Something wicked this way comes

(Yes, that's an actual BP ad, ca. 1999 T-shirt at Despair.com)

Readers, if you're wondering why you have not yet heard my take on The Great Gulf of Mexico Oil Geyser Disaster Enabled by the Dismantling of Regulations--and Corruption of a Federal Agency With Oil Industry Accomplices From Top to Bottom--by a Certain Ex-Vice President's Secret Energy Task Force, all Fueled (pun fully intended) by This Nation's Insatiable Appetite for Oil That Exists Courtesy of Some of Her Citizens' Stubborn Insistence On Driving Enormous, Wasteful Fucking Cars and SUV's Because Damn it, That's Our Right, God Bless America, well, it's because I have been struggling to find the appropriate words.

I try, and I try once again and always fail, to put into sentences, just a few of them even, how upset I am, particularly upon seeing the oil-coated birds, turtles, and porpoises--the barely alive and the newly dead--upon watching the clogged and dying marshes and mangroves stream across my television and computer, and upon looking at photographs of the distraught faces of fishermen and beach hoteliers whose livelihoods are flat-out destroyed for who knows how many years to come.

I turn to my husband, who loves these shores and those waters, and who, along with my father and brother, has spent countless hours filled with wonder and joy while scuba-diving, filming, and spear-fishing in their rich, life-filled depths, and he tells me how it breaks his heart to think he'll probably never be able to take our sons into the once-vibrant sea that he has enjoyed for the better part of his life; and his eyes fill with tears now as he laments the certain demise of the gentle whale sharks--one of which he clung to and rode like an enormous and dappled underwater pony just a few years ago--as he imagines them swimming through those ghastly plumes of toxic crude and suffocating, and dying horrible, poison-choked deaths, and for what...and you know, I am actually still failing to properly express my outrage.

And for someone who prides herself on being able to wield a strong word or two, normally, that's really saying something.

Also at litbrit.

1,050,000 Gallons of Oil Leaking into Gulf A Day

Via St. Petersblog 2.0: PBS has created a widget that keeps up to the second details on how much oil has leaked into the Gulf. The current leak rate from the BP disaster is 1,050,000 gallons a day.

Write A Caption: James Carville

James Carville has made the netroots angry again. I thought I join in the fun.

When Republicans Attack Fox News

It is fun when Republican Rep. Steve LaTourette attacks Fox News on the House floor. Fox News falsely labeled the Create Jobs & Save Benefits Act a bailout for unions. the word "bailout" has become a talking point for Republicans. GOP strategist Frank Luntz has advised Republicans to label Democratic proposals as bailouts.

The Create Jobs & Save Benefits Act would strengthen multi-employer pension plans. There is no bailout money being used for pensions. The goals of the bill is to reduce the administrative cost and risks to private pension plans. The Department of Labor and Department of Treasury will be required to file a report on the progress on implemenation of CJBA. Fox News is attacking the bill because of it's union support.

LATOURETTE: They’ve run this diagram and it really is a, I think, blaspheming my good friend Pat Tiberi from Ohio and indicating that there are nine Republicans supporting a bill that will bail out unions. Well, that’s nonsense and I don’t know who the pin head and weenie is at Fox News that decided to put that story together. But the true facts of this piece of legislation are as follows. This bill will save the taxpayers by saying to those corporations that have union pension plans, if you find yourselves in a bind, rather than thrusting that upon the taxpayer, it spreads out over five years the ability to bring those pension plans up to speed. That’s good government, it’s a good bill. It’s a good Tiberi bill and I don’t know what they’re doing at Fox News, but they should stop smoking it and get back to reporting the facts.

Michael Steele Hammered on Fox News

You know things are bad for RNC Chairman Michael Steele when Neil Cavuto rakes him over the coals. My favorite part of the interview is Steele telling Cavuto he isn't part of the Republican Party establishment. Really? Then who is running the RNC?

Quote of the Day

"Don't these people realize they have a man-crush on each other?"

David Axelrod, Senior Advisor, on why rumors of President Obama firing Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner are false.

Crist & Rubio Support Maintaining DADT

Kendrick Meek sent out a press release yesterday announcing his support of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Gov. Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio support maintaining the current policy of barring gays from serving in the Armed Forces.

Gov. Charlie Crist told reporters Monday that "I think the current policy has worked pretty well for America. I really do. So I don't know why there's any need for change at this time."

A spokesman for former House Speaker Marco Rubio said Rubio "supports the current policy and doesn’t see any reason for it to change.'

