Foul Play Suspected in the Disappearance of Liberal Blogger

Foul deeds will rise, Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes -- William Shakespeare (baptized 4/26/1564 to 4/23/1616) an English poet and playwright. A quote from the 1602 (date estimated) tragedy Hamlet.

Liberal HQ division chief Laura Fawkes clicked answer on her laptop upon hearing a chime indicating she had an incoming video conference call. "Hello Dervish", she said, noting the name she saw displayed.

An image of a 20-something dark-haired woman appeared on-screen. "This isn't Dervish, it's Janeane Garner", the woman said. "I'm an investigator who works with Dervish. The reason I'm calling is because Dervish is missing. Until a few days ago he was in his office every day, then he simply vanished".

"He probably decided to shut his blog down", Laura replied. "Although he hasn't filed the appropriate paperwork".

"No, I'm positive he had determined to keep the blog up and running", Janeane insisted. "In fact, I know that he was supposed to meet with a representative of George Soros to obtain additional funding for Sleeping With The Devil. The representative called yesterday and said that Dervish didn't show up".

"That is strange", Laura agreed. "I'll look into it and let you know what I find out".

"I've already started asking around", Janeane retorted. "The doorman Frank said the last time he saw Dervish was when he left for the day on Monday. I also called his home and his cell, but all my calls go to voice mail".

"That is troubling", Laura replied, growing concerned. "I've know Dervish for several years, and, although there have been times when he stayed away from the office for days at a time, I've always been able to contact him by phone".

"There is a specific reason, however", Janeane interjected, "why I'm concerned that something untoward may have occurred".

"What are you talking about!" Laura exclaimed, obviously alarmed. "You're not suggesting foul play, are you?"

"That's it exactly", Janeane replied. "Frank got back to me right before I called you. He said he went out to the parking lot and Dervish's car wasn't there, but he did find a small amount of blood near his reserved space. And, even more concerning is that Monday's video surveillance footage DVD of the parking lot can't be found. Frank said only our security man has access to the surveillance room".

"This is looking worse and worse", Laura concluded. "I'm going to schedule a meeting with our head of security, Rusty Farber. Please meet me in his office 30 minutes from now".

"I'll be there", Janeane replied, hanging up the phone.

A half hour later everyone gathered in Rusty Farber's office. The division chief Laura Fawkes, SWTD investigator Janeane Garner and concierge Frank Lukas. Rusty stepped to the front of the room.

"First of all, I want everyone to know that I am on top of the situation", Rusty began. "Here is what we know as of now -- one of our bloggers, a Mr. Dervish has been missing since Monday. A small amount of blood was found in the parking lot near Mr. Dervish's space. Also, and these are the two things that concern me most, the surveillance DVD from Monday is missing and the GPS on Mr. Dervish's company car is non-functional. In my opinion someone STOLE the DVD and DISABLED the GPS tracking".

"Now, as you know we cannot go to the police, so we're going to have to handle the situation ourselves", Rusty concluded.

"Why is that?" a questioning voice interrupted. Everyone turned and starred at the young woman who had just entered the room carrying a box of donuts.

"What, did you just fall off the turnip truck young lady", Rusty inquired, clearly flustered.

"Please excuse my newly-hired intern", Laura replied, "She just moved here from out of state".

"That explains it. For the benefit of the young lady I shall elaborate", Rusty continued. "As almost everyone here already knows, a couple of weeks ago our new Republican Governor rammed the standard union-busting corporate tax giveaway legislation through the state senate. Shortly after passage the Governor appointed an Emergency Financial Manager to seize control of our city. Immediately EFM Reginald Kingston fired the mayor, all the local judges, and the entire police department - which he replaced with a private security firm. The salaries and benefits of city workers were of course severely reduced".

"That's terrible!" Laura's intern exclaimed.

Rusty's salt-and-pepper mustache bristled, his brow furrowed, and his demeanor became dead serious. "Indeed it is. Nobody ever expected it would be this easy for the Republicans to kill democracy".

