Robert Reich pens an open letter to Limbaugh, Hannity and Malkin. Short version: please stop lying, anyone can read or listen to what I actually said.
As a foul-mouthed blogger, I’m grateful there are smart, nice, civil people in the world like Reich. Variety is the spice of life and all that.
Funny how uncivil and lying behavior by the right is so accepted as part of the media landscape that you rarely see traditional outlets get all upset about it, and in the case of the falsehoods about Reich’s views traditional media figures like Lou Dobbs at CNN have also spread them quite deliberately. As we have seen countless times in the past, deliberately telling outright lies is not just wrong, it warps rational discourse and causes stupid people to believe whatever the hell they want, facts be damned.
And it’s only when the DFH wants something totally insane like health insurance coverage for all Americans that we get the preachy editorials about civility and bi-partisanship.
This country is in a crisis. We can no longer afford to let stupid people believe lies, they must be told the truth. Stupid is what got us here in the first place.
Awesome. Perhaps you should write up a manifesto, detailing what all of the “stupid people” need to believe, eh? I’m sure they would be more than happy to benefit from your wisdom.
Dude, you don’t make someone believe in anything. Spouting off elitist crap like that is about as unAmerican as the most egregious bullshit ever put out by any right-wing pundit with whom you disagree.
@1 I don’t care what stupid people believe. All that matters is (1) their candidates lose and (2) they’re discredited and marginalized.
Or, are you in favor of letting stupid people who believe lies choose our leaders and run our country? We’ve already seen where that takes us.
Defending free speech doesn’t make stupidity a virtue or lies true.
@2
I’m in favor of letting people believe whatever they want to believe. I’m not in favor of anyone claiming that the need to ensure that “correct thought” is practiced by someone else.
It’s interesting that John is complaining about people like Rush being allowed to voice his opinion, when that’s exactly what John gets to do on this blog.
What John is basically saying is that in times of crisis, it is not okay to criticize the government. I wonder if he believed that when Bush was president?
And yes, Reich did say he wanted the money to go to non-white males.
“I am concerned, as I’m sure many of you are, that these jobs not simply go to high-skilled people who are already professionals or to white male construction workers. … I have nothing against white male construction workers. I’m just saying that there are a lot of other people who have needs as well. … Criteria can be set so that the money does go to others, the long term unemployed minorities, women, people who are not necessarily construction workers or high-skilled professionals.”
@3
Maybe not. However, the Constitution guarantees the right to be ignorant, as surely as any other right.
@4 You can believe anything you want, but if you are a stupid person who believes lies, don’t expect me to believe you, trust you, hire you, vote for you, or remain silent if you try to peddle your lies to the general public.
@5 No one is saying Rush can’t broadcast his lies and get paid for it. All we’re saying is the public shouldn’t listen to him or believe him because he’s a liar. That, of course, is for individuals to decide for themselves; and all I’m saying is that if you believe Rush, you’re a gullible dumbshit.
@8
I got that Roger. And all I’m saying is that what “the public” believes isn’t up to you, or anyone else, thank God.
@5 Why should jobs funded by public stimulus money go only to white males? Justify that, if you can.
It seems to me that if only white males get those jobs, then women and minorities should be exempted from paying the taxes that fund those jobs.
@1 So your fearless decider and gang didn’t make you believe that Iraq/Saddam were an imminent threat. That they had WMD’s? Or are you saying that you knew these things to be untrue, or felt they were inherently untrue, but went along with the bullshit anyway? ‘We’ll be greeted as liberators’. That’s another juicy one that a lot of stupid people believed even though a lot of smart people disagreed. Sorry, but it’s very easy to make people believe. You’re obviously aware of the concept of propaganda?
It’s easy to mine the right-wing talking points oozing through microphones of the millionaire mouthpieces without listening to one moment of their broadcasts. Like Jon says up there, the MSM repeats & amplyfies it for them as if it were fact or has legitimacy… even when it’s absolutely false. Remember the Bill Ayer’s bullshit last October? Only stupid people with no ability to calculate, appraise or decipher information on their own would have swallowed that.
How do working class folks get convinced that Social Security is bad for them, and it should be privatized? Stupidity, salesmanship and repetition…but mostly lots of stupidity. Why does anyone buy those bottles of snake oil at the county fair? The scheister is talking a slick line, wearing a fancy suite, and the audience is stupid.
