HYSTERICAL RAISINS

Happy Holidays!!!

nonnie9999 — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 04:25:22 +0000

Hello, my dear Raisinettes! I haven’t been kidnapped, just enjoying time with my crazy sister (yeah, I’m the normal one ). Just stopped by to wish you all a happy holiday. I miss you, and I’ll be back during the week. Mmmmwwwaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!! ♥

Now behave yourselves, or Santa won’t bring you any presents.

Lipstick & a Pig

nonnie9999 — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:31:40 +0000

From MEDIAITE:

Michele Bachmann appeared on Meet the Press earlier today, and in the middle of talking about her chances in Iowa next month, David Gregory brought up the uncomfortable exchange she had with Newt Gingrich during last week’s Republican debate. Gingrich accused Bachmann of “not getting her facts correct,” and Bachmann responded by calling his comments “outrageous,” insisting she is a serious candidate for the presidency.

…snip…

Bachmann did not answer the question of whether Gingrich was being sexist towards her, but she did acknowledge it felt “condescending” to have him talk down to her as if she was one of his students.

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(Video at MEDIAITE link)

Funny that Botox Batshit Bachmann is just fine when her fellow Rethugs do everything they can to screw life up for women, but she can’t stand when Newtie is a male chauvinist pig towards her. It’s ironic, too, because we all know that BBB loves pork!

If Newtie gets the nomination, perhaps the Rethugs will consider updating their logo:

Missionary Reposition

nonnie9999 — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 02:26:28 +0000

From The Telegraph:

It was a rare reflection by Mitt Romney on his life as a young Mormon, offered as proof to struggling Americans that despite being born into privilege and amassing a $250 million fortune, he too had known hard times.

A day after being labelled “out of touch” for casually offering a $10,000 bet to a rival candidate, Mr Romney told supporters he had experienced austerity as a missionary in France, using a bucket for a lavatory and a hose for a shower. “You’re not living high on the hog at that kind of level,” he said.

But the Republican presidential hopeful spent a significant portion of his 30-month mission in a Paris mansion described by fellow American missionaries to The Daily Telegraph as “palace”. It featured stained glass windows, chandeliers, and an extensive art collection. It was staffed by two servants – a Spanish chef and a houseboy.

Original painting (Louis XIV by Rigaud. 1701)

Although he spent time in other French cities, for most of 1968, Mr Romney lived in the Mission Home, a 19th century neoclassical building in the French capital’s chic 16th arrondissement. “It was a house built by and for rich people,” said Richard Anderson, the son of the mission president at the time of Mr Romney’s stay. “I would describe it as a palace”.

Tearful as he described the house, Mr Anderson, 70, of Kaysville, Utah, said Romney aides had asked him not to speak publicly about their time together there.

…snip…

Mr Romney moved into the building following a stay in Bordeaux, after being promoted to assistant to the president, Duane Anderson. He arrived in the spring of 1968, weeks before Paris erupted into riots, and returned to the US that December. He was given a room on the third floor.

…snip…

In his remarks this week, Mr Romney said of his French lodgings: “I don’t recall any of them having a refrigerator. We shopped before every meal”. Mr Anderson said that as well as a refrigerator, the mansion had “a Spanish chef called Pardo and a house boy, who prepared lunch and supper five days a week”.

It was “well equipped” with all modern conveniences, including a combination washer-dryer machine, Mr Anderson said. “I never saw anything like it in another private home at that time.”

Mr Romney added in his comments that “most of the apartments I lived in had no shower or bathtub”. He said: “If we were lucky, we actually bought a hose and we stuck it on the sink.” He said he was forced to use a hole in the ground and a bucket for a lavatory.

Jean Caussé, a 72-year-old Mormon who met Mr Romney in Bordeaux, said he “would be astonished” if that had been the case. “I never knew missionaries who had to do that,” he said. “I don’t see why he would have lived in conditions like that for two years when it was far from the general case”.

The mission home in Paris was fully plumbed and central heated. “All of the missionary rooms had something like a bath or a shower attached to it,” said Mr Anderson. “The home had several”.

This was in stark contrast to lodgings in working class areas given to other missionaries in Paris at the same time. “It was much better than the other places,” said one, Alan Eastman. “Most of us stayed in rented apartments quite a way from luxurious”.

…snip…

Regarding spending money, Mr Romney “would have been on the same amount of money as the rest of us, about $125 per month,” said Mr Eastman – about $813 (£524) per month in today’s money.

But Mr Anderson said that while “we made a contribution for the common meals, I remember feeling that financially it was somewhat easier to be in the mission home”. Mr Romney said this week: “I lived in a way that people of lower middle income in France lived, and said to myself, ‘Wow, I sure am lucky to have been born in the United States of America’.”

