I've got the Blue Dog blues...

Greenwald, from earlier this year, in addition to today's column (which is a daily must read) about the reprehensible new FISA "compromise"

But more importantly, "bipartisanship" is already rampant in Washington,
not rare. And, in almost every significant case, what "bipartisanship" means in
Washington is that enough Democrats join with all of the Republicans to
endorse and enact into law Republican policies, with which most Democratic
voters disagree. That's how so-called "bipartisanship" manifests in almost
every case...

On virtually every major controversial issue --
particularly, though not only, ones involving national security and
terrorism -- the Republicans (including their vaunted mythical moderates and
mavericks) vote in almost complete lockstep in favor of the President, the
Democratic caucus splits, and the Republicans then get their way on every
issue thanks to "bipartisan" support. That's what "bipartisanship" in
Washington means.

And as always, follow the money. Fuckers.

PS: I guess the "block quote" feature doesn't like copying and pasting, but so what? I kind of like how this was turned into some ghastly free verse on the demise of the Constitution.

Whoopi & the Tonys

From Go Fug Yourself, hilarious as always.

Pop Music

The new Coldplay is pretty good. The first one I've bought since the debut, primarily because Brian Eno can do no wrong, and the Arcade Fire producer, Markus Dravs, is the icing on the cake. Big, grand pop in the tradition of U2, blah blah blah...just listen to it.

Politico's Ben Smith: GOP stenographer

This is pretty disingenuous. Smith repeats the Republican's "All 9/11, all the time" meme that worked so well for them in the 2006 mid-terms. All that stuff about using law enforcement to combat terrorism as "9/10" thinking? Well, stories like this go right down the memory hole, and Smith couldn't be bothered to do, you know, any actual reporting to put these GOP talking points in context, because that might violate his job description as a McCain water carrier.

Oh, and nice job linking straight to McCain's website for the Michael Goldfarb statement. Would you like to know more about Goldfarb? See, I know how to link too.

Dept. of Desperation

Frank Rich, as usual, nails it.

Smear alert

Taylor Marsh has some interesting info on this Larry Sinclair character who's going to speak at the National Press Club about an alleged gay, drug fueled affair with Obama. It's going to be some election. The Republicans are as desperate as they've ever been, and like a cornered animal, they're about to go feral.

Obama's "Baby Mama"

Enough said: via John Scalzi

"Back in the day – you know, when presidential candidates were respectably white – news organizations called potential First Ladies “wives.” But now that black folks are running, we can get all funky fresh with the lingo, yo. So it’s basically fine for Fox News to use “Baby Mama” for Michelle Obama, slang that implies a married 44-year-old Princeton-educated lawyer is, to use an Urban Dictionary definition of the term, “some chick you knocked up on accident during a fling who you can’t stand but you have to tolerate cuz she got your baby now.” Because the Obamas are black! And the blacks, they’re all relaxed about that shit, yo. Word up. And anyway, as the caption clearly indicates, it’s not Fox News that’s calling Michelle Obama “Baby Mama,” it’s outraged liberals. Fox News is just telling you what those outraged liberals are saying. They didn’t want to use the term “Baby Mama.” But clearly they had no choice."

RFK redux

via Andrew Sullivan:

"Past error is no excuse for its own perpetuation. Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom.....Now, as ever, we do ourselves best justice when we measure ourselves against ancient tests, as in the Antigone of Sophocles: 'All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only sin is pride.'" - Robert F Kennedy.

Russert

Well, I have to say I'm with John Cole on this one.

But is it installation art?

This is interesting. It's something we spent a lot of time talking about at school, and it also makes a few mentions of Olafur Eliason's work, whose Waterfall project I'm making a trip to see over the summer.

Poor M. Night...

Well, the early reviews are in for The Happening, and the consensus on just how happening it is, not so much. It's too bad, really. I loved his 1st 3 movies, and was very underwhelmed by The Village and Lady in the Water, so it looks like the streak continues.

And we're back

Never did like the original name for this blog. Nor the narrow frame of reference. So, here we are again after 2 years, and since I spend such a ridiculous amount of time online, I might as well pontificate in earnest.

Also, it's an election year, so if anyone I know reads this and wants links and info on how much Obama is going to kick McCain's ass, here for example.

Cheers