Sistah Souljah by proxy
Evening blogging sucks as I’m rapidly learning. I see some news in the morning, jot down a few notes and by evening all my notes are old news. Greg Sargent addresses Ray Sandoval’s “firebagger” diss in this Plum Line column.
The Obama official, Ray Sandoval, circulated the email just after the debt ceiling deal passed Congress, hammering lefty critics for deriding the deal as a surrender. Sandoval’s email included a blog post that derided Krugman as a “political rookie” and decried critics for “pure, fanatic, indomitable hysteria.”
The term “firebagger” appears to be a reference to Firedoglake, whose bloggers frequently hammer the White House for giving too much ground to Republicans….
Sargent, however, thinks Obama’s getting ready to wow the left, and that this was not a pre-planned thing. I am, frankly, past giving a shit. Sandoval’s not some newbie, and this was a Sistah Souljah trial balloon by proxy. Jane Hamsher is right to be pissed, and has a chart to justify the firebagging. But for my money, the coldest shoulder comes from Obama’s former volunteers.
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United States of White Collar Crime:
If you missed my update, do read Matt Taibbi’s HUGE SCOOP on how the SEC has been criminally enabling Wall Street’s crimes, and then read Yves Smith’s take (yes, this shit started on Bill fucking Clinton’s watch)
emptywheel with Michigan mortgage fraud horror story
Incredibly, Michele Bachmann has a criminal on staff more heinous than Frank Gaffney (but maybe not as douchey as Steve Wilkins)
Even T.Rump is willing to pay more taxes, but mostly he wants the govt. to stick it to oil companies (ranted like a true landlord)
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I was all set to pounce on this story about the noxiously racist Abercrombie & Fitch, then saw this Romenesko item:
Mark Gongloff of WSJ.com’s MarketBeat blog says it was a “brilliant move” for Abercrombie & Fitch to pay “Jersey Shore” star The Situation not to wear its clothes, but points out that investors didn’t care for it. ANF shares were down nearly 9 percent the last time I looked. Still, “every blog from here to Mars won’t be able to resist running [A&F's] press release today,” notes Amy Odell. Rebecca Greenfield adds: “The company is obviously doing it for attention, of which they’ve gotten a lot. But unfortunately it looks like their efforts have backfired, as much of the press points out their nonsensical reasoning and attention grab.”
I think we’re about due for some new TV shows and movies in which all the vilest characters wear branded clothing, mostly A&B.
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More politics:
Lots of folks reassessing the recalls: Greg Sargent, Cognitive Dissonance, and Rachel Weiner
Ruben Bolling on Corporations are People Too! (also, we learn that after ripping Obama for vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard, Mittens will be there too, raising money)
Joe Lieberman just won’t shut the fuck up
Why we’re not getting Rupertgate updates, and why that matters
Crystal Sugar lockout update and links
More on why Ron Paul gets no press
More on J. Christian Adams’ astonishing ability to get press
Two grafs into Roy Edroso’s latest I twig on where he — and every pirate on earth — is going (only a Libertard could be so dumb)
Smearing government for doing what we pay it to do
Robert Reich has three speaking gigs coming up in Iowa
And no, Chris fucking Christie’s not running for president, but a lot of Republicans are already looking past Rick “phony baloney stats with a side of libel” Perry and are pining for the fat guy. And yes, it will kill Gov. Goodhair when the TeaPers hear that half of Perry’s jobs miracle was due to hirings by the state of Texas. Perry’s even getting attacked (and endorsed!) by the loony right, but the best rip came from Jon Stewart:
Rick Perry is not George W. Bush on steroids; Rick Perry is what happens if Lex Luthor distilled down George W. Bush essence in a laboratory and crossed it with gunpowder and semen from the finest thoroughbred in Lubbock — and then strapped that concoction onto a nuclear missile and shot it into the f**king sun.
