No Agenda

The Republicans has reason to gloat over the recent MA victory. The feeble organization and leadership of the Democrats with health care reform and the poor job they've done of communicating to the public the facts of healthcare reform are also noteworthy. We're going to lose seats in the next election, to be sure.

That said, the GOP has no agenda, no plan, and no leadership. Their health care plan is nonexistent, because they don't want health care reform, ever. If it doesn't benefit corporations or the super-rich, they don't want it, and saving the lives of people not currently covered doesn't register on their radar. So much for preserving the sanctity of life. (I guess once born, you're on your own.) Their crass excuses are becoming tiresome; "let's take more time on this" they say, and "this is the wrong time for this with the high deficit" they claim ... what nonsense. They want to slow down health care because slowing it is half-way to killing it. The economy and high deficits meant little to them when Bush was driving the deficit through the roof for their agenda, but now that its the Democrats turn, suddenly money is an issue. Please.

Moreover, the Republican Party suffers from a huge leadership gap. They have no real figureheads, save for the most extreme, polarizing individuals—Rush, Beck, Palin, and perhaps Cheney. The average moderate Republican voter must be desperate for someone, anyone, that has some real brains to step up. Until this happens, the Republican party remains simply the Party of No. Eventually they will have to step up with leadership and ideas—real ideas that benefit normal Americans and not simply the fat cats—or they will soon find themselves in deep trouble. It's easy to oppose the Democrats and spread misinformation during a period of bad economy (that GOP and Bush policies largely helped create), but after you start taking over the majority again GOP, then what? The tired GOP trifecta of opposing gay marriage, opposing abortion, and threatening other countries with military action won't cut it when it comes to restoring jobs or fixing the real problems that face us today. 

Well said!

The President tried tonight, but I fear healthcare reform is hitting the third rail. The GOP, trading in their treasured coin of fear tactics and lies, coupled with Obama's "loose reins" approach (a well-meaning intent to avoid the mistakes of the Clinton years), could well sink the public option. Or the whole reform. Meanwhile Big PHARMA has already rung out concessions from Congress. So the insurance and pharma companies will get richer and more people will go broke or die because of the ridiculous cost of healthcare in this country. [sigh]

The Bill Moyers Journal says it well here. Give a listen.

Don't Go Away Mad, Just Go Away

Today is Sarah Palin's last day in office serving as governor (much to Alaska's relief, no doubt). Now it's off to make a fortune selling books to those "lower 48" states and to clean up on the lecture circuit. If we're lucky she'll earn just enough to buy a new, deluxe tanning bed and then she'll disappear.

I've heard right-wind pundits talk about how scared the liberals/progressives are of Palin. Damn right. We always fear the unholy union of naked ambition coupled with laziness and raw stupidity. We've had one president who didn't read newspapers, and look where it got us. Go back and watch the Couric interviews again ... the mere idea that this dingbat could make ascend to higher office and make decisions that could shape the course of world history is truly, truly frightening. Stephen King couldn't dream up during his worst nightmare something as horrifying as the prospect of this starry-eyed dolt signing laws that would affect me and my family.

Of course, given her current negative-approval rating of 53%, I suspect she would only lead the Republicans to another utter defeat in 2012. She's really the gift that keeps giving. I also suspect that the ranks of Independents (if not Democrats) would swell with yet more disaffected Republicans should she run, but there also that mindless contingent that will vote for her or support her strictly because of her conservative stances regardless of how obviously moronic and dangerous she is. (This week various experts on FOX "News" were calling Obama dangerous ... holy crap! Let's see, a choice between a man who taught constitutional law and a woman who skins elk and can't even name a magazine or newspaper she reads when asked twice...)

So I say to Sarah, don't go away mad, just go away.

Goodbye Mollie

Mollie Sugden died July 1st after a long illness; her twin daughters were at her bedside. She was 86 years old. Mollie worked in theatre (where she met her future husband William Moore) and starred in such British shows as The Liver Birds and Coronation Street, but she is best known to American audiences as the fiercely outspoken Mrs. Slocombe on the britcom Are You Being Served?. She also later starred in the sequel of sorts, Grace & Favour, in which the department store coworkers attempt to make a go of a country bed and breakfast establishment.

A long-running joke on the show involved her references to her cat, Tiddles, also known as her pussy.