@8
John said this: “This country is in a crisis. We can no longer afford to let stupid people believe lies, they must be told the truth.”
Interpretation: In a crisis, only “the truth” can be broadcast. All opinions must conform to the Democratic party line, or else it is a lie.
@6 ” the Constitution guarantees the right to be ignorant, as surely as any other right”
Of course it does, and no one is stopping you from exercising your constitutional right to be ignorant, as demonstrated by your frequent exercise of that right on this blog.
@10
Reich stuck his foot in it. He didn’t need to talk about race. Rush is merely pointing that out. That’s what this is all about. Reich has only himself to blame. He should have worded it differently.
@9 “all I’m saying is that what ‘the public’ believes isn’t up to you, or anyone else, thank God”
No, it’s not, thank the Great Mother Rabbit Spirit, and I will defend to the death your right to believe horseshit. But that doesn’t mean I believe your horseshit, or that anyone else should believe it, or that people who believe horsehit deserve credibility or respect. Horseshit is horseshit.
@12 Why should anyone buy a newspaper, magazine, or listen to a broadcast that publishes lies? News media are business enterprises, and when the product is defective, consumers shouldn’t buy it.
But if you want to be a damn fool and buy defective merchandise, that’s your business. You have the right to be a damn fool if you want to be, a right you’ve chosen to exercise every day on this blog, and that’s your privilege. Go on being a damn fool if you like; do you think we care?
But when you try to peddle your damnfoolery to others, we have a right to point out that you’re a liar and a damn fool.
@12 (continued) Reich didn’t stick his foot in anything. You stuck your head up your ass, that’s what’s going on here. I agree with Reich — the government should take steps to ensure that women and minorities get their fair share of the stimulus jobs their taxes are paying for. Racial and gender discrimination are a social wrong that shouldn’t be tolerated. We Democrats are running the government now, and we’re not gonna do things the way you racist Republicans do things. Republicanism is over. Done. Gone. Defeated, rejected, repudiated. We won, you lost, suck on it. We’re gonna do things the Democratic way now. If you don’t like it, eat shit.
@12 “Interpretation: In a crisis, only ‘the truth’ can be broadcast. All opinions must conform to the Democratic party line, or else it is a lie.”
Nah. All he’s saying is we’re gonna call liars “liars,” we’re gonna call bullshit “bullshit,” and we’re gonna urge people to not listen to liars and not believe bullshit.
But what’s gonna change things is not what we say, or what Reich says, but the public seeing with their own eyes that wingers are liars and wingnut ideology and propaganda are bullshit.
It’s people losing their jobs, savings, homes, health care, and retirement investments that has turned the public against winger bullshitters. We don’t need to say anything. All we do is sit in a rocking chair eating popcorn watching the lynch mob drag the Republican Party to the lamp post. You winger bullshitters did this to yourselves.
Let’s put it this way. The 2006 and 2008 elections expressed the people’s judgment of the Republican Party’s job performance. Nothing else needs to be said.
Kind of ironic that white (and wannabe-white self-hating Asian Talibangelist Malkin) are still obsessed with pursuing their victim’s complex political strategy.
Obama is asking the nation to pull itself up by its bootstraps. And white conservatives can only come up with one response: “we’re victims – we need our exlusive status back.”
Yet another example of how far Troll’s party and “movement” have fallen. The rugged individualists and rock-ribbed American icon has turned himself into a blathering crybaby.
Hannity, Limbaugh, Malkin and Coulter do it for ratings. How funny is it that Troll and other lost souls consider this political bait as a useful political strategy?
@13 RR
And luckily for you, being an asshole is enshrined in the Constitution as well. Otherwise you’d be doing 25 to life, right now.
The classic wingnut strawman tactic is on display in this thread. No one said the government should regulate what Limbaugh, Hannity, or Malkin can say. Reich didn’t; Jon DeVore didn’t.
All Reich said is they misrepresented his statements on stimulus jobs, which they did. All Jon said is we should make an effort to educate stupid people who believe lies about what the truth is.
The bizarre troll response puts on display the full panoply of wingnut zaniness, including their speciality, victomology: Their constitutional rights are being violated, they’re being silenced, blah blah.
