They're With The Taliban Against America

Eugene Robinson has a great column about President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize and the lunatic fringe Republican response.

We will recall that Rush Limbaugh pointblank said he was with the Taliban on this one, in renouncing the award. In a bygone era, say a year ago, that would have been a "Hanoi Jane" moment. Robinson's use of that phrase points out what everyone seems to have forgotten: You're with US or the terrorists.

Now there were some Republicans who publicly did the right thing. Like John McCain, who for all his lack of sense a year ago, seems to know now it's better to be gracious than not.

I wanted to get in this great paragraph from Eugene Robinson:

Let the rejectionists fulminate and sputter until they wear their vocal cords out. Politically, they're only bashing themselves. As Republican leaders -- except RNC Chairman Michael Steele -- are beginning to realize, "I'm With the Taliban Against America" is not likely to be a winning slogan.

That's funny. You would think these idiots -- Michael Steele, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck -- would think before they open their yaps.

Sanford's Happy

Who's the happiest guy in the world that Michael and Farrah died? Mark Sanford. The news has forgotten him!

In other stupidity, how about Rush's assertion that Sanford's affair is President Obama's fault? Is it just me or does the party of "responsibility" always have someone else to blame for their troubles? That's a contradiction, in case you haven't noticed.

How did Obama manage to trip up Sanford in an affair. By passing the stimulus bill, which drove Sanford to distraction, so much so that he abandoned his wife and children and went to Argentina to have an affair with Maria. This is a great theory, because according to this theory Obama can do anything. Watch out, Rush, or he'll work his mojo on you...

As much as it'd be great if Obama were able to do this to his political enemies, of course Sanford was having an affair with Maria at least as early as July 2008, long before the stimulus. But how great it'd be!

Government By Insult

It makes me wonder what some of the most scurrilous Republicans were like as kids. Probably reform school would've done them some good.

All the vitriol over Sotomayor from the wingnuts is obviously over the top. And the weird thing is they would've done it for anyone Obama nominated. They're equal opportunity slanderers. There's no way this kind of tomfoolery can be rewarded by giving in to them, of course. Because it's just civic vandalism to put it nicely.

I just have to trust that the American people are generally separating out the decent from the indecent. Limbaugh, Gingrich, Beck -- that strain of garbage -- of course are indecent to the extreme. I wouldn't give a dime to hear what any of them say. You'd think, though, Gingrich might have a little more sense, being a guy who once upon a time was actually given the opportunity to lead in government. But he's right out there in the lead on this one. The guy's a mess.

Some are calling for a filibuster, all that. We've come a long way from a few years ago when the Republicans actually said filibustering was unconstitutional and threatened the "nuclear option." I said at the time, What? They don't think there'll ever be a Democratic president? But now it's all just blatant hypocrisy. They don't care. I do have to hand it to them though on this point. If you're going to be a hypocrite, it is best for your hypocrisy to be so blatant and overboard that no one will know what to do with it. Because once people have pointed out a million times that you're a hypocrite, it loses some of its edge. Of course they're hypocrites.

Just get her confirmed as fast as possible and let these miserable souls crawl off somewhere and sulk.

He's Racist

How out and out ridiculous is it that the country's biggest buffoon, Rush Limbaugh, is charging Sonia Sotomayor is a "reverse racist." He's racist!

How many times has he made racially insensitive and idiotic statements in just the last year alone? Good grief. The stuff that comes out of his mouth would plug up the sewer. All he's said about Colin Powell and Barack Obama.

Limbaugh is definitely an expert on racism, by personal experience. He ought to clean up his own act (and develop some humanity) before he feels righteous enough to take on someone else.

I'm Losing Track

Wow, I've been out of touch. I'm losing track of all the give and take between Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Steele, Newt Gingrich, and all the other Republican clowns. And when I say I'm losing track, I mean exactly that.

I keep checking on the blogs I look at, and there are the headlines, what one of these (I'll say it again) clowns has said today or yesterday, and it just starts to run together, like fountain pen ink in a rainstorm. Or like mascara when you've been crying.

