Fox News tumbles

Fox News is still number one in the cable news race, but their numbers are tumbling, while MSNBC and CNN are seeing growth.

Fox News saw its numbers drop by double digits in primetime, total day and A25-54 viewers compared to 2010. This isn't totally surprising, since that was a major election year, but the drops were steep; for instance, the network was down 30% in the demo for primetime.

MSNBC's primetime programming brought in bigger ratings than last month, which tipped the ratings war scale between the network and CNN back in its favor. MSNBC attributes its ratings climb to the reshuffling of Lawrence O'Donnell's "The Last Word," with Ed Shultz's "The Ed Show."

CNN however, experienced ratings growth of its own across the board. Compared to November 2010, CNN grew 4% in Total Day viewing. Anderson Cooper's "AC 360" 8:00 p.m. airing also improved over 40% in total viewing, compared to this month last year. (Piers Morgan, unfortunately, saw his ratings slide a bit below the numbers Larry King was posting on his farewell tour in 2010, though he has managed to top King's ratings overall this year.) CNN also beat MSNBC in the daytime.

Republican two step

Gotta love the Republican two step. When the Supercommittee was formed, they demanded that President Obama "leave it alone" and not "interfere." And then when it fails, they blame him for, that's right, leaving it along and not interfering.

So typical.

Rick Perry is a doofus

Rick Perry is a doofus. It's time for even right wingers to admit it. He doesn't know what the US voting age is, or what day the 2012 election will be held.

Obama forgot to thank God? So did Bush.

(h/t Crooks & Liars)

Remember when President Bush forgot to thank God in his 2008 Thanksgiving address? Neither do the conservatives now apoplectic that Barack Obama's 2011 remarks contained no reference to the Almighty.

Phone proof–and Herman Cain is “reassessing”

Ginger White, the latest accuser of Herman Cain, has alleged they had a long affair that ended just before he announced his run for president. She also says that calls and texts continued even after that – and she’s shown phone bills as proof of communication between them.

According to Fox TV 5 in Atlanta:

She [Ginger White] showed us some of her cell phone bills that included 61 phone calls or text messages to or from a number starting with 678. She says it is Herman Cain’s private cell phone. The calls were made during four different months— calls or texts made as early as 4:26 in the early morning, and as late as 7:52 at night. The latest were in September of this year.

“We’ve never worked together,” said White. “And I can’t imagine someone phoning or texting me for the last two and a half years, just because.”

We texted the number and Herman Cain called us back. He told us he “knew Ginger White” but said these are “more false allegations.” He said she had his number because he was “trying to help her financially.”

Some other intriguing details: According to White, Cain gave her autographed copies of his books, writing, “Miss G, you have already made a ‘big difference!’ Stay focused as you pursue your next destination” in one, and “Friends are forever! Everything else is a bonus” in the other.

And then there’s Ms. White’s description of the candidate himself:

“Very much confident, very much sure of himself. Very arrogant in a playful sometimes way. Very, ah — Herman Cain loves Herman Cain.”

And this morning Cain is meeting with his campaign people to assess whether he’s staying in the race or not.

Multiple news outlets report that Cain announced to staff during a conference call Tuesday morning that he is reassessing his presidential campaign, though he noted this is not the first time he has reassessed his 2012 plans.

"Now with this latest one we have to do an assessment as to whether or not this is going to create too much of a cloud in some peoples' minds as to whether or not they should support us going forward," Cain said, according to the Des Moines Register, in reference to Monday night's claim by Georgia businesswoman Ginger White that she and Cain engaged in a 13-year extramarital affair.

"If a decision is made, different than we should plow ahead, you all will be the first to know," Cain said.

National Review Online's Robert Costa reports Cain said he will make a final decision "over the next several days."

Web designers & coding experts, I need your help

Recently, Blogger updated all their templates, and since switching over to them, I’ve noticed that when I share my blog on my Facebook pages, it now only shares the title and no longer includes a summary paragraph like it used to.

Doing a little research, I’ve found this is due to Blogger’s new template designs. I’d switch back to the old templates, but it only gives me one option for those, and it’s their ugliest one. Naturally.

So if anyone has an answer for this issue, I’d love your help. (I’ve already tried all the ones I’ve found searching the web; none of them solve the problem. The issue is with Blogger’s new templates.)

British woman arrested over racist rant

Look – England has teabaggers too!

Mitt v Mitt

ANOTHER one, Herman?

Yet ANOTHER woman is coming forward to accuse Herman Cain. This time the story is that Herman Cain had a 13-year affair with her.

The response from Cain's lawyer does NOT help his case. See the article for the full statement. Wood almost seems to be admitting that there WAS a relationship but that it's nobody's business.

ATLANTA, Ga. - An Atlanta businesswoman is breaking her silence, claiming she has been involved in a 13-year-long affair with Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, FOX 5 senior I-Team reporter Dale Russell sat down with Ginger White, who had an amazing story to tell.

“It was pretty simple,” White said. “It wasn't complicated. I was aware that he was married. And I was also aware I was involved in a very inappropriate situation, relationship.”

In an exclusive interview on FOX 5 News at 6, Russell will tell you why White is speaking out now, and show you the records that she says back up her story. He also talks to Herman Cain, who denies the affair. Cain’s attorney, Lin Wood, released the following statement to just moments ago:

"Mr. Cain has been informed today that your television station plans to broadcast a story this evening in which a female will make an accusation that she engaged in a 13-year long physical relationship with Mr. Cain. This is not an accusation of harassment in the workplace – this is not an accusation of an assault - which are subject matters of legitimate inquiry to a political candidate.