One of the mansion’s details stood out to several of the young Mormon men, whose faith banned them from courtship, among other perceived vices such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.

“It had beautiful stained glass windows, including a woman with bare breasts, which raised some eyebrows,” said Mr Eastman. “The windows depicted the four seasons,” said Mr Anderson. “Summer was lightly dressed, let’s put it that way”.

‘Tis the Season for Such Folly

nonnie9999 — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:12:05 +0000

(CNN) – The avalanche of negative campaign ads from Mitt Romney is wearing on rival Newt Gingrich, but he said Thursday he won’t break his pledge to stay positive.

Speaking to Iowa Public Television, the former House speaker said the onslaught of vitriol coming from Romney headquarters jarred with the spirit of the holidays.

“I think it’s counterintuitive,” Gingrich said. “We have an ad that will come up next week where Callista and I are wishing people a Merry Christmas, and we’re talking in a totally positive way. I think if these guys keep up this kind of negative junk, it’s so discordant with the spirit of Christmas.”

Yeah, let’s keep with the spirit of Christmas by saying that poor kids should have to clean toilets for their richer classmates.

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Political professionals are advising him to go negative, Gingrich said, but support from Iowa voters has convinced him to avoid attacks on his opponents.

“I’m getting two kinds of advice,” Gingrich said. “The traditional consultants are all saying ‘you have to hit back.’ Citizens are walking up to me saying stay positive, have faith the people of Iowa will see through this.”

Gingrich’s comments to Iowa Public Television came the same day he released a television ad in Iowa touting his positive campaign.

“These are challenging and important times for America,” Gingrich said in the spot. “We want and deserve solutions. Others seem to be more focused on attacks rather than moving the country forward. That’s up to them.”

Fighting over who’s wealthy? Oh, that’s rich!

nonnie9999 — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:17:24 +0000

From TALKING POINTS MEMO:

In these hard economic times, Mitt Romney’s millions are not something the candidate wants to wear on his sleeve. But ever since he offered Rick Perry a $10,000 bet during Saturday’s debate, Mitt’s wealth is the story that won’t go away. Which is presumably why, in a conversation with CBS, Romney tried to shift some of the attention to his “very wealthy” rival, Newt Gingrich.

“Newt Gingrich has wealth from having worked in government,” Romney told CBS News political correspondent Jan Crawford in an interview in New York. “He’s a wealthy man, a very wealthy man. If you have a half a million dollar purchase from Tiffany’s, you’re not a middle class American.”

Original image (Scroll through. It’s really cool to see how people colorized the pic and how each one is just a little bit different)

Newt does have quite a bit of money — his campaign estimates his net worth is $6.7 million — and it comes with its fair share of embarrassments for the former speaker. So Romney knew how to hit him where it hurt. But Romney’s comments didn’t come out of the blue. Talking to reporters, Newt has highlighted not only Romney’s fortune, but also his $10k gaffe:

“If Governor Romney would like to give back all the money he made from bankrupting companies and laying off workers, then I’d be glad to listen to him. And I’d bet you ten dollars, not ten thousand, that he won’t take the offer.”

[T]he risk here is that a fight over which of them is more “middle class” will only highlight just how removed both of the GOP frontrunners are from the people they so desperately need to win over. Romney and Gingrich are hurling stones at each other while each inside their very own glass house.

Bewitched, Bothered, and BeWillard

nonnie9999 — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 01:02:14 +0000

From POLITICO:

Former tea party candidate and U.S. Senate hopeful Christine O’Donnell has cast a, er, endorsement Mitt Romney’s way.

…snip…

Mostly, O’Donnell is best remembered for the “I’m not a witch, I’m you” ad that she produced, through admaker Fred Davis (now with the Jon Huntsman super PAC), which was met with much derision.

Derision? I wonder from whom.

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UPDATE: Here’s the release the Romney campaign just put out on O’Donnell’s announcement.

“Christine has been a leader in the conservative movement for many years,” said Mitt Romney. “Christine recognizes that excessive government threatens us now and threatens future generations, and I am pleased to have her on my team.”

Announcing her support, Christine O’Donnell said, “For me, this endorsement comes down to trust. I am endorsing Governor Romney because I trust him to do the right thing. He has the strength of conviction to do the right thing regardless of opposition. America needs a president who is not a Washington Insider. America needs a president who hasn’t been playing the game for the last three decades. America needs a president who can turn our economy around, put Americans back to work, and will lead with stability, integrity and the values that we hold dear. I am confident Mitt Romney will be that president.”