"Unless Washington is willing to do something drastic, like send in the national guard, our city is now essentially a dictatorship", Laura Fawkes concurred. "So far President Obama doesn't seem willing to step in and address the issue", Laura continued, expressing her concern.

"Maybe he's preoccupied with the situation in Libya?" Frank asked.

"Or perhaps the Republican governors have some dirt on him?" someone who hadn't previously been a part of the conversation suggested. Suddenly Barry Sotomeyer barged into the room, pushing open the door that had been partially ajar. "I've heard that his Kenyan birth certificate was discovered and is being used as leverage against him", Barry chirped.

"That's bullsh*t", Rusty growled. "Barack Obama was born in Hawaii". Rusty paused, starring menacingly at the newcomer. Then he asked, in a more even-toned voice, "what the hell kind of Liberal are you? Also, what the eff are you doing here? You weren't invited to this meeting".

"Please excuse my intrusion", Barry apologized, his face growing red. "I heard about the meeting from Janeane -- or actually, I heard her talking on the phone about it. I didn't mean to listen in, but she's in the office right next to me and -- voices carry through the air ducts!" Barry feebly explained. "Anyway, the reason I'm here is because I have some information that might help in locating Dervish".

"Go ahead and spit it out", Rusty replied suspiciously.

"Well, it's one of those officers from Tannis Protection, the private security firm hired by EFM Kingston. I saw one of them talking to Dervish last week. Dervish said the officer has been harassing him for a while -- trying to intimidate him into shutting down his blog".

"I know all about it", Rusty said, cutting him off. "The detective's name is Smurf Jones. He introduced himself as a member of the Thought Police when I meet him last month. Then he shoved a badge in my face that had Tannis Protection printed on it. I had no choice but to allow him access to the building. Anyway, everyone already knows this, as it was covered in the mandatory meeting I called immediately afterward".

"Of course, I remember the meeting Rusty", Barry retorted. "But I think that this Smurf fellow had a personal grudge against Dervish. He never bothered me, in any case".

"Well, not that I needed your help deducing this, but I agree with you about Smurf Jones", Rusty replied, noticeably annoyed.

"I was actually going in that direction when you made your unwelcome entrance". Rusty paused, then turned back to his original audience. "Smurf Jones is involved, I feel it in my gut".

"If that is the case, and I agree that it is", Laura Fawkes concurred, "The course of action that needs to be taken is clear. I will contact the Washington division immediately".

"Actually", Rusty cautioned, "My Washington source said to expect no help from them. All identified Washington agents are currently prohibited from leaving the city. My brother Randall is in charge there, and he said the new House leadership is looking for an excuse to arrest Liberals. According to him everyone in the Washington division is on the verge of being labeled an enemy combatant and disappeared".

"I guess we've on our own then", Laura whispered, her face suddenly ashen.

 swtd-67. polfi-4.  Previous Next.

Rebutting a Blogger Who Doesn't Believe in Taking Prisoners

Listen, you little wiseacre: I'm smart; you're dumb; I'm big, you're little; I'm right, you're wrong, and there's nothing you can do about it ~ Harry Wormwood, the antagonist & narrator (portrayed by Danny DeVito) from "Matilda", the 1996 film adaptation of the book by Roald Dahl.

This post was inspired by a blogger who calls himself Willis "Take No Prisoners" Hart (WTNPH). Recently WTNPH used his blog to go off on an individual (who he refers to as "JR") that offended him by insinuating he has an "agenda" of a Right-wing nature. This blog post was essentially a string of obscenities and insults, the gist of which was to suggest that anyone who gravitates to far to the Right OR to far to the Left (which is the case with JR), lives in a "cartoon-like universe of good and evil" and may very well be a "loathsome partisan lowlife".