Meek may not be my ideal Democratic Senate candidate. I still would rather have him than a politician who supports a discriminatory policy. Being afraid of offending bigoted voters is not true leadership. The latest CNN poll shows 78 percent of Americans support gays in the military. The same poll has 6 out of ten Republicans favoring an end of DADT. Crist and Rubio want to tie their political fortunes on the fringe minority that supports discrimination. These guys are hardwired with the Republican Southern Strategy and can't get into the 21 century.

Quote of the Day

"Name 1 issue you're willing to meet 1/2 way? You say no Wall Street Reform, no on Jobs, no on HCR. Obstruction-you say yes”

Eric Jotkoff, Florida Democratic spokesman and internet coordinator.

Jotkoff took exception to a tweet by Sen. George Lemieux. The latter tweeted President Obama should meet the Republican Senate Caucus half-way on legislation.

What Light Rail Would Like In Downtown Tampa

Hillsborough County, Florida residents will vote this year for a one cent rail tax. The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority has a Facebook video of what a rail line would look like at the Marion Transitway.

Lewis Black on Glenn Beck

Comedian Lewis Black did a hysterical take on Glenn Beck's "I see Nazis everywhere" spiel. My favorite moment was Black taking Beck to to task for comparing the Peace Corps to the SS.

Meek Backs Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Kendrick Meek has maintained safe left of center positions. Meek is feeling pressure from Jeff Greene's and Charlie Crist's candidacies. Meek has moved to the left by backing a repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Just yesterday, the White House made a big announcement: they would back a vote to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

In my opinion, it is a vote that is long overdue. My opponents, however, both oppose changing this intolerant policy.

For far too long, the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has dishonored those who serve our country so nobly.

While yesterday's signals from the White House are promising, the fight to finally repeal this policy has only just begun. The time to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is now - we can't delay any further.

We must not let political games or ideological squabbles overwhelm our best chance to bring about this long-sought change. The current policy is not only discriminatory to so many Americans, but is wrong for our national security. Since 1994, over 13,000 service members have been discharged under this law.

This is reform that truly embodies the principles this nation was founded upon.

I ask you to stand with our brave servicemen and women and join me in the fight to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Those who protect our nation deserve nothing less.

Sincerely,

Kendrick Meek

Meek is calling himself a progressive. That is a first.

The Jeff Greene and Rick Scott Equation

Florida political beat reporters Mary Ellen Klas and Gary Fineout say Jeff Greene is drawing supporting away from Kendrick Meek in the Democratic Senate primary. Both agree Rick Scott is causing similar problems for Bill McCollum in the Republican gubernatorial primary. I don't think Greene or Scott is going to win. What their late candidacies show is how weak support is for Meek and McCollum.

When a candidate is certain of the nomination, he or she will refuse to debate or define themselves on issues. Political parties do themselves a diservice by clearing the field. We saw how Florida Republicans turned on Jim Greer and Charlie Crist. Candidates also are less likely to survive a tough general election after an easy primary. Barack Obama became a better candidate by being battle tested by Hillary Clinton. Meek and McCollum have not had a tough primary ooponent and that has kept them out of the media cycle. Lack of news coverage is not an asset to a candidate.

GOP Unleashes America Speaking Out

The Republican Party has released the web site America Speaking Out. The goal of the web site is to get the GOP's 2010 election year message out. As usual, Republicans fail epically with new media.

Chief Deputy Minority Whip Kevin McCarthy described ASO.

“This is an open community and a debate of ideas; you submit the idea, you debate the idea, you put it into your network and you’ll continue to have that dialogue,” said project chairman and Chief Deputy Minority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.).

The web site allows open posting. The Huffington Post reports one post said the Civils Right Act was "UNCONSTITUTIONAL, PROGRESSIVE and HITLER." Apparently, wingnuts aren't aware that Hitler would not congratulate Jesse Owens or other African-American winners at the 1936 Olympics. Another poster suggested Orwellian level surveillance on Muslim Americans. So much for the Republican Party for building a big tent.

ASO is not run by the RNC or a political action committee. This is paid for by tax dollars. Republicans use the legal pretense that ASO is to shape policy. Thomas Mann and Meredith McGehee explain how this couldn't be further from the truth.

Congressional scholar Thomas Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said it is not credible to say the agenda is not intended for the 2010 campaign cycle.

“Its only purpose is as a campaign document,” Mann said in an e-mail. “They are in no position to shape policy before the election. It is a defensive move, to deal with the criticism that they are the party of ‘no.’”

But Meredith McGehee, policy director at the Campaign Legal Center, said Republicans have to maintain that the document is not meant for the campaign trail, even if it is only a charade. “If they don’t, they are in danger of using taxpayer funds for campaign purposes,” she said.

