. Thanks to my friend Ed Warren and many others who are helping expose this bill. Please contact our Congressmen and Senators and demand they let Americans know what is going on behind closed doors. Blessings to all. Richard.

When the Nashville Post contacted Floyd to let him know that the National Rifle Association had actually disagreed with Floyd's interpretation of the bill, the Chattanooga congressman became unhinged, and it would seem, connected socialism to the tragic events at Fort Hood....(Remainder.)

Sen. Schmuck Assley Suggests Health Care Reform Is Unconstitutional

By Matt Finkelstein
Media Matters

On a conference call with reporters, Sen. Grassley's evolution took the next logical step.

Early on in the health care debate, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) positioned himself as one of few Republicans willing to work across party lines for health care reform. That turned out to be a mirage, of course. As his arguments became more contradictory and incoherent, it quickly became clear that Grassley was bent on obstruction, not moving the process forward.

One prime example came in September, when Grassley suddenly decided he was opposed to individual mandates. In June, Grassley had defended mandates on Fox News, comparing them to similar requirements for auto insurance. "I believe that there is a bipartisan consensus to have individual mandates," he stated. But just a few months later, Grassley said that while he supported getting "more people insured in a voluntary way," he was "very reluctant to go along with an individual mandate."

Now, as the Senate prepares to begin its debate, Grassley has taken the next logical step in his evolution. On a conference call with reporters today, the erratic Senator suggested that an individual mandate may be unconstitutional:

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said today he still has questions about the constitutionality of an individual health insurance mandate.

"Whether it's constitutional or not ought to have the most debate," he said in a conference call with reporters.

"I'm afraid the way this thing is going that there's not enough questions raised about the individual mandate, that maybe there aren't enough people concerned about it," he added.

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