Behind Enemy Lines

From POLITICAL HOTSHEET at CBS NEWS:

It was one of the most compelling moments of Barack Obama’s presidency: The president taking questions from some of his harshest critics in the opposition, and, in the process, castigating them for casting his policies as to the extreme left.

Mr. Obama told members of the House GOP at a Baltimore retreat that their decision to tell their constituents he is “going to destroy America” had made it virtually impossible for them to vote with Democrats on even moderate policies, at least if they didn’t want to jeopardize their reelection prospects.

Original DVD cover

It’s My Party, and I’ll Bail If I Want To

From The Caucus at The New York Times:

Even before the Tea Party’s $549-a-head convention next week, some of the movement’s biggest champions are partied out.

Representatives Michele Bachmann, Republican of Minnesota, and Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, two Tea Party heroines, have canceled their appearances at the National Tea Party Convention, which begins next Thursday in Nashville, Tenn.

Original poster

Judicial Restraint? Next Time, Put Him in Restraints!

From Glenn Greenwald at Salon:

As I wrote at the time, I thought the condemnations of Rep. Joe Wilson’s heckling of Barack Obama during his September health care speech were histrionic and excessive.  Wilson and Obama are both political actors, it occurred in the middle of a political speech about a highly political dispute, and while the outburst was indecorous and impolite, Obama is not entitled to be treated as royalty.  That was all much ado about nothing.  By contrast, the behavior of Justice Alito at last night’s State of the Union address — visibly shaking his head and mouthing the words “not true” when Obama warned of the dangers of the Court’s Citizens United ruling — was a serious and substantive breach of protocol that reflects very poorly on Alito and only further undermines the credibility of the Court.  It has nothing to do with etiquette and everything to do with the Court’s ability to adhere to its intended function.

Original DVD cover

Get Outta Here, Boys, Ya Bug Me!

From David Weigel at THE WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT:

On Monday morning, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan, both age 24, dressed up as telephone company workers and walked into the New Orleans office of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.). Inside the office, waiting for them, was James O’Keefe, the 25-year-old conservative activist who posed as a pimp in 2009 for a series of undercover videos that badly damaged the national community organization ACORN. As Basel and Flanagan clumsily worked on the phones, O’Keefe was recording them for a reason that remains unknown. When the “repairmen” and accomplices were asked for ID, they gave themselves up and were arrested.

Original DVD cover

The Declaration of Incoherence

From the St. Cloud Times:

ST. PAUL — Rep. Michele Bachmann and other Minnesota Republicans previewed a health care proposal they will unveil the day of President Obama’s State of the Union address.

The GOP “Declaration of Health Care Independence” will become public on Wednesday, Bachmann said at a state Capitol news conference Monday afternoon.

The declaration won’t prescribe specific reforms, but would lay down “rules of the road” for bipartisan health care negotiations, Bachmann said.

Original album cover

Breaking News: Lt. Gov. Bauer Solves Childhood Obesity Problem

From The State:

GREENVILLE – Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer has compared giving people government assistance to “feeding stray animals.”

Bauer, who is running for the Republican nomination for governor, made his remarks during a town hall meeting in Fountain Inn that included state lawmakers and about 115 residents.

“My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You’re facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that. And so what you’ve got to do is you’ve got to curtail that type of behavior. They don’t know any better,” Bauer said.

In South Carolina, 58 percent of students participate in the free and reduced-price lunch program.

Original DVD cover

He’d be a party pooper, if he could only find a party that’ll have him!

From Fox News (seriously!):

Rep. Parker Griffith, the Alabama Republican who recently crossed over from the Democratic Party, is facing a mini-revolt from some home-state GOP officials who question his loyalty to his newly adopted party.

The local Republican operations for two counties inside Griffith’s 5th District passed a set of resolutions in the past week urging Republicans to elect anyone but Griffith in the state’s June primary.

The Limestone County Republican Party passed a set of measures Thursday night, one of which called on Griffith to turn over all campaign money he raised as a Democrat and not use any of it in his race for re-election — Griffith’s third-quarter fundraising report showed he had $619,000 on hand. The county party also recommended that Republicans support one of the other two GOP candidates in the race.

The Madison County Republican Party on Monday passed a measure recommending the same thing, as well as urging the congressional delegation and national party not to get involved in the primary.

So how do you like being a Rethuglican now?

Original DVD cover

Free Speech Is Gonna Cost Ya

corpocracy

cor·poc·ra·cy // (kôr-pkr-s)

n. pl. cor·poc·ra·cies

1. A society dominated politically and economically by large corporations.

Original DVD cover