Blogger Steve Benen reports that Congressman Mike Pence would not elaborate on how the ASO web site will be paid for. This is why I never take Republicans seriously when they talk about fiscal conservatism.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele had similarly disastrous relaunching GOP.com. GOP.com had a future leadership page that was empty. The web site also mislabeled Jackie Robinson a GOP hero. The site was so amatuerish that it was hacked into. The GOP is a top to down party.

The reason grassroots activism and the internet work better for the net is because Democrats needs the votes and contributions of people not in the upper tax bracket. Democrats will not vote in force if they do not believe the candidate talks to grassroots issues. If Obama made offshore drilling and sending more troops to Afghanistan his two central campaign issues then John McCain would be President. Republicans rely on redistricting, fearmongering and winning presidential elections by razor thin margins. A conservative can post a comment about clawing back money from Goldman Sachs on ASO. The current Republicans are more concerned with getting Wall Street campaign dollars then creating regulations to prevent another economic meltdown. The open dialogue with voters is an election year sham.

Totally F**ked

Totally Fucked – Spring Awakening

MP3 search on MP3hunting

The song is from the musical Spring Awakening. The song sounds closer to So-Cal punk than a traditional musical.

Paula Dockery Drops Out

State Sen. Paul Dockery (R) announces she is dropping out of the governor's race. Dockery tells supporters she could not raise the money to running an effective campaign. I thank Dockery for voting against SB 6. It certainly didn't help her with the Florida GOP establishment and the Tea Party.

Quote of the Day

"Limbaugh can go play with himself."

White House response to Rush Limbaugh's proposal that the talk radio host and President Obama play a round of golf.

Democrats Tired of Obama Apathy on BP Spill

Democrats are getting restless with President Barack Obama's handling of the BP oil spill. Democrat strategist James Carville warned that The Obama administration is "naive" by letting BP take the lead in the clean up.



he CNN Transcript:

CARVILLE: They haven't told the truth about anything. They were criminally negligent in the deaths of 11 people as they were striving to get profits.

But what I'm -- concerns me is that -- I hate to say this, but I think the United States government is naive. They're -- they're -- they're -- we could have subpoenaed that on day two. We are the United States government. We have the power to subpoena. We have the Justice Department, the Interior Department, the EPA, the God knows whatnot.

We're sitting around, in my opinion, and just not doing anything, not treating this like what it is, is a disaster of the first order.

To make matters worse, Florida CFO (and Obama supporter) Alex Sink sent a letter to the President. Like Carville, Sink is urging Obama to take the lead.

Dear Mr. President:
The Deepwater Horizon oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico has become a disaster of epic proportions for those of us who live and work in the region. By whatever standard one views this situation – environmental or economic – what’s clear is that we are all suffering due to the lack of a workable plan to stop the leak and take care of the residents and businesses that have been affected.

I have said this crisis could have the same effect as a Category 5 hurricane hitting our state. Floridians want to know: Where is the Federal government’s leadership? For the past month, Gulf coast residents have been waiting for BP as they attempt different strategies to stop the leak. I ask you, for the good of the entire region, to take over the process to stop the leak. Within the Federal government alone there are multiple resources that could help develop solutions. Please bring together the best and brightest in the industry both in our country and around the world, including those who have deepwater drilling expertise in Norway and Australia.

As Florida’s CFO, I am hearing stories from residents and business owners located along the Gulf coast, from Florida’s Panhandle down to the Florida Keys. Their lives and livelihoods are being destroyed by the absence of a coordinated response coming from the Federal government. For instance, hotel bookings in the Panhandle normally carry above a 90-percent occupancy rate this time of year, but the Panama City News Herald reported last week that some hotels are experiencing decreases of 50 to 60 percent compared to the same time last year.

Further, they are facing unnecessary obstacles as they try to get help. Clearly, leaving the small business and residential assistance to BP is not working. BP is not forthcoming with the information we need and is not capable of addressing the numerous needs our communities are facing. Why must a small business owner looking for assistance through this crisis have to work through BP – why isn’t the Federal government handling claims of lost income and revenue, and interfacing with BP on behalf of Florida’s citizens? Further yet, there are numerous reports of more drilling-related activity underway in the Gulf, including the granting of waivers on several projects, despite your call for a moratorium until the cause of the Deepwater Horizon leak has been found. Given the severity of the current situation, I ask you to enforce the moratorium you called for.

I am also requesting that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke meet with the Governor and the Florida Cabinet at tomorrow’s regularly scheduled Cabinet meeting in Tallahassee to brief us on the Federal government’s efforts. I realize this is short notice, so I would be happy to request an emergency Cabinet briefing for another date to hear from the administration.

Mr. President, our communities, our environment, and our economy are all at stake. We are looking to the White House for help.

