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Bill O’Reilly Off the Hook: The Dance Remix
Although several clips showing Fox’s top bloviator, Bill O’Reilly, coming unhinged on his former job at “Inside Edition” have been pulled after ricocheting their way around the Web, this amazing remix of O’Reilly’s now-infamous meltdown proves that video magic like this just can’t be stopped ... especially when it’s set to a slammin’ beat. Long live the Internet.
Related Entries- May 12, 2008 Bill O’Reilly: The Proto-Bully Years
- May 12, 2008 GodTube Cashes In
- April 28, 2008 Rev. Wright and the Press
- April 27, 2008 Obama on Fox News
- April 24, 2008 MSNBC ‘Calls’ the Race for Obama
Somebody Get the Man a Jet Ski
Well, as you’ve probably noticed by now, John Edwards has publicly backed Barack Obama as his candidate of choice. There’s just one problem, as Stephen Colbert reminds us: Edwards previously said on Colbert’s show that he’d support the candidate who pledged to do the most for the nation’s poor—and the one who supplied him with a jet ski. But he hasn’t gotten that jet ski yet, has he now, Mr. Obama?
Related Entries- May 15, 2008 ‘Daily Show’: Punditry and Douchery
- May 15, 2008 I’m From the Government and I’m Here to Help
- May 15, 2008 Toward a New Washington Consensus
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- May 15, 2008 Sean Penn Talks Politics at Cannes
Open Thread and Diary Rescue
This evening's Rescue Rangers are ybruti, PaintyKat, ezdidit, YatPundit (pulling a double!), and jlms qkw with vcmvo2 as editor.
The diaries up for rescue tonight are:
- Lib Dem FoP relates the story of the "Dambusters Raid" during WWII which was 65 Years Ago Today. (YatPundit)
- Exposing the fallacy of arguments between Bush and bin Laden, skeezixwolfnagle demystifies both in Oh, So NOW It's About the Palestinians? (ezdidit)
- Liberal Youth discusses the implications to society when we fail to address the impact of PTSD on returning war veterans, their families, and friends in What Happens When We Fail those With PTSD? (PaintyKat)
- By providing interesting excerpts, Darrell Goodliffe then lists the links that help us find Iraq on the web. (ybruti)
- A first diary from scooter86 offers the perspective of An Introduction, from an ex-repub. (YatPundit)
- Septima, a licensed clinical social worker, shares information on how veterans might best arm themselves for the upcoming battles for their rightful benefits in Veteran's Administration advising medical malpractice. (PaintyKat)
- A Siegel looks at Republican opposition to wind-power initiatives in McCain confidants critical to anti-wind fight? (YatPundit)
- LincMad celebrates the California Supreme Court's decision to permit same sex marriages but states his belief that this will cause profound political reverberations throughout our nation in Find me a husband. (PaintyKat)
- In this installment Shaviv describes another Mad Science Project of the Week 10: wherein the human body is augmented. (ybruti)
jotter brings us High Impact Diaries - May 15, 2008, while BeninSC has Top Comments - Because They Can!
Enjoy and please promote your own favorite diaries in this Open Thread.
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Newsroom Carnage Continues at The Washington Post
This just in: The Washington Post is the latest major newspaper to undergo the apparently inevitable newsroom downsizing process, clearing out 100 more journalists with a “blunt instrument,” as former Post (and former New York Times) writer Sharon Waxman reports in her WaxWord blog. “The Washington Post as I know it has jumped the shark,” Waxman laments.
WaxWord:
At this rate, whither the National desk? Whither Foreign? Word is that executive editor Leonard Downie is on his way to retirement (he denied it today to Joe Strupp). The other rumor is that managing editor Phil Bennett will not be his successor. Make no mistake; we are eviscerating the heart of the institutions that act as our watchdogs to power. (While I’m at it, here’s a tip of the hat to colleagues just laid off at The New York Times: the talented Jeff Leeds, who ably covered the music beat in LA; Katie Hafner in San Francisco; Claudia Deutsch in business, and others.)
No one has clear answers to the crisis that faces newspapers today, and the impact that the diminishing of great journalism will have in a free society. But we had damn well better start figuring it out.
Related Entries- May 14, 2008 Cindy McCain Flaunts Her Privilege
- May 14, 2008 Reporting From Burma: A Thriller
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- May 7, 2008 The U.S. War on Journalists
Open Thread
USA Today: Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, who runs the committee tasked with helping elect Republicans to Congress, said Tuesday’s defeat in Mississippi — after losing GOP seats in other special elections in Illinois and Louisiana — was evidence that “a large section of the American people doesn’t have confidence in the Republican Party.” …He said, “When you lose three of these in a row, you have to get beyond campaign tactics and take a long hard look: Is there something wrong with your product?”
Open thread below….
OR-05: It's called "baking soda"
Republican Mike Erickson, candidate for the nomination in Oregon's 5th District, has come under heavy fire lately from primary opponent Kevin Mannix, with rumors afloat that Erickson used to hold wild cocaine parties on his boat.
