I haven’t written about GOPolitburo Chairman Chris Vance stepping down from his post, because I thought I had a good joke in the making, but I just couldn’t come up with the punch line. Vance and outgoing Dem Chairman Paul Berendt stepped down within weeks of each other, both announcing that they were seeking “other opportunities.” Both also seemed extraordinarily gracious in remarking on the other’s departure.
The joke, I thought, was that they would be going into business together… but as what?
A professional juggling team? A standup comedy act? Amway salesmen? A road production of the Vagina Monologues?
Well… punch line or no, it turns out the joke may be on me. The hot and heavy rumor around lobbying circles is that Vance is joining the Gallatin Group as a lobbyist. But Gallatin also apparently is claiming that they’ll be bringing on a “Democratic heavyweight.”
Could that be Berendt?
Hmm. Vance and Berendt as a lobbying team. Strange… but not funny.
Berendt is a “heavyweight” all right…..
He ought to lose about 50 pounds and be a spokesman for Subway Sandwiches or Jennie Craig!
@ 1
I’ve always thought that Vance was the chubbier of that gay-union.
Well Goldy, since the City Council won’t throw you a bone, maybe you should shoot your application (plus a damn resume) over to the Gallatin Group! You’d be “Perfect”.
Leave it to Mr. Cynical to think a person’s body weight is more important than their ideas, values, or character. No matter he calls himself “cynical.” He knows himself well.
Belltowner–
It kind of grosses me out even slightly imagine those too big boys “belly-bumpin'” when they cross pathes in the hallway! Or giggling together in the Men’s Room sharing a stall! YUCK!
Now Rog–
I don’t hold your little cottontail, big floppy ears and pink nose against you!
@ 5
Studies show that the most virulently anti-gay get the most turned on by the dude on dude action. Besides, whenever one of them is on the radio, the other is one too. Weird…
ProudAss sez:
Since December 12th I have been flying back and forth between Seattle and Tampa to spend time with my Father who was gravely ill and in CICU for 20 days.
He passed away on January 5, 2 days after being moved back home. He would have been a still young 79 in July.
He was a good, loving man, married for over 50 years when he lost his wife, our Mom, who died far too young at 73 in 2002.
We take comfort in the belief he is now back home with the God he loved and the woman he adored.
Rest in peace, Dad, we love you always.
This time of emotional highs and lows, sharing memories and grief with family and friends puts into perspective the nonsense that attempts to pass for serious discourse on these boards. It’s all great fun and really quite humorous, but this last, long month has given me time to reflect on the crassness and hatefulness of the strident and mostly immature rantings of the folks that post here – admittedly, on both sides.
Comment by HowCanYouBePROUDtobeAnASS— 1/12/06 @ 4:35 pm
ProudAss–
Sorry to hear about your Dad.
You are right about the immature rantings here on HA.
I will admit I do it to attempt to understand what makes LEFTIST KLOWNS tick and where their weaknesses are.
Their weakness is clearly an oh so serious and oh so self-righteous attitude couple with no sense of humor.
These Blog is emotional….based on raw feelings.
Goldy does get an acorn once in awhile…every blind pig does!
I think the unrestrained discourse here is really a release for folks with strongly held beliefs. This Blog is not for everyone, that’s for sure.
Are you telling us you are permanently retiring to the sidelines?
If so, I’ll join you.
Perhaps all the folks who are RIGHT will say good-bye and allow the choir to sing to itself! Unabashed.
You make the call ProudAss…………………
6
“I don’t hold your little cottontail, big floppy ears and pink nose against you!”
That’s good to know — and I want YOU to know that I don’t hold your good looks against YOU! http://www.acclaimimages.com/_.....-5258.html
I’ll tell you what, I give you permission to contemplate your grief in splendid isolation. Take a nice, long time. Five or six years, if you wish. While you are seeking a little space of calm and maturity. . .contemplate your ‘handle’.
And while you are at it, take Mr. Dogwise with you. I am sure he needs some solitude as well.
Death finds us all. . .ready or not. Strange to think you will take this opportunity to contemplate that fact. I hope you find some spiritual profit from such an endeavour.
For you, Mr. cynical, I have serious doubts.
8
Sorry to hear about your loss. Some of us liberal posters on this board are advanced enough in age that we’ve already gone through the process of losing parents — or are on the verge. My heartfelt sympathy.
Now, back to business. You Republican bastards started the hate. You called us “commies.” You impugned our patriotism. You smeared our candidates. And you’re complaining because we’re slinging mud back at you? Fuck you!