Regards,

Alex Sink

The reason the White House is not pressing BP America more is the administration is corporate-friendly. The White House did not include a public option in their proposal. Health care industry stock prices increased after millions of Americans would be mandated to buy private insurance. Obama made a deal with the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers Association to not allow Medicare to negotiate for cheaper prescription. The federal government is not allowed to do what the free market Wal-Mart does with the pharmaceutical industry. President Obama received $71,051 from BP and has voiced approval for offshore drilling.

Republicans are equally in love with corporate lobbyists. That doesn't mean progressives should declude themselves into thinking Obama shares their ideals. The President and other neo-liberals in the White House would crawl over glass to protect corporations. It is embarrassing when Kevin Costner is showing more leadership than Obama.

Note to Conservatives: Puerto Rico Not a Foreign Country

Idaho Congressional Vaughn Ward does not support Puerto Rico statehood. His reasoning is that Puerto Rico is a foreign country.

The problem with extending statehood to some, to any other country, is that then, the infrastructure requirements -- everything that we have under our laws, regulations, then applies to them. The infrastructure needs, I have read, cost an enormous amount of money. It is not time to grow the United States. Not today, not tomorrow. I don't see a time when we would. We're 50 states, I want to see us stay at that. When you can show me we've balanced the budget, we've got things under control, we've got immigration under control, we've got jobs in America, we can start maybe then looking. But I don't see that happening in my lifetime. Let's focus on America first. Let's focus on what's important here. And it's about putting Americans back to work. It's about putting this country right again. And I don't see that -- I don't care what state it is, or what country that wants to become part of America. It's not time, it's not going to be time. Let's focus on us, first.

Ward's debate opponent Raul Labrador corrected him by stating that Puerto Rico is a United States territory.

"I just need to correct," he says. "Puerto Rico's not a country. Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States. It's about time that we take some civics lesson and we learned what Puerto Rico is."

Ward, unbowed, gives no indication that he misspoke and knew what he was talking about: "I really don’t care what it is. It doesn't matter."

"Obviously you don't," says Labrador.

It will be no shock to readers that the poorly informed Ward has been endorsed by Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express.

Listening to Ward's amazingly stupid statement, I wonder if far-right conservatives hate opening text books or they are just scared of brown people. It is probably a combination of both factors. Ward isn't the only conservative who thinks Puerto Rico is a foreign country. Ginny Brown-Waite thought Puerto Rico and Guam are foreign countries.

“Second, the bill sends hundreds of millions of dollars to people who do not pay federal income taxes, including residents of Puerto Rico and territories like Guam. I do not believe American taxpayer funds should be sent to foreign citizens who do not pay taxes. Americans want an economic stimulus for Dunnellon, Brooksville and Clermont, not for San Juan or Hagatna. As the legislation moves forward, it must be changed to ensure that only federal taxpaying American citizens receive rebate checks.

I would not be shocked if other Congressional Republicans are as poorly informed about Puerto Rico's status.

TPM Poll Tracker on Crist/Rubio/Meek Race

The Talking Points Memo poll tracker averaged out the results of major polls of the Charlie Crist, Marco Rubio and Kedrick Meek Senate race.

Crist - 32.9 percent
Rubio - 32.7 percent
Meek - 15.9 percent

This is a two-person race between Crist and Rubio. The TPM Tracker shows Meek's numbers to be on a steady decline since April 21, 2010. Meek is sinking like a rock. I maintain my statement that the Meek campaign is dead.

Marco Rubio's Liz Cheney Endorsement

Marco Rubio is the proud recipient of a Liz Cheney endorsement. So proud that Rubio sent out a press release bragging about the endorsement. Rubio has the Republican nomination locked up. Apparently, the Rubio campaign thinks the state that voted for Obama in 2008 is to the right of Jim Demint.

Jenny Lewis Music Goodies

NPR has a fantastic concert of Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins. Also worth checking out is Lewis doing a solo acoustic version of the Rilo Kiley song Silver Lining.



Lewis competes with Cat Power as my ultimate rock crush.

Oil Hits Louisiana's Marshlands

Oil Impacts PAL, May 19, 2010
Originally uploaded by lagohsep

Gov. Bobby Jindal toured the ravaged marshlands of the Louisiana coast. On Flickr, there is a series of pictures of the devastation. The pictures were released by Gov. Bobby Jindal's office. Despite my previous problems with Jindal, I'm glad he let the public see the ecological damage caused by the spill.

"The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume."

Tony Hayward, CEO of BP.

There is nothing small about this spill. Check out the New York Times map to see just how full of shit Haywood really is.

Kendrick Meek Endorsed by AFL-CIO

Kendrick Meek had to stage an emergency speech to the AFL-CIO. Meek was in danger of splitting the endorsement with Gov. Charlie Crist. Meek split the Florida Education Association endorsement with Crist. Today, the AFL-CIO announced they will endorse Meek.