For a classic bit, click here and go to timecount 7:50. In this scene Mrs. Slocombe is speaking about her cat's pregnancy, but only Ms. Brahms knows she's talking about her cat.

Mollie, as Mrs. Slocombe, really defined Are You Being Served? a great deal. Much of the action and laughs revolves around her character, and she had a central role most of the Men's Dept vs Women's Dept action on the show. Her stance toward management is something many of us can appreciate.

Thank you Mollie for the many hours of laughter you've given me, and I am unanimous in that.

Crazy Like a FOX

The story of embattled South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford broke on the FOX News network as it did elsewhere, but wait there's a problem...

"(D)"? They seem to have mislabeled a Republican in disgrace as a Democrat. Luckily, this has never happened before...

Oh.

In a word: owe up to your own, folks. The Republican Party has climbed onto its high horse and self-labeled itself the party of family values and the keepers of general morality, but the endless stream of shamed Republican politicians belie that notion. Newt Gingritch, Larry Craig, Mark Foley, John Ensign, Mark Sanford... Did you catch that scent? It's the smell of hypocrisy in the air.

Pitch Perfect

Conservative criticism to the contrary, Obama's soft stance on the Iran voting crisis is dead-on. There are those who foolishly insist the President, speaking as the voice of freedom et al., insist that the revolting citizens are correct, the election was rigged, and so on. This is wrong.

The Iran hardliners and Ahmadinejad's camp would love to make this debate into Iran versus the Evil West rather than Iran versus many of its citizens. They have already warned the US not to meddle in a thinly veiled, weak attempt to do just that. A bold comment by the US would only give them the ammunition to make a valid case, swaying some citizens toward Ahmadinejad and inviting distraction at a time when a shocking minor(?) revolution is taking place.

This past Sunday, Monica Crowley, displaying a typically Republican lack of long-term vision, insisted that Obama take such a ill-fated stance. Lawrence O'Donnell immediately took her to task for the position, and pointed out that the result of such a statement would be ... well what? Would the elected individual step down? Would the Supreme Leader suddenly cal for a recount? Seriously, folks. The result—the only possible result—would be Iran shaking its fist at the US and crying foul. Their people lose or get distracted, they take a tougher stance (probably killing more protesters than they might otherwise), and our next series of diplomatic talks with them are automatically unproductive. Brilliant strategy, so we can—what?—feel we said the right thing? Anyone with a modicum of intelligence understands that the current Administration would love to see a power shift over there.

This is the difference between an intelligent, measured Administration and a swaggering, foolish one—giving thought to one's actions and their possible repercussions, lest you, I don't know, start a messy war or something.

100 Days

Ever since FDR’s New Deal, all new presidents have been cursed with the “100 days” evaluation. Today President Obama has hit this somewhat infamous benchmark, and he is doing surprisingly well. The latest polls show his job approval rating at 69% (wouldn’t Bush have killed for that!), 90% feel he is a competent Commander in Chief, the Right Track/Wrong Track numbers have gone from 20/80% to 60/40% since Obama took office, and a poll this week in the Wall Street Journal (hardly a bastion of the "liberal media") ranked Obama's personal likability at 91%. The GOB pundits are crying foul at the levels of spending and his friendliness toward certain world leaders, but considering that only 21% of Americans label themselves Republicans according to their values it seems a safe bet we can ignore such chatter.

Obama promised to close Gitmo and reduce troop levels in Iraq, and prudent steps have been taken to make that so. He planned to inject roughly 800 billion into the economy, and Congress signed through approximately 787 billion. It’s been a good 100 days. He also signed off on absolutely banning torture his very first day, though some dislike that policy…

Torture

After the economy, the torture issue has been getting a lot of press recently (fueled in part by Dick Cheney’s incessant babbling on FOX News). What I want to know is, when did the use of torture ever become a debate? If you or your parents had been asked in grade school, “Do Americans torture?” the instant, authoritative answer would be “No, they don’t.”

So what has changed? Torture is still not an effective means of getting information (as saying what people want to hear and providing actionable intelligence are not the same). I’m also getting tired of the “we live in different times” or “this is a different kind of war” argument. Yeah, so? Were the days after Pearl Harbor a relaxing time for the country? All wars are different. Was Korea not different from Viet Nam ? Was Viet Nam not different from World War II? World War II different from the Civil War?

If we are going to yield our moral fiber, what exactly are we defending? There are those who would gladly permit secret government wiretapping of our own citizens and torture, yet they say we must defend ourselves against “evil” states. If we stoop to that level, we’ve already joined those states; the war is already over.

