Griper News

Stories to Watch: 1/28/12

2012-01-28T12:29:00.000-06:00

The Washington Post has changed the address to Greg Sargent's RSS feed. Why do sites do that? It's a total pain. I'm going to have to edit it into the Superfeed, but I'm not going to be able to do it right away. For the time being, items marked "[Greg Sargent]" are actually general WaPo news stories. That'll be fixed later today.

I wish I would've noticed it sooner, because I added the Maddow Blog to get Steve Benen's new home into the feed this morning. I was already under the hood once -- I could've done it then. Now here's the news...

John Nichols notes that if you take all the votes in the GOP primary so far, break them down as a percentage of the electorate, and compare them to the number of signatures turned in to recall Wisconsin Republicans, you find that the Wisconsin recall is about twice as popular as all the GOP candidates combined. That may seem a little off in the weeds at first, but his point is that the numbers show a much more important movement than the media is giving us credit for.

For his part, Stephen Moore mostly agrees. In a Wall Street Journal piece in which he calls the recall the "most important non-presidential election of the decade." Of course, being the WSJ, that means sheer terror at the thought that unions could be making a comeback.

Mitten's opens up a big lead in Florida. However, that'd be the third time this month that the frontrunner has switched from Romney to Gingrich or vice versa (the last being just eight days ago) -- and new polling is expected tonight.

Sarah Palin attempts to remain relevant.

Grover Norquist wants to impeach Obama if he wins reelection and doesn't extend the Bush tax cuts. "High crimes?" "Misdemeanors?" "Democracy?" What are these things of which you speak?

Obama takes on an obstructionist congress.

Mittens has lost the independent voter.

Finally, Obama and Democrats are working to bring the Buffet Rule -- which would have the wealthy paying more in taxes than their help -- up for a vote. This is probably going to be a big one, so keep an eye out.

Stories to Watch: 1/27/12

2012-01-27T18:06:00.000-06:00

Great, now Zemanta's not working for me. Can we get just one day where some service we rely on doesn't crap out on us? Please? Now here's the news...

A reportedly 'brutal' Gingrich ad is on the way accusing Mitt Romney of being a serial liar. He may need it in Florida.

North Carolina state Rep. Larry Pittman is either a psychopath or a sociopath -- I get the two confused sometimes.

Gingrich accuses Romney of rigging the last debate. Guess that explains why Newt sucked.

The Justice Dept. is planning an in-depth investigation into subprime mortgage fraud.

A former aide to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will testify against other Walkerites.

Newt's latest crazy, pie-in-the-sky scheme -- liberate Cuba with cellphones.

Mittens has no respect for other people's religious views.

Finally, Romney used to have an entirely different opinion of blind trusts.

News Roundup for 1/27/12

2012-01-27T16:58:00.000-06:00

Scene from the GOP primaries

-Headline of the Day-
"NBC/WSJ poll: Gingrich leads Romney, but badly trails Obama."

Barack Obama's wisest strategy may involve butt-sitting. Just grab a chair and watch Mittens and Noodles go after each other with ax handles. Then, when the primaries wrap up, the winner will be perfectly tenderized.

Right now, that approach seems to be a winner. Newt's moving out in front nationally, leaving Mitt in the dust. According to the report, "Gingrich leads Romney 37 percent to 28 percent nationally among registered Republicans likely to vote in the primaries; Rick Santorum is in third with 18 percent, and Ron Paul is fourth with 12 percent."

The problem: in this poll at least, Gingrich is the very least likely to beat Obama -- and that includes the entirely unelectable Rick Santorum. Where Romney is within 6 points of Obama, Newt's down three times that number -- 18 points. Newt's problem is that only Republicans like him, while everyone else hates his guts.

But Gingrich had to do a lot of pounding to get where he is. And he's driven Romney's approvals through the floor. Romney's approved of by 31%, while 36% disapprove. The last party nominee whose disapprovals were higher than his approvals was John Kerry. And you know how that worked out.

Keep whacking away at each other, guys. Knock yourselves out. (MSNBC)

-And while we're on the subject-

He might even have time for an encore. (McClatchy)

-Bonus HotD-
"Palin Defends ‘Angry Little Muffin’ Newt Against Right-Wing Conspiracy."

Yeah, let's get Sarah Palin in there too. Everyone just loves her! (Wonkette)

Stories to Watch: 1/26/12

2012-01-26T17:57:00.000-06:00

A long day is pretty much over now. Huzzah. Now here's the news...

Romney's campaign comes within a millimeter of straight-out calling Gingrich a dangerous lunatic.

