Can they do NOTHING right?

Sometimes I really think they're just fucking with our heads!

From CNN.com:

WHITE HOUSE (CNN) - Whoops! A picture of a Christmas tree is not the first thing you would expect to see on an invitation to an event celebrating Hanukkah, but that is exactly what recipients of invitations to this year's White House Hanukkah reception initially got in the mail.

Shorter White House version: "Merry Christmas, Senator Lieberman!"

The invitation sent to American Jewish leaders on behalf of the President and First Lady, requesting "the pleasure of your company at a Hanukkah reception," bore an image of a Clydesdale horse drawn cart, carrying the White House Christmas tree, with a Christmas wreath-adorned White House in the background.

In related news, another card with a team of Budweiser Clydesdales pulling a sled with a Christmas tree and an ice-cold keg of Bud upon it was sent to the headquarters of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Mrs. Bush's press secretary, Sally McDonough, attributed the snafu to a "staff mistake" in not printing separate cards for the different White House holiday events, as has been the custom in years past. "Mrs. Bush is apologetic, It is just something that fell through the cracks," she said, referring to the role of the First Lady's office in sending out the invitations.

The card as originally intended featured a menorah given to the White House during Harry Truman's presidency. That mailing was to have gone out today, according to Mrs. McDonough.

Sadly, the cards featuring the menorah was sent to over 1200 Islamic Mosques in America, along with the message "Le chaim, bitches!" inscribed upon them in gold lettering.

The White House, when informed of the error, reportedly responded with "oopsie!", and promptly pulled the curtains shut.

Refuting the "Obama is a Progressive" meme

Ever since he emerged as a possible favorite for the Democratic nomination, right-wing pundits have been trying to paint Barack Obama as an "unrepentant liberal", a "wild-eyed progressive", and even a "leftist with Marxist leanings".

I'm paraphrasing here, but this is essentially what the disparate and desperate conservative noise-machine has been proclaiming loudly and endlessly throughout the campaign. In the three weeks since Obama won the election, the pundits have been closely watching his staffing choices and projected cabinet nominations for any hint of an unreasonably liberal slant.

And you know what's been happening? Obama is largely proposing centrist choices for his cabinet. He even wants to keep Robert Gates as Sec. of Defense, a Bush appointee who isn't even the slightest bit Marxist as far as I can see. Although you never can tell; those dirty Commies are quite gifted at hiding their true leanings, sometimes for decades if you believe the more radical right-wing talkers!

As Jane Hamsher (the Godmother of this blog) discusses in the video below from Rachel Maddow's show, this sort of thing is effectively putting the "Obama = Progressive" meme to rest. The only people more disappointed than the right-wingers in this matter are the true Progressives, who are somewhat guilty of projection in trying to shape Barack into their ideal Progressive leader; but who in reality happens to be very much a centrist Democrat.

The first couple minutes of the video Rachel spends discussing the John Brennan controversy that the liberal blogosphere successfully affected. I love the way she introduces Jane!

And a note to Rachel Maddow: yes, "netroots" IS a word, inasmuch as "blogosphere" is a word.

Will Dan Malloy run?

The race for the Democratic nomination for governor got a little more exciting last weekend when Sec. of State Susan Bysiewicz pretty much alluded to the likelihood that she'll probably throw her hat into the ring. In addition to outgoing Speaker Jim Amann, who is already running, and the possible inclusion of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, it might be a somewhat crowded field.

Enter Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy.

Back in August on the night of Jim Himes's primary victory over "ol' what's-'er-name?", I interviewed Dan Malloy about his possible run for governor. Here's what he told me:



So Dan...you said it takes two years for a Democrat to run, and it's right before Thanksgiving. How'd you like to give your ol' buddy Connecticut Bob an early Christmas gift?

A "scoop" makes the ideal present for a blogger!

Seemed like a no-brainer to me

Today, Democrats in the State House torpedoed a bill pushed by Gov. Rell and the Republicans that would require beverage distributors to turn in unclaimed can and bottle deposits to the state. Previously, the recycling law contained a loophole where the distributors were allowed to keep the unclaimed deposits.

From ConnPolitics.com:

The Governor has been trying to squeeze every nickel and dime. She wants to seize the unclaimed deposits left behind when people don’t bring back bottles and cans.

“It’s about…$24 million in a full year,” Gov. Rell said. “You know, we need the revenue to help balance this budget.”

But the industry disputes those figures and says they need the money to run these recycling centers, they’re fighting hard against the proposal and it appears dead for now.

OK, so this seemed like a good way to help meet our state's projected $300 million budget shortfall, to the tune of nearly 10%. I was actually surprised that the state didn't already get the leftover deposits, and that every empty beer can I crushed against my forehead for the last two decades like John Belushi in "Animal House" was another nickel in the pocket of those guys; who BTW seem to have NO problem raising the price of a six-pack every single year!

So why do they get to keep the money that technically should go to the state, like it does in several other deposit-law states?

Maybe it's time to fix that law.

Last on my list

The very last thing on my list of important things the President-elect should be doing right now is worrying about attending church.