Meek managed to pull the AFL-CIO endorsement. However, Crist is stealing Democratic support from Meek. A Mason-Dixon poll shows Crist with 48 percent of Democratic support. Meek is polling at a distant 36 percent. To all the Florida Kossacks out there, at what point is Meek's campaign going to catch on fire? I'm waiting.

Quote of the Day

"So now you're looking at this oil slick approaching the Louisiana shore, according to... NOAA and other places. If the winds are right, it will go up the East Coast. This is exactly what they want. Now (Obama) can pander to the environmentalists and say, 'I'm gonna shut it down. It's too dangerous.'"

Michael Brown, disgraced former head of FEMA.

Brown told Fox News host Neil Cavuto that FEMA was in New Orleans the day after the storm hit. On August 29, 2005, Brown sent a request the Homeland Security director Michael Chertoff for 1,000 FEMA employees to be sent to the disaster areas. On August 31, FEMA employees warned Brown's office that the lives of people trapped in the Superdome were at risk. Brown and his press secretary were more concerned where to have lunch.

“He needs much more that (sic) 20 or 30 minutes. We now have traffic to encounter to go to and from a location of his choise (sic), followed by wait service from the restaurant staff, eating, etc. Thank you.”

Brown was such at utter failure that he was forced to resign as head of FEMA.

I watched Brown's interview and wonder at what point does a conservative become so disgraced that he is laughed out of the building. The fact that Cavuto would bring Brown on as an expert on disaster relief shows just how desperate right-wing media is to paint the BP disaster as some secret Obama conspiracy. Brown offers no proof that Obama actually wanted the BP oil spill. His statements have as much credibility as 9-11 Truthers or people waiting for the UFOs to arrive at Area 51.

I seriously wonder why Fox News brings on G. Gordon Liddy, Oliver North and Dick Morris and they are granted a seal of impeccable integrity. No Governor in the United States would hire Brown to manage disaster relief. Liddy and Morris will never get near the White House again. North will never serve in another administration. Yet Fox News holds these men up, as if they are the Gods of Olympus.

Graham Appointed to Look Into BP

President Barack Obama announced former Senator Bob Graham will co-chair of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. William Reilly will be the Republican co-chair.

Graham's statement on his appointment.

"This was so important, so immediate and will have such a big impact on Florida," Graham said, adding that, "and if the president asks you to do something, you can't say No."

Obama on his decision to appoint Graham.

Bob served two terms as Florida’s governor, and represented Florida as a United States Senator for almost two decades. During that time, he earned a reputation as a champion of the environment, leading the most extensive environmental protection effort in the state’s history.

Graham's commission will be in charge of reccommending ways to avoid future offshore oil spill disasters. The question is will the commission have any teeth. We now know BP intentionally underestimated the amount of oil leaked into the Gulf. In 2005, 15 workers were killed at a BP refinery. BP told the Minerals Management Service that a spill from an offshore rig 40 miles out would "unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur from the proposed activities." We know that is not true.

Graham is a good pick on Obama's part. However, I'm too cynical to think much change will come from the commission.

Write A Caption: Tea Party Edition

Fair, balanced and illiterate.

Rand Paul Running From Media

Comic by Mike Luckovich

Rand Paul is the political equivalent of a deer caught in the headlights of a car. Paul is shellshocked from his dismal performance on Rachel Maddow's show. Paul is backing out of appearing on Meet the Press.

At the end of a rocky week, newly chosen Senate nominee Rand Paul (R-KY) has canceled a planned interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" citing exhaustion. It's only the third cancellation from a major guest in 62 years, the show's Executive Producer Betsy Fischer said in an interview this afternoon.

"It is a big deal when somebody cancels an appearance," she said.

Meet the Press host David Gregory is best known for refusing to fact-check guests and a weird penchant dancing on-air. Paul is scared if he can't do a softball interview with Gregory. Man, talk about a Tea Party candidate not ready for prime time.

Meek Campaign Dead

Kendrick Meek's Senate campaign has been a disaster. Meek is polling a distant third behind opponents Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio. Meek's internet liaison Kenneth Quinnell has failed to raise online money. Congressman Alan Grayson has raised $594,208 on Actblue. Grayson does not have an establishment Republican running against him. Meek is running against Tea Party favorite Rubio and has only raised $11,786 on Actblue. As a netroots organizer for a Senate campaign, Quinnell needed to raised money and be in constant contact with bloggers such as Markos Moulitsas, Jane Hamsher and John Amato to galvanize to progressive base of the Democratic Party. Quinnell also needed to stress Meek's policy proposals to the bloggers at Talking Points Memo and TAPPED. This is Netroots Activism 101. There is no excuse for a Democratic Senate campaign running such a horrible online campaign.