Nate Silver thinks Newt may have run out of steam.

As Mittens and Noodles drag each other down in the Sunshine State, President Obama's polling numbers rise.

Retiring Rep. Barney Frank will wed his longtime partner Jim Ready.

Mitt Romney's released tax records don't match up with the personal financial statement he filed when he officially became a candidate.

He's not even running anymore and Rick Perry's presidential campaign is still a disaster for him.

Newt Gingrich lands the all-important corrupt-politician-in-prison endorsement.

Oh for chrissake, another GOP debate?

Finally -- and not entirely shockingly -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's account of a tarmac exchange between herself and President Obama seems to be mostly bullshit.

News Roundup for 1/26/12

2012-01-26T16:16:00.000-06:00

Pictured: Gingrich responds to question on CNN

-Headline of the Day-
"Gingrich campaign admits error."

And "error" is media-speak for "bald-faced lie."

Remember when Newt's ex-wife Marianne went on the teevee to say that Newt had wanted an open marriage? Yeah, well after that happened, he went on the offensive. And Noodles did it by doing what Noodles does in pretty much every situation -- he attacked the media messenger.

It was a terrible thing to have Marianne on ABC News, yacking about how her husband wanted to keep seeing his mistress (who is now his wife). It wasn't true and ABC knew it!

"The story was false," Newt said in the last debate. "Every personal friend I have who knew us in that period says the story is false. We offered several of them to ABC to prove it was false. They weren't interested."

Turns out that ABC News wasn't interested because they have some sort of discriminatory policy against nonexistent sources. Newt didn't offer the network any buddies from his old marriage, but "only recommended Gingrich's two daughters from his first marriage." Because, if there's anyone who knows all about a couple's wild, swinging sex life, it's the kids.

Then, during an interview on CNN, Newt said it again. ABC News ignored Newt's phantom sources and that was just the worst thing ever. When CNN's John King told Gingrich that ABC said they were offered no corroborating sources, Newt became indignant.

"If they're saying that, then they're not being honest," Gingrich said. "We had several people prepared to be very clear and very aggressive in their dispute about that, and [ABC News] wasn't interested."

Newt's story died today, when his own campaign finally admitted that the whole thing was BS. Newt was lying -- which, as we've established, gets called an "error" when you're running for president. As if he accidentally said he did something -- at least twice -- which he didn't actually do.

The moral of this story, boys and girls, is that if you're going to play the victim card, you kind of want to actually have it. (CNN)

-Cartoon time with Mark Fiore-
Hey kids, have you heard about our Marxist president's terrible State of the Union speech? It was just one long string of commie statement after commie statement. It was almost unAmerican!

Here's a clip. Prepare to get really, really mad!

Click for animation

Well, OK then. Never mind. (MarkFiore.com)

-Bonus HotD-
"Romney Would Like You to Believe His Tax Rate Is 'Closer to 40 or 50 Percent.'"

See, it's all very complicated. First off, Mittens gave money to charity, which is exactly the same thing as paying taxes -- even if you can write some of it off on your taxes. Then of course, there's that whole corporate tax rate -- which he didn't actually pay, because he's not a corporation.

You know, I'm kind of thinking Mittens might not be entirely honest here. (Wonkette)

Griper Blade: Scott Walker's Alternate-Reality Version of Wisconsin

2012-01-26T11:56:00.000-06:00

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker scheduled his annual State of the State address the night after President Obama delivered the State of the Union. It says a lot about how little press he hoped to get with his speech. He probably would've scheduled it for the same night, so it wouldn't have even been broadcast, but at a certain point the attempt to hide something becomes attention-worthy in itself, and I suppose that would've been a national news story. So the night after would have to do. In any case, the truth was not invited.

Wisconsin State Journal:

Facing a recall and speaking over a loud and angry crowd outside the Assembly chamber, an unbowed Gov. Scott Walker delivered a State of the State address Wednesday that touted the successes of a difficult year and promised better days ahead.

“During the past year, we added thousands of new jobs,” Walker said. “And we balanced the state budget. We balanced it without raising taxes, without massive layoffs and without budget tricks.”

How much of that is true? Well, pretty much none of it...[CLICK TO READ FULL POST]

Griper Blade: New Poll has Wisconsin Recall Effort at Slight Disadvantage

2012-01-25T12:13:00.000-06:00

A new Marquette Law School poll shows a race shaping up to be like most other years -- the Democrat leads, but not yet with a majority.