We all know who violates other people’s constitutional rights and tries to silence dissent.
These freeloaders post on this private blog without censorship. You can’t do that on any rightwing blog. For example, I’m permanently banned from Free Republic. I posted only 1 comment on FR, and all it said was Republicans are liars, which is true. They yanked my posting privileges for that. On this blog, rightwing liars can post all the rightwing bullshit they want to, and nobody ever got banned for that.
Reich and DeVore aren’t in favor of censoring Limbaugh, Hannity, Malkin, or anyone else. They’re simply calling liars “liars,” and calling bullshit “bullshit.” In typical zany wingnut fashion, the trolls have taken this and stood it on its head, somehow perceiving themselves as victims of an unconstitutional suppression of free speech.
Sheesh.
It’s a waste of time to argue with these liars. Nor is it necessary. The whole world can see they’re liars, and most of the world isn’t listening to them anymore. I don’t even read most of the troll comments. I print them out and use them for toilet paper. That’s all they’re good for.
@21 Be careful what you wish for. If being an asshole was against the law you might get me as your cellmate.
On the pathetic little rival blog, Jim Miller writes that if the P-I and Times want to sell newspapers to him, they’ll have to print conservative political cartoons. (Miller also calls Nobel and Pulitzer prizes “reprimands” for “bad behavior.”)
Yes, I understand why people of his mentality aren’t customers of organizations in the business of gathering and reporting news, and I also see that news media’s prospects for survival will benefit from shrinkage of this demographic.
On the pathetic little rival blog, Jim Miller writes that the P-I and Times will have to run conservative political cartoons if they want to sell newspapers to him. Miller also calls Nobel and Pulitzer prizes “reprimands” for “bad behavior.”
Yes, I understand why people of his mentality aren’t customers of organizations in the business of gathering and reporting news, and I also see that news media’s prospects for survival will benefit from shrinkage of this demographic.
Reich brought the problem on himself by mentioning ‘white’ male construction workers. Had he left that part out and mentioned instead that the jobs created are open to everyone and will also include training for those that need it then no one could have criticized him. Here is his quote:
“During the hearing, Reich stated that the jobs created should not “simply go to high-skilled people who are already professionals or to white male construction workers.” Reich continued: “I have nothing against white male construction workers. I’m just saying that there are a lot of other people who have needs as well. And therefore, in my remarks I have suggested to you, and I’m certainly happy to talk about it more, ways in which the money can be — criteria can be set so that the money does go to others: the long-term unemployed, minorities, women, people who are not necessarily construction workers or high-skilled professionals.””
Reich: “I’m just saying that there are a lot of other people who have needs as well. And, therefore, in my remarks I have suggested to you, and I’m certainly happy to talk about it more, ways in which the money can be — criteria can be set so that the money does go to others: the long-term unemployed, minorities, women, people who are not necessarily construction workers or high-skilled professionals.”
“I’m just saying that there are a lot of other people who have needs as well.” – No translation required, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” K. Marx
“criteria can be set” – Translation: We’re going to gerrymander the system so our constituents get the best slice of the pie.
This debate is centered on the wrong aspect of the stimulus, the stimulus plan is generational theft on a grand scale. It should be killed.
If wingnuts stop lying, they won’t have anything to say!
And that would be the greatest contribution they could give to this country.
Miller is wrong about the Pulitzer. It’s the award for best liberal reporting.
@28
Pointing out what the man said by quoting his exact words cannot be construed as “lying”.
# 30 forcing false interpretations of what someone said (ie. completely irrational “translations”) is lying, liar.
@26 Reich’s unfortunate choice of phrasing doesn’t justify the rightwing distortions of what he said. I agree with what Reich said — the jobs in publicly-funded job-stimulus projects shouldn’t all go to one group, they should benefit the entire population. And I disagree with the ideology that Limbaugh, Hannity, and Malkin shill for — greater concentration of wealth, hereditary privilege, and anti-worker policies.
@29 Pulitzers are awarded for the best reporting. No political litmus test exists.
@30 Reich said white male construction workers shouldn’t get all the stimulus jobs created by spending taxpayer money. I agree with him. Women and minorities should share in those jobs. I wouldn’t have worded it that way, but it’s the principle that matters, and how it’s worded is a side issue.
