Greenlee Gazette

Elizabeth Warren on The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell

2012-01-27T19:36:00.001-05:00

I dislike Newton Leroy Gingrich almost as much as I do Karl Rove, or anybody named Cheney. But I like Elizabeth Warren exactly as much as I dislike them. I'd vote for her for whatever she runs for. People talk about President Obama adding Hillary Clinton to his ticket, which is a cool idea. But I'd be more excited if he recruited Warren. Okay, done gushing now.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Mike in Raleigh: Janfinger!

2012-01-27T11:11:00.001-05:00

Another great Mike in Raleigh bit, heard on The Stephanie Miller Show. This one is based on Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's exaggerated "argument" with President Obama. Enjoy!

The Return of Ferris Bueller?

2012-01-27T01:03:00.000-05:00

I have no idea, but it's a heckuva tease!

Are Conservative Beliefs, Prejudice and Low Intelligence Linked?

2012-01-27T00:44:00.002-05:00

I don't remember Forrest being a
racist conservative!

I'm going to tread lightly here. I could go nuts with this one, right? Instead, I'll just say that I'm not sure what the difference is between having been a lower intelligence child and currently being a prejudiced social conservative. . . Are they still lower intelligence adults? That part seemed to be left out. Anyway. . .

[Excerpt]

Low IQ & Conservative Beliefs Linked to Prejudice

There's no gentle way to put it: People who give in to racism and prejudice may simply be dumb, according to a new study that is bound to stir public controversy. . .

Read more at: Live Science

Wisconsin Gov. Walker's Aides Caught, Illegal Campaigning

2012-01-27T00:18:00.001-05:00

Image from source, JSOnline

Soon to probably be recalled Governor Walker has all sorts of problems these days. He's sort of the walking definition of "political overreach." And now, the people who got him where he is are in trouble too. It's so terribly (chuckle) sad.

[Excerpt]

Two ex-Walker aides charged with illegal campaigning

Two staffers who worked directly for Gov. Scott Walker while he was county executive were charged Thursday with illegally doing extensive political work while being paid by taxpayers to do county jobs.

One of the two, Darlene Wink, cut a deal with prosecutors under which she has agreed to provide information in a related investigation about the destruction of digital evidence and to aid in further prosecutions. This is the first indication that the multifaceted John Doe investigation may be pursuing charges of evidence tampering. . .

Read more at: JSOnline

Rachel Maddow: PolitiFact, You're Fired!

2012-01-26T22:44:00.000-05:00

Agreed. When their "lie of the year" turned out not to be, the writing was on the wall. Rachel Maddow took them to task on Wednesday night and again on Thursday. Here's her first piece, to be followed by the new one when it is posted.

And here is the followup.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Blogger Break!

2012-01-26T10:44:00.001-05:00

Sorry nothing new is posted for today. Partying and revelry last night! I'll be back later today!

Herman Cain Gives Tea Party Response to State of the Union

2012-01-25T01:51:00.000-05:00

What? The "Tea Party," a loose amalgamation of conservatives who really, really don't like President Obama, gave another response to a State of the Union Address? A leaderless movement with a dwindling presence and decreasing relevance is responding to the President's address why exactly? And they picked Herman Cain, former GOP presidential candidate/performance artist to do it? Why?

Well, at least it isn't Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann, looking into the wrong camera this time.

[Excerpt]

Herman Cain Delivers Tea Party Response To State Of The Union

At the National Press Club tonight, former presidential hopeful Herman Cain delivered the official State Of The Union rebuttal on the behalf of the Tea Party, marking the second time the nascent conservative movement has fulfilled that role. But while Herman Cain improved on the performance of his predecessor, Michele Bachmann, and managed to deliver the standard Tea Party talking points against the Obama administration, he didn't do much to prove the necessity of a Tea Party rebuttal. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Gingrich Lives for Applause

2012-01-25T00:28:00.000-05:00

Possibly the least likeable candidate who's gotten this far.
Image from Raw Story.

Well, there was no doubt that Newt Gingrich had an ego, was there? But Newt's love of applause is beside the point. In many of the previous debates (in this seemingly endless series), the participation of the audience became the story. And it was a decidedly unflattering--if illustrative--story at that. They booed a gay soldier. Cheered executions. Whelped with approval at the notion of letting a sick man die if he has no insurance. It hasn't been pretty.

But you know what else isn't pretty? A Republican debate with no feedback. Sure, this is how it was always done in the (not so) old days. Debates were supposed to be a very serious, somber affair. They were kind of dull sometimes, but that's just how they were. Now that we've gotten accustomed to the crass noises from the GOP crowds, an installment without them is deathly dull. Betcha they're back in the next debate.

Image from Mother Jones

[Excerpt]

Gingrich threatens to boycott debates without applause

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on Tuesday warned that he might not participate in future debates if moderators didn’t allow his fans to cheer.

