The Garlic: 12/13/2009

Saturday, December 19, 2009

For A Minute, I Thought Peggy Noonan Was Coming Out Against Gitmo

Jesus, I thought, Peggy Noonan is slamming The Commander Guy, the Shadow President, and all the other dwarfs, finks, phonies and frauds of The Bush Grindhouse.

The Gipper's Groupie is against torture?

" ...uncorked an act in which he, in the words of various news reports the next day, performed "faux oral sex" featuring "S&M play," "bondage gear," "same-sex makeouts" and "walking a man and woman around the stage on a leash."

Oh, wait a minute ...

No, she isn't.

The single biggest problem this country is facing today is Adam Lambert!

Somebody that knows her, make an intervention.

Get over there and take the wine and pills out of the house.

Bonus Riffs

Steve Benen: NOONAN LAMENTS 'THE ADAM LAMBERT PROBLEM'

Sady: Red-Blooded Americans “Assaulted” by Dancing Gay Dude on TV

Steve M: SURELY THERE ARE SOME GENITALS WE CAN BLAME FOR ALL THIS

This Date ... On The Garlic

19 December 2008... On The Garlic

Retro Garlic: Deep Throat Now Goes Deep Six ... Mark Felt Obit

Tis The Season ... First Big Snow Today!

19 December 2007... On The Garlic

Is John Boehner Consulting The Romney Campaign, Giving Make-Up Mitt Crying Lessons?

Tough Slogging On The Revisionist Front ... Rove Having A Hard Time Working That Etch-A-Sketch

19 December 2006... On The Garlic

Top Ten Cloves: Things Overheard At Vice President Dick Cheney’s Holiday Party

19 December 2005... On The Garlic

Angry Bush Invokes 70's Spoof Movie To Justify Spying On Citizens

Top Ten Cloves: Reasons Bill and Melinda Gates May Be Miffed At Sharing Time Person-of-the-Year With Bono

Friday, December 18, 2009

This Date ... On The Garlic

18 December 2008... On The Garlic

Take Our Country ... Please!

All I Want For Christmas Is ... A Killer Asteroid?

Let Me Cover The Point, and Put Another $2G's on Half-A-Foot ...

18 December 2007... On The Garlic

Top Ten Cloves: How Bush Administration Reacted To News of The Death Star Galaxy

18 December 2006... On The Garlic

Minced Garlic - Year of the Special Comments

Garlic Special - The Sounds of Christmas

18 December 2005... On The Garlic

Weekend Special - Sautéed Cloves

Thursday, December 17, 2009

This Date ... On The Garlic

17 December 2008... On The Garlic

Is MSNBC Now Pimping David Shuster?

Say What? ... Commander Guy Cluelessness Alert!

17 December 2007... On The Garlic

American People 2 Bush Grindhouse 0

God Bless Orrin Hatch ... Defending The Bush FISA, and Telcom Amnesty, He Indicts The Bush Grindhouse

Talk Fight At The FISA Corral ... And While That Goes On, Eye and Hearing Tests For All

Another "I Told You So" ... Lieberman Living Up To His True Colors

17 December 2006... On The Garlic

Weekend Special - Sautéed Cloves

'Ahh, Dick ... Isn't There Something We Can Do About All These Subpoenas? ...The Results - The Garlic Week Poll

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Another Sloganeer President

Hope You Can Believe In ...

Change You Can Believe In ...

Considering how the Healthcare Reform initiative has been going, we're, pretty much, down to hoping (and I mean serious, "Please-God-I'll-Never-Do-That-Again" hope) that things will change

Rather then dig in their heels, fight for a comprehensive Healthcare Reform Bill, that includes a real Public Option, and/or a universal Medicare component, the Democrats rallied last night, to go out an "sell it", being, selling their complete collapse in caving in to Senator Losersman, and the other PartyofNoican Wannabees (Nelson, Byah, et all).

Senator Tom Harkin was on the Rachel Maddow show, talking real estate, offering, we're not getting a mansion, but rather a nice, modest house that we can build additions on.

Perhaps, but extremely difficult, considering the landlord (e.g. The Health Insurance Industry Complex) is going to be bleeding us dry, aided by the provision in the Senate Bill that will be forcing us to buy Health Insurance Industry Complex premiums

Howard Dean, who knows a thing-or-two about Healthcare, is calling for the Senate Bill to be killed.

Others, say, no, the bill is still a good bill (Nate Silver and Ezra Klein)

Greg Sargent has a good post on how this argument is shaping up, the battle lines being drawn for whatever is left to fight over.

There is a growing voice emerging, that our Hero President is not much more that all hat, and no cattle.

And, a nice big Corporate Hat he be wearing, at that.