The poll only measured an Obama/Romney race, which -- despite Mitt's recent polling decline -- still seems the most likely. If that race were held today, 48% would vote for Obama, while 40% would vote for Romney. Eight points is a decent lead and much better than the national average, which puts the president just 1.9% ahead -- a squeaker. But since Obama hasn't cracked 50% here, Team Mittens has to think there's some ground to be taken. It's not neck and neck now -- but it could be.

On the recall front, the situation is different. The best number for dems comes from a rematch with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett -- the opponent Gov. Scott Walker eventually beat in 2010. Walker wins that 50%-44%. This may seem like good news for Walker, until you consider that he's already running a campaign to keep his office. He's been running ads statewide, trying to convince everyone he's just the best governor ever, and the best he can do is a six-point lead over a man who not only isn't running any ads at all, but isn't even a candidate yet. He hasn't officially declared. Scooter's been trying his little heart out and Barrett's within six without even raising a finger -- and that's within the poll's margin for error. In fact, of all the possible Democratic contenders in the poll, only one has numbers below the margin for error...[CLICK TO READ FULL POST]

Stories to Watch: 1/24/12

2012-01-24T18:47:00.000-06:00

Lasagna tonight. Gonna be awesome. Now here's the news...

Big State of the Union address tonight. There will reportedly be a focus on the shrinking middle class, so expect shrieks of "class warfare!" from the country club set. John Boehner gets the fainting couch all warmed up.

One of my fave go-to bloggers -- Steve Benen -- is moving to the Rachel Maddow show. No word on who'll be replacing Steve, but Washington Monthly' Political Animal will go on.

Both Gingrich and Romney are unpopular with general election voters. The frontrunner situation has the right falling on each other like a pack of wolves.

Barney Frank proves that flawless logic can be really funny.

Dem insiders think the GOP primaries could last until the daisies start sprouting again.

This may be the stupidest, most unnecessary piece of legislation in the nation right now.

Bill Kristol's panic deepens.

Finally, Wisconsin dems make sure Scott Walker's out-of-state fundraising tour gets the attention it deserves.

News Roundup for 1/24/12

2012-01-24T15:58:00.000-06:00

Gingrich to debate moderators

-Headline of the Day-
"Gingrich won't 'allow' moderators to silence crowd at future debates."

Noodles isn't very good at bluffing. See, in case you haven't noticed, Gingrich's debate strategy has been to say something incredibly dickish to the moderators. This becomes a big applause line, because Republican audiences really like assholes. Then Newt basks in the love for him (which is really just hatred for the media) as waves of hoots and the sound of clapping hands washes over him.

That didn't work in the last debate in Florida, because NBC moderator Brian Williams decided that this debate would be less like a gladiatorial event and more like... well, a debate. You know, logical arguments, well thought-out points, appeals to reason rather than emotion. The whole shebang. Real furrowed-brow, cocked-eyebrow, Aristotle stuff. Newt's specialty is the red-faced, throbbing-forehead-vein, Bill O'Reilly stuff.

So you can see the fix he's in.

"We’re going to serve notice on future debates that we won’t tolerate -- we’re just not going to allow that to happen," Gingrich said of NBC's "be nice and polite" policy. "That’s wrong -- the media doesn’t control free speech. People ought to be able to applaud if they want to. It was almost silly."

Yes, Newt is "just not going to allow" any more moderators to drag the tenor of a GOP free media event all the way up to an actual debate, in much the same way that boxing coaches don't allow refs to stop fighters from hitting below the belt. (The Hill)

-Ick-
Geez...

Click for full comic

Ew. (Bad Reporter)

-Bonus HotD-
"Rich Republicans sure love Mitt."

Mitt's winning the 1% demo. The problem: the 1% demo is only 1%. (Salon's War Room)

Griper Blade: Mitt's Poverty Level Tax Rate

2012-01-24T10:01:00.000-06:00

Nothing on Earth invites speculation from the punditry more than ignorance. Pundits get paid to do two things; to make predictions and to know things you don't. "I don't know" is probably written on some stone tablet of Forbidden Phrases somewhere. As a result, people take blind stabs at issues they couldn't possibly know anything about. One of those issues has been Mitt Romney's tax returns. Why was he reluctant to release them?

One of the blind stabs was that maybe Mittens didn't pay the required 10% tithe to the Church of Latter Day Saints. Score one for blind stabs -- he probably hasn't. "Mr. Romney reported $21.7 million in income [for 2010]," Wall Street Journal reports. "He paid $3 million in federal taxes, slightly more than the $2.98 million he made in charitable donations. At least $1.5 million of his charitable donations went to the Mormon Church." $21.7 million, $1.5 million tithe. You do the math. Mitt's shorting his church a bit.