Rather, this appears to be an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults - a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public. No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life. The public's right to know and the media's right to report has boundaries and most certainly those boundaries end outside of one's bedroom door.

Mr. Cain has alerted his wife to this new accusation and discussed it with her. He has no obligation to discuss these types of accusations publicly with the media and he will not do so even if his principled position is viewed unfavorably by members of the media."

SWAT comes after voting rights activist

Don't you dare work for voting rights, or SWAT will come after you.

Last Monday, attorney Barbara Arnwine was rudely awakened by the sounds of a police raid on her home. Arnwine is not really the type you'd expect SWAT teams to be targeting. She's the Executive Director for the Lawyers' Committee on Civil Rights and is actively challenging Voter ID laws around the country, as depicted in the video at the top.

Via Politics on Point:

While Arnwine and members of the Lawyers Committee are calling for the Department of Justice to stop what she, and others call ‘assaults’ on voters, she found her and own family under assault.

She, her son, and nephew were all held at gun point while the officers raided her home.

The reason has yet to be determined.

According to Arnwine, it appears that they were randomly fishing, possibly as an intimidation tactic.

HIV patients died after being told God had “cured” them

Some evangelicals told HIV patients God had "cured" them, and that they should stop treatment. They died as a result.

There is evidence evangelical churches in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow are claiming to cure HIV through God.

Sky sent three undercover reporters to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), which is based in Southwark, south London.

All of them told the pastors they were HIV positive - all were told they could be healed.

Once a month, the church has a prayer line, where people from across Europe come to be cured of all kinds of illness.

At registration, they have to hand over a doctor's letter as evidence of their condition.

They are filmed giving before and after testimonies, which are put on SCOAN's website.

The healing process involves the pastor shouting over the person being healed for the devil to come out of their body, while spraying water in their face.

Supporting small business

President Obama took the call to support small business to heart.

The president took his daughters, Malia and Sasha, along on a shopping run to a bookstore a few blocks from the White House.

He says he made the visit because it's "small business Saturday" and he wanted to support a small business.

The retail industry is encouraging shoppers to patronize mom-and-pop businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It's a counterpoint to Black Friday and the sales and special deals offered by department stores and other large retailers.

The Obamas walked out with a selection of books including "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," ''Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever" and "Descent into Chaos: The U.S. and the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia."

Black Friday sales were up

In a sign of continuing economic recovery (sure to anger right wingers), Black Friday sales jumped over last year's.

The holiday shopping season got off to a strong start on Black Friday, with retail sales up 7 percent over last year, according to the most recent survey. Now stores just have to keep buyers coming back without the promise of door-buster savings.

Buyers spent $11.4 billion at retail stores and malls, up nearly $1 billion from last year, according to a Saturday report from ShopperTrak. It was the largest amount ever spent on the day that marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season, and the biggest year-over-year increase since 2007. Chicago-based ShopperTrak gathers data from 25,000 outlets across the U.S., including individual stores and shopping centers.

The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. broke its Black Friday record for shoppers, thanks to a decision to open at midnight for the first time. Around 210,000 visitors came to the mall on Friday, up from 200,000 last year, according to mall spokeswoman Bridget Jewell.

Online shopping was strong as well, with a 24.3 percent increase in online spending on Black Friday, according to IBM, which tracks sales at 500 online retailers.

Military to arrest citizens to be held without trials or hearings

Is this another attempt to crack down on Occupy?

Senators Demand the Military Lock Up American Citizens in a “Battlefield” They Define as Being Right Outside Your Window

While nearly all Americans head to family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, the Senate is gearing up for a vote on Monday or Tuesday that goes to the very heart of who we are as Americans. The Senate will be voting on a bill that will direct American military resources not at an enemy shooting at our military in a war zone, but at American citizens and other civilians far from any battlefield — even people in the United States itself.

Senators need to hear from you, on whether you think your front yard is part of a “battlefield” and if any president can send the military anywhere in the world to imprison civilians without charge or trial.

The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world. Even Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) raised his concerns about the NDAA detention provisions during last night’s Republican debate. The power is so broad that even U.S. citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself.

The worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday. The bill was drafted in secret by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a single hearing.

Yay Freedom!

The governor of Kansas has taught a teenager a valuable lesson: That in America, you cannot criticize your elected officials or they shall take vengeance upon you.

CHICAGO — The governor of Kansas faced an online trashing Friday for tattling on a teenaged girl who sent out a critical tweet during a visit to the state capitol.

Emma Sullivan, 18, was hauled into her principal’s office and ordered to write letters of apology after one of Governor Sam Brownback’s office contacted the tour organizer to complain about the offending note on the social networking site Twitter.

“Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot,” Sullivan wrote, despite not saying anything to Brownback during the visit — she said she wrote it to get a laugh out of her friends.

Cops get more brutal and vicious

Cops across the country seem to be getting more and more violent and more and more out of hand. I used to be a person who supported our police, but these constant reports of vicious and brutal behavior makes it impossible to see them as police, but rather as brownshirts. Enough is enough. No more support of cops from me.

Witnesses say police officers tackled a grandfather at an Arizona Wal-Mart Friday, leaving him bloody and unconscious.