Look over the past few months, the absolutely ridiculousness, in the Healthcare Debate.

Death Panels and Socialism dominated the conversation, the headlines, the cable news talking heads.

Where were the Democrats, the leadership, the White House?

Holding the White House, a majority in Congress, and, with polls show a majority of Americans wanting real, solid Healthcare Reform, how is it we are at the point of where we are it?

John Aravosis, at AmericaBlog, has a great perspective on where the answer may lie;

The GOP had at most 55 Senators during Bush's presidency

And look at what George Bush was able to accomplish in the Congress with fewer Senators than the Democrats have today:

- John Ashcroft nomination
- Iraq war resolution
- Repeated Iraq funding resolutions
- 2001 & 2003 tax cuts
- Patriot Act
- Alito
- John Roberts
- Medicare Part D

[snip]

It's not about the votes, people. It's about leadership. The current occupant of the White House doesn't like to fight, and the leadership in Congress has never been as good at their jobs, at marshaling their own party, as the Republicans were when they were in the majority. The President is supposed to rally the country, effectively putting pressure on opposition members of Congress to sit down and shut up. And the congressional leadership is supposed to rally its members to hold the line, and get the 51 votes necessary for passing legislation in a climate where the minority is too afraid to use the filibuster. When you have a President who is constitutionally, or intellectually, unable to stand for anything, and a congressional leadership that, rather than disciplining its own members and forging ahead with its own agenda, cedes legislative authority to a president who refuses to lead, you have a recipe for exactly what happened last night. Weakness, chaos, and failure.

And, this, from Taylor Marsh;

Pres. Obama doesn't care. It's a win or bust for him, with the health care train now careening towards an end of the year crash.

First Obama let the August recess come and go without a bill. Getting bested by Sarah Palin's "death panels" squeal came next. The finale of getting beat by Joe Lieberman having operatic overtones, given Joe's recent history with progressives in Connecticut. Mr. Obama doesn't care about the deatails as long as he can say he beat seven presidents who failed that came before him. He's betting history won't remember the minutia; it will simply be written that it was Barack Obama who got it done.

And, with the "selling" of what a great deal it is, comes the fabrications;

President Obama Tells Bald-Faced Lie About Health Care Reform Cost Control

This statement is 100% false–and Obama knows that. This bill does not contain anywhere near most ideas for controlling health care costs. This bill does not even contain most of the cost-reducing ideas that were part of Obama’s health care plan during last year’s presidential campaign.

What makes his lie so unbelievable is that Obama’s administration is right now fighting against one of the biggest cost control ideas that the president previously claimed to support. His administration is working to kill Dorgan’s drug re-importation amendment.

I guess, that's not an addition to the house that we want to put on just yet.

That is, if we intended to build the house in the first place.

Along with the Aravosis post, another Must-Read, is Glenn Greenwald today.

He hits on the "leadership" thing, well, actually, he clubs it, with a Ruthian swing;

White House as helpless victim on health care

As was painfully predictable all along, the final bill will not have any form of public option, nor will it include the wildly popular expansion of Medicare coverage. Obama supporters are eager to depict the White House as nothing more than a helpless victim in all of this -- the President so deeply wanted a more progressive bill but was sadly thwarted in his noble efforts by those inhumane, corrupt Congressional "centrists." Right. The evidence was overwhelming from the start that the White House was not only indifferent, but opposed, to the provisions most important to progressives. The administration is getting the bill which they, more or less, wanted from the start -- the one that is a huge boon to the health insurance and pharmaceutical industry. And kudos to Russ Feingold for saying so:

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), among the most vocal supporters of the public option, said it would be unfair to blame Lieberman for its apparent demise. Feingold said that responsibility ultimately rests with President Barack Obama and he could have insisted on a higher standard for the legislation.

"This bill appears to be legislation that the president wanted in the first place, so I don’t think focusing it on Lieberman really hits the truth," said Feingold. "I think they could have been higher. I certainly think a stronger bill would have been better in every respect."

Let's repeat that: "This bill appears to be legislation that the president wanted in the first place." Indeed it does. There are rational, practical reasons why that might be so. If you're interested in preserving and expanding political power, then, all other things being equal, it's better to have the pharmaceutical and health insurance industry on your side than opposed to you. Or perhaps they calculated from the start that this was the best bill they could get. The wisdom of that rationale can be debated, but depicting Obama as the impotent progressive victim here of recalcitrant, corrupt centrists is really too much to bear.

You want a "dream house"?

You'll have to settle for renting the DVD of 'Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House'.