I don’t care if his writers wrote that, kudos for having said it. [more] [more] [more]
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Etc. and no, I do not get this Mr. Fish cartoon — leave a comment if you do:
MO school makes raped student write note of apology to her rapist, who then raped her again (and for those too disgusted to click, she’s retarded, he isn’t and yes, this could have only been worse had it happened at a Jesus camp)
I’m not really clear on why Air Force Staff Sgt. Daryn J. Moran’s military discharge hasn’t been downgraded to “general” from “honorable” as he certainly isn’t the latter (fyi: “general” discharges will kill your ability to get a civilian job, which is why they always gave them to gays)
L.A. Times picks up on the DARPA conflict of interest scandal
Each and every day, I hate Target a little more, and not just because those fashionista fucks have never heard of a 50-inch waistline
Sugarland: we paused to pray and God killed some lesbians instead of us!
Due process meaning “we’ve already decided to make you pay, now here’s what you did wrong”
Probation/parole: a period of time during which you learn that you’ll never again hold a job with a reputable company (rehab is for squishes, real men just get another gun and start all over again)
emptywheel on sports so yeah, obviously this is a very gratifying read!
WINston’s London Calling moment (I may be the last blogger not to have linked to The Clash in recent weeks) [News Cut with a telling map but no Clash video?!]
I stopped posting while drunk mostly because I stopped drinking (to lose weight), but also because of this
I’m reading Jeff Sharlet’s The Family right now, but if you just want a taste of his take on prosperity gospel creeps, check out The Heavenly BMW
Not sure why I’m feeding the MN trolls, but yes, the new Conan the Barbarian is from Iowa (oddly enough, when the first movie came out my little brother was simultaneously into Schwarzenegger and Queen)
More Kindle million-selling authors
That’s a whole lotta etc.
For what it’s worth dept.: 1) Mr. Fish cartoon: think “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot” but on a planetary scale.
2) I pretty much agree with Greg Sargent’s take on Obama’s team’s reading of the left. I don;t think it’s just those on the left who are confused about what “political realities” prevent Obama from negotiating from a harder position than he does. Is the reality that the President of the United States cannot state his true position without risk being completely ignored by Congress and the Senate? Maybe we need to hear that then.
My brother who lives on the west coast was telling me about tuning into Fox News in the last week or so and afterwards looking to Fox webpage to see comments. Because he was looking at a time before comments could be taken out or edited he saw the first comment” “Get that n****r out of the WH!” That’s the political reality that probably cannot be overplayed that the right wing screeching to make Obama a “one term President” are reacting to that depth of racism. They come up with names like “socialist, communist, liberal” but it all means the same thing to them: “n***r in the WH” and Obama’s supporters (or even liberal critics), “”n****r-lovers”.
That’s the reality and as much as I deplore Obama’s weakness and fecklessness, one cannot ignore the fact that m\any of his opponents do not think he is even a human being, let alone entitled to respect or credit.
3) Of course I hope no one gets hurt but it’s hard to imagine in today’s world how this Libertardian island experiment cannot end up like a gigantic clip on “failblog.” Like the commenter on Roy’s blog says: where do I donate?
This lad must be reading too much Taibbi or something…
I give him high marks for everything but the gun detour in WA (but then again there is a hot drug drug war going on in Mexico) and getting caught. Well, frankly can not really condone any of it. But not your ordinary shenagians.
I wonder if this story will get national press?
http://www.adn.com/2011/08/17/2019620/worker-charged-with-stealing-from.html
The childrens are getting restless. Crazy world. Who nows he could have been going down to figure out a 2012 Pancho Villa meets crazy ass immigration policy meets the SEC. I doubt it but what the hello you never know.
I think you should only post when you are really in the mood to rant Wege. Spend your evenings contemplating
or something…. My unsolicited advice for the month.
The Mr. Fish cartoon: parking lots are fucking huge.
I like the image, really. The lonely parking lot trees that never give any real shade bug me quite a bit. While the shading structures that can provide shade are expensive and promote fear. (OMG! A rapist could totally hide behind a metal post! Better cut those trees over there down, too.)
Gee, word about unrestrained capitalism is starting to spread:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44185832/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/
I have been telling you ChicagoRob, them bicycle riding, peace loving, union anarchist children are popping up everywhere.
Damn if don’t hope they start spreading it around like QE3 to the ninth and make a few billion here and a few trillion there start to resemble a freak like me looking at my shag carpet just a wondering just what the fuck all I left behind down in that wall to wall shaggy madness all these years.
Should be fun if one ever really got to looking.