Roger,
So in principle Reich was wrong with his wording no doubt about it but the wording is not a side issue as you state as it points that Reich is basically an idiot for making the statements the way he did. Had he mentioned the principle properly, no one would say anything about him. The entire purpose of the stimulus package is to get people employed so they can pay taxes and spend their money to help the economy. Out of work construction workers of all kinds should be eligible and the stimulus package should also include training for all of those people that want to work at construction regardless of race, color, creed, or any other criteria except that they need a job.
I-Burn proves his own sophomoric point (that it’s totally legal to be an idiot and an asshole) each time he posts here.
It’s as if “stating the obvious” has become his singular goal in life.
Yeah, Limbaugh is protected by the First Amendment. I get that. Tell us something we don’t know (not gonna hold my breath on that one, I-Burn)
I think we should just make construction companies who win contracts from the stimulus package hire an additional 20% of their workforce. These people are untrained and have no idea how to do the work required, and have never sought out construction jobs. But that doesn’t matter. What counts is that they get a paycheck.
So we skip the training thing, because that takes time away from the construction project, and it requires that those who aren’t qualified would have to learn a new skill that they have shown no desire to do. Just give them the money. It is much easier that way.
Plain Logic @ 30: don’t forget…John Kerry hates our troops, Barack Obama hates the American Flag, and all Democrats hate their country, 24×7.
These conservatives have survived on political fumes for years, relying on a couple tactics: spreading mythology, misconstruing the words of others, and blatant fear-mongering.
Despite the failures inherent with this 8 year approach, the clowns can’t get off the Rove train. Afterall, the root of conservative ideology is “no change.”. My God, they couldn’t stop fighting communism until communism had been dead for nearly 15 years – when they discovered the new boogeyman in Bin Laden.
Right wing tactics are like a broken record. Without manufactured outrage – such the Reich example – very few people would pay attention to conservative klowns.
Will the stimulus funds stimulate (blank) people to want to work? In most businesses I go into, I see plenty of minorities, but I don’t see many (blank) people. And these are unskilled jobs I’m talking about. Why don’t they want to work in fast food restaurants, or other businesses?
Sooo following the logic of Iburn and the other merry maids of the retarded right spewing their typical lies and bullshit here – we should let people believe the Earth is flat because they WANT to believe it?
This blatant level of stupidity explains how the GOP got the measly votes they did manage to win on Nov 4. A certain segment of our population, i.e., the GOP base, is just too fucking stupid to understand truth.
So they’d rather believe the lies of the right than investigate truth of any kind.
Keep that up bitches. And we’ll have a veto proof majority in the Senate in 2 years.
What I find fascinating is that Democrats have been in charge in this state for at least two generations. There have been some tempering forces from the republicans, but it was just a minor speed bump on the path for them to implement all their programs.
Now we have a huge budget hole, and an education system that the Democrats say is a disaster. Huh. And the fix is doing a lot of the same things they have been doing for the last 40 years.
I only bring it up, because the federal government will be in the same boat in a five years, if you get veto proof majorities.
The reason the republicans are the minority is because they didn’t stick to their principles, not because they did. They decided to spend money faster than ever before, and make government ever larger. So the electorate said, why have these frauds in there, when we can have the real deal? I’m voting for the guy who believes that the government is the answer to all our problems, not that guy over there who is just play-acting.
John,
Why not quote the “lie” from the right and compare the words to what reich actually said. You didn’t even have the guts to include the transcript of what he said.
Good news for you… byebye goober endorses what you say.
Janet S AKA Puffybutt – let’s hope you stick to your so-called beliefs. America will continue to vote you out of existence and we’ll have a veto-proof majority.
@42
Very good observation. Have you noticed John is remaining silent on the Portland’s mayor scandal? Perhaps because the mayor has a D next to his name? Anyway, this is happening in his own back yard. It’s hard to respect someone who looks the other way depending on whether the story involves a Democrat or a Republican.
There is an interesting New York Times article today with references to Robert Reich and his problems with getting all the facts straight at:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/f.....A96E958260
“Electronic magazines have gleefully picked apart the claims of memoir writers, most notably the political confessional of former Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich, who described dramatic episodes and dialogue that did not match the record of C-Span tapes and transcripts of Washington meetings.