The video game section of the Buckeye store got a little rowdy when people started trying to tear open boxes of games, and one woman got punched.

After one man’s grandson got trampled, he put the video game he was holding in his waistband in order to free up his hands and lift the boy out of the crowd, according to KSAZ.

That’s when cops moved in, slamming the grandfather’s head on the hard Wal-Mart floor. The aftermath was caught on cell phone video.

Hey, Rick, Africa is a continent, not a country

Who does Rick Santorum think he is, Sarah Palin?

During the GOP debate Tuesday night, he said that Africa is a country.

From Raw Story:

But Santorum is in good company.

At a CNN debate in Las Vegas earlier this year, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann seemed not to know that Libya was in Africa.

“Now with the president, he put us in Libya,” Bachmann declared. “He is now putting us in Africa. We already were stretched too thin, and he put our special operations forces in Africa.”

After the 2008 presidential election campaign, aides revealed to Fox News reporter Carl Cameron that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was also unaware that Africa was a continent.

She “didn’t understand that Africa was a continent, rather than a series, a country just in itself,” Cameron explained.

I'm more patriotic than you!

My favorite part of the GOP debate tonight is where they had a contest to see who had their hands on their hearts MORE during the National Anthem. Because, you know, Obama is a Muslim. Or something.

Pepper spray is a food product?

Fox News’ Megyn Kelly is an airhead. Just sayin’.

Mitt says it’s okay to take candidates out of context

Mitt Romney’s camp released an extremely, blatantly dishonest campaign ad, taking President Obama’s comments out of context. Obama was quoting a McCain staffer, but the Romney ad presented it as Obama’s own position.

When confronted on it, the Romney campaign defended it. They said they did it “intentionally.” So to them, it must be okay to take someone’s words out of context.

Okay, if that’s how they want to play it.

Obama gets mic checked by Occupy

President Obama got "mic checked" in New Hampshire today. But I love the way he handled it. He didn't insult them or get angry, he listened, told the crowd it was okay, then when it was over said they'd made their point, now he was going to make his, and if they listened to him he would listen to them.

That's the way to do it.

No deal

The Supercommittee has failed. Democrats put EVERYTHING on the table. The Republicans refused to come up with any revenue.

Here's the statement.

"After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline.

"Despite our inability to bridge the committee's significant differences, we end this process united in our belief that the nation's fiscal crisis must be addressed and that we cannot leave it for the next generation to solve. We remain hopeful that Congress can build on this committee’s work and can find a way to tackle this issue in a way that works for the American people and our economy.

"We are deeply disappointed that we have been unable to come to a bipartisan deficit reduction agreement, but as we approach the uniquely American holiday of Thanksgiving, we want to express our appreciation to every member of this committee, each of whom came into the process committed to achieving a solution that has eluded many groups before us. Most importantly, we want to thank the American people for sharing thoughts and ideas and for providing support and good will as we worked to accomplish this difficult task."

How stupid are Fox News viewers?

How stupid & uninformed are Fox News viewers? Get this: People who watch NO news are more informed than people who regularly watch only Fox News.

Fox News viewers are less informed than people who don't watch any news, according to a new poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

The poll surveyed New Jersey residents about the uprisings in Egypt and the Middle East, and where they get their news sources. The study, which controlled for demographic factors like education and partisanship, found that "people who watch Fox News are 18-points less likely to know that Egyptians overthrew their government" and "6-points less likely to know that Syrians have not yet overthrown their government" compared to those who watch no news.

Overall, 53% of all respondents knew that Egyptians successfully overthrew Hosni Mubarak and 48% knew that Syrians have yet to overthrow their government.

Dan Cassino, a political science professor at Fairleigh Dickinson, explained in a statement, "Because of the controls for partisanship, we know these results are not just driven by Republicans or other groups being more likely to watch Fox News. Rather, the results show us that there is something about watching Fox News that leads people to do worse on these questions than those who don’t watch any news at all."

Forget the top 1%, it’s the top 0.1%

Forget the top 1%, the top 0.1% make half the nation's capital gains.

Capital gains are the key ingredient of income disparity in the US-- and the force behind the winner takes all mantra of our economic system. If you want even out earning power in the U.S, you have to raise the 15% capital gains tax.

Income and wealth disparities become even more absurd if we look at the top 0.1% of the nation's earners-- rather than the more common 1%. The top 0.1%-- about 315,000 individuals out of 315 million-- are making about half of all capital gains on the sale of shares or property after 1 year; and these capital gains make up 60% of the income made by the Forbes 400.

Rick Perry hates the Constitution

Where are the teabaggers who screamed that President Obama was "violating the Constitution"? Where is their outrage at Rick Perry over this?

Perry took his radical new vision for America to a new level last night at the Iowa FAMiLY Leader presidential forum. Going against the Constitution, centuries of American history, and the wishes of our nation’s founders, Perry claimed that the United States military should not be “micromanaged” by civilians and needed military commanders to be “truly in charge”:

PERRY: There is a time and a place for us to intervene, and intervene militarily. But when we intervene militarily, we best make the decision on how we are going to win and how we are going to win convincingly and quickly, send those young men and women with the equipment to win. Don’t let some congressman sitting in an air-conditioned office in Washington DC deciding what the rules of engagement are. … And for us to micromanage them, in a civilian way, without their commanders truly in charge, is absolutely irresponsible and as commander-in-chief of this country I will not let it happen.