NBC News had asked the audience at Monday night’s debate in Florida to hold their applause until the commercial breaks — and Gingrich was perceived to have done significantly worse than in previous debates. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Birthers Score a Victory of Sorts

2012-01-24T23:48:00.001-05:00

The birthers just won't go away. They started with President Obama's birth certificate, claiming it wasn't the "long form" or the "certificate of live birth." They insisted that the long form be released, and while they waited, they came up with endless loopy theories. When they ran up against 1961 birth announcements in two Hawaii newspapers, a bunch of birthers bailed. I mean, it takes a hell of a tinfoil hat to try to spin a theory that explains that one away. Still, some birthers have heavy duty foil and lots of time. Some still think Obama was born in Kenya or Canada or elsewhere.

Orly, with the of an equivalent of an "I'm with stupid"
sign. The arrow should go both ways. Image
from ThinkProgress.org.

Then, Obama released the danged long form, and the birthers gave up.

Just kidding. That probably peeled off quite a few more of them, but the true nuts are still on board. They said the long form was fraudulent, and had many "experts" "prove" it, by dissecting the "layers" in the White House's scan of the document. Let me say that again, this was the scan of the document, not the document itself that the birthers were examining. Zooming in, talking about pixels. . .it was insane. And I proved them wrong here.

Since the birth certificate thing just makes them sound nuts, the after-birthers arrived. They've mostly ditched that issue, and the issue of the President's birthplace, in favor of a variety of technical issues that they believe will retroactively disqualify Barack Obama, and send him packing. Things like Obama's dad having been born in Kenya, obscure legal theories on the term "natural born citizen," among others. They really think they're going to bounce Obama on a technicality.

They got a tiny glimmer of hope from a daft Georgia judge, who thinks he can compel a sitting President into his courtroom, so that Orly Taitz can go on a fishing expedition on this and other issues (she insists he's had several invalid Social Security numbers, among other things). Obama obviously will not go, and nothing is likely to come of this. But they'll keep tilting at that windmill, you can count on it.

[Excerpt]

Georgia Judge Thinks Obama Needs To Testify In Birther Case

In a decision that broke with every other judge to consider the issue, including at least one judge who effectively fined birther queen Orly Taiz $20,000 for pressing the absurd claim that President Obama is not a citizen eligible to serve as president, a Georgia administrative law judge sided Taitz and several of her clients’ in an effort to force President Obama to testify in a birther case. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

President Obama's Third State of the Union Address

2012-01-24T23:07:00.000-05:00

I liked the speech. I thought it was funny watching John ~~Boner~~ Boehner try to figure out when to clap by watching his side of the audience. It was a lot easier to watch than any of Dubya's, that's for sure. But it wasn't quite a barnburner. And I thought it was odd that the Republicans disliked it so much. This was far from a lefty liberal moonbat speech. It was quite centrist, in my opinion.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rude Pundit Takes Newt to the Woodshed

2012-01-24T01:59:00.000-05:00

I rarely litter the blog with words worse then damn or hell (though I've been known to sneak a few shits and fucks through!). But truth be told, I often censor myself. I've hit the delete key, and replaced a colorful word with one that is less so. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind taking that self-imposed restriction off a little more often. The world today often calls for it. But even if I did, I'd be unable to match the flair and the organic profanity of The Rude Pundit. With or without expletives, he's always on point.

[Excerpt]

Gingrich Wins South Carolina as the GOP Embraces the Devil

. . .The idea that Newt Gingrich is positioning himself as some kind of Washington outsider is so laughable that it's pathetic. He has physically lived in the DC area for over 30 years. That meeting with members of Congress in 2008 wasn't some kind of anomaly: it's what he's been doing since he was whipped out of Congress by the members of his own party, not by Democrats, not by the elite media he so derides and uses as a safe foil for his own arrogance. The idea that a multimillionaire can position himself as the poor man against Romney is mind-boggling. The idea that he can keep berating the press without anyone in the press calling him on it is just depressing. . .

Read more at: The Rude Pundit

Mitt Romney Finally Releases Tax Records

2012-01-24T01:23:00.002-05:00

Laugh it up, Mittens! Image from Raw Story

And as Raw Story said on their Facebook page: "Boom."

[Excerpt]

Romney’s released tax return reveals 13.9% rate, holdings in foreign ‘tax havens’

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released tax records on Tuesday indicating he will pay $6.2 million in taxes on a total of $45.2 million in income over the years 2010 and 2011.