A Specter of Change?

Arlen Specter joined the ranks of the Democrats this week, bringing us closer to that filibuster-proof majority of yore. I knew I liked that tough old sage. Now if Al Franken’s lawyers come through, we’re off to the races.

Here’s to the next 100 days.

Good for a hoot.

Old Rush got the business this week ... from one of his own party. (No photos today; I really don't want to see that pudgy face on my site.) Give a listen. Love it.

Bereft of Ideas

We’re now 60 days in and counting, and the new Administration is rolling along fast. Despite the enormous challenges left gift wrapped at this Administration’s door, they’ve already worked nimbly on multiple fronts. Good. Now if they could only learn to screen their potential appointees a little better…

The Republicans have basically become the Party of No, desperately clinging to their long-disgraced economic policies and basically refusing to go along with anything, yet offering precious little new ideas in return. In the meantime, they longingly search for a scandal, any scandal, to hang around the new president’s neck.

Mass Amnesia?

Most amusing are the complaints coming from these guys. I too worry about the debt of future generations, but where, pray tell, was this great concern about the mounting deficit (at least 1.3 trillion of which President Obama inherited) when they were happily lining up without complaint behind George W. Bush’s wild spending sprees, tax cuts, and other excesses?
Now that the spending is actually to be applied to things that can benefit future generations—better education, lower healthcare costs, greater environmental safety, and true energy independence, rather than filling the coffers of the super-rich—these guys suddenly turn fiscal conservative on us. Convenient.

Mitt Romney appeared on Sunday television a few weeks ago and mocked Obama’s plan to half the deficit in 4 years. Where was his scorn when Bush said he’d cut his deficit in half in the next 10? (I’ve personally always found it amusing when a current president states they’ll achieve a fiscal benchmark well after their term expires—talk about passing the buck!)

Not that it matters. As usual, the last departing Republican president has upheld the tradition of leaving a deficit-happy fiscal disaster for his Democratic successor, so it’s truly doubtful that meaningful changes will be forthcoming because now we simply don’t have the capital.

Equally amusing (though it’s really infuriating) are their cries about Wall Street bonuses and their cries for investigations. Oh really? No mention of investigations about secret prisons, wiretapping of Americans, torture of prisoners, secret meetings with energy executives, screwed up invasions, botching of Katrena, bad treatment of veterans (shall I go on?), but some contracted bonuses have them in a huff. They act Populist to gain public sympathy while ignoring their continual cries over the previous 8 years for less Wall Street regulation and “ownership society” policies. It would appear, intentionally or not, they have short memories indeed.

Clinging to the Old

The Republicans, if really they wish to gain public trust, rebuild their party, and milk the current Populism, need to stop their endless policies to benefit only the rich and the corporations. They are painfully transparent, and it’s getting old.

As recently as this month, good old Newt Gingrich (whose intelligence I respect, if not admire) pushed in editorials for lower capital-gains taxes (gee, who would that benefit?) and lowering the business tax rate to match Ireland’s (at 12.5% currently). This is just another version of the tired voodoo, trickle-down economics, and it doesn’t work. If you give companies greater profits, they don’t suddenly give all their workers a raise, the company leaders simply take a greater profit. Many is the time I heard companies slash raises and such because of bad economic times, but never in my life have I seen a company say “Hey, we’re making great profits and the economy is surging, so look for a bonus in your next paycheck!” But hey, maybe it’s because I don’t work in lower Manhattan.

Today the Republicans brandished their “new plan” under Obama’s nose, deriding claims that they had no new ideas. I haven’t yet read it, but I’ve heard it’s a trifle light on numbers (as in few if any) and I’m willing to offer excellent odds that it keeps the deficit-burgeoning Bush tax cuts, encourages at-home drilling at the expense of our children’s environment for the enrichment of oil companies, and gives more fiscal benefits to employers than employees. Any takers?

Just Basking

So many things to comment about... so little time.

How about some quick takes?

Hillary. Good choice?
My take: Yes. She quick on the uptake, and she'll be surprisingly loyal. If Obama will give Bill ambassadorship of, say, Antarctica, he'll be all set.

Bill Richardson. Good pick?
Hell yes. We even got the beard-free version.

Detroit. Bail 'em out?