For his paperback version of his book, ”Locked in the Cabinet,” Mr. Reich made revisions, explaining in a foreword that ”memory is fallible.” As a result, the paperback no longer recalls a tense, smoky meeting with members of the National Association of Manufacturers who confronted him with curses and shouts of ”Go back to Harvard!” Instead, he hears hisses from several locations.”
Perhaps Robert should have paid attention to his problems reciting the truth and applied it to his congressional dissertation about the stimulus package.
All he could do in response is bad mouth those that called him on his problem.
“The hate mail I have received since your broadcast suggests that the mischievous consequences of your demagoguery are potentially dangerous, in addition to being destructive of rational and constructive political discourse. I urge you to take responsibility for your words. Words and ideas have real world consequences, and you have demonstrated a cavalier disregard for both.”
He should pay attention to his own words as he has demonstrated a cavalier disregard to them.
@35 No, I wouldn’t say Reich was “wrong” about the wording, because he accurately described the demographic group he was referring to. It’s a sensitivity matter. Personally, I’m not a big fan of “political correctness,” but if the right wants to run with it, let ’em! They’re full of shit about everything else, so they may as well be full of PC shit, too.
My, how things have changed! Now Democrats run the country and wingnuts are PC police.
@39 Why don’t you work in a fast food restaurant? Personally, I’d rather see you in a crummy minimum wage job and (blank) people in good-paying professional jobs. They’ve paid their dues (I’m not sure you have) and it’s their turn.
@44 This is a liberal blog. We don’t do wingnut propaganda here. Try Stefan’s sucky little blog for that.
Hey wingnut trolls. Guess what. Starting in the morning – it’s week two of your nightmare. Dems in control. Which of your sacred “beliefs” will we gut tomorrow?
I can’t wait to see the crying, moaning and bitching from the cowards who have been vanquished by the Democratic defenders of liberty.
We’re laughing at you fools. Especially you Troll.
It doesn’t really matter what verbiage is used, or how much ‘money’ is stuffed up every nook and cranny in the country. It ain’t gonna work. By mid to late summer the (real) unemployment rate will be pushing 25-30%. Cockroaches will find it hard to be gainfully employed. It’s grand super cycle time. Fill your pantry, stock up on seeds and buy ammo.
Week 1: no lobbyists, unless they are our lobbyists. Close Gitmo and end “torture” unless they are our prisoners and we need information. Highest ethical standards, unless our guy defrauds the IRS and lies about it. Talk to our enemies, including those guys who have piled millions and millions into the bank account of our Secy of State.
And that is just a sampling.
I can’t wait for week 2.
@52 And yet the big news of the week was just how pervasive your little Bush’s NSA spying program really was. Listening in on democratically elected senators & congressmen, journalists and talk show hosts. Zieg heil!
Week 1: The GOP has its legs cut out from under it as PRESIDENT OBAMA closed the right wing torture chambers, shuts Gitmo, closes secret CIA prisons, undoes Bush EXEC ORDERS on privacy of Presidential papers and makes it more likely that women in foreign countries can get abortions.
And that’s just a sampling.
I can’t wait to see what terror we bring on the wingers in week 2. Best part? There’s NOTHING the crying fools on the right can do about it. NOTHING!
@52: I missed that story! Got a link? I’d love to read about it.
@53: Obama said he intends to close Gitmo in a year, not next week. Which means he has no intention of closing it at all. He has no idea what to do with enemy combatants who want to kill US citizens. No one wants them, except for Jack Murtha.
Which of Puffybutt/Janet S’s republican pals will be first to be perp-walked? Will it be DICKLESS Cheney, Karl the perv Rove or one of the other mindless thieves, cowards, traitors or idiots that made up the Bush regime? Perhaps the traitor in chief himself, STUPID!
Dang! My reference numbers changed. I want to read the story Slingshot refers to, and I meant to tell WeBentOver that he is full of wishful thinking.
Janet Stupid take note. This of course is the complement to:
Here are a couple more inconvenient tidbits for janet s; Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters he asked for an exception to be made for Lynn because he is the best candidate for the job. Gates specifically requested Lynn for the post of Deputy Defense Secretary. Lynn is a registered Republican. Gates is the only holdover from the Bush gang.