You should be happy we’re not slinging lead at you. I haven’t the slightest doubt there’s no shortage of wingnuts who would like to open fire on us. They say so frequently. I’m inclined to believe they mean it. That’s why liberals must arm.
The USA isn’t the Balkans — yet — but the Rethugs are working on it.
Any time you’re ready, boys, come and get it. The Belligerent Bunny is ready whenever you are.
That goes for the Parks Department fascists, too! They’ll never catch me! Bunny Meadows, my ass! Come spring, I’ll be chewing up the grass and digging tunnels under the sidewalk. Always have, always will …
Roger Rabbit was born in Green Lake Park, has always lived in Green Lake Park, and will die in Green Lake Park. When I’m dead and gone, this city will erect a huge marble monument in Green Lake Park to the memory of its most famous rabbit.
But I ain’t dead yet, and I plan to be here for the Rapture! 144,000 Republicans gone in a flash, bang, and cloud of smoke! Wow! I gotta see that! And it’ll be the last time we ever see them, because they ain’t going where they think they’re going, and we won’t be meeting again in the next world.
Perhaps all the folks who are RIGHT
WRONG you mean:
WRONG on the election contest.
WRONG on cheerleading for Bush disasters like Brownie.
WRONG on cheerleading for the violent liar Irons Jr.
WRONG on I-912 or “revenge of the wingnuts”.
WRONG, WRONG, WRONG…
When the rapture comes, party at Greenlake? Will the EPA have to do an environmental impact study beforehand? What about all the toxic waste? Small price to pay, I guess.
Ahhhh …. politics makes for strange bedfellows..
I think you are right about Vance heading for bigger money at the G Group. They could certainly use some help and big name D – but I doubt they’ve had any luck. It will be interesting to see if Vance has any of the skills required to actually perform at a firm like the G Group. His chief claim to fame is an amazing ability to drive people crazy with his bad manners and his extremely high regard for his often bizarre personal views. For a huge number of people, GOP or Dem, he’s a hard guy to like. And the job of the G Group is mostly about sucking up. It will be fun to watch this show.
I once had a Black Rabbitt named Saten. He disappeared one day, or so I was told. I don’t remember what we had for dinner that night, but I do know it taste justttttt like chicken! Yum Yum
Comment by fire_one — 1/12/06 @ 5:56 pm
“Ahhhh …. politics makes for strange bed fellows..”
Are you implying anything about Mr. Cynical and his equine boyfriend in eastern King county?
@8: “It’s all great fun and really quite humorous, but this last, long month has given me time to reflect on the crassness and hatefulness of the strident and mostly immature rantings of the folks that post here – admittedly, on both sides. ”
He said it as well as anyone.
@8: “Perhaps all the folks who are RIGHT will say good-bye and allow the choir to sing to itself!”
What the wingers either don’t understand, or wish to exploit by pretending not to notice, is that the American left has always been heavily balkanized; it has had precious little experience at singing in choirs. This goes a long way toward explaining why the left hasn’t been more effective in responding to the rise of Bushism (a peculiarly American form of neofascism). If the wingers disappeared from this blog, the “fight club” lefties would eventually turn on each other for, what at least to outsiders, might seem like rather small and doctrinaire reasons.
Off Topic but never the less a very well written article.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060130/holtzman
Goldy sure is dancing around the Alito debate. Writing about this crap. You donks sure are getting your asses kicked in on these debates. I love it!!!! Bunch of bigots.
Goldy sure is dancing around the Alito debate. Writing about this crap. You donks sure are getting your asses kicked in on these debates. I love it!!!! Bunch of bigots.
21
“I once had a Black Rabbitt named Saten. He disappeared one day, or so I was told. I don’t remember what we had for dinner that night, but I do know it taste justttttt like chicken! Yum Yum”
Nobody I know. If it was black, it must have been a Republican rabbit. Did it have lop ears?
There’s a thread for that, rufus the useless. Go to it. Though you wingnuts are as incapable of staying on topic there as anywhere.
25
“Goldy sure is dancing around the Alito debate. Writing about this crap. You donks sure are getting your asses kicked in on these debates.”
By whom? A Supreme Court nominee who dissembles like a kid being interrogated by the teacher about where he’s been since recess?
KEN SCHRAM: OZ HAS SPOKEN!
“Ken Schram Commentary: Bush Is No Wizard
“January 12, 2006
“By Ken Schram
“SEATTLE – The great and powerful Oz has spoken!
“Earlier this week, President Bush came up with anemic advice in the way of a warning to Democratic critics of his policy in Iraq: Shut up and go easy on me, or risk giving comfort to the enemy.