Yes. They are idiots, embracing failed models, too many brands, and they're far too slow to build good, reliable cars that aren't SUVs, but the loss of jobs would be devastating. I say we exact huge promises out of them before they see a cent. No more battles over increasing the millage of their cars.

Gotta run.
But in the meantime I'm going to bask in the presidential victory. Ahhh. Petty perhaps, but I sincerely hope that all the idiots that wrote into the newspapers crowing about Bush's supposed mandate and "political capital" back in 2004 put the election results in their collective pipe and take a good puff. Change has come. As usual, the other side has left us a horrendous mess to clean up, on more fronts than can be counted, a legacy of a obviously failed administration that embraced incompetence and tunnel vision when not swaggering with unearned bravado or buckling under its own misguided ideolology—but such is life. It's a new day.

A Letter to Aron

Great story. Great candidate.
Read all about it here.

Cutsie yeah, but I'm a sucker for the hype.

Hey There Sarah

I've spent weeks reeling in horror from the possibility that Sarah Palin could possibly be one position removed from being President of the United States. Yikes. These two videos say it better than I could, and honestly, this dingbat doesn't deserve my writing time. Enjoy the show.

"Hey Sarah Palin"

Jack Cafferty Speaks About Sarah

Lies

Events have been unfolding fast in this Presidential campaign, too fast for me to keep up it seems (I've also been very busy these days), but it does appear that a clear path of attack for Obama has opened up—one that even the continually and tragically befuddled Democrats can employ: The McCain camp has been lying like hell. Continually.

On TV and on the stump, whether it Palin's pathetically false "Thanks but no thanks" statement about the so-called bridge to nowhere that she ardently supported (before it became a public embarrassment to Alaska anyway) or the McCain ad claims that Obama "supported comprehensive sex education for minors" when Obama actually supports a program to help children recognize and avoid sexual predators, they've been playing beyond loose with the facts.

Both sides traditionally stretch the truth in negative ads and attacks, that is American politics, but as Joe Klein mentions in his most recent TIME op-ed, this time McCain has completely sailed beyond the edge of normal politics into Fantasyland, even repeating lies again and again that have been proved demonstratably false to anyone with an IQ above 50.

Even when the McCain camp complains about being called liars, they lie.

It's pathetic, and doubly so because McCain, whom I once admired, promised to run an 'honorable campaign" and supposedly holds personal integrity in great regard. Were is the honor in baseless allegations, lies, and smears?

Should He Stay or Should He Go Now?

Should I stay or
should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An’ if I stay it will be double

—The Clash

The McCain staff isn't giving Obama a break. So much for running a "respectful" campaign. The amusing part is the flip-flopping, "try whatever sticks" attacks (usually delivered by a lackey).

First they critized Obama for saying he would bomb in Pakistan. Then later they commented that Obama was wrong to consider terrorist actions a police matter (something he's never actually said) and eschewing military action. Well, what's the problem—not enough force or too little?

Now they're going on about Obama's travel plans. McCain wouldn't shut up about the fact that Obama hasn't been to Iraq in years (since 2006 actually, so say a year and a half). Now that Obama is heading over there, killing their favorite line of attack, they're calling his trip a campaign stunt and saying he should concentrate on issues here at home instead of "campaigning abroad" (their term). Sigh.

Aren't folks getting tired of these tired, it-worked-last-time attacks?

And now some guy in Florida—I think it's Florida but I really don't care enough to check—is putting up 9-11 billboards advertising a song about not voting for a Democrat.

A quote from the CNN story on this dipshit:

"I believe 9/11 could have been prevented if we'd had a Republican president at the time," Meehan said Wednesday on CNN's "American Morning."

Um ... hello? A Republican president at the time, eh? Who was in the White House at the time, Billboard Guy, Al Gore? Of course, perhaps he was playing that favorite of Republican games, blame the current mess on the last president (it's a favorite of theirs every time they screw up the economy yet again), but that too falls factually short since Clinton in 2000 authorized deadly force against a certain 9-11 terrorist mastermind the current Administration stopped mentioning a few years ago...

(Amusingly, another fellow claims the song name was stolen from him, and he's responded by not only insulting the Billboard Guy but also by posting his receipt for a $250 donation to the Obama campaign. Love it.)

I'm getting too old for this. Is it November yet?

Cookie-Gate

Yeah, I know, I've got to move on to better things—like John McCain's ridiculous plan for "fixing" our economy—but I couldn't resist touching on smaller potatoes.

