Really, Huffington Post?

Come on, guys. We have learned over time not to take HuffPo too seriously, particularly after the first Jon and Kate Gosselin story we saw on the front page. We then learned, sadly, that a good blog was becoming commercial as all hell (literally - what's up with all the ads these days?) and that nothing, in fact, was sacred anymore. Luckily we still have TPM to get us through the day without a pomegranate juice ad assault.

Back to HuffPo: listen people, calm down. We need folks like Arianna Huffington, the ones who kept their shit together the longest during the election last year and who have been level-headed and clear-eyed about new American liberalism to NOT buy in to the whole "Obama's the worst President 9 months into his presidency" bullshit.

Arianna's new editorial criticizes Obama's ability to govern, asking the reader what the "campaign Obama" would say to President Obama about not living up to some of his lofty idealogical promises. She says that David Plouffe, Obama's old campaign manager, should have called his book "The Timidicy to Govern," rather than "The Audacity to Win."

That's all fine and dandy, Ms. Huffington, but we've said it before and we'll say it again: you didn't help to get this man elected because he is some Politico-Jesus-robot that is going to come down and impale lobbyists and the "old boys" on the Hill with a spear made out of Paul Wellstone's crashed plane; you did it because he was the rational choice to get this country back on track OVER A FOUR YEAR PERIOD. Give the man a presidential term, and if he's still not living up to your excpectations (I'm sure you can give Sean Penn and Tom Hanks a call, go have a $300 dollar sushi dinner and discuss whether or not he is doing enough for the middle class) then vote him out.

But for now, shut up about what Obama is not doing, and think about what he is doing: trying to get this country out of a septic tank that is lined with eight years - not the nine months Obama's been in there - of pure, thick, Texas-brewed poo. So calm down, please.

This week in discrediting 24-hour news networks

We don't necessarily like putting back-to-back videos on here (call us a little obsessive compulsive, but this blog is our baby: back up, bitches), but this is an eleven-minute investment you really need to make right now.

Enter Jon Stewart, who is thankfully doing the work that the rest of these alleged media watchdogs and government skeptics are blatantly coming up short on. He tactfully points out in this clip the absurdities in this story that, by the end of this clip, will make you want to throw a chair out of the nearest window and just rage. Behold:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
For Fox Sake!
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Woe to you, America, when you lose this man. If he takes Letterman's spot, I am going to kill myself.

This is a little uncomfortable

You have to respect this man for reminding us all and, uncomfortably sometimes, his guests that he too has a conscience:



Apology accepted, Shep. What a man.

I almost made it through an entire post without swearing

Remember that douche with a bow tie from CNN's Crossfire? The guy that Jon Stewart decimated on the air, which resulted in the cancellation of the program and the mass exodus of its hosts to other 24-hour news networks?

His name is Tucker Carlson, and his straw man arguments against the left are - surprise! - inching toward the Ann Coulters of the world in recent days, primarily due to the fact that lately some White House staffers - who ironically, are liberal Democrats, I know, shocker - have been a bit critical of Fox News.

Tucker's take on the matter is a bit different. He thinks that, since Fox has a view slightly different than the White House's perspective, the Obama Administration is attempting to criticize and discredit them.

This is all, in minds similar to Tucker's, a blatant attempt to make an example out of Fox in order to shush any future dissent to Obama's agenda. It has nothing to do with Fox's credibility as a news organization, since the only people who claim it has any are beyond our - and certainly the White House's - help.

In his conclusion, Tucker issues a warning to those journalists who seem to be turning the other cheek to this unwarranted hostility from the White House:

Which is something the White House press corps ought to keep in mind as it stands by in silence while Fox is bullied: Your politics won’t save you. You’ll be next.

Unfortunately for Tucker, those who are standing in silence know that bullshit fear mongering and empty anti-progressive rhetoric might fly with Greta Von Susteren, but it is undoubtedly of no value to rational human beings looking for real news.

Say no shit:

Seems like FOX News wants us to go to war, eh?

By a two-to-one margin the public thinks the U.S. will eventually need to use military force to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons -- 59 percent think so, while 29 percent think Iran can be stopped without the use of force.

Furthermore, 61 percent of Americans support the U.S. taking military action to stop Iran, including majorities of Democrats (53 percent), Republicans (73 percent) and independents (55 percent). Some 28 percent of Americans oppose military action against Iran.

Amazing how those FOX polls just always make it glaringly evident how little we are doing around the world militarily.

Speaking of global deployment, I wonder what the pollsters would report if the question was how many Americans knew we still had hundreds of thousands of troops still deployed in places like Germany and Japan? Or tens of thousand in places like Spain, Italy or Turkey?

