Newt Watch - Cashing In On Rush Limbaugh's "Slut-Shaming"

March 4th, 2012

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Well, even after the fat man issued his phony apology, there was at least one politician who sought to gain some advantage by dragging himself through Rush's snail-stain.

The National Journal reports:

"Newt Gingrich on Saturday used the flap over Rush Limbaugh's controversial denunciations of Sandra Fluke as a way to attack President Obama for acting "opportunistically" when he called the Georgetown University law student to express his disappointment over Limbaugh's comments.

After Limbaugh described Fluke as a “slut” and “prostitute” for advocating for subsidizing birth control, Obama contacted Fluke personally. Numerous conservatives and other GOP presidential candidates have rebuked the conservative broadcaster to varying degrees, but the former House speaker said he saw the issue much differently.

"I think the president will opportunistically do anything he can," Gingrich said in response to a reporter’s question after a rally in Hamilton. "I think the most important use of language in the last week has been the president's apology to religious fanatics, and I want to stay focused on what the president has said, and I think what he said was inexcusable and is exactly the wrong policy at a time of life and death, and playing political games is irrelevant as far as I'm concerned."

My first reaction is to suggest that Gingrich, with this act of opportunism, is the last person who should accuse anyone else of behaving "opportunistically."

What's really illuminating here is that he attempted to use the vile spectacle while simultaneously framing it as no big deal.

Charting Palin's Brain

Oct 7th, 2011

First of all, I want to admit up front that I was wrong and most everyone else was right; Sarah Palin is not running for the office of the Presidency in 2012. It was a money making scheme all along. That said, I came across this chart today which pokes some fun at her thought processes. It's still worth sharing.

Perry Watch - Is Anyone In Charge?

Aug 29th, 2011

Rick Perry has now disavowed his campaign's disavowal of his recent book.

At this time, there is no word whether or not his campaign will next move to disavow his disavowal of their previous disavowal.

In an exchange captured by Think Progess, Governor Perry snarks back against a fairly reasonable question from Scott Keyes:

Keyes: "But should states-rights supporters be worried that, as governor you said that Social Security is not something that falls in the purview of the federal government, but in your campaign, have backed off that?"

Perry: "I haven’t backed off anything in my book. Read the book again, get it right. Next question."

GOP Sabotaging America

June 23rd, 2011

Some of us have been suggesting for months that the Republican Party is actively trying to injure ordinary Americans and limit any potential recovery for ballot leverage in 2012. At last, some senior elected Democrats are willing to call them out for their tactics.

Ryan Witt writes for The Washington Examiner:
"President Obama is generally considered the favorite to win re-election in 2012, as he consistently leads all Republican candidates in the polls, but there are some who believe the President could still be vulnerable if the economy continues to weaken. Today Talking Points Memo reported that Senate Democrats accused the Republicans of purposefully blocking any measures to improve the economy in order to better their chances of beating Obama in 2012.

To support their case the Democrats point to the most recent debt ceiling negotiations. The Democrats have proposed a temporary reduction in the payroll tax, which would theoretically free up more money and generate some more economic growth. Democrats generally favor more direct economic investment, such as spending for infrastructure projects, but were willing to meet the Republicans on their terms by proposing a tax cut.

Democrats had assumed that the Republicans, who generally have never met a tax cut they did not like, would accept the measure. However, the Republicans have said they oppose the temporary tax cut as a "gimmick." The Republican position has caused Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to make the following bold accusation against Republicans,

"Would Republicans really oppose a tax cut for business that created jobs? This is sort of beyond the pale. So if they'd oppose even something so suited to their tastes ideologically, it shows that they're just opposing anything that would help create jobs. It almost makes you wonder if they aren’t trying to slow down the economic recovery for political gain."

With all due respect and in consideration of the fact that the single largest barrier to domestic growth currently is demand, there's no "almost" about it.