Evidently Cindy McCain has posted a few "family recipes" on the official McCain website. One can appreciate this rich lady wanting the American people to see her happy home-maker side. One problem: she lifted them from elsewhere. Don't believe me? Take a gander of a side-by-side of "her" recipe and one that was previously posted at the Food Network's site. I put them right next to each other for your viewing pleasure. Go ahead and click on that image to enlarge it a bit, be my guest.


Evidently Mrs. McCain has pilfered her recipes from a variety of sources. Back in the July 2008 edition of Family Circle she submitted a cookie receipe, only to have an eagle-eyed reader realize the recipe had been copied from Hershey's website. Oops.

See here and here. (I believe the blame was laid at the feet of an intern, who was fired.)

I guess she's back to her old tricks.

In the big scheme of things, this doesn't mean a whole lot perhaps. Rachel Ray is taking it in stride (and using it in an attempt to get Cindy on her show). For me, it's a good glimpse of how they operate—both the McCains and many Republican operatives in general, however. They assume we're not paying attention. They assume we're stupid. And they'll lie about things great and small, often with impunity. Let's all remember to pay attention between now and Election Day.

No More Sundays

Tim Russert died this afternoon, apparently of a heart attack (although details are still emerging). He had recently returned from Europe and was in his offices across from the White House preparing for his evening show when he collapsed. He was only 58 years old.

I am terribly, terribly saddened by this news. Tim’s face was a regular one in my household, and scarcely a Sunday passed without my watching Meet the Press. Tim took over the show in 1991 and molded into a powerful creation of his own making—if you wanted to be taken seriously in the world of politics, or indeed by the world at large, you went on Meet the Press. Period. His insidiously subtle style of grilling important people, even presidents, often confronting them with their own words or broken promises, was famous. Yet he did it in a respectful, gentle manner, and almost always the guests left laughing or smiling.

To this day, I have no idea what Tim’s political leanings were. He was fair, grilling both Democrats and Republicans with equal aplomb, wit, and style. His knowledge of politics was incredible, and he was tireless in doing what he so obviously loved. The image of the crazy 2000 election night for me is defined by Tim Russert scribbling furiously on a tiny whiteboard, once again making sense of this country’s political bedlam for us mere mortals.

This is truly a loss for the entire nation. I will mourn you Tim. Thank you for all the great Sundays and all the great words of wisdom over the years.

Scott Speaks

The latest in a long, long line of critical Administration "insider" books will be released next week, as former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan dishes out what looks to be a surprisingly harsh tome.
McClellan was known to be extremely loyal to Bush over many years, so it is shocking to see some of the tidbits contained in the book excerpts:

“The collapse of the administration’s rationales for war, which became apparent months after our invasion, should never have come as such a surprise. … In this case, the ‘liberal media’ didn’t live up to its reputation. If it had, the country would have been better served.”

and

“History appears poised to confirm what most Americans today have decided: that the decision to invade Iraq was a serious strategic blunder. No one, including me, can know with absolute certainty how the war will be viewed decades from now when we can more fully understand its impact. What I do know is that war should only be waged when necessary, and the Iraq war was not necessary.”

Whoa. I'm starting to think Scott may not be welcome at the next Crawford clambake.

Sounds like a good read by the fireplace.

Shedding the Knife

I'll keep this short. StoryCorps never fails to amaze and delight me, as people from all walks of life share their special stories. Often it is the most mundane, ordinary people that present the most courageous and inspiring tales. Enough of my chatter; check out the link. If possible, listen and don't just read it. But do check it out.

A risky thing to do. Probably. But such brave actions change our world for the better, one person at a time.

Welcome Spring

Spring is here!
Today I'll present a reading selection. Enjoy, gentle readers.

Some Thoughts on the Common Toad
By George Orwell

Before the swallow, before the daffodil, and not much later than the snowdrop, the common toad salutes the coming of spring after his own fashion, which is to emerge from a hole in the ground, where he has lain buried since the previous autumn, and crawl as rapidly as possible towards the nearest suitable patch of water. Something--some kind of shudder in the earth, or perhaps merely a rise of a few degrees in the temperature--has told him that it is time to wake up: though a few toads appear to sleep the clock round and miss out a year from time to time--at any rate, I have more than once dug them up, alive and apparently well, in the middle of the summer.