Also, if you're ever wondering how to differentiate between a FOX News poll and any other one, simply look for the subtle hints suggesting that government stop spending so much money on programs (cough cough, welfare) and stop intervening in all of our lives (except wiretapping). For example:

Most people -- 77 percent -- say they are worried about Iran obtaining nukes. That's the same number as say they are worried about the increasing size of the federal deficit (77 percent) and about the same that worry the federal government is spending too much money (79 percent).

How incredibly profound!

In terms of the war banter, you listen here media: we're sick of this bullshit. Stop lying to us and then sending us into countries that half of our nation can't even point out on a fucking map. Before you shit your pants about how volatile Iran's nuclear plans are, make sure they have nuclear plans. Because we all remember what happened last time you fearmongerers decided to stop reporting real news.

Liberal in the middle of a Radical Shitshow

Hello all. Yeah I am back. After a long hiatus due to Graduate School and a slight substance abuse problem, after having witnessed a flight of military attack helicopters buzz Oakland and after dreaming of Glenn Beck goose stepping down every American main street singing God Bless America, it is time for my return from hiatus.

This is a good old fashioned rant. It won't be flashy, there probably won't be a picture and there will most likely be no linked websites. Frankly I'm lazy, and at work. Besides a quick Google search will easily give you the main link to anything that I am bitching about. Let us start with the G-20. The initial holy shit this is pretty cool warm and fuzzy feelings have given way to the holy shit there are some crazy nut jobs coming here. This is a pretty big deal for our city. The first G-20 to be held outside of a host nations capital. Pittsburgh!? Yes bet your asses Pittsburgh. Suck it Detroit. The international media will finally get to see this city for what it has become, not what it was. At the same time, I am apprehensive excitement for the week to come. I have accepted the fact that at some point I will probably call a protester a jag off. Will I protest? No, some people actually are pretty alright with a more globalized world. Will I get teargassed? Maybe, it would make for one hell of a story. Am I worried that something really bad will happen? Not really. Knowing that this place is basically on lock down, while a hassle, insures that we will all be here on Saturday to talk about it. But these protesters, yes they have every right to protest. Do I think they are idiots, for the most part yes. Mainly you anarchists and anti-capitalists. Get over it. If you are an anarchist and someone organized a march, guess what you have something that resembles leadership. Big hole in your logic don't you think? Anti-capitalists, it doesn't work in practice. Read a history book.

Second item of contention; Tea Parties. President Carter has called those people protesting President Obama's policy's as racists, a claim that the administration was quick to distance themselves from. But are they racists. For the most part, yes. Face it, white people are still afraid of the better educated black man. I have personally met many people that did not vote for him because of the color of his skin. If you can intelligently explain to me why you oppose health care reform, great. You are part of the mall majority that understands socialists policies from Nazi policies.

Then there is Glen Beck. The man who has tirelessly been running into packed Unemployment Offices, Klan rallies, and Country Clubs screaming fire since January has now unveiled his 9/12 project. Really? You want America to feel the way we did the day after the attacks. Personally I was scarred as hell and ready to follow any leader, regardless of IQ or party into the great unknown....later Iraq. Lets not forget that the weeks following 9/12 were full of blind patriotism. We essentially wrote the Bush administration a blank check of our personal freedoms. warrant-less wiretaps, torture and lets forget due process of the law. Alright Glen, why would you oppose our government. The Dixie Chicks spoke out against Bush and their carriers were virtually ended. Why because they have Freedom of Speech? Now that you speak out against your government you are being patriotic. Where is the hypocrisy in that? You and your "patriotic" tea party members should follow your own advice and just pack up and go home. Trust your democratically elected government. Don't question it. After all no one questioned/protested the patriot act. Those who protested it and or the war were labeled as unpatriotic and dangerous . Sucks when you lose an election huh? Fair and balanced my ass.

(Yes this rant was poorly organized and frankly not that good. I still have a lot to do to make up for my long hiatus. Hope this is a start...........Rush Limbaugh can suck it too.)

This just in: after 7 months, Barack Obama is the worst President ever

According to the people we place our faith in to give us actual news, Barack Obama is doing an awful job, his approval ratings are slipping, his staff is flip-flopping, he is drawing criticism from the left, he is not to be trusted and he hasn't gotten us out of this desolate and cataclysmic economic depression and wartime agony.

Hey media - you can't get out of the cellar in less time than it took to get in. Take a look at the Pittsburgh Pirates as your paradigm of hope. Okay, don't do that, because they've been sucking for way longer than President Obama is even constitutionally allowed. But nonetheless, you bought the WMD lie six years ago, you sold out to faux-patriotism and you turned a blind eye to 90% of the idiotic things the previous administration had done to drive this country into the shame-encrusted outhouse it is in right now. You aren't helping to alleviate the false sense of fear most Americans have by getting jumpy.

So basically, I'm asking you to calm the fuck down. For all of us. Please?