What are they protesting?

Just what are the Occupy people protesting anyway?

http://www.credoaction.com/comics/2011/10/what-do-they-want/

The plot to smear Occupy Wall Street

The smoking gun is here. You didn’t think big corporations were going to roll over and play dead, did you? No, they’re going to use all their wealth, power and political connects to destroy utterly anyone who dares criticize or protest against our corporate overlords.

A well-known Washington lobbying firm with links to the financial industry has proposed an $850,000 plan to take on Occupy Wall Street and politicians who might express sympathy for the protests, according to a memo obtained by the MSNBC program “Up w/ Chris Hayes.”

The proposal was written on the letterhead of the lobbying firm Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford and addressed to one of CLGC’s clients, the American Bankers Association.

CLGC’s memo proposes that the ABA pay CLGC $850,000 to conduct “opposition research” on Occupy Wall Street in order to construct “negative narratives” about the protests and allied politicians. The memo also asserts that Democratic victories in 2012 would be detrimental for Wall Street and targets specific races in which it says Wall Street would benefit by electing Republicans instead.

According to the memo, if Democrats embrace OWS, “This would mean more than just short-term political discomfort for Wall Street. … It has the potential to have very long-lasting political, policy and financial impacts on the companies in the center of the bullseye.”

The memo also suggests that Democratic victories in 2012 should not be the ABA’s biggest concern. “… (T)he bigger concern,” the memo says, “should be that Republicans will no longer defend Wall Street companies.”

Two of the memo’s authors, partners Sam Geduldig and Jay Cranford, previously worked for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Geduldig joined CLGC before Boehner became speaker;  Cranford joined CLGC this year after serving as the speaker’s assistant for policy. A third partner, Steve Clark, is reportedly “tight” with Boehner, according to a story by Roll Call that CLGC features on its website.

Gunman thinks Obama is the Antichrist

The gunman hated Obama, thought he was the antichrist.

I guess those teabaggers calling Obama the antichrist said it enough for a nutcase to take it to heart. Which is what they were hoping for. They're probably pissed he didn't manage to kill the President or the First Lady.

WASHINGTON - A man wanted in an investigation of shots fired near the White House was arrested Wednesday in the state of Pennsylvania, a day after agents discovered two bullets had struck the executive mansion while President Barack Obama was away, the U.S. Secret Service said.

The Secret Service said it discovered Tuesday that the two bullets had hit the White House, one of them apparently cracking a window on the level of the president's living quarters, while Obama and his wife Michelle were on a trip to California and Hawaii.

The discovery of bullet holes followed reports of gunfire near the White House on Friday night. An assault rifle and an abandoned vehicle were found Friday, which led authorities to disclose they had linked Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez to the reported gunfire.

Ortega, 21, was arrested Wednesday afternoon by Pennsylvania authorities at a hotel in the southwest part of the state, the Secret Service said. He was in Pennsylvania State Police custody. A tip from someone who saw and identified Ortega led to his arrest, Secret Service spokesman George Ogilvie said.

Sources tell CBS News Ortega-Hernandez was not on the radar of the Secret Service before Friday's shooting. But investigators believe he may have targeted the White House due to a hatred of President Obama. Businessman Monte McCall, said Ortega-Hernandez compared the president to the "Antichrist" when they met recently.

"He seemed very sincere in what he believed but seemed rather troubled," McCall said.

Limbaugh’s vitriolic hatred of the First Lady

Rush Limbaugh and the right wing’s hatred of President Obama is irrational, but his vitriolic hatred of the First Lady is completely crazy and makes no sense at all. One gets the impression that Mr. Limbaugh’s head is about to explode from all the rage and hate he spews against the most undeserving of targets.

NYPD: We don’t need no stinkin’ free press!

The NYPD is cracking down on the free press. Apparently, they don't agree that the press in this country is free.

“Occupy Wall Street” protesters weren’t the only group who had a difficult morning thanks to NYPD’s actions in Zuccotti Park.

A number of reporters complained of a media blackout from covering the morning raid, with several arrested by authorities.

The Associated Press reported that two of their reporters, writer Karen Matthews and photographer Seth Wenig, were taken into custody. The New York Daily News reported that their reporter Matthew Lysiak was also detained. NPR freelance reporter Julie Walker was arrested but indicated she has been released.

Lindsey Christ, a reporter for local New York One News, said she was getting pushed by police and also wrote, “No media allowed in.” She indicated to The New York Times‘s Brian Stelter, “Those 20 minutes were some of the scariest of my life.”

Mother Jones reporter Josh Harkinson reported that cops shoved him while he was taking a picture of a man being stretched into an ambulance.

GOP: We’re AGAINST healthier food for kids!

What would we do with today's Republican Party, standing firm against the tide of satanic, socialist, communist, Muslim EVIL? The GOP is standing firm against the horrors of healthier food for children.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress wants to keep pizza and french fries on school lunch lines, fighting back against an Obama administration proposal to make school lunches healthier.

The final version of a spending bill released late Monday would unravel school lunch standards the Agriculture Department proposed earlier this year, which included limiting the use of potatoes on the lunch line and delaying limits on sodium and delaying a requirement to boost whole grains.

The bill also would allow tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable, as it is now. USDA had wanted to prevent that.