But while that figure might get the attention of a certain Tabernacle in a certain Utah city, it's not what's drawing everyone else's. Our attention is drawn to the fact that Romney's tax bill adds up to somewhat less than even the absurdly low 15% estimate Romney gave in South Carolina. Specifically, 13.9%. You could argue that a little more than one percent difference amounts to splitting hairs, but when it's a percentage of a number like $21.7 million, we're talking about some pretty big and split-worthy hairs. It's the difference between the $3,016,300 Romney assumedly paid and $3,255,000 15% would've had him paying. You could feed and house a family on his rounding error...[CLICK TO READ FULL POST]

Stories to Watch: 1/23/12

2012-01-23T18:16:00.000-06:00

You know what's not fun? Shoveling heavy, wet slush. That is not fun. Now here's the news...

Rick Santorum really is just an awful person.

Washington state apparently has enough votes in the legislature to pass a marriage equality measure.

Sen. Rand Paul's TSA misadventure goes off the rails into crazy conspiracy theorizing. When you've been handed a golden ticket to make a good point, don't fuck it up with tinfoil hat crap.

What do you call it when an Arkansas Democratic congressional candidate's cat is killed and "liberal" is written on the remains' side with a Sharpie? Terrorism. It is the very definition of the word. The person who did this is terrorist scum -- it's completely undeniable. The right, normally eager to dive on any story with even the hint of terrorism, is unsurprisingly silent on this one.

Embryonic stem cells successfully treat a certain kind of blindness. Why does God hate people's eyes? Probably because seeing a certain Indiana license plate will totally turn you gay.

Republican Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois suffers a stroke. According to doctors, a full mental recovery has a "good" chance, but the odds on the physical side are "not great" -- it may cost him the use of his left arm.

Mitt Romney says the economy is "getter better" under Obama. Expect a big backpedal, because telling the truth is not the way to win the Republican nomination.

Finally, expect more arrests as a result of the Justice Department's John Doe investigation of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's administration. Recall fever may become epidemic.

News Roundup for 1/23/12

2012-01-23T15:51:00.000-06:00

Sorry GOP. Not happening

-Headline of the Day-
"No GOP Cavalry Coming — It’s Too Late For Last Minute Presidential Candidates To Get On The Ballots."

Newt Gingrich's lopsided win in South Carolina has some Republicans nervous. Not helping any is the fact that polls show Newt actually winning Florida right now. All this has super-informed conservative pundits like Bill Kristol and Jennifer Rubin begging for some other Republican to jump into the race and save everyone from their party's awful candidates.

But reality has a message for them: you are screwed.

"In every primary state up through early April, the filing deadlines have passed," according to the report. "That includes the very delegate-rich Super Tuesday of March 6, when a total of 329 delegates will be at stake in primary states, compared to 104 in caucuses." Altogether, a new candidate would have to be able to win the nomination despite sitting out 21 primaries. This is unlikely.

The report goes on, "[F]or a Republican hero to ride in on a white horse, it would take a scenario that verges on political science fiction: A combination of write-in voting where applicable — and for Romney to fully drop out and endorse this new savior candidate, to essentially bequeath his place on the ballot by telling his pledged delegates elected in this manner to go along with it."

So you guys are just going to have to make do with what you've got. I'm sure that'll work out great for you guys. (Talking Points Memo)

-Newt on family values-

Say what you will, but he's got experience. (McClatchy)

-Bonus HotD-
"Tennessee Tea Party Don’t Want No Talk o’ Slavery In Them Schoolbooks."

Bravely fighting back against reality's liberal bias. (Wonkette)

Griper Blade: Big Labor for Newt

2012-01-23T12:20:00.000-06:00

In Florida at least, the strategy of labor is clear -- nominate Newt Gingrich. Labor giant AFSCME has made what Greg Sargent calls a "major ad buy in the state," drawing parallels between a past Bain Medicare scandal and a crime committed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott's former company.

The ad doesn't specifically endorse Gingrich, but at this point it looks like a two man race -- if Mitt loses voters, the lion's share run to Newt.