“It’s pretty damn scary when the man charged with upholding our constitution is so openly trying to smother free speech. Here’s what the great and powerful Oz must have in mind: Question without criticizing; discuss without dissenting. Just ignore the president’s lack of strategy. Stifle that stuff about invading Iraq because facts were manipulated, not to mention manufactured. Never mind concern over the president’s failures in Iraq, paid for with the blood of good and brave Americans.
“The president essentially says patriotic citizens should just line up, shut up and cease what he terms ‘irresponsible’ dialogue that discredits our democracy.
“Know what I see as a discredit to our democracy?
“A desperate president trying to control free and open discussion; a desperate president who thinks treason is not being in absolute agreement with him.
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. The great and powerful Oz has spoken. Well, I’ve met the wizard, and he’s no George Bush.”
http://www.komotv.com/stories/41261.htm
Berendt needs the dough because he sends his 2 kiddies to a private Catholic School in Olympia because the Public Schools suck so bad!! I also loved listening to Berendt cry for all of us to support the Public Schools. Yet by putting his 2 little darlings in a Private School, he cost his beloved Public School’s $10,000 per year in State & Fed funding!!
25
The quicker these fascist bastards get impeached, the better.
Nobody I know. If it was black, it must have been a Republican rabbit. Did it have lop ears?
Now come I know you are not a prejudice White rabbit. You are part of the party of al inclusion!
Or was that Al Franken
have you ever noticed that rightwingnutburgers, like rufus(without chaka khan) always declare themselves the winners of the “debate” even when there is no debate or ,if there is, they are losing horribly.
rufus: a) how can you call yourself a patriot when you want to despoil the last virgin vestiges of wilderness by drilling for oil on them? you obviously love only money, not this country.
b) george w. bush said that the oil in iraq belongs to the iraqi people and should be used for their benefit. do you feel the same way about american oil fields, or are they some corporations “private property.”
see,rufus, you have no brain, or heart , or courage.
Clay
Last vestiges of the wilderness?
Oh please……
Comment on Ken Schram’s Commentary
Like the Wizard of Oz, Bush is all smoke and mirrors, and can’t really get Dorothy back to Kansas.
33
“Yet by putting his 2 little darlings in a Private School, he cost his beloved Public School’s $10,000 per year in State & Fed funding!!”
By putting his kids in a Parochial School,* he also saved the public schools $10,000 in instructional expenses. Net cost to public schools: $0. Which is a hell of a lot better than any balance sheet prepared by Dubya or any of his CEO cronies.
* Although Parochial Schools are, technically, private; nevertheless, by long usage and custom of the American Idiom of the English Language, Parochial Schools and Private Schools are two entirely different things. Many Catholic families send their children to Parochial Schools in order to further their upbringing in their Catholic faith; but Private Schools are, for the most part, the province of the well-to-do for whom exclusivity is a prime object — they do not want their darlings consorting with the children of mere commoners.
Mr. Cynical here engages in typical wingnut disingenuousness: He tries to portray Paul Berendt as an elitist snob by accusing Berendt of sending his children to “private” schools when Berendt is really sending his children to “parochial” schools.
Mr. Cynical = fibber
Private School = Republican snobs
Parochial School = Salt-of-earth, working-class, true-blue American hue, Catholic Democrats
37, 38
Clay, you wanna see a wilderness? I’ll show you a wilderness. Bellevue is a wilderness. Eastern Washington is a wilderness. The Downtown Rainier Club is a wilderness. Anywhere you have Republicans, there is wilderness, and the law of the jungle rules.
Republicans = lower order of undeveloped primates of unknown etiology but believed to be descended from a mutant virus
Republican = any bacterium that walks erect on two hind legs and has a big mouth but no brain or balls
So will Vance, Berendt and Goldstein make it a threesome at the Gayllatin Group?
in ironic news,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/scie.....34,00.html
Stem cell experts seek rabbit-human embryo
British scientists are seeking permission to create hybrid embryos in the lab by fusing human cells with rabbit eggs.
Roger, your time has come.
Roger @ 40: “he also saved the public schools $10,000 in instructional expenses”
Really? Where did you get those figures?