A Republican 4-way

Poor Mitt Romney. It's now a 4-way statistical tie for Republican candidates in Iowa, according to a new Bloomberg poll.

Businessman Herman Cain (20 percent), Texas Rep. Ron Paul (19 percent), former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (18 percent) and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (17 percent) are statistically tied for the top slot in the state that will hold the first caucuses in the nation on Jan. 3. The poll, conducted Nov. 10-12, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

The fall of Herman Cain

Multiple allegations of sexual harassment against Herman Cain have caused a precipitous drop in his poll numbers, and his recent, extremely embarrassing inability to answer a simple question in an interview isn't going to help.

Unfavorable views of Herman Cain have soared by 17 points in the face of allegations of past sexual harassment, including a sharp increase in negative views of Cain within his own party.

The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll finds that more Americans now see Cain unfavorably than favorably, by 44 percent to 29 percent, with the rest undecided. Favorability is a basic measure of any public figure’s personal popularity. It’s trouble when it goes negative.

Favorable views of Cain are essentially unchanged from a month ago – 31 percent then, 29 percent now. But the number who have no opinion of him has dropped steeply, while the share seeing Cain unfavorably has jumped from 27 percent in mid-October to today’s 44 percent.

The results suggest that essentially everyone who’s formed an opinion of Cain in the past month has done so negatively – a change concurrent with allegations by four women that Cain sexually harassed them in the 1990s when he headed a restaurant trade association in Washington, D.C.

Here's a man completely unprepared to hold office

Herman Cain is completely unprepared to hold any important office, much less the office of president. Do you want this guy handling the proverbial 3 a.m. phone call?

Herman Cain may have just had his Rick Perry “oops” moment.

In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board, Cain was asked whether he agreed or not with President Obama’s decisions on Libya.

The beginning of Cain’s answer then gave the impression that he might have been working from rote memorization — and struggling to remember his lines.

“Okay, Libya,” Cain said — then paused, looking downward. “President Obama supported the uprising — correct? President Obama called for the removal of Qaddafi. Just want to make sure we’re talking about the same thing before I say, yes I agreed, or no I didn’t agree.”

“I do not agree with the way he handled it, for the following reasons — No, that’s a different one. (Pauses) I gotta go back, see. (Pauses) Got all this stuff twirling around in my head. Specifically, what are you asking me, did I agree or not disagree (sic) with Obama?”

(See the painful video at the link.)

To people upset that I use the term "teabagger"

To people upset that I use the term "teabagger" to describe the group of wannabe domestic terrorists who wave their guns around and cheer spokespeople who say things like "If ballots don't work, bullets will" and talk of "second amendment remedies," etc., I say this:

You guys used it first. It's not the fault of liberals that you didn't get it until someone pointed it out to you.

Jay Nordlinger at National Review admits the term "teabagger" was introduced to the political lexicon by Tea Party movement leaders:

The first big day for this movement was Tax Day, April 15. And organizers had a gimmick. They asked people to send a tea bag to the Oval Office. One of the exhortations was “Tea Bag the Fools in D.C.” A protester was spotted with a sign saying, “Tea Bag the Liberal Dems Before They Tea Bag You.” So, conservatives started it: started with this terminology. But others ran with it and ran with it.

Griff Jenkins on Fox News used the term, so did several other Fox News blowhards.

And then there was Neil Cavuto, who used the term proudly in his column in May 2009:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,520899,00.html

Cain: Bachmann is “tutti frutti”

Herman Cain calls fellow teabagger Michele Bachmann "tutti frutti."

Devin Gordon: Let me ask you about your rivals. Recently, in response to a question about you being the new "flavor of the month," you said you weren't a flavor of the month, you were Häagen-Dazs black walnut, which "tastes good all the time." If Mitt Romney was an ice cream flavor, what flavor would he be?

Herman Cain: Oh, just plain vanilla. [laughs] Are you guys really going to print this? I have learned that with my new status in the polls, any- and every thing that I say will show up somewhere. Do you guys really want to do this ice cream analogy?

Devin Gordon: We do. Rick Perry?

Herman Cain: Rick Perry: rocky road.

Devin Gordon: Michele Bachmann?

Herman Cain: Michele Bachmann ... I'm not going to say it. I'm not going to say it.

Devin Gordon: Oh, come on!

Herman Cain: Tutti-frutti. I know I'm going to get in trouble!

According to Republicans, America is both broke and flush with cash

Have you noticed that when Republicans talk about domestic issues, America is too weak and too broke to pay for even the relatively meager social programs we have (compared to other western nations). But when the conversation shifts to foreign policy, suddenly we’re flush with more than enough cash to afford to go to war with Iran.

Supreme Court to rule on Obamacare

The Supreme Court will hear the case on President Obama's health care reform and issue a ruling this term. When the Court upholds it, I'm sure we'll hear from lots of teabaggers how the Supreme Court needs to be outlawed and the judges killed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear arguments next March over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, accepting a case that could rival the historic Bush v. Gore ruling in shaking the political landscape.

The decision to hear arguments in the spring allows plenty of time for a decision in late June, just over four months before Election Day. This sets up an election-year showdown over the White House's main domestic policy achievement.

The justices announced they will hear more than five hours of arguments from lawyers on the constitutionality of a provision at the heart of the law, the requirement that individuals buy health insurance starting in 2014 or pay a penalty, and other related questions about the act.

The White House said "we are pleased that the court has agreed to hear this case."