And it's not like Romney needs much of a push to send him over the edge. "Before South Carolina, Mitt Romney was some 20 points ahead in Florida," notes Josh Marshall. "Two new polls have come out in the last twelve hours. Both have Gingrich up by 9 points." Newt's post Carolina bounce is stratospheric. And Rick Scott isn't very popular in his own state. In all, only 38% approve of the job he's doing as governor and even one in five Republicans disapprove. Even among Scott supporters, accusations of Medicare fraud aren't likely to be a plus for a candidate. You have to believe they support Scott despite it, not because of it. It's something they're willing to overlook...[CLICK TO READ FULL POST]

Stories to Watch: 1/22/12

2012-01-22T13:43:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling lazy tonight, so spaghetti it is. Now here's the news...

Newt was crowned Prom Queen in South Carolina last night -- by a really wide margin.

Taegan Goddard points us to this quote from New York magazine's John Heilemann: "If Gingrich wins Florida, the Republican Establishment is going to have a meltdown that makes Three Mile Island look like a marshmallow roast." Go Newt!

And on that note, the Washington Post's resident wingnut blogger, Jennifer Rubin, is already hitting the panic button. Bill Kristol's already been hitting that button repeatedly, but he's pounding away at it like John Bonham now.

Meanwhile, The Hill's Justin Sink sees Gingrich's South Carolina strategy as a realistic winner in the Sunshine State. The White House has to be checking their calendars, because it seems like it's way too early for Christmas again.

Rattled and desperate for headlines, Mittens says he'll release 2010 tax return and 2011 tax estimate Tuesday. Two years won't be enough to satisfy his critics.

Finally, surprising no one, former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk becomes the first Democrat to announce her intention to run against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in a the recall election. I've pointed out before that once a candidate declares, labor and the Democratic Party can no longer coordinate. Falk is labor's candidate of choice, meaning that all the groundwork has been laid and ready -- a little faster than I thought it would be.

Stories to Watch: 1/21/12

2012-01-21T14:26:00.000-06:00

OK, I'm back. I've still got a little work at the end of the driveway, where the snowplow got me last night, but otherwise I'm set. Luckily, we were spared the larger portion of the mess, which passed to the south. Now here's the news...

Nate Silver has Gingrich 8 points up as South Carolinians head to the polls, giving him an 82% chance of taking that state. A big part of the story here: Mittens sucks at playing defense.

And it's not just South Carolina. Romney's numbers are nosediving nationally, as Gallup has him down 10 points in one week. He's still in the lead, but the media's beloved "momentum" narrative is becoming a "stalled momentum" narrative.

All of this has to make Democrats happy, since Newt would be an astonishingly poor choice as his party's nominee. In fact, don't be surprised if Team Obama starts talking about Gingrich more than Romney. It'd lend Newt's campaign more legitimacy and drive the rabidly anti-Obama -- led by their jerking knees -- to Gingrich. It's what I'd do, anyway.

Huckabee goes birther.

Many on the left want to make the Citizens United ruling a campaign issue, drawing parallels to Romney's Bain past.

Some of the Justice Department's evidence against Megaupload is sketchy. Meanwhile, people who used the service to store legit files are screwed -- making government anti-piracy efforts even less popular than they were before.

Ghosts on the campaign trail; top billing on South Carolina's Republican Primary ballot goes to Michele Bachmann, followed by Herman Cain. They'd already qualified for the ballot before they dropped out and the names are listed alphabetically.

Finally, the three little words every Republican candidate has so much trouble saying; "George W. Bush."

Stories to Watch: 1/19/12

2012-01-19T18:17:00.000-06:00

I'm going to try using the word "socialist" the way conservatives do -- simply as a synonym for "bad": we're expecting a socialist snowstorm tomorrow and if it gets too socialist, I may not get a lot of blogging done. Not only will it keep me digging, but socialist weather tends to interrupt my internet connection. I'll probably make some hot cocoa -- from scratch, the real stuff -- so I probably won't have it too socialist, when all is said and done. Now here's the news...

If Newt Gingrich becomes president, he'll exercise dictatorial power -- he promises.

Hey look, yet another of the endless stream of GOP debates I won't waste my time watching.

Rick Perry drops out of the GOP primaries, leaving a hole in much the same way a stone dropped into water might. The campaign world is not rocked.

Santorum wins Iowa -- far too late for it to make any difference. The media narrative is already written out and they'll be damned if they're going to change the "momentum" plot line.

We're reminded that payday lenders make a killing ripping off the poor. And I'll remind you that these things sprouted up like mushrooms after Clinton signed welfare "reform." How many straight years of failure does that make? Doesn't matter. No one's counting.

After the FBI raids the online filehosting site Megaupload for alleged copyright violations, Anonymous stages a raid of their own and crashes the Justice Department's website.