As far as Michael Steele goes, maybe I'm living in a circular world in which the same report is being processed and reprocessed over and over. Or maybe this guy just never shuts his mouth. Is he giving interviews in his sleep? Once you've been burnt on some of the stupid stuff you say ... it's just my opinion ... but it seems like you'd fly below the radar for a while. Or is his job just to be incendiary and let the chips fall where they may?

Newt Gingrich wants to jump into the mix and seems to be doing so more and more. He thinks he has a chance. I don't think he has a chance. I think his best days are behind him. And they weren't that great. Rush, I don't listen to him, but somehow it seems like I've heard that he's pulling back a bit. And Dick Cheney, the guy is such a disgrace -- doubtlessly guilty of crimes against humanity -- it seems like he would want to keep a lower profile. But I suppose when you were at death's door over 10 years ago with heart problems, you're not that worked up now about what might happen to you.

And Cheney obviously thinks the best defense is a good offense, or the best way to play is to stay on offense as much as possible. And there's a certain logic in putting it blatantly "in our face," and thereby keeping his risk down. It's counterintuitive. I believe we've seen that over the years. If you're going to muck up things, muck up the water, do it in a blatant, drastic, overwhelming way. Take Clinton for an example, he did some little thing and got nailed for it. But if he had some it in a blatant, drastic, overwhelming way, the case would have been so complicated and convoluted no one would've known what to do about it.

I can't believe I'm about to say something nice about George W. Bush. At least he's had the decency to keep a fairly low profile.

I Repent With Ashes

I woke up today feeling very guilty. Ouch. Like Michael Steele, I have sinned. Not just once, which still would be bad enough, but repeatedly. In such things -- the main thing, really -- as speaking against Rush Limbaugh. This ought not be done!

So, after a restless night, tossing and turning, sweating through my nightclothes, and giving it a lot of thought and prayer -- tortured prayer -- my only option this morning, my sincere choice, is to apologize publicly to Rush, who really is a great American, the voice of all of us.

Rush-- Let me say this. Please, don't wave me off. I will feel much better just getting it out. Sir, I just got done thinking about the things I just got done saying. And the conclusion I've come to is one of regret, sorrow. I don't even recognize myself, it's so bad. I'm a shell. I try to look in the mirror and what I see isn't me.

I opened my mouth -- what I thought was my mouth. I spoke what I thought I was thinking -- but what I was thinking wasn't right. It came out a mish mash of what my deeper, more inward thought was. The words flowed forth easily enough, but hearing them, then examining them later, they weren't right. It's like I was possessed by something -- an alien force. Weird feeling.

Now, sir, I know that just saying 'I'm sorry' is not enough. Anyone could say that, but what this calls for is reflection and restitution, if possible. I will reflect, strenuously, on what could have possessed me -- I seriously don't know at this point. Are there alien forces that can possess? Demons? Ideological bacteria I might have picked up somewhere? This is something for me to mull over. With reflection will come an effort to make it right, to smooth your feathers and those of your loyal audience that have been so terribly ruffled.

In the future, my liege, I hope you will be satisfied with the things I have to say. For it is my sole intention that they reflect your views and most worthy desires.

I Love It

Check around the internet today for the reports on Rush Limbaugh and Michael Steele at each other's throats. It's great. I love it.

With an ego as massive as Rush's and the desire of the Republicans not to sink further so massive, this could be a real civil war. May both sides lose.

Steele called Limbaugh an entertainer, his schtick incendiary and ugly. It's hard to disagree with that. For once a Republican telling the truth. But naturally this doesn't sit well with Rush and his moronic fans. Rush tells Steele that if he (Rush) were head of the Republicans he'd quit, given the state of things with them. And other crap along those lines.

This is better than I hoped for. But of course I hope for more, more, more. Keep it up. Keep losing. Go down. Don't get back up.

UPDATE - Oh, crazy! Michael Steele must not have a spine of steele. Instead he must be spineless. The full report is out on his apology to Rush and now his praise for Rush. He didn't mean anything by it. He said words without thinking. He found himself saying things that he didn't actually think. This is crazy. And this plays right into the Democratic storyline these days, that Rush is the actual head of the Republican party.