Meek is now the center of a scandal. Dennis Stackhouse is accused of stealing $1 million from a development project revitalization program for Liberty City. Stackhouse helped an aide of Meek's buy a house. Stackhouse also paid Meek's mother, former Rep. Carrie Meek, $90,000 in consulting fees. In politics, this is known a pay to play. Stackhouse financially helped people close to Meek. In return, Meek twice put in earmarks for the Liberty City project. Stackhouse never built a thing in Liberty City.

A sure sign that Meek's campaign is dead is the Florida Education Association is endorsing both Meek and Crist. Teachers are high on Crist after he vetoed SB 6. It is unheard of for a Democrat to lose a teachers union endorsement over a (former) Republican. The Florida Education Association want to back a winner. That person is not Meek.

To add insult to injury, The Hill reports the AFL-CIO is going to endorse Meek and Crist. It is literally unheard of for the AFL-CIO not to solely back the Democratic candidate. The Palm Beach Post reported Meek had to speak to the AFL-CIO to secure a split endorsement.

“I don’t just want your vote, I need your full support. Members should not have to walk in to the halls when I walk through and say ‘This is one of our co-endorsed candidates.’ Co? What’s that? You’re either walking or you’re running. There’s no jogging.”

“We didn’t have to wait to see what the climate would be or which way the winds blowing or if the environment is right for me to run. This state needed leadership and needs leadership now.”

“I need your full support. When you came to me in the state legislature and said, ‘Kendrick, I need you to stand up and run this amendment. I need you to be with us. I need you to come out to this rally in front of this company that fired three of our workers because we were trying to organize,’ I didn’t say I’d send staff. I said I’ll be there. I wasn’t a co-friend, I was a full friend.”

That is the sound of a desperate man.

The Meek campaign was salivating at a Crist NPA run. I wrote this when Crist announced he was leaving the GOP.

Democrat Kendrick Meek told reporters he is ""running against two Republicans in the general election." The Meek campaign is hoping Crist and Rubio will split the Republican vote. This is what DNC Chairman Tim Kaine is hoping for. Meek needs to start exciting Democratic voters. Counting on Crist and Rubio to implode is not enough.

The only candidate imploding is Meek.

Update: The Meek campaign sent out a press release of the Florida Education Association endosement. The press release fails to mention Meek sharing the endorsement with Crist.

"For over a decade, a prolonged and mean-spirited battle has been waged against our teachers that demeans the profession and degrades our children's education. But our opponents have bonded us together. We have fought in the trenches during the most challenging of times because we were united by a common sense of purpose and fairness. The forces of low expectations said no to the class size amendment, but we said yes and Florida won. Teachers know who their lifelong fighter and supporter is, and today's endorsement is but another step in our strong relationship. It is always humbling to be supported by any organization, but teachers are family to me, and it's an honor to receive your embrace. Let us work hard together and claim victory for all Floridians in November."

Fox News Hearts Separate but Equal

Fox News talking head John Stossel argues in favor of businesses barring people from their businesses based on race.

JOHN STOSSEL: Private businesses ought to get to discriminate.

Fair and balanced news you can trust.

I don't know if Stossel believes his bullshit or is carrying water for Rand Paul. What is interesting is the assinine libertarian arguments of people like Glenn Reynolds is entering the public sphere. Libertarian views do not go over well in mainstream politics. Unsurprisingly, Paul is in serious backtracking mode. Paul went on Laura Ingraham's show for friendly cover.

"These are settled issues," Paul said. "I have no intention of bringing up anything related to the Civil Rights Act."

Paul told Ingraham he was being attacked by the "loony left." It is not loony to ask a Senate candidate his views on one of the most important pieces of legislation in American history. Loony is accusing Obama of not being born in America. A rationale question is asking a potential legislator how he will legislate.

Grant Hart - The Main

The Main – Grant Hart

MP3 search on MP3hunting

For those of you that don't know, Grant Hart was in Husker Du. AKA the greatest punk rock band of all-time.

Grant Hart on Myspace.

Pasco Republican Executive Committee v. Mike Fasano

The Pasco Republican Executive Committee have filed a grievance against State Sen. Mike Fasano. It seems Fasano doesn't pass the Republican purity test. The PREC's problem with Fasano is his support for Charlie Crist's Senate campaign.

"The senator continued to support publicly Charlie Crist for his senate run," said Pasco GOP chairman Randy Maggard, hours before he announced the decision Thursday to about 100 general members. "He broke every rule there is. We thought it was wrong. … If you're not a Republican, you don't need to be in the party. … I don't call it infighting. I call it cleaning house."