Bowing to increasing political pressure to provide more detail about his vast wealth, the former private equity executive released tax returns indicating he and his wife, Ann, paid an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent in 2010. They expect to pay a 15.4 percent rate when they file their returns for 2011. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Paul and Romney Go After Newt's Ethics

2012-01-24T01:13:00.003-05:00

It is not, of course, only Newt Gingrich's competition for the GOP nomination that are pointing out his rather considerable flaws. And it isn't just them and Democrats, but Republicans, like George Will, Mike Murphy and even New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Keep tenderizing him guys. If he's going to be the nominee, we need him pulpy. Thanks.

[Excerpt]

Ron Paul, Mitt Romney Open Fire On Newt Gingrich Over Ethics Charges

Ron Paul tore into Newt Gingrich early in Monday night's debate, claiming that he had left the speakership due to lack of support from his conservative colleagues, not voluntarily -- as Gingrich has suggested -- following the GOP's poor performance in the 1998 elections. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Come to the Caymans, Mitt Romney!

2012-01-24T01:03:00.000-05:00

Mike in Raleigh, famous Stephanie Miller Show contributor, strikes again!

In Case You Missed It: Over Time with Bill Maher, January 20, 2012

2012-01-23T03:00:00.000-05:00

Forgot to post it earlier. A good panel. Enjoy.

Ep. 234: January 20, 2012 - Overtime

Blast from the Past: Ugly Cars of the 1970s, Pt. 2!

2012-01-22T22:22:00.000-05:00

Continuing last week's Blast from the past theme, here is another batch of the ugly cars of the 1970s. And please note, that the first car in the list--though a 1980 model billed as "the first Chevy of the 80s"--was being sold in April 1979! And the '70 Ford Maverick may have been released in 1969, but it was sold well into the 1970s. Mmmkay?

1. Chevy Citation (1980) - This ugly car was the next size up from a Chevette. . .with no visible improvements. And what's the deal with the missing back wheels in the ad? Who thought that was a good idea?

2. Ford Maverick (1970) - This one doesn't look ugly to me anymore. But it did in the seventies. It seemed to me to be the Pinto's big brother.

3. Mustang II (1976) - Yes, there were a couple of models of the Mustang II that managed to be somewhat attractive. But there were some homely ones too. More importantly, how could they put the Mustang brand on a Pinto?

4. Dodge Omni (1978) - Chrysler's projects were often inferior imitations of other manufacturer's products back in the old days, but seldom were they as ugly as the Rabbit/Chevette knockoff Dodge Omni.

5. Plymouth Horizon TC3 (1979) - Identical to the Omni except in name, was the Horizon. They stretched the brand with this somewhat more attractive fastback version. But it was still pretty ugly.

6. AMC Matador (1977) - Mitt Romney's dad's company produced a huge amount of ugly. But the Matador--with it's Pacer-esque front end--was it's own special kind.

7. Mercury Bobcat (1976) - When you've got two car divisions, you apparently have to spread the ugly around. Lincoln-Mercury produced this upscale version of the Pinto to virtually no acclaim.

8. Oldsmobile Starfire (1975) - This was apparently Olds' answer to the Chevrolet Vega/Monza. Having lived through the 70s myself, this one is apparently burned from my memory. Evidently though, they manage to make over 125 thousand of them in five model years.

Okay, so I think that will do it for this week's edition of Blast from the Past, and from this category. Have a great week everybody. Happy Monday!

Obama Wins Nevada!

2012-01-21T19:20:00.000-05:00

Image from (not kidding) BlackSnob

Oh, this was a foregone conclusion, I know. But with 90% of precincts reporting, President Obama got 98.3% of the caucus goers' (including moi's) votes. That's pretty good right there. If there were a Democratic backlash, you'd think that it would have shown itself in some sort of protest vote. All they needed in any precinct was 15% to register their protest. Clearly, that barely happened.

Now, on with the Gingrich-gasm. >shudder<

Breaking News: Gingrich Wins South Carolina Primary

2012-01-21T19:08:00.001-05:00

Newt smash!!! Image from Wikipedia.

Oh, boy. Liberals and Democrats are rubbing their hands together in anticipation of a Gingrich nomination!!! I know that it is tempting fate, but I'm quite sure that Gingrich is less electable in a general election than Romney would be. Gingrich is thoroughly unlikeable, mean, petty. . .the list goes on and on. I know that the arch conservative right-wing is thirsty--a blood lust really--to have somebody, anybody beat the stuffing out of President Obama. That can be the only thing that is inspiring a Gingrich surge. Because he's a doughy pant load. Really.

My Experience at the Nevada Democratic Caucus

2012-01-21T18:05:00.000-05:00

I only heard about the Nevada Democratic Caucus a week or so ago. I got an email, and went to try and find my caucus location. I tried the website twice, and then again on a different computer, and just got errors. But I finally did get a postcard with my location: Silverado High School, which is coincidentally the school a friend's kids go to. But, should I go? I mean, Barack Obama is running unopposed, so what's the point?

This is a professional operation,
I tells ya!