Well, Erickson flatly denies these scurrilous allegations; he's not only never used cocaine, but
"I've never used cocaine. I wouldn't know what it looks like," Erickson said, adding that he has never used illegal drugs or tobacco.
He doesn't know what cocaine looks like? He's never seen Beverly Hills Cop? He's never cooked with baking soda?
I had to snort at that one.
Call me a skeptic, but Erickson's denial just doesn't pass the smell test.
It would have been a bit more plausible if he just denied knowledge of the coke parties. Something like "If there's been cocaine use here, well, it's been happening right under my own nose."
Anybody else got a clever pun? A not-so-clever one?
In all seriousness, this is one of the most ridiculous statements we've seen yet this cycle. Either Erickson is a bald-faced liar, or a first-class moran. It's his choice as to which he'd rather be.
And please submit all coke-related Erickson jokes below!
C&L’s Late Nite Music Club with Steve Earle
Steve Earle has been a longtime Crooks & Liars fave and with Bush in the Middle East, who could resist the title track from his 2002 masterpiece, Jerusalem? Steve has been involved with socially conscious music since he was a teenager to young to play in bars, writing songs against aggression in Vietnam and against the death penalty. Despite his strong political messages, he’s won two Grammy awards and believe me– I’ve been on the committees that help pick the nominees– strong political writing does not help songwriters. You can only imagine what went on when “John Walker’s Blues” was discussed.
Burma Death Toll Now at 78,000
As the official death toll climbs in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, the Burmese government remains recalcitrant while survivors and aid workers continue to be frustrated by the slow movement of supplies to the country’s worst-hit areas.
The BBC:
The official death toll for Burma’s cyclone disaster has jumped to almost 78,000 people, with nearly 56,000 missing, according to state TV.
The numbers are nearly double those released on Thursday, raising fears the final human toll may be enormous.
The Red Cross is seeking more than $50m (£26m) in aid to help survivors of the storm which struck on 2-3 May.
Foreign aid agencies are frustrated at the slow progress of aid to areas worst hit, especially in the Irrawaddy Delta.
Related Entries- May 15, 2008 State of the Race
- May 15, 2008 50,000 Feared Dead From Quake
- May 14, 2008 Reporting From Burma: A Thriller
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Obama Delegate Round-Up
Today's edition was a bit lighter than the recent run on delegates, with Californian Congressman Pete Stark being the only delegate endorsement of the day. Apparently nobody wants to be relegated to the Friday afternoon news dump. Nonetheless, advantage Obama as he continues to pull away from Clinton.
Congressman Stark said, "Senator Barack Obama has captured the imagination of Americans in a way we’ve not seen for decades. He’s inspired millions of young people to register to vote and join the ranks of our Democratic Party, he’s consistently opposed the war, he advocates universal health care, and he delivers a message that transcends party politics at the same time.
"I have the greatest respect for Senator Clinton and for her many years of service, but I believe the time has come to unify our party. The outcome we need in November is a Democratic President. To achieve that, we must turn our focus squarely on Senator McCain and his quest to continue another four years of the failed Bush agenda.
"Barack Obama is the person we need as the next President of the United States of America. I’m excited to help him achieve that goal."
Wine pioneer Robert Mondavi dies at 94
68% of Italians want Gypsies expelled
Conyers: “We’re closing in on Rove. Someone’s got to kick his ass”
Just off the House floor today, the Crypt overheard House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers tell two other people: “We’re closing in on Rove. Someone’s got to kick his ass.”
Asked a few minutes later for a more official explanation, Conyers told us that Rove has a week to appear before his committee. If he doesn’t, said Conyers, “We’ll do what any self-respecting committee would do. We’d hold him in contempt. Either that or go and have him arrested.”
[…] Yesterday, in somewhat more diplomatic language, Conyers refused Rove’s offer to testify in writing. …(more)
Between Conyers here along with Rep. Robert Wexler’s stance on Rove, Biden’s literally calling BS on Bush, and the House’s actually voting to cut off funding for Iraq and setting a plan to pull the troops out, it really has me wondering if there hasn’t been some kind of a cosmic shift in the Democratic Party lately. Perhaps the third win over the GOP in red districts has lent them some confidence, but whatever it is, may we have some more of that, please?
A Rough Day for Reactionaries
In an act that may further infuriate reactionaries across the country, the California Senate voted Thursday to remove membership in the Communist Party as a fireable offense for public employees. The measure now goes to the state Assembly. The Senate vote was held on the same day California’s Supreme Court decided to strike down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, a coincidence conservatives are not likely to miss.
The Guardian:
The California Senate yesterday passed legislation that would delete membership in the Communist party as a reason for firing a public employee, a Cold War-era prohibition intended to root out communists.
Democratic Senator Alan Lowenthal called communism a “failed system,” and said his bill - Senate Bill 1322 - was intended to protect “the constitutional freedoms that we have fought so valiantly for,” including freedom of political affiliation.
California is the only state that allows public employees to be dismissed for membership in a political party.
Related Entries- May 16, 2008 DeGeneres: ‘I’m Getting Married!’
- May 15, 2008 California Court Ends Gay Marriage Ban
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- April 30, 2008 Unequal Under the Law