Maggard may not call it infighting. As a progressive blogger, I call it fun.

Maggard said he is putting all "RINOs" on alert.

"We will not put up with it in Pasco County," he said, to applause. "We're going to weed them out."

If Maggard's idea of building a political party is going further to the right and ignoring young voters and minorities then good luck. In case Maggard didn't notice, Obama won the black, Hispanic and youth votes in 2008.

In 2006, Crist won 49 percent of the Hispanic vote in his gubernatorial race with Jim Davis. Crist won't get the same number of Hispanic voters with Rubio in the race and Hispanics voting Democratic in increasing numbers. It is unlikely Crist would be governor if Davis overwhelmingly won the Hispanic vote.

Republicans have already chased minorities and young voters out of the party. The GOP now wishes to purge itself of longtime Republican moderates. The Republican Party establishment must know they can not make the party bigger by making it smaller. The problem is the GOP lacks the spine to stand up to the Tea Party and corporate lobbyists. The Republican establishment committed political suicide by attempting to filibuster the financial reform bill. This is what happens when a party elects officials more concerned with special interests than governing.

Friday Cat Blogging

Tampa's Big Cat Rescue is tending to three bobcat kittens. The young bobcats are being nursed by a domestic cat and living with three domestic cat kittens. Big Cat Rescue will eventually free the bobcats to the wild. You can watch the bobcat kittens live on the Big Cat Rescue homepage. Below are two videos on the bobcats.

The Pope of Greenwich Village

Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday called abortion and same-sex marriage some of the most “insidious and dangerous” threats facing the world today…



Tip O' The Hat to the Holy Taco and BlackDogRed

Tin Soldiers and Nixon is Still Coming, Longest Orgasm in History

So, what's going on in the world of Zen Comix? I'm not posting regularly, but I'm writing some stuff for a longer, offline project. I'm going outside to smell the strawberries and apple blossoms. I still visit some of my favorite , funny sites, and if I'm motivated enough, I might even comment.

I find myself agreeing with Chris Floyd's take on the American War Machine.




The cognitive dissonance on the right (Don't read Miranda warnings to "terrorists" and strip them of citizenship, but allow them unfettered access to munitions. Also, too, show us your papers before purchasing over the counter cold medicine) is equaled by the refusal of the left to admit that it's a war crime when Obama does it, just as it was a war crime when Bush did it.

I really should, but I can't summon the energy right now to draw caricatures of the cast of characters in Obama's Ring of Fire, hence the recycled cartoons of Republicans.The names and faces may change, but we're still bogged down in wars.

I'm spending more time outside with the plants and birds. Every time I grab the shovel, the robins follow me around like puppy dogs. They're practically tame. If I tried hard enough, I could get them to eat the worms from my hand.


Meanwhile, my mind keeps returning to this. The sole comment on a post about Tibetans being beaten by cops in New York City looks like Chinese spam. Capitalism, baby, fuck yeah! Who OWNS you? Next time, the Tibetans ought to hire some locked and loaded Teabaggers as security escorts. Or maybe when The Dalai Lama is playing golf with Mick Jaggar, he can ask him if he still has the number for the Hell's Angels.




When it's a white guy flying a plane into the Government's IRS building, or blowing up Government buildings in Oklahoma, it's your lone gunman explanation. When it's a brown guy trying to blow shit up, it's a conspiracy!





The US military is killing civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan. How would you feel if people from Afghanistan and Pakistan and Iraq retaliated by killing American civilians here? Where is your Moral Clarity? How does the cycle end? The people with a vested interest in perpetuating the cycle are the same people that order the cops to beat the shit out of a bunch of flag waving Tibetans. Nothing new under the sun.



Health Care Reform?



Health Insurance Reform?

Meanwhile, The Gulf of Mexico is totally fucked. Why didn't BP have the containment thingie ready to go from Day One? The same reason they didn't have a remote shut off valve? The clean up of the Gulf will be cosmetic, at best, and won't really begin in earnest until the winds whip the oil slick ashore and it lands on...





The gravy sucking pigs who want to shrink the Government until it's small enough to drown in a bathtub full of oil slicked sea water are the first ones in line begging for the spoonful of Gummint Sugar Tits to help the medicine go down.

Don't shit where you eat, my friend.



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Zencomix

Glenn Beck to the Left of McCain

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John McCain was once for immigration reform. That was before he fell from grace with the GOP base and Arizona passed a anti-immigration bill. McCain plays to the xenophobic Tea Paty base by being against reading terrorist suspects their Miranda rights. Shockingly, Glenn Beck is to the Left of McCain on the Miranda rights issue.