No one has ever accused Sarah Palin of having a keen political mind and her finger on the pulse of the American people. There's a reason for that.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's plan to create a quarter of a million new jobs while drastically undercutting consumer demand is going about as well as you'd imagine.

Finally, that auto industry bailout was sure an awful, awful thing, huh?

News Roundup for 1/19/12

2012-01-19T16:45:00.000-06:00

Every bit the prick he appears to be

-Headline of the Day-
"Limbaugh On Gingrich Cheating On His Ex-Wife: 'Newt's A Victim.'"

Poor Newt Gingrich. All he wanted to do was get little extra love on the side and all of a sudden he's the bad guy. It's so unfair.

See, Newt's ex-wife sat down with ABC News for an as-yet unaired interview. But what we know about what she said is not good for Newt. Basically, after she was diagnosed with MS, Newt decided it was time to look elsewhere for the lovin' -- because he's great like that. That "elsewhere" is now his wife. You know, the weird-eyed robot lady Callista.

Anyway, the ex -- Marianne -- says that Newt wanted to have his cake and eat it too (sorry about that image, it's just a figure of speech). She says he approached her about having an "open marriage" and she shot him down.

According to Rush Limbaugh, Newt is awesome. So he took to the airwaves to defend the honor of America's Greatest Living Hero the only way a conservative seems to know how these days -- with a quick flip of the victim card. "I got a great note from a friend of mine," Rush told his breathless audience of shut-ins, mental patients, and people whose radios only get that one station. "'So Newt wanted an open marriage. BFD. At least he asked his wife for permission instead of cheating on her. That’s a mark of character, in my book. Newt’s a victim."

Slight problem with the phrase "instead of," though. Rush must've confused it with "while." Because the sentence, "At least he asked his wife for permission while cheating on her," is more in line with reality. According to the report, "It’s worth noting that Gingrich had been having an affair for several years before he asked 'permission' to cheat on his wife."

Then again, being a master of spin has nothing to do with mastery of the facts. (ThinkProgress)

-Cartoon time with Mark Fiore-
Hey kids, Snuggly the Security Bear is back and he's here to talk about piracy! Arrr!!

Click for animation

So remember, when you burn a CD, you're being exactly like those pirates in Somalia. Die, buccaneer scum! (MarkFiore.com)

-Bonus HotD-
"Walker turning down $37 million for health care."

I'll be so glad when we recall this moron. (Associated Press)

Griper Blade: Senate Dems Make Up Most of Remaining PIPA Support

2012-01-19T12:10:00.001-06:00

The headline at Gizmodo reads, "PIPA Support Collapses, and Here’s a Full List of the Senators Who Newly Oppose It." It turns out that yesterday's internet blackout scared off eighteen Senators from supporting the senate's version of the draconian anti-piracy legislation -- it may not seem like many, but in a chamber with only one hundred seats, it represents a nearly 20% drop of support in a single day.

That's what you call a wildly successful protest.

But looking through the names, it's hard not to notice a certain fact. Only two Democrats -- Maryland's Ben Cardin (originally a co-sponsor) and Jeff Merkley of Oregon -- have changed positions. The bill originally enjoyed bipartisan support, but the rush to abandon it was not bipartisan at all.

Raw Story:

While Silicon Valley may have found their voice echos on Capitol Hill more loudly than expected, what remains after Wednesday’s protest is even more telling that what provoked it: Senate Democrats are, by and large, the core pillars of support for the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), which has not otherwise engendered a strict partisan divide among lawmakers...[CLICK TO READ FULL POST]

Stories to Watch: 11/18/11

2012-01-18T18:12:00.000-06:00

I think I'll pan fry some salisbury steaks tonight. Normally, I put them in the broiler, but every once in a while I pan fry them for a change of pace. I've got the mushrooms and I have to use them somehow. Now here's the news...

ThinkProgress reports that Mitt Romney doesn't so much have a troubling Bain past as he has a troubling Bain present.

Rep. Alan West continues to be a clown.

Wingnuts heads will surely explode when they find out that a terrifying giant Muslim has been made a State Department Cultural Ambassador.

One of the bigger supporter/lobbyist-money-layer-outers of SOPA and PIPA is the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. WTF, are there websites out there pirating cars?

Climate change is already costing us a lot of money.

President Obama confirms that the deadline imposed by the payroll tax cut extension deal forced his hand in shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline project. Go ahead and complain, GOP -- but you have no one to blame but yourselves.

Americans aren't real jazzed about Mitt Romney.

Someone want to tell Newt Gingrich that in a fist fight between himself and President Obama, he would not be the winner?