Debunking the uncertainty myth

Corporations are sitting on top of the biggest profits in human history, yet they're still refusing to hire Americans, and Republicans claim it's because of "uncertainty" created by President Obama. But as with most right wing talking points, it's a myth.

But according to banking data compiled by economic research firm Moebs Services, the uncertainty plaguing the American economy has nothing to do with government regulations or taxes on millionaires. It's an uncertainty driven squarely by consumers and small-businesses who are worried about their short-term financial prospects. And it's been going on since well before Obama took up residence in the White House.

Since the end of 2007, bank customers have pulled over $900 billion out of certificates of deposits at major U.S. banks, parking their money in checking accounts and money market deposit accounts. Banks pay customers interest to park their money in CDs, but pay out next-to-nothing for money market accounts, and still less -- usually nothing -- for checking accounts.

I guess God didn’t know

Herman Cain says God convinced him to run for president. I guess God didn't know that Cain is a serial sexual harasser. And I guess God also forgot he told Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry to run too.

Maybe God's got Alzheimer's.

Bachmann whines about “rude” protesters

Michele Bachmann whines about the protesters shutting her down.

Funny. She LOVED it when the teabaggers did it during the health care town halls.

Sexual harassment is still a big joke to Herman Cain

Despite being accused of improper advances and harassment by five women, and despite saying repeatedly that sexual harassment charges were serious during his press conference, it’s all still a big joke to Herman Cain.

Even as he is facing his own sexual harassment scandal, Herman Cain was caught on tape Thursday joking about Anita Hill, the college professor who lodged similar accusations against Clarence Thomas decades ago.

The exchange between Mr. Cain and a supporter was caught on tape by a Fox News camera at a campaign stop in Kalamazoo, Mich. It first aired Thursday night on the network’s “Special Report” program.

According to the video, a person in the crowd mentioned Ms. Hill to Mr. Cain, who responded, jokingly, “Is she going to endorse me?” prompting laughter.

J.D. Gordon, a spokesman for Mr. Cain, said simply that “it was a joke,” and added that the Republican presidential candidate was simply “repeating what a supporter said.”

The exchange came just a day after Mr. Cain, a former talk radio host, had to apologize for calling former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “Princess Nancy” during Wednesday night’s debate.

Because he’s black!

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201111070015

Rick Perry’s campaign is over tonight

Rick Perry's campaign for president is over tonight. This was a career-ending gaffe, mainly because this is now added to all his over debate missteps, and it's the straw that broke the camel's back. The audience, the moderators, and even the other candidates were laughing at him. Not with him, at him.

Sharon Bialek: Cain is lying

Sharon Bialek says Herman Cain is lying when he says he doesn't remember her.

Herman Cain press conference

Anyone catch the Herman Cain press conference?

First of all, he was introduced by his lawyer. That's never good optics, but whatever.

Basically, he complained about people making allegations without any facts or evidence. Then he blamed the allegations on "the Democrat machine." When asked to explain who that is, he then says, get this, that he doesn't have any facts or evidence to back the “Democrat machine” accusation up.

!!!!

Gotta love him.

Basically, though, he seems to also be blaming this on the Perry people, and on unnamed people who, for some reason, hate businessmen. So, apparently, there are three conspiracies at work here.

What an idiot.

The right wing is so classy

The right wing is so classy. Rush Limbaugh attacks Cain accuser's 13 year old son. (But this is par for the course - he also attacked, along with John McCain, Chelsea Clinton when she was a teenager.)

Obamacare ruled constitutional... again

Yet another court has upheld the constitutionality of Obama's health care reform. And by the way, Judge Silberman is considered to be "ultraconservative."

A U.S. court of appeals agreed on Tuesday with a lower court ruling that said President Barack Obama’s signature health care reform law was constitutional.

The U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld that a mandate requiring people to purchase health care insurance was allowed under the U.S. Constitution.

“Despite questions raised as to our subject matter jurisdiction, we conclude we have jurisdiction, and we affirm the district court’s conclusion that the Act is constitutional,” Senior Circuit Judge Laurence Hirsch Silberman wrote for the majority (PDF).

“Because virtually everyone will, at some point, need health services, no one is truly inactive, and the health services market is inextricably intertwined with health insurance. Congress found that those who do not purchase health insurance, and instead self-insure, almost inevitably take health care services they cannot afford. Hospitals, by virtue of federal law and professional obligation, provide these services, and as a result, $43 billion in annual costs are shifted to the insured, through higher premiums. That, in turn, makes health insurance less affordable and increases the total number of uninsured. … Therefore, it is argued that Congress rationally concluded that decisions about how to pay for health care, in the aggregate, substantially affect interstate commerce.”

He added: “The right to be free from federal regulation is not absolute, and yields to the imperative that Congress be free to forge national solutions to national problems, no matter how local-or seemingly passive–their individual origins.”

Good to know

Good to know that to Herman Cain, sexual harassment and sexual assault is a big joke. Great attitude for a CEO to have, eh?

Woman #5?

Holy crap, there’s a FIFTH woman in the Herman Cain saga! (And maybe more on the way.)

Donna Donella, 40, of Arlington, said the USAID paid Cain to deliver a speech to businessmen and women in Egypt in 2002, during which an Egyptian businesswoman in her 30s asked Cain a question.