Don't worry though, President Hope-and-Change can put some fire in his butt, when he wants to;

Guest Post: $38 Billion Tax Break Granted to Citigroup to Help Improve the TARP Results

The Citigroup folks should be able to afford those mandated Healtcare premiums, without much difficulty.

Just win baby, just win ...

Bonus Riffs

Will Bunch - Attytood: The lethal cynicism of Joe Lieberman

Jane Hamsher: Sign Letter to Susan B. Komen Foundation: Donations Shouldn’t Go To Hadassah Lieberman

Steve Benen: LIFE AND DEATH...

John Cole: So What Exactly Does the HCR Bill Do?

Greg Sargent: Congressional Dems Start Pinning Blame For Health Care Fiasco On Obama

Rachel Slajda: The White House v. Howard Dean

Jed Lewison: Sanders not voting for bill unless it improves

David Dayen: With Public Option Removed, Public, Labor Groups Sour On Bill

And In This Corner ...

Rather then have an endless "Bonus Riffs" to the above post, we separated these off.

It isn't exactly Ali-Frazier, or, even Alexis Arguello-Aaron Pryor, but there be some bloggers putting up their dukes.

In the preliminary;

Nate Silver: 20 Questions for Bill Killers

Jon Walker: Answering Nate Silver’s 20 Questions On Killing The Senate Bill

For the main event ... And, let's get ready to rumble!

Kos: Strip the mandate, and put GOP on the spot

Ezra Klein: The importance of the individual mandate

More rounds to come, no doubt ...

Costco Hearts Palin

We have stayed away from the Mommy Moose Book Tour, so far, however, a story today caught our attention.

And, it wasn't the part of The Wasilla Whiz Kid running out on the bill, but, rather, the shopping experience of one, Helen Rappaport, a Utah Democrat;

Rolly: Check from Palin in the mail?

Rappaport stopped at the Salt Lake City Costco to do some shopping, unaware that Palin was scheduled to be there for a book signing.

So Rappaport, after noticing the parking lot full of cars, was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to maneuver her shopping cart through the store with hardly anybody in the aisles. She also got a prescription filled with no wait.

While going through the check-out lane, again with no wait, she told the clerk she forgot to get some grape tomatoes, which she loves, so she would be right back.

That's when the bells went off.

The clerk told her they had no tomatoes that day.

No tomatoes? At Costco?

As she was leaving, she noticed a man with a store manager's name tag and asked him why they had no tomatoes. He informed her the store did have tomatoes, but they were taken off the shelves for a few hours.

It turns out that Palin had been pelted with a tomato at an earlier stop on her book tour and the management at the Costco was determined it wouldn't happen here.

The manager told an employee to go into the storage area and get Rappaport some tomatoes, which he gave her for free.

So, because of Palin, Rappaport not only got to shop with no lines, she got free tomatoes.

Hmmm ... I wonder what Costco would do if Tiger Woods visits the store?

Remove all the single woman?

Bonus Links

Wonkette: GOOD THING THEY DON'T SELL EGGS OR PIES - Costco Removes Tomatoes In Anticipation Of Palin Visit

TBogg: Queen of Alaska has no time for your mindless “blow dry?” gotcha questions

Ron Chusid: Save The Tomatos–Stop Palin

GottaLaff - Palin: Tomato-less in Salt Lake City

Jillian Rayfield: Salt Lake City Costco Removes Tomatoes Ahead Of Palin Event

This Date ... On The Garlic

16 December 2008... On The Garlic

Cue The Pinhead ... Operation Proposition Penguin About To Launch

16 December 2007... On The Garlic

And, In The Double-Take Department ...

Bill Moyers Talks with MSNBC Host Keith Olbermann

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

This Date ... On The Garlic

December 2008... On The Garlic

Our Ignorant Dolt of the Week ... Karl Rove!

He Should Have Just Thrown His Shoes

15 December 2007... On The Garlic

Editor's Note - Still Dealing With The SNOW!

15 December 2006... On The Garlic

Breaking News! President’s Personal Resolutions Will Determine Iraq Strategy; Bush Launches New White House “Resolution” Group; Targeting Jan. 1 To Begin Changes; Plans Own 100-Hours; From Dealing With Iraq Jar, To Losing Weight, Says “New Strategies Will Come From Me”

15 December 2005... On The Garlic

White House To Extend President's Speaking Tour ...May Venture Delivering Addresses Before 'Regular Folk"; Next Four Speeches To Tout "Historic Vote Count"

President Stays Firm On Call For War But Admits Intel Errors

Top Ten Cloves: Things White House Is Worried About Over Outcome Of Iraq Elections

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Obama's Nobel Prize? ... I'm With Will Bunch ...