Geithner should have removed himself from consideration before Obama should have asked him to. Obama’s actions on these two nominees have greatly raised the ire of many Democrats, and will serve to keep a sharpened eye to his intentions. He won’t get a blank check from his constituency like Bush got from you.
If you didn’t hear the NSA story, you must listen to KVI and watch Fox exclusively.
Obama will probably close gitmo and let his muslim relatives go free. I knew this would
be his first order of business. Born in the USA
Right….
Have you heard this from Robert Third Reich?
Obama Economic Advisor Limits ‘White Male Construction Workers’ From Economic Stimulus Benefit
Psst, Mark! Plan A is to free the Muslims so that they can molest all the young, white Christian women of America, leading many of them to have abortions. Of course, the rest will give birth to baby terrorists, each with the Mark of Cain upon his brow. When they grow up they’re going to hunt down the remaining Christians. And then we’re gonna…
Oops! Did I spill the beans? Sorry guys. Er, what’s Plan B?
Actually most of the terrorists are coming to America to have sex with Mark.
Slingshot, I have no problem with Obama bringing anyone on board who he feels is qualified. But can he skip the sanctimonious posturing about not having lobbyists around?
Glad to hear that you see have problems with a Treasury secretary who lies on his taxes. This should be an interesting appointment. Almost as good as having a Secretary of State who is already bought off by the Saudis.
@64: After the free reign that Abramoff had at the White House with Bush and Rove, it IS a breath of fresh air to have new rules about lobbyists.
As slingshot has already noted, it was Gates (republican holdover) who requested Lynn (republican). It is just darn hard to find a republican who is NOT connected to lobbyists – ask the entire McCain election committee for instance.
Or how about Ralph Reed and Grover Norquist – who laundered money for Abramoff?
Those guys are the religous right and the no-taxes right defacto leaders…makes you wonder, huh?
Obama chose Gates of his own free will. There was no obligation. Maybe it was because he couldn’t find anyone qualified in his own party.
But if you are going to make rules, follow them. Or stop making them if you are just going to ignore them. It isn’t impressive to set a high bar, just to violate it because, after all, you are more special than the rest of us little people out here.
Norquist and Reed are not elected officials. Not sure why you are hung up on them. Are you equally as appalled at Chris Dodd getting favorable loans from someone who has business before his committee? How about Charlie Rangel not paying his taxes, and illegally occupying rent-controlled apartments in New York? Does that bother you?
And why is Blago up for impeachment because he wanted something for his Senate appointment, but Paterson is free and clear for doing the same thing? All appointments are done with a political goal in mind. Yeah, Blago was a little more blatant in some of his other dealings. But, hey, it is just the Chicago way of doing things!
And just think – despite right wing cunts like Puffybutt posing as Janet S. – WE STILL WON. Check that – WE WON BY A LANDSLIDE – Check that – WE FUCKING KICKED THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF THE COWARDLY RIGHT!
Man I love this shit. Can’t wait to see what sort of crushing defeat these idiots and fools in the GOP have waiting for them THIS week – and then the next, and then the next, and then the next.
Oh yeah – I forgot. I am laughing at the retarded right. The whole world is laughing at them! LOL!
Wow. Just when I thought there was intelligent life on this blog, you bring me back to reality. Thanks for that!
Landslide? Are you kidding? I guess it is that fantasy land with the unicorns and lollipops, and the Messiah.
Hey Janet S/Puffybutt – in case you had your head so far up Faux News Ass you didn’t hear…
President
Vice President
9 seat pick up in the US Senate (almost unheard of gain)
29 seat pick up in the US House (again a huge gain)
7 Governoships
9 Big city mayors
L A N D S L I D E – M A N D A T E – A S S K I C K I N G
and you have nothing but more of the same to look forward to bitch!
The whole world is laughing at the pathetic GOP!
PRESIDENT OBAMA first week approval rating 68.2%
GEORGE BUSH first week approval rating 58%
Numbers don’t lie!
@66 Janet
Laundering money for Abramoff – as opposed to accusation that have not been substantiated about Dodd….hmmm, not even close. Sure there are some individual democrats that are corrupt – but this was ORGANIZED corruption.