At this period, after his long fast, the toad has a very spiritual look, like a strict Anglo-Catholic towards the end of Lent. His movements are languid but purposeful, his body is shrunken, and by contrast his eyes look abnormally large. This allows one to notice, what one might not at another time, that a toad has about the most beautiful eye of any living creature. It is like gold, or more exactly it is like the golden-coloured semi-precious stone which one sometimes sees in signet-rings, and which I think is called a chrysoberyl.

For a few days after getting into the water the toad concentrates on building up his strength by eating small insects. Presently he has swollen to his normal size again, and then he hoes through a phase of intense sexiness. All he knows, at least if he is a male toad, is that he wants to get his arms round something, and if you offer him a stick, or even your finger, he will cling to it with surprising strength and take a long time to discover that it is not a female toad. Frequently one comes upon shapeless masses of ten or twenty toads rolling over and over in the water, one clinging to another without distinction of sex. By degrees, however, they sort themselves out into couples, with the male duly sitting on the female's back. You can now distinguish males from females, because the male is smaller, darker and sits on top, with his arms tightly clasped round the female's neck. After a day or two the spawn is laid in long strings which wind themselves in and out of the reeds and soon become invisible. A few more weeks, and the water is alive with masses of tiny tadpoles which rapidly grow larger, sprout hind-legs, then forelegs, then shed their tails: and finally, about the middle of the summer, the new generation of toads, smaller than one's thumb-nail but perfect in every particular, crawl out of the water to begin the game anew.

I mention the spawning of the toads because it is one of the phenomena of spring which most deeply appeal to me, and because the toad, unlike the skylark and the primrose, has never had much of a boost from poets. But I am aware that many people do not like reptiles or amphibians, and I am not suggesting that in order to enjoy the spring you have to take an interest in toads. There are also the crocus, the missel-thrush, the cuckoo, the blackthorn, etc. The point is that the pleasures of spring are available to everybody, and cost nothing. Even in the most sordid street the coming of spring will register itself by some sign or other, if it is only a brighter blue between the chimney pots or the vivid green of an elder sprouting on a blitzed site. Indeed it is remarkable how Nature goes on existing unofficially, as it were, in the very heart of London. I have seen a kestrel flying over the Deptford gasworks, and I have heard a first-rate performance by a blackbird in the Euston Road. There must be some hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of birds living inside the four-mile radius, and it is rather a pleasing thought that none of them pays a halfpenny of rent.

The Hip Boots Requirement

Whilst riding home from work today, I caught a great mini-interview on NPR. Robert Siegel was speaking with Bill Cunningham, host of the Cincinnati radio program The Big Show with Bill Cunningham on WLW. They were of course discussing Cunningham’s recent flap with John McCain, and some of the things Cunningham said regarding Barack Obama. When warming up a crowd for McCain, the radio host repeatedly referred to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as Barack HUSSEIN Obama (emphasis his).

Robert Siegel asked why the emphasis on the middle name. Bill Cunningham rattled off a number of famous presidents that used their middle names and said he merely did it to present Obama is a more respectful light.

Siegel, rather incredulously, asked if, as widely reported, Cunningham was trying to link Obama via his last name to Muslimism and he noted that Cunningham had incorrectly added other, false middle names to Obama’s on his radio show. Cunningham stated that 98% of the time he was right, but on his radio show he had been wrong (he blamed it on Internet sources that misstated Obama’s full name), but anyway, he was just using Barack’s full name as a sign of respect and not to stir up trouble.

Listen here.
Or read here.

Riiiight.

Cunningham also said he had been invited to “throw red meat to the crowd” and that now, given McCain’s apology for his commentary, he would “sleep easier” seeing Hillary in the White House. Obviously a loyal guy. And a popular show host for the Radical Right. Let’s see: you distort and fear-monger onstage, then lie about it, then smear your host. I can see why the Republican crowd loves him.

His commentary, what little I’ve heard, was typical rants about how—woe is us!—the press gives Obama and company a pass but picks on Bush and Cheney, and how they should criticize everyone. Well, Mr. Cunningham, perhaps if Obama cherry-picks intelligence to engineer an expensive war that costs us nearly 4,000 lives (and counting), lies about secret CIA prisons and torture, or jerry-rigs an election, perhaps I’ll agree it’s time The New York Times got on his case too.

Until then, you and your adoring crowd can just hold your breath.

Thus ends today’s sermon. Thanks for your indulgence.