Finally, Team Obama makes ad buys in key battleground states.

News Roundup for 1/18/12

2012-01-18T16:09:00.000-06:00

"I'm ba-ack!"

-Headline of the Day-
"Newt: Palin Will 'Play A Major Role' In My Administration."

Newt Gingrich envisions a role for Sarah Palin in his administration. Maybe as Secretary of... Ummm... Well, it's hard to think of anything she'd be qualified for and Newt probably hasn't given it a lot of thought. Maybe VP again. Who knows?

See, this is all about bumping up his numbers enough to get past Mitt Romney in the South Carolina primary. Sarah Palin endorsed Gingrich (But not really. We'll get to that. Keep your pants on) and Newt wants to capitalize on that.

What happened was that Sarah was on Fox News, which is the only network that still gives a crap about her, and she said that if she were in South Carolina, she'd vote for Gingrich. Not because Newt's such an awesome candidate, mind you, but "in order to keep it going" and -- I'm assuming here -- weaken Mittens. Yeah, this is about the weakest "endorsement" you could probably ever get, but when you're within shouting distance of the frontrunner in a state primary, you take what you can get.

So how do you make a backhanded endorsement seem stronger? You amplify your relationship with the endorser. Newt and Ol' Sarah go way back, he's always planned on making her the Secretary of Boy Howdy or whatever, and a vote for Newt is a vote for his old pal Sarah Palin.

Never mind that Palin was basically saying she'd vote for a cinderblock if she thought it would keep the primaries going. (Talking Points Memo)

-Mittens' argument catches on-

Remember, Romney worked hard to get way up to the 15% tax bracket. (McClatchy)

-Bonus HotD-
"Did Rick Santorum Win the Iowa Caucuses, Not Mitt Romney?"

The answer is "probably yes."

The real question is "will it matter?" (Daily Beast)

Griper Blade: A Blackout is Working to Stop SOPA and PIPA

2012-01-18T12:43:00.000-06:00

As you're probably aware, several major websites have blacked out in protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its senate sibling, the Protect IP Act (PIPA). Wikipedia is still usable, but it takes some futzing to get it to work. Otherwise, Reddit, Craigslist, Boing-Boing, Mozilla, SMBC, and other popular sites are effectively down for the day.

This has turned out to be an effective form of protest.

Politico:

An Internet blackout Wednesday by Wikipedia, Reddit, Mozilla and thousands of other sites against two anti-piracy bills in Congress has started to have its desired effect: Co-sponsors of the legislation have changed sides and other lawmakers have called for more debate before any vote.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) — who was a co-sponsor of the PROTECT IP Act — became the latest lawmaker Wednesday to pull his support. In the House, Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.), originally a co-sponsor of the Stop Online Piracy Act, pulled his name from the list of sponsors on Tuesday. A spokesman for Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.), meanwhile, told the Omaha World-Herald on Wednesday that the congressman is also unable to support SOPA as written...[CLICK TO READ FULL POST]

Stories to Watch: 1/17/12

2012-01-17T18:08:00.000-06:00

It was a wonderful day in Wisconsin (see below). Now here's the news...

It was a big day in my little city. Recall petitions were delivered to the capital -- a literal ton of them and accounting for more than one million signatures. A reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal says that the head of the Government Accountability Board (GAB) is having trouble finding workers to check the signatures, because one of the requirements is that the temps can't have signed the petition. That's how successful this petition drive has been. There are more such nuggets of info at WSJ's live blog of the filing, as well as a photo gallery here.

Chuck Grassley is a freakin' moron.

Handy tip: when you're trying to convince people you're not a hate group, it helps to refrain from acting exactly like a hate group.

Team Obama is already pricing TV ads.

Things that are bad to the GOP base: having a Mexican ancestry.

Rick Perry sparks an international incident by being stupid on the teevee. His campaign tries to clean up the mess, but it's pretty hopeless.

After realizing that not releasing his tax records created a bigger problem than it solved (i.e., the "Streisand Effect"), Mittens reveals his taxes are a ridiculously low 15% and says he'll release his records this spring.

Finally, Young Lee -- the co-founder of the Pinkberry yogurt chain -- is an awful, awful person.