I don’t know what’s funnier–Mittsie’s press release calling Little Chrissie a leader or Little Chrissie dissing Newtie. Maybe she can put a spell on him. Hmmm, where could she find eye of newt….OMG!!!!

O’Donnell made the “witch” ad after old video of her emerged from an appearance on the Bill Maher show in which she talked about practicing witchcraft. To many establishment GOPers, O’Donnell typified what they saw as some of the problems with the hard-right turn of the party in the 2010 elections. She’s also become a source of some derision, and I have a hard time seeing Romney, say, stumping actively with her.

It seems safe to say this release is a tangible sign of concern within the Romney camp about how to handle the Newt Gingrich surge.

I just want to add a huge thank you to the parody deities for this story. You took away Hermie Cain, but you brought Little Chrissie back. I’d say more, but I’m a little ferklempt and I may plotz from happiness.

Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber

nonnie9999 — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:55:24 +0000

From the Atlantic wire:

The Players: Glenn Beck, a conservative provocateur who has a burgeoning news site called The Blaze ; Andrew Breitbart, a conservative provocateur who’s run his own news site Breitbart.com and conservative-slanted Big aggregation network.

The Opening Serve: Glenn Beck hasn’t been shy about voicing his opinion on Newt Gingrich ever since the former Speaker of The House began to surge in the polls. We noted he played a little bit of gotcha journalism with Gingrich, but Beck took it a step further and went on Fox Business this past weekend to air his grievances:

If you have a big government progressive, or a big government progressive in Obama… ask yourself this, Tea Party: is it about Obama’s race? Because that’s what it appears to be to me. If you’re against him but you’re for [Newt Gingrich], it must be about race. I mean, what else is it? It’s the policies that matter.

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The Return Volley: Beck’s comments didn’t fall on deaf ears, and spurred Andrew Breitbart to call into Stephen Bannon’s show/podcast this weekend. Slate’s Dave Weigel notes that Bannon, the director of the Sarah Palin documentary The Undefeated actually lives in a home rented by Breitbart. With that kind of home-court advantage, Breitbart begins going after Beck as soon as the interview began, referring to him as a “snake” and a “race-baiter.” [...] From there, with a little bit of urging from Bannon, Breitbart goes off on a wayward tangent explains how Glenn Beck steals material from people, Breitbart included and how he criticized Breitbart’s handling of the Shirley Sherrod story.

…snip…

What They Say They’re Fighting About: [...E]ven though Breitbart says Beck has committed the grave sin of pulling the racism card, the fight isn’t really about that.

What They’re Really Fighting About: The history between these two and The Blaze’s burgeoning success. You’d think that these two conservative flame-stokers would be on the same side of the issue on a lot of things, but apparently that isn’t the case. And it stems back to something Breitbart mentions: The case of Shirley Sherrod. Back in July, Glenn Beck had stepped up to bat for Sherrod, who had resigned after Breitbart’s Big Government posted an edited speech she gave to NAACP earlier that year. Couple that with Beck taking apart James O’Keefe, Big Government’s cover boy, on his Blaze news site earlier this year and you’ve got yourself the real reason why Breitbart seems all to happy to jump on Beck’s “race-baiting.”

Who’s Winning Now: Beck. There’s a reason that Breitbart is pounding chest and yelling louder than ever about Beck’s transgressions, and it’s because there’s a threat there and there’s a bit of jealousy. Breitbart obviously sees the growing popularity of The Blaze and its encroaching on the Big network’s readers, which is why the vitriol is flowing freely from Breitbart’s end.

Who do you root for in this fight? It’s sort of like asking someone: If you were up to your neck in diarrhea, and someone threw a bucket of vomit at you, would you duck?

Mittsie: The Bête Noire of Governor Little Ricky Goodhair

nonnie9999 — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:26:19 +0000

From The New York Times:

AMES, Iowa — Mitt Romney became the target of mocking criticism on Sunday from several of his Republican presidential rivals — except Newt Gingrich, whose silence underscored his growing confidence as the party’s nominating contest enters a critical week featuring the final televised debate of the year.

A day after Mr. Romney unwittingly created a fresh punch line when he extended his hand during a debate and tried to make a $10,000 bet with Gov. Rick Perry of Texas to settle a disagreement over health care, Mr. Perry said that the exchange was the latest sign that his opponent was out of step with most voters.

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“Having an extra $10,000 that you would throw down on a bet just seems very out of the ordinary,” Mr. Perry said in a brief interview as he passed through a coffee shop here. He smiled, adding, “I would suggest to you that $10,000 is pocket change for Mitt.”