However, as noted by Attaturk at FDL, this is apparently a big deal to Politico and the hysterical handwringers who operate the Drudge Report.

From Politico:

"President-elect Barack Obama has yet to attend church services since winning the White House earlier this month, a departure from the example of his two immediate predecessors."

OMG!!! The world is going to spin right off its axis if we don't bundle Barack Obama off to a suitably acceptable church immediately! What can he possibly be doing that's more important than taking time to worship the Lord?

Well, I think he's putting together a transition team and selecting cabinet members who will be crucial in repairing the myriad problems left by the outgoing lame dork president; who, as we all know, is an active church-goer and remarkably shitty leader. I'd rather have Obama worry about that right now than waste time in a church. God will be just fine without his worship for a few weeks.

Plus, the Republican shillsters seem to think taking care of your health is nearly on par with Satan worship! More from Politico:

"On the three Sundays since his election, Obama has instead used his free time to get in workouts at a Chicago gym."

Jesus help us! The world's obviously gonna end any minute now, because Obama is working out instead of humbling himself before (let's face it) the television cameras and the media. Of course, a good workout helps not only your physical health, but also releases endorphins and has a psychologically calming effect that will help the president-elect make better decisions. Maybe if George Bush spent a little less time sweating in a church and more in a gym, he might not have made such awful decisions. (No, I'm just kidding...there's no way George Bush could have made anything BUT awful decisions!)

And, although he doesn't need to explain his actions to anyone, Obama's people offer up a reasonable explanation about the situation:

"Asked about the president-elect's decision to not attend church, a transition aide noted that the Obamas valued their faith experience in Chicago but were concerned about the impact their large retinue may have on other parishioners.

"Because they have a great deal of respect for places of worship, they do not want to draw unwelcome or inappropriate attention to a church not used to the attention their attendance would draw," said the aide."

That's fine with me. It should be fine with everyone. It really sucks that a person's religious beliefs needs to be such a public matter and, more to the point, a political issue.

In an age where politicians are frequently hypocrites and liars, who often use the idea of religion as a cover for their awful policies, and who make it a point to end every single speech with "god bless you and god bless America", I happen to find it somewhat comforting that our president-elect isn't exhibiting the same behavior.

I'm sure this will lose him some support from the ultra-religious fundies (not that there were going to bat for him anyway!); but ultimately, he will stand as proof that we CAN successfully keep church and state separated, as guaranteed by the Constitution. He should be allowed to decide IF and WHEN to attend church.

And a note to the rabid GOPers out there: you got him wearing that flag pin now. Isn't that enough for you guys?

Let's Put Obama on the Couch

When I first heard that Obama had met with Hillary about the SoS job, I figured it was a leak from her side to boost her negotiating status in the Senate on health care. She clearly had not counted on Ted Kennedy pushing back when she assumed the health care mantel -- don't count him out yet.

Obamaland cannot control leaks anymore. FBI background checkers talk to neighbors, co-workers and friends, and they have no reason to keep quiet because that's how Obamaland works.

At this point, who am I to argue with Obama? We have wondered what was up with the Obama camp earlier in the campaign, and he pulled it off in grand style. But, Bob Woodward thinks "they're smoking something" (Chris Matthews Show 11/23).

And Harvard Business Review columnist Michael Watkins nails the four points that have been in my mind: influence, incentives, baggage part 1 and baggage part 2.

Yet, today, the NY Times tells us:

By this past Thursday, when Mr. Obama reassured Mrs. Clinton that she would have direct access to him and could select her own staff as secretary of state, the wooing was complete.

I doubt this type of inside story is coming out of Chicago.

Is this a brilliant move or Obamaland's first catastrophic move?

(and, many thanks, Bob, for letting me back in the blogosphere!)

Would Lieberman have helped McCain's ticket?

Would Joe Lieberman have been that big a help to John McCain if he was the VP choice?

From Politico.com:

Top advisers to President-elect Barack Obama’s presidential campaign said Thursday that Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) would have been a powerful boost to the Republican ticket.

During a conference on the 2008 election hosted by Politico and the University of Southern California, Obama-Biden deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand said choosing the renegade senator as his running mate would have helped McCain undermine Obama’s claim to represent a new kind of politics.

OK, I dunno if I'd go anywhere near that far.

It's true that Joe Lieberman would have possible been a small help to McCain's campaign, but it would be much more of a he ain't Sarah Palin vibe, rather than a Lieberman represents the same kind of politics as Barack Obama thing.

Because he doesn't. Joe Lieberman has made the last six years all about supporting the same failed policies that George Bush made famous, and nobody thinks that John McCain would have hesitated to continue his presidency along the same path.

“I think if he would’ve picked Lieberman or another Democrat, he would’ve taken away an important trademark of Barack’s,” Hildebrand said, explaining that he believed the Republican base would have accepted a Lieberman nomination. “I think the convention would’ve been just fine.”