Since the class goes on with or without a young Berendt butt in the seat, nothing is saved in salary or facilities. The teacher’s salary is no greater or less with one fewer paper to correct each night. The computer system for grades and schedules is a sunk cost, but perhaps you can say that a dollar or two in marginal costs for each transaction is saved…
Maybe a dollar or two in liability insurance is saved. I’m guessing that Berendt children don’t get subsidized lunch, so there’s nothing there…
The only way I can see it saving the state and/or school district $10,000 is if the Berendt child(ren) required special ed or extra counseling. Well, I guess if your dad were Weeping Paul, that might scar you a bit. And perhaps special ed IS needed to combat all of the wrong things taught at home.
OK… Now I see where the $10,000 comes from. Poor, poor kids.
Richard @ 46
With those guys, perhaps it should be renamed the Gellatin Goup?
Me @ 49
Oops… Had the proper name in mind and mistyped.
Try “Gelatin Group.” :)
Rabbi Rabbit sez:
“Yet by putting his 2 little darlings in a Private School, he cost his beloved Public School’s $10,000 per year in State & Fed funding!!”
By putting his kids in a Parochial School,* he also saved the public schools $10,000 in instructional expenses. Net cost to public schools: $0. Which is a hell of a lot better than any balance sheet prepared by Dubya or any of his CEO cronies.
Comment by Roger Rabbit— 1/13/06 @ 12:21 am”
Rabbit–
This is one time you are one DUMB Bunny. Have you ever heard of fixed costs & incremental costs?? You are PRESUMING that Berendt’s 2 kids in the Public Schools would require additional teachers incrementally. Highly unlikely….probably about a 4% chance they would result in an additional teacher.
Mark@48 hit this one on the pointy little Rabbit head.
Most likely, Berendt was responsible for the cutting or gutting of some outside activity that keeps kids off drugs and out of trouble.
Rabbit is also trying to deflect from the real issue here by trying to say Parochial Schools aren’t Private Schools???????
The real issue is that Berendt is typical of the LEFTIST PINHEADED hypocrites who wave the banner of Public Schools saying how great everything is while sending their own kids to a Private School. Just like the leader of the Progressive Bowel Movement…..Jesse “Shake-down Artist” Jackson!!!!!!! KING KLOWN
Roger is once again splitting HARES!!!!!!
Har-Har-Har
good one Mr. C
ProudAss-
My Dad passed away 8 years ago. He was only 67. The grieving process is interesting and painful.
This Blog is a microcosm of America.
People with deeply held beliefs talk right past each other.
One of the key principals on HA is that everybody posts at once with little or no regard for opposing opinions.
The difference for me is the LEFTISTS promote tolerance and diversity….yet obviously hate it.
Mr. C, I defer to you politely because I am only 54 years old and you act like my grumpy old grandpa does
Reality Check—
Yeh….I don’t know why the “splitting HARES” poke didn’t come up sooner. I guess it’s because when it comes to Roger, I have this vision of Rog sitting at his table PICKING FLYSHIT OUTTA PEPPER for fun!
Reality Check–
Actually I’m slightly younger than you are. Rarely do I act my age. I vascillate between SOPHOMORIC and SENILITY….rarely pausing in between! My wife has adapted to my often weak attempts at humor after many years of wedded bliss….4 kids and a grandaughter will do that.
Follow up from a discussion earlier about the Death penalty. It seems that the Rapist/Murderer from Virginia who screamed he was innocent just before they fried him in 1992 was in fact guilty as Hell:
Tests reaffirm Coleman’s guilt
Gov. Warner announces results of new DNA testing
No doubt there will be a lot of people breathing a sigh of relief, and a lot of others scratching there heads as to how they could be so gullible as to believe this psychopath. In the end Coleman was a classic case study of a lust killer. The desire to manipulate and control his environment continued from beyond the grave.
I still have my doubts about any death penalty case based solely on eye witness accounts, with no scientific evidence to back it up. However, if confirmed by testing, then I feel some defendants deserve Capital Punishment for heinous crimes. It would be nice, however, if both the rich and the poor or the majority and minority faced the same time for the same crime.
Commander Ogg @ 57
Rich people don’t commit murder nearly as often as poor people do. But you are correct — when someone like Ted Kennedy kills someone, they tend to get off.
Commander Ogg – Maybe the guy was so crazy that he actually believed his own lies. That might explain all his screaming that he was innocent before the executed him.
Ogg–
Surprisingly, I tend to agree with you about the high, high level of evidence required to impose the Death Penalty. It’s often a tough call where you draw that line. Anti-Death Penalty advocates are lusting for a mistake to be made. The grreat thing about 21st Century Forensic Evidence processes is the high level of sophistication and accuracy.
Beyond a reasonable doubt===Guilt.
A lot of factors go into imposing the Death Penalty.