Well, I figured I ought to do my civic duty, and go regardless. The Other Half--likely story--wasn't feeling well *cough* *cough*, so he didn't go with me. When I got to the school, there was little indication of where to go. And the wind was ferocious, kicking up dust and debris. My very short hair was mussed anyway, and I had dirt in my eyes and teeth. Shielding my eyes with my hand, I followed a couple of likewise staggering people, hoping I was going the right way. Then I saw a sign taped to the door.

We lined up inside at the A-E, F-L, M-S, S-Z tables. There was no ID check, but they did ask my address. Which was good, because there are two James Greenlees in my area, apparently! I got my caucusing ballot, and headed inside the gymnasium. Wow, those Silverado Sky Hawks are apparently good at everything! State champs at most, runners up at others. I was impressed.

Not a tough choice.

Anyway, at first I was amused by the very small turnout. I wasn't sure if the few people there were like me, supporters of the President, or people determined to embarrass him by voting "uncommitted." Slowly, over the half hour, more people streamed in. All said, there were over 150 people in our group, by my estimate. And strikingly, the racial makeup of those assembled was varied. As a Caucasian, I very well may have been in the minority. The crowd was also much older than in 2008, with my 45-year-old self a relative youngster. Lastly, I noticed--especially in retrospect, after shopping at Sam's and Walmart--that the caucusers were noticeably not fat. I don't know what that means, but there you go.

Not a big crowd at first, but it got bigger.

So, we listened to a guy who wasn't meant for public speaking, read letters from President Obama, Senator Harry Reid, and Congresswoman Shelley Berkely. Then we separated into precincts, and it got kind of sad. The precinct to the left and right of mine were filled with people, 25 or 30 each. Our group consisted of five, led by a man of indeterminate foreign extraction. As difficult as he was to understand, and as ill-equipped to lead as he was, we elected him permanent chair anyway. Who wants to do that? And because there were so few of us, all of us were eligible to be delegates! Two went for it, I did not.

The groups on either side of us seemed to be run by much more experienced, much more enthusiastic people. It was okay though, since this was all pretty much for show anyway. A vote of "uncommitted" would have required at least 15% to even be viable, and I'm not sure that happened anywhere in the room. If President Obama gets less than 85% of the overall vote, I'll be very surprised.

So, I participated. It took at most an hour and a half out of my day, and it felt good. It felt American. I'd do it again, whether it matters or not.

Newt Gingrich Can Do All Three! Wives? Mistresses?

2012-01-21T03:28:00.000-05:00

Newt with bug-eyed, helmet-haired Calista, former
mistress, most recent wife. Image from ScrapeTV.

Newt Gingrich inspired a gag reflex in me all the way back in the mid-90s, when he shut down the government. He was responsible for the birth of the current hyper-partisanship we may never dig out from under. He was responsible for the phrase "whiny titty baby," I'm pretty sure.

Newt is a thoroughly unlikable, doughy, pant-load (™The Stephanie Miller Show). So, the fact that Newt may win South Carolina. . .and even have the possibility of winning the GOP nomination is stunning. This man was shamed out of the speakership, and had to pay a six-figure fine. Since then, he's used various scams to enrich himself. He's married to the chick he was boffing when he was married to his second wife, who he was boffing when he was married to his first wife!

One of the deepest mysteries in life is the fact that Newt Gingrich (and one of his latest defenders, Rush Limbaugh) can be so hypersexual as to leave a trail of broken marriages and mistresses. And these are just the women we know about. Can you imagine lining up to be the next gal to make it with Newt (or Rush)? That is a lot of man-boob to lie beneath. >shudder<

Anyway, here's Newtie Patootie's latest stupid ad, where he says he can "do all three." Yay.

Keith Olbermann's Worst Persons in the World, Friday, January 20, 2012

2012-01-20T22:34:00.001-05:00

I haven't posted a Countdown with Keith Olbermann clip in a while. I still (grumble) don't get Current TV on my Cox Cable, so. . .outta sight, outta mind. But I happened to catch this one, and it's a goodie.

"Find out why Steve Beshear, the Democratic governor of Kentucky, is WORSE; Newt Gingrich is WORSER; and Dr. Keith Ablow, psychology pundit on the political whorehouse that is Fox News, is the WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD for Jan. 20, 2012."

In Case You Missed It: Stephen Colbert's Latest SuperPAC Ad

2012-01-20T02:36:00.002-05:00

And it's against Stephen Colbert!

Vote For Newt!

2012-01-20T02:13:00.000-05:00

Newt.

Plucky.

Newt.

Scrappy.

Newt.

A survivor!

Vote for Newt. Or nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. Game over, man. Game over.

A Mitt & A Newt

2012-01-20T01:09:00.000-05:00

I'd have thrown in some Santorum, but this is a clean blog!