“And after the seminar was over,” Donella told The Washington Examiner, “Cain came over to me and a colleague and said, ‘Could you put me in touch with that lovely young lady who asked the question, so I can give her a more thorough answer over dinner?’”

Donella, who no longer works for USAID, said they were suspicious of Cain’s motives and declined to set up the date. Cain responded, “Then you and I can have dinner.” That’s when two female colleagues intervened and suggested they all go to dinner together, Donella said.

Cain exhibited no inappropriate sexual behavior during the dinner, though he did order two $400 bottles of wine and stuck the women with the bill, she said.

This is what happens, Republicans.

This is what happens when you don't vet your candidates, Republicans. You get people like Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin. This is what happens when you let teabaggers take over your party.

Herman Cain knows there are more allegations coming

Herman Cain kept saying future sexual harassment allegations would be "made up." I guess that means he knew there would be more women coming forward.

And what's amusing about this is the fact that Republicans are still supporting him... and probably a lot of them probably called for Clinton to be impeached over harassment and sexual scandal claims. So once again it's another example of It's Okay If It's A Republican.

Majority of voters think GOP is sabotaging the economy

Three's a trend! Yet more polls consistently showing a majority of voters think that the Republican Party is sabotaging the economy in an effort to defeat President Obama. The GOP hates Obama more than they love the country.

The new data suggests that about half the country, including a majority of self-identified independents, believe that congressional Republicans are using their political power to thwart Obama’s efforts to reduce unemployment, presenting Democrats an opportunity to make this argument more explicitly as the 2012 campaign moves forward — to undercut Republicans’ claims that Obama and the Dems bear full responsibility for the economy, and to make their pattern of obstruction a real liability for them.

Suffolk University polled registered voters in Florida and found that nearly half of voters, including large minorities of conservatives and Republicans, believed “Republicans are intentionally stalling efforts to jump-start the economy to insure that Barack Obama is not re-elected?”

On Monday, a nation-wide Washington Post/ABC News poll yielded similar results. The question in the Post/ABC poll was different — it asked respondents to choose between “President Obama is making a good faith effort to deal with the country’s economic problems, but the Republicans in Congress are playing politics by blocking his proposals and programs,” and “President Obama has not provided leadership on the economy, and he is just blaming the Republicans in Congress as an excuse for not doing his job.”

Once again, half of their respondents went with option one. But as Greg Sargent noted, that’s because Republican voters overwhelmingly disagreed. By contrast, a healthy majority of moderates and independents agree with the economic sabotage premise.

The most wonderful time of the year

It’s that time of year again – the “war on Christmas.” Already on Facebook, Twitter and on the Delphi discussion boards I’m seeing people complain that a clerk saying “Happy holidays” instead of “Merry Jesusmas” is an “attack on Christmas and Christianity,” as if we should all be forced to worship one particular tribal god.

It reminds me of something that happened a few years ago. I was in a Target, and in the two aisles devoted to Christmas cards, one small section was set aside for Hanukkah. An old lady complained loudly for everyone to hear, “Hanukkah?? How DARE they! This is CHRISTMAS! Why do they hafta steal OUR holiday?!”

The evil “they” is out to get them!

FOURTH woman to step forward

A FOURTH woman is stepping forward to accused Herman Cain.

Allred and another Cain accuser to hold news conference

Washington (CNN) – Famed defense attorney Gloria Allred says another woman who alleges she was sexually harassed by Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain will go public in a news conference in New York on Monday.

Three women have alleged Cain harassed them when they worked for the National Restaurant Association while he headed the group in the 1990s. Allred said that the woman she will appear with at the news conference isn't one of those three.
"Ms. Allred's client will be the first to give her name and to speak out about details of what she alleges occurred between her and Cain," the attorney said in a news release.

Militant atheist

Definition of "militant atheist": an atheist who actually has the nerve to say publicly he or she does not believe in a god. That's also the definition of "persecuting Christians."

"Oppressing Christians" is when an atheist is allowed to live.

Poor Grover

Poor Grover Norquist. Once, he was the Republican God - if you were a Republican and wanted to hold office, you had to bow down to him and swear on your daughter's perpetual virginity that you would never, ever vote for any bill he didn't like.

Now, more and more of them, hearing the angry voices of America's majority, are distancing themselves from him. John Boehner pretended Grover was just "some random person" (ouch!), while others are quickly moving to the aisles to leave the Church of Norquist.

Cain drops after accusations

Herman Cain's harassing way with female coworkers is doing some damage to his campaign.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Allegations that Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain sexually harassed women in the 1990s have begun to damage his bid for the White House, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The poll showed the percentage of Republicans who view Cain favorably dropped 9 percentage points, to 57 percent from 66 percent a week ago.

Among all registered voters, Cain's favorability declined 5 percentage points, to 32 percent from 37 percent.

Mitt promises to destroy Medicare

Mitt Romney, appearing before a Koch brothers event, and therefore feeling the need to pound his chest and be super duper right wing, promises to raise the retirement age, destroy Medicare by privatizing it (and giving all that money to big bankers), and put more government workers on the unemployment line.

Church calls for charity (but wait, there’s more)

Okay, you read the title and you're thinking, "Ah, finally a story about a church doing something good, calling for charity."

Yep, a church is calling for charity. They're asking for food donations for the founder's sick wife. They're asking parishioners to bring food to the church. How sad, right? The founder and his sick wife are so poor they're asking for donations of food to help them in their time of need.