I am saying (and many others have documented) that under Bush/Rove the republican party was working with lobbyists on the K street project – to funnel business lobbyists and other interests to solely republican clients. The lobbyists were completely imbeded. Yes – Norquist and Reed are not elected officials – but they laundered money for the Northern Marianas to have forced labor, forced abortions, illegal working conditions and for other nefarious schemes like Indian gambling and Russian oil tycoons to have access to legislators largess. It points to entire culture of corruption in the republican party. Have you not paid attention to this?
Need I mention the others: Bob Ney, Duke Cunnigham, Tom Delay (the former house majority leader), John Doolittle, Tom Feeney…and on and on.
That is why this is a breath of fresh air.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c.....docket.php
Notice that the only “exceptions” are proposed by republicans.
@68: Obamas victory was by the largest vote margin by a non-incumbent in history. That qualifies as a landslide. the turn over in the house and senate – the democratic majority is back to before gingrich – that is also a landslide.
Notice who the two major groups are calling Obama names and hoping he fails:
al qaeda and the far right (Limbaugh)
’nuff said.
JanetS/Puffybutt will now cut and run from that argument. The minute you introduce cogent facts into the discussion, the right wing sticks its head in the sand and hides. They’re simple hypocrites and cowards and that’s why they got beaten like a drum on Nov 4.
Incorrectneverbright: Can you EVER post something from the liberal MSM instead of running to and posting from the kook-aid sites?
First time is a charm!!!
WeBentOverTheGOP/Rujax!/Byebyegoober/busdrivermike:
And your singular worthless point is…
Nuthin at all…
You never had nuthin…
You still got nuthin…
Your future is nuthin…
Incorrectneverbright@72: You mean headless lucy & al qaeda.
Get it right so it’s tight!
I’ve never quite figured out how it is that the right concluded that what they consider the “Godless” left has found a “messiah” in President Obama.
In what he hoped would be the capstone to his eight years as President, George W. Bush today signed an executive order repealing the English language.
Scrawling his name on the official document, Mr. Bush said that in abolishing English he had vanquished his “greaterest enemy.”
For Mr. Bush, the executive order represents the realization of a longstanding dream that began in 2001 when he declared an official War on Grammar.
The President followed up that declaration of war in 2003 when he signed an executive order cancelling the agreement between nouns and verbs.
Mr. Bush’s decision to repeal the English language could complicate matters for his successor, President-elect Barack Obama, who is scheduled to deliver his inaugural address tomorrow, presumably in English.
But thoughts of Mr. Obama seemed far away during today’s jubilant Oval Office ceremony, which Mr. Bush summed up in four words: “I can has legacy.”
Mr. Bush’s executive offer also drew high praise from a fellow Republican, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska: “Being that the English language can and has been used in confusing and also too in harming ordinary Americans, knowing that it no longer can or will be used in doing that is something positive that this is doing also.”
As I said – Puffybutt AGAIN cuts and runs once his bullshit has been exposed.
No wonder his side got their ASS KICKED. He’s the best they can do.
P A T H E T I C!
How about them Huskies? They’ve got it inside, outside and have a deep bench.
Moron@79:
Where did I cut and how far did I run if I’m right here Neilsen liar?
Hmm, I’d to see Troll tell Jon Brockman to his face that he spells his name wrong.
@74: I have posted many things from many sites. If you think TPM is a kook-aid site – then maybe you forgot to read. They go after any and all corruption. They were all over Blago and Jefferson. Just because you are allergic to facts doesn’t mean I should not post them.
@64 Yes lies on his taxes, has an illegal domestic worker and most importantly comes from the Federal Reserve which is an unconstitutional body, and is responsible for the boom and bust bubble charade we call an economy since it’s inception in 1913.
And regarding the new Sec. of State; get back to us when she colludes with the president to manufacture evidence in their case to start a war, ignores a PDB stating that “Bin Ladin is determined to strike within our borders using airliners as fuel bombs”, etc, etc ad nasuem.
And feel free to compare Reich’s record at Labor to Chao’s:
http://www.bls.gov/schedule/ar.....r.htm#2000
Why call out white construction workers at all. Riech never needed to mention that specific group. His mentioning it implied privledge. If he was smart he should not have contrasted using one group against another.
You cant suggest this was not a stupid statement no matter how you frame it.
Yup, he should’ve said “give some dat cabbage to da poh folks too”.