Griper Blade: Wisconsin Budget Kabuki and a Regularly Scheduled 'Crisis'

2012-01-17T13:05:00.000-06:00

It's my opinion that the words "budget crisis" should be banned from political conversation in Wisconsin. This state, like many states, has a constitutional requirement for a balanced budget, so whenever it's time for a new budget, we're facing a "budget crisis." Every time, without fail. Both parties use the term to bludgeon the other party into submission -- "Gah! It's a budget crisis! Why aren't you helping us save Wisconsin?" -- and the media always plays into it. Face it, "Budget Crisis!" makes for better headlines than "Same Kabuki BS That Happens Every Two Years is Happening Again." If the biennial budget constitutes a "budget crisis," then Wisconsin has had over a century of incredible luck in resolving these crises. We're always on the verge of... I don't know, being a failed state I guess... and every time, we manage to be pulled back from the brink of certain doom.

This is why I don't give Gov. Scott Walker a lot of credit for solving the "budget crisis" with his union-busting and his attacks on the middle and lower classes. Walker has managed to do what every single governor before him has done (some of them less burdened by the weight of intelligence than even Scott, by the way), making this less of a towering achievement and more of just a routine. Scott Walker merely managed to avoid what every governor has managed to avoid. This isn't some singular triumph of leadership. In fact, it may be that in the history of this clockwork crisis, few governors have handled it as poorly.

And with that little rant, I herald in deadline day -- the day the petitions to recall Scott Walker must be turned in. The heroic Walker won't be there to watch them roll in.

Chicago Tribune:

Supporters of an unprecedented effort to oust Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker from office said they will turn in more than enough signatures Tuesday to force the Republican into a recall election barely a year into his first term.

Walker, however, has no plans to be anywhere near the Capitol when recall organizers turn in the signatures by Tuesday's deadline. The governor is scheduled to be in New York when organizers say they will be unloading the stacks of petitions, weighing a ton, from a truck and hauling them into the state election board's offices...[CLICK TO READ FULL POST]

Stories to Watch: 1/16/12

2012-01-16T18:32:00.001-06:00

Another MLK Day come and gone, which marks another year of a lot of people missing the damned point. Now here's the news...

Big GOP debate tonight. As usual, I'm going to skip it. Who doesn't know what their positions are by now? The only reason to watch is so you can say you saw Rick Perry swallow his tongue or fall over the podium or whatever -- and that's what YouTube's for.

Jon Huntsman won't be there.

Congress' approval ratings dip even lower.

Don't count on using Wikipedia Wednesday.

Hey, you know how that "Stop Romney" coalition of 'baggers and fanatics settled on Rick Santorum? Yeah, turns out it's unsettled again.

Meanwhile, Nate Silver says that Romney is the "overwhelming favorite" for the GOP nomination. Maybe the "Stop Romney" coalition should've gotten started a little earlier.

Attorney General Holder -- rightly -- compares voter ID laws to the Jim Crow laws Martin Luther King fought against. Obviously, this is the worst thing ever.

Finally, a Santorum staffer who's a misogynist? Imagine how surprised I'm not.

News Roundup for 1/16/12

2012-01-16T15:46:00.000-06:00

Romney's peer group

-Headline of the Day-
"Big banks have picked their candidate, and it's Romney."

Mitt Romney has been trying to convince everyone that he's just a reg'lar Joe. He tries to strike up conversations with the riff-raff by guessing their ethnicity and discussing LEED certification of the local hotels. Rumor has it that he's instructed his valet to put his pants on him one leg at a time. He's done everything short of wearing an "I'm Not Out of Touch" t-shirt everywhere he goes.

Well thank God no one's buying it. If they did, Mittens wouldn't be getting that sweet, sweet campaign cash from the 1%. According to the report, "Employees at the five largest U.S. banks by assets, including Bank of America Corp. and Wells Fargo & Co., had given Romney about $600,000 through the first three quarters of 2011, according to the most recent filings available from the Federal Election Commission... Romney received more from employees of those top five banks than all the other candidates combined."

That ought to keep him in spats and top hats for a while. And all that slash-and-burn, fire-all-the-employees-and-sell-off-the-company Bain stuff in Romney's past? Well, that's not a liability to the crème de la crème of the Wall Street world -- it's an asset. "As the former head of Bain Capital... he comes from their world," we're told.

The next time you see Mittens eating pies with the locals in a folksy, one-of-the-guys photo-op, keep that in mind. (McClatchy)

-The calendar is obviously rigged-
Science is made up of logical conclusions drawn from observable facts.

Observable facts obviously have a liberal bias. (Matt Bors, via The American Bear)

-Bonus HotD-
"On MLK Day, Romney Campaigning With Anti-Immigrant Official Tied To Hate Groups."

I want to say that timing is everything, but there's really no time this would be OK. It's just especially un-OK today. (ThinkProgress)

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