Here's the kicker: the pastor and his wife are sending their LIMOS to the church to pick up the food.

Some members of a bankrupt Orange County, Calif. megachurch are expressing outrage after fielding an email request for congregants to deliver food to waiting limos so that it can ferried to the founder's sick wife. The appeal comes weeks after a lawsuit charged that the founder of the Crystal Cathedral house of worship, Rev. Robert Schuller, and his family had been paying themselves lavish salaries and other benefits while the church was in financial straits.

"They've completely depleted the church's funds," one member, Bob Canfield, told the Orange County Register. "But they have shown that they have absolutely no remorse for what they've done. They're still being chauffeured around in limos. We, the congregants, have nothing."

An email sent recently by Crystal Cathedral administrators said that Schuller and his wife, Arvella, "would appreciate meals over the next three to four weeks." It added: "They are to be sent to the church in order to be transported to Arvella. The limo drivers could pick up the dinners or meet in the Tower Lobby around 4:30 p.m."

One of Cain's accusers releases a statement

One of the woman who accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment has released a statement through her lawyer.

WASHINGTON -- A lawyer for a woman who accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment while both worked at the National Restaurant Association says she complained about a "series of inappropriate behaviors" in good faith and accepted a financial agreement.

Joel Bennett told reporters that his client stands by the complaint she made a decade ago even though Cain has said the allegations were baseless. Bennett says his client disagrees with the statements Cain has made. He wouldn't say how much money she received.

Bennett says the woman doesn't want to divulge specifics of the behavior or her identity.

He says his client sees no value in revisiting the complaint from 1999.

The National Restaurant Association confirmed there was an agreement with the woman.

Accuser may make statement today, Cain promises to play the race card in response

One of the women who accused Herman Cain may release a public statement today, and the Herman Cain campaign promises to play the race card in response.

Friday may bring the first public word from one of the women who made sexual harassment allegations against GOP frontrunner Herman Cain while he ran the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s, and who agreed to remain silent about those allegations in return for a cash settlement.

The woman who advised Anita Hill about coming forward with her allegations about future Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, however, says Cain's accusers have reason to fear going public. Cain supporters are already invoking comparisons to Thomas's 1991 polarizing confirmation hearings, with a new ad that uses footage of Thomas delivering his famous quote about enduring a "high-tech lynching."

Coming out

Atheists are coming out more and more. Obviously, heads are going to explode.

Jon Stewart has the GOP completely figured out

The Daily Show
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THIRD woman comes forward against Herman Cain

A THIRD woman has come forward to say that Herman Cain sexually harassed her at the same time the other two filed claims against him. However, she says she chose not to file an official complaint.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A third woman considered filing a workplace complaint against Herman Cain over what she deemed aggressive and unwanted behavior when she and Cain, now a Republican presidential candidate, worked together during the late 1990s, the woman told The Associated Press on Wednesday. She said the behavior included a private invitation to his corporate apartment.

The woman said he made sexually suggestive remarks or gestures about the same time that two co-workers had settled separate harassment complaints against Cain, who was then the head of the National Restaurant Association.

The woman was located and approached by the AP as part of its investigation into harassment complaints against Cain that were disclosed in recent days and have thrown his presidential campaign into turmoil. She spoke only on condition of anonymity, saying she feared losing her current job and the possibility of damage to her reputation.

Cain calls it a smear campaign, and blames Rick Perry’s people. Perry’s campaign says they have nothing to do with, and point the finger at the Romney campaign.

It’s just too much fun!

At any rate, this would seem to be the end of Herman Cain’s alleged presidential run.

Republicans, WHERE ARE THE JOBS BILLS?

When the Republicans took over the House of Representatives, they promised they would have a "laser-like focus on jobs," and that they wouldn't waste any time on symbolic or non-binding resolutions. (They refused to vote on a resolution honoring the Navy SEALs for getting bin Laden because of that promise. I guess they didn't want to draw attention to Obama's success and Bush's failure in that regard.)

Instead of a laser-like focus on jobs, they've offered no jobs bills and they've taken a week off for every two weeks worked - with full congressional pay.

And yesterday, the wasted the whole day voting on a non-binding symbolic resolution that reaffirms "In God We Trust" is STILL the national motto. Oh, the motto wasn't in any danger. They just felt the need to waste a day's work in making sure it still was. (And never mind that pesky constitutional bit about "congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.")

So thanks for that, Republicans. Thanks a lot. I'm sure this must mean you think there is no employment crisis in America.

It’s evolution, baby!

For someone who doesn’t believe in evolution, Herman Cain’s explanations for those sexual harassment claims sure are evolving.

Climate change deniers go nuts

See if you can get your head around this: Years of rising temperatures and killer heat waves that are getting worse, and climate change deniers are quiet as church mice. But one snowstorm is all the proof they need to call climate change a hoax.

It's "logic" that's almost religious in nature.

But for conservatives like Fox host Eric Bolling, last week was actually a net positive in the fight to prove that climate change is a “scam.” Why? Because it snowed in the northeastern United States….

A single winter storm does nothing to disprove that the planet is getting warmer, but that doesn’t stop scientifically illiterate pundits from hi-fiving and telling nonsensical jokes about Al Gore every time it snows. Indeed, in what’s becoming an increasingly-tedious yearly tradition, several conservative media figures pointed to this weekend’s snowstorm as evidence that the theory of climate change is falling apart. It isn’t.