Couple of things suggest that Hildebrand is talking out his ass here. First, calling Lieberman a "Democrat" is a huge misnomer, at least as far as "pre-November-4th" thinking goes. Joe Lieberman, the great Democrat, couldn't even bring himself to VOTE in the Connecticut primary back in February!

Second, the GOP base was the main reason Lieberman wasn't selected to be the VP nominee. I'd bet dollars to donuts that John McCain was drooling in anticipation of the prospect of having someone like Joe Lieberman join him on the ticket. Lieberman had a presumed (though faulty) "bipartisan" appeal, he's much more measured in his public speaking than McCain, and he could bring a lot of pro-GOP, pro-Iraq, pro-bomb Iran experience to the ticket.

Plus, Joe Lieberman hadn't run against John McCain in the primaries. For some reason I have a feeling that McCain possesses a very fragile ego, and I think it would have galled him to share his ticket with someone who might have said negative things about him during their campaign. Joe Lieberman has never said an unkind word about McCain.

But the Republican base still perceived Joe as a wild-eyed, baby-killing, Eastern establishment liberal, and nothing could dissuade them from that notion. I'd be surprised if McCain didn't lobby long and hard for Joe, but the ultimate powers that be (the Republican money men) seemed to distrust Lieberman and refused to give him their blessing. So that left McCain scrambling to find a replacement for his BFF Joe.

Which is where Sarah came from. She was obviously a compromise choice, decided upon due to her solid GOP credentials, the fact that she never ran against McCain, and an ill-conceived idea that she'd appeal to disgruntled Hillary supporters. And for a good two weeks after the Republican convention, she seemed to be the miracle that McCain was looking for. Of course, once the world learned that even though the lights were on, nobody was home behind Palin's eyes, and the honeymoon was over.

What the Republicans didn't count on was how awful a candidate she really turned out to be. Dozens of high profile long-time GOP supporters not only abandoned the ticket, but they went public in support of Obama-Biden. And the primary reason they gave was because of John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin for VP.

Republican panelists defended the nomination of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, though they acknowledged that she had not accomplished all the goals the McCain camp hoped she would.

“Certainly our hope with Gov. Palin, going forward, was that there would be a connection to more moderate voters,” said Mike DuHaime, who served as the McCain campaign’s political director.

In their attempt to appeal to moderates, they lost a big chunk of their conservative base. And considering Palin's no-kidding ultra-conservative politics, it looks like they vastly misread the effect she'd have on the very moderates they were trying to persuade.

The reason McCain lost is because the GOP is a party in disarray, that lost their way and was taken over by religious extremists and the ultra-conservative. And if they don't let sanity prevail and somehow learn to become more moderate, they'll continue to lose.

And nothing Joe Lieberman could have done, even if he was their VP candidate, would have made any difference.

This is why I hope Sarah Palin never goes away

Yesterday, to celebrate the spirit of Thanksgiving, Gov. Sarah Palin visited a turkey abattoir to perform the annual sham of "pardoning" a filthy bird to save it from certain death.

This occurred while other turkeys are having their throats cut and being drained of blood right behind the governor!



The governor babbles cheerfully with the reporter while, not fifteen feet behind her, turkey after turkey are being loaded head down into a metal funnel and a blood-splattered worker cuts their throats, drains them of their blood, and stares creepily at Sarah while she's being interviewed.

This is why I love Sarah "the Snow Flake" Palin and hope she never goes away. She possesses absolutely zero sense of irony. And as her interview with the fake Nicolas Sarkozy tells us, she can be amazingly unflappable even during very uncomfortable moments. The former Miss Wasilla has retained her beauty queen's imperturbable affect, even while struggling with difficult questions like being asked to name a single newspaper she reads regularly. ("I'll get back to ya on that!")

And I think the camera crew deserves major props in setting up that shot. As a videographer I know the importance of taking advantage of a situation. Either the field producer or the reporter noticed the beheadings going on and saw the potential of it, so they said something like, "OK governor, please stand here; the light is perfect for your complexion! Yes, right there please. Let me just move the camera a bit to get the background." When Palin did exactly what they suggested, I'm sure they couldn't believe their luck!

I don't care how professional a video crew may be; when they see an opportunity like that, they all think the same thing:

"10,000,000 hits on Youtube!"

Department of Not Too Early

Here is an interesting early analysis of 2010 Senate seats.

CT is considered "potentially competitive" -- here's the scoop from them on Dodd:

I struggled mightily with this one. After all, Connecticut is a solidly blue state, and the GOP’s best shot, Governor Jodi Rell, is likely not running. But it is hard to ignore the Countrywide scandal hovering over his head, and it is likewise hard to ignore his upside-down 43-46 approval rating. If the GOP can find a credible candidate – no small task – it could make a race out of this.

Would Shays entertain a run?

Survivor Corps helps injured vets cope

This is a very good way to help repay our veterans for their service, and also help people worldwide who have injuries from wars.

Survivor Corps launched "Operation Survivor" in 2008 to help American service members returning home from war. This program enables these brave men and women to overcome the debilitating effects of trauma and to reintegrate into their families and communities.



Please visit the Survivor Corps: Operation Survivor website and see how you can help.