Much was made of President Obama's Nobel Prize speech last week, the World Wide Web was abuzz, with mostly pro reviews (See Glenn Greenwald's post - "The strange consensus on Obama's Nobel address")

And, let's face, it was Bizzareville, having a sitting president, who is conducting two wars, escalating one of them, up there, accepting a Peace Prize, for Peace that he hasn't actually accomplished (Yeah, I know, wait a few years, for after the escalation in Flintstonevilleastan).

Of all the megabytes and pixels, bloviating on it, there was one that stood out, cut to the chase, nailed it - Will Bunch, on his Attytood Blog;

Maybe U.S. presidents shouldn't get peace prizes

Hey, I didn't say which president. You know what? I hate to say it, but sitting American presidents are never a good choice for the Nobel Peace Prize, period. Since 1901, the honor has been bestowed on three White House occupants.

[snip]

The world needs uncompromising fighters for real peace and for meaningful justice -- people like a Martin Luther King -- who can go to Oslo and remind the world of what we must eternally strive to make it. Such worthy Nobel recepients are truth-tellers, and people they are telling that truth to are the world's kings and potentates and, yes, the American president -- a job that is engineered for compromise, and disappointments. If the world is to become a better place, we need more people who risk jail, risk pain, and risk death -- people like Dr. King or Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi -- have done, for the eternal ideals of peace that are uncompromising. The Nobel Peace Prize can be a valuable tool to remind us who these people are, and that you are going to find them in the streets, not in the White House.

Now, that, certainly, is something hopeful we can believe in.

Yet More Reasons The Survey Says Goldman Sucks!

Well, now we have a clue, on why Goldman Sach's Brian Griffith was so hawkish for achieving greater prosperity and opportunity.

Goldman Fueled AIG Gambles ... Wall Street Titan's Role Shown in Journal Analysis; Firm Says Problems Hidden

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. played a bigger role than has been publicly disclosed in fueling the mortgage bets that nearly felled American International Group Inc.

Goldman was one of 16 banks paid off when the U.S. government last year spent billions closing out soured trades that AIG made with the financial firms.

A Wall Street Journal analysis of AIG's trades, which were on pools of mortgage debt, shows that Goldman was a key player in many of them, even the ones involving other banks.

Barry Ritholtz suggests there's some action needed;

Any Congress people — Bernie Sanders maybe? Perhaps Senators Schumer or Dodd might forget all of the Finance driven campaign contributions they have gotten over the years and come up with a plan. I would imagine Alan Grayson is one of the few Freshman Congresmen who can think of a way to clawback some of the ill gotten booty Goldman grabbed from Treasury.

Read the entire article, our computer doesn't have the font "Profound Creepiness".

In the meantime, we'll trot out Richard Dawson, for a hearty call out;

"Survey Says ... Goldman Sucks!"

Bonus Links

NYT Editorial: Goldman’s Non-Apology

Igor Volsky - Goldman Sachs Report: Watered Down Senate Bill Would Lead To ‘Bull Case Scenario’ For Insurance Industry

Greg Gordon | McClatchy Newspapers: Goldman takes on new role: taking away people's homes

Newt's New Contract - Buying An Ignorant Dolt Title!

You think they would learn.

Even when we are away from the desk, buried up to our eyeballs with the situation on the Homefront, they can't, no matter how hard they try, sneak past the Ignorant Dolt detector.

It's on, 24/7/365 and no one (deserving), escapes it, as it starts chirping way, like a Geiger Counter at Los Alamos, the second one of them pops up.

This weekend, we need to FedEx the Ignorant Dolt Crown and Sceptre to the former Speaker of the House, the man that put out a Contract On America, Newt Gingrich.

Gingrich’s New Contract With America: ‘Our Commitment Should Be Simple…We’re Repealing’ Health Care

Gingrich reiterated his call for all Republicans to commit to repealing any form of a health care bill that Democrats might pass before the 2010 elections:

GINGRICH: If the left manages to drive through a bill which is opposed by 65 percent of the country on health care, our commitment should be simple — when we get a majority, we’re repealing the whole thing. (applause)

And I want every Democrat who is about to sacrifice their seat for socialized medicine to understand: after you lose your seat, you’re going to lose the socialized medicine too.

I mean, with the job the Democrats are doing at gutting any meaningful Healthcare Reform, it be Newt's workin' up a sweat over nothin', just throwing some chum in the water, for the Flying Monkeys and Teabaggers.

As to "when we get a majority" thing, I wouldn't be holding your breath there, Newt (Heaven Forbid, you pass out, and have to undergo some of that "Socialist" medical treatment, something Bob Cesca was wondering).

And, help us out there, will ya, Newt?

When you go parading on the Faux News programs, wear the Ignorant Dolt Crown, give us a plug.