Richard—
Ted “The Swimmer” Kennedy and O.J. are classic examples of money overcoming guilt. At least O.J. had a trial. “The Swimmer” avoided that. Teddy is a sick man…..hopefully guilt-ridden, but I doubt it. Ted is above the law don’t you know!
I’d love to see a TV Show where they went back through the evidence of that case.
Maybe FOX News and Rupert Murdoch will fund the Teddy and Mary Jo Caper. Teddy is such a mud-slinging SOB it would serve him right.
Bill O’reilly doesn’t believe in the death penalty. He also thinks corporations control the media and twist the news. O’Reilly’s act is all showbiz. He’s taking you righties for a ride.
“WHO’S LOOKING OUT FOR YOU?”
I always thought of Bill O’Reilly as an independent.
Good point Libertarian. Certain latent paranoid schizophrenics
http://www.schizophrenia.com/f.....erview.htm
do indeed believe false information despite evidence to the contrary. Not sure if Coleman fit this profile though. I think it was just one more attempt to “get his kicks in” so to speak, by playing with peoples minds. It is extremely difficult for people with a conscience to believe that other people do evil sadistic things because they enjoy it.
ProudASS: My father passed away in 1992 at 79. It hurt. Grieve it out, man. Ignore the ASSholes like Moonbat@10. He doesn’t have an ounce of compassion in his right pinky! He represents the worst type of ASSHead on ASSes!
Let us know of your decision but you have real friends on the right!
Sincerely,
Puddybud
Winston (Headless Loocy) Smith: We know you are NOT looking out for us! So if corporations do not control the media by your words above, then the >80% who continually vote moonbat are trying to drive the news cycle after all? So Dr E., Winston Smith said corporations DO NOT control the media, so it has to be the reporters. And we know whom they vote for! Winston do you know you put other lefties to shame with that comment. You are like the other moonbat on another thread who said using Wikipedia is lame. So lefties, stop being so lame!
Mr. Cynical, it is somewhat disingenuous to compare Ted Kennedy to OJ Simpson. A more correct comparison would be Ted Kennedy and Laura Bush (negligent homicide), George Bush (Insider Stock Trading in 1990) or Tim Delay (perjury during a civil suit in 1994). From the wikipedia:
Kennedy entered a plea of guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident after causing injury. He received a sentence of two months in jail, which was suspended. An Edgartown grand jury later reopened the investigation but did not return an indictment.
It is a fact of life that that the secondary definition of capital punishment always applys: Those that have the capital avoid the punishment.
24.
I think this observation in more apt:
“This, then, is the reality: progressive bloggers and online activists — positioned on the front lines of a cold civil war — face a thankless and daunting task: battle the Bush administration and its legions of online and offline apologists, battle the so-called “liberal” media and its tireless weaving of pro-GOP narratives, battle the ineffectual Democratic leadership, and battle the demoralization and frustration that comes with a long, steep uphill struggle.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....13691.html
Thor@21: You said: “It will be interesting to see if Vance has any skills to actually perform at a firm like the Gallatin group.”
Vance’s job likely will be to run Mike McGavick’s campaign. Mike McGavick was a partner with The Gallatin Group, Seattle office, from 1991-1992.
I think that observation is more apt.
I hope I’m not doing a double post, here, but I’ve waited a few minutes, so I’ll try again:
Thor@21: You said “It will be interesting to se if Vance has any skills to actually perform at a firm like the Gallatin Group.”
Vance’s job might be to run Mike McGavick’s campaign. Mike McGavick was a partner with The Gallatin Group from 1991 to 1992, according to http://www.referenceforbusines.....-1958.html
The Gallatin Group advertises itself as “bi-partisan” on their website. Their Oregon office played a role in Bush’s campaign, I think.
I’m going to try this one more time:
Thor@21: You said: “It will be interesting to see if Vance has the skills to actually perform at a firm like The Gallatin Group.”
Vance’s job might be to run Mike McGavick’s campaign. Mack McGavick was a partner with The Gallatin Group, the seattle office, from 1991-1992.
the Gallatin Group, if you’ve gone to the web site, advertises itself as bi-partisan.
Berendt a heavyweight? Hah. Maybe physically-yes. And a crybaby. Boo-hoo. Good riddance!
@4:
Roger Rodent:
Cynical hit a nerve with you and cellulite abundance huh? Who woulda thunk it; an overweight unproductive “take take take but no give” gov’t cheese recipient such as yourself.
TED KENNEDY
Not only got thrown out of school for cheating he got fired from his job as a swim instructor when marilyn asked him if he took his finger out would she really sink.