Just How Bad Is Fred Armisen

It is no secret that Saturday Night Live guru Lorne Michaels refuses to cast black actors and women. The few that do become cast members have little screen time or play stereotypical roles. Male black cast members have often worn dresses because Michaels refuses to hire a black actress. Eddie Murphy was the only black comedian who became a star on the show. Michaels was not executive producer during Murphy's tenure on SNL.

Which brings us to why Fred Armisen is still playing Obama. SNL did a casting call for black actors to play Obama. Michaels decided to stay with Armisen. There are numerous problems with this decision. In 2008, America elected a black president. Michaels is still slamming the door in the face of black actors. Another problem is Armisen's Obama impression is terrible. Armisen can not do Obama's voice or mannerisms. I watch Armisen's Obama and wonder if he is doing a Forrest Gump impression. Armisen is also a bad comedian. So bad that he was booed off the stage of the Bowery Ballroom. The blog Brooklyn Vegen from people who saw his performance are telling.

danfun:

Dude he is that bad. This guys doesn't understand what it means to be funny. The Native America comedian bit he was doing, was so bad I couldn't believe that this guy actually has a profesional career.

Charlie:

Fred Armisen is not funny. I hope he doesn't play Obama on SNL again this year; it's hard to watch.

Jordan Peele auditioned to be Obama. He spent several seasons on Mad TV and in the improv company Boom Chicago. More imporatantly: Peele is black, funny and a great impressionist. I would love to personally ask Michaels how he could justify not hiring Peele and other qualified black actors and retain Armisen as Obama.

Here is a video of Peele as Obama.

Obama Reacts to Health Care Vote from FOD Team and Jordan Peele - Video
- Watch more Funny Videos at Vodpod.

Rubio Still Supports Offshore Drilling

After the horrible oil spill in the Gulf Coast, Marco Rubio still backs offshore drilling. Rubio is not even for a mileage buffer.

"I'm open to the experts in that regard," he told reporters at a press avail in DC before an interview with the conservative magazine Human Events. "The goal is not buffers, the goal is energy policy that's safe and effective. Clearly, no one wants to see this ever happen again. And I've not heard anyone say you can not safely drill for oil because there are thousands of rigs drilling even as we speak, that are not leaking, that are not causing this ecological disaster. Clearly this was caused by something that went wrong and the question is what went wrong..."

"I don't view this from a mileage standpoint, I view this from an energy standpoint," he said. "The question is: "Should the United States have access to all of its energy resources and the answer to me is yes. It has to be done in a way that's safe and clearly not destructive to your environment, to your ecology, or to your economy."

Rubio has heard anyone because Rubio has remained willfullfully ignorant. The Daily News editorial board were shocked at Rubio's lack of knowledge of offshore dilling and fishing.

But he was unaware of military officials’ concern about expanded drilling, which complicates the issue here on the Emerald Coast. In June, the commander of Eglin Air Force Base’s Air Armament Center told our editorial board that more drilling in water ranges that are used for training will, “at some point,” have an impact on national defense.

Mr. Rubio said he would have to research the matter.

The Miami resident also seemed unfamiliar with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s recent shutdown of amberjack fishing, which has riled folks in Destin. The most he could muster was a one-size-fits-all observation that federal officials were “overreaching.”

Oil industry cheerleader Dean Cannon has backed away from his previous position of immediate offshore drilling. Rubio's current stance and ignorance of energy issues illustrate how far out of the mainstream he is. Rubio has raised $49,750 from the energy industry. Rubio has no passion for environmental issues and is running against two well-funded candidate. Rubio needs the energy industry dollars. Ofcourse he will support offshore drilling.

An oil industry insider e-mails The Young Turks. The insider said all offshore drilling is extremely risky. It should not be done any circumstances. A man in Rubio's position could seek out experts. Rubio wasn't even aware miltary exercises off of Florida's coast. Willful ignorance is a trait that should disqualify Rubio from public office.

Mike Bennett Caught Viewing Porn Web Site

Florida Sen. Mike Bennett (R) is dealing with a bit of embarrassment. Bennett was caught visiting a porn web site while on the floor of the Florida Senate. Beenett was not on the web page for long. He provided his explanation to Miami Herald.

"I didn't know it was in there. As soon as I realized what it was, I shut it," Bennett said. "I don't know how many girls there were, what they looked like or what they were wearing. I have no idea what the picture looked like because when I saw what it was, I closed it. I had (Sen.) Eleanor Sobel behind me on one side and Sen. Frederica Wilson on the other side. On the side of me is (Sen.) Nancy Detert, who has expressed her dislike for me for a long time. And then there's the Democrat, Dan Gelber, who's running for Attorney General. And we were all talking about these issues. Are you out of your mind? There is no way that anybody would knowingly open up something like this in that situation."

Personally, I don't think it is a big deal. It is funny as hell.