Former Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. of Utah, who did not meet requirements to participate in the debate because of his low poll numbers, sought to keep the exchange alive by suggesting that he would accept Mr. Romney’s bet. The Democrats joined in the criticism, too, piecing together a Web video of the unflattering commentary about Mr. Romney at the debate on Saturday.

The remark from Mr. Romney not only drew attention to his wealth, but also highlighted how he had grown defensive three weeks before the Republican voting begins at the Iowa caucuses. He sought to brush aside questions about the $10,000 wager, but noted that his wife, Ann, told him after the debate, “A lot of things you do well; betting isn’t one of them.”

Another Rethuglican Duhhh-bate

nonnie9999 — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:37:30 +0000

From THE HILL:

Republican Presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) came out swinging against rival GOP contenders Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich on Sunday as she aimed to paint them similar to President Obama on healthcare, cap and trade and the bank bailouts, dubbing them “NewtRomney.”

…snip…

The Minnesota congresswoman slammed former Massachusetts Gov. Romney and former Speaker of the House Gingrich for being “on the same side” of the healthcare issue as Obama a charge she levelled at her opponents during Saturday’s GOP debate.

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Bachmann also claimed other policy similarities between her GOP rivals and the president.

“Also, ‘NewtRomney’ are on the same side as the president when it comes to cap and trade, the $700 billion bailout, illegal immigration, even the payroll tax this week,” she added.

Contenders for the Republican presidential nomination were split on an extension of the payroll tax cut during the ABC debate Saturday night.

Romney, Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) all expressed support for providing another yearlong break for taxpayers although the former governor of Massachusetts took the opportunity to launch into an attack on the Obama administration’s economic policies.

“The payroll tax cut will help people,” Romney said. “But it’s just a band-aid.”

Bachmann remains opposed to an extension, saying it “shouldn’t have been put in in the first place,” during the debate.

“When you take a look and people say this is a two man race I would agree, but the one man is ‘NewtRomney’ and the other man is Michele Bachmann, the only proven consistent conservative,” said Bachmann.

Campaigning for Fun and Profit

nonnie9999 — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 02:55:10 +0000

From THE HUFFINGTON POST:

Newt Gingrich loves selling himself – both as a presidential hopeful and as a for-profit author.

As he seeks the GOP nomination, the former House speaker frequently combines traditional political campaigning with the sales job for his books and films that has earned him millions. As his rivals on Friday scheduled busy days with voters in early nominating states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, Gingrich planned a single public event: a book signing in the nation’s capital.

(Update: Gingrich’s book signing has been reportedly cancelled due to “public safety concerns.”)

Bill O’Reilly was there with an umbrella?

Gingrich, enjoying a surge in the polls just a month before the first contests are held, prides himself on his non-traditional campaign style. It isn’t clear whether it will pay off politically. But it certainly has not hurt his own income.

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Gingrich’s personal financial disclosure form shows that he and wife, Callista, reported between $500,000 and $1 million in assets from Gingrich Productions, the couple’s media company that produces books and films. The filings also list a promissory note worth between $5 million and $25 million owed to the production company, records show, although details of that asset are unclear.

…snip…

Gingrich has turned over the production company to his wife as he works to build support for his White House bid. Yet he still promotes their films, often hosting screenings on the sidelines during conservative conferences.

Afterward, aides sell DVDs of the programs and their companion books.

…snip…

It is all legal, said former Federal Elections Commission chairman Dave Mason.

“The basic rule is that he can do both things, as long as he doesn’t use any revenues from the book tour to subsidize the campaign, and as long as he doesn’t use campaign funds in a way that benefits him personally,” said Mason.

…snip…

Even when asked about real estate mogul Donald Trump’s upcoming debate for GOP hopefuls, Gingrich can’t help but plug the connection: Trump appeared in a Gingrich film.

At times, there seems little distinction between his campaigning and bookselling.

For instance, before a one-on-one debate with then-contender Herman Cain outside of Houston, Texas, the Gingriches signed copies of their books for fans who lined up to buy an autographed copy just outside the venue’s doors. Nearby, a volunteer donned an elephant costume and stood in for the star of Callista’s children’s book, “Ellis the Elephant.”

For Gingrich, the campaign sometimes takes on the feeling of an extended book tour.

“At 8:30 tomorrow morning, we’re going to be at the Westin at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and we’re going to be talking about jobs and the economy,” Gingrich told a radio interviewer last month. “And then after the town hall meeting, Callista is going to be signing her new book, the New York Times bestseller, `Sweet Land Of Liberty.’ … And I’ll be signing my new novel, `The Crater,’ about the Civil War, and a book on American exceptionalism called `A Nation Like No Other.’”

Gingrich, meanwhile, continues to run a campaign perhaps like no other.