How does one qualify to be labeled a "loathsome partisan lowlife" by the blogger who doesn't believe in taking prisoners? It's possible that acquiring this badge of honor may be as simple as disagreeing with any of the conservative POVs he puts forth, even though he insists his tirade was provoked when the object of his scorn "mischaracterized" his position. Whether or not this actually is the case isn't going to be the subject of my post, however.

The subject of this post is the application of another label WTNPH applied to someone he disagrees with. In my opinion he got it wrong. Way wrong. I often cite Thom Hartmann, a progressive political commentator with his own radio program, on this blog and elsewhere. Why? Because he's the number one rated Liberal talker in the nation and I listen to him daily. And I also happen to agree with the majority of his political opinions.

The discussion with WTNPH where this label application occurred concerned free trade. WTNPH is in favor of it. According to WTNPH, I (and other progressives, presumably) want to "nationalize industries, force people to join labor unions, raise the minimum wage to $20 an hour, [and] build a trade wall around the entire country". Then he threw out the old Conservative canard that "the Smoot Hawley Tariff Act of 1929 contributed greatly to the Depression".

This I had to respond to, as I believe the facts show this claim is total bunk (here's a link to an article by someone who uses the official government figures from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis to discredit this nonsense). I also quoted Mr. Hartmann who has written that he believes Smoot-Hawley "may have had a slight short-term negative effect on the economy (-1.4 percent at most according to many historians) [but] its long-term effect was to bring American jobs back to America". I also mentioned that Thom Hartmann has authored a book that covers the subject.

In response the Hartster wrote, "Mr. Hartmann is a partisan hack. Dick Morris and Newt Gingrich write books, too. Any idiot can write a frigging book - Sarah Palin wrote a frigging book" (3/29/2011 AT 7:19pm).

According to Dictionary.com a "hack" is "a professional who renounces or surrenders individual independence, integrity, belief, etc., in return for money or other reward in the performance of a task normally thought of as involving a strong personal commitment".

Dick Morris is the a-hole who advised president Clinton to "pursue third way policies of triangulation that combined traditional Republican and Democratic proposals, rhetoric, and issues to achieve maximum political gain". The effect of Dick's advice was to move the Democratic Party forever to the Right (Obama being the second Democratic President to follow the Third Way). According to George Stephanopoulos, "over the course of the first nine months of 1995, no single person had more power over the president". Being a Liberal, I hate this guy intensely.

Dick Morris began working with the Clintons in 1978 when Bill ran for governor of Arkansas. When a prostitution scandal forced Morris to resign his advisory position in 1996 President Clinton "praised Morris as a friend, and thanked him for his years of service". After leaving the employ of the Clintons a grateful Morris embarked on a new career authoring a series of books trashing them. Dick Morris is a partisan hack.

Newt Gingrich pretends there is a possibility he might run for president. A 2/28/2011 Politico article reveals that Newt Gingrich raised 14.5 million dollars in 2010 via his fundraising organization "American Solutions". A large chunk of that money was paid to "The Gingrich Group" in return for "administrative services". This story was also covered by Rachel Maddow on 3/3/2011 with a story she called "He's Faking It". Pretending to run for president is only one of many Newt Gingrich scams designed to separate Right-wing fools from their money. Newt also gives out "awards" in exchange for the modest fee of $5,000. Newt Gingrich is a partisan hack.

Sarah Palin, taking a cue from Mr. Gingrich, does what she can to maintain the illusion that she might run for president. As long as there is a possibility she might run, interest in her books, speaking engagements, Fox News gig, and reality program remains artificially high. If Palin were not MAYBE running for president would interest in the half-term governor who quit be as high? Would she be raking in quite as much dough? I think not. Pretending to run for president, while not actual work, pays very handsomely. Sarah Palin is a partisan hack. (Another person milking this cash cow is, in my opinion, Mike Huckabee. Mike Huckabee will not run a second time. He's also a partisan hack).

Thom Hartmann, on the other hand, clearly believes in what he's selling (or not selling). Evidence of this is the fact that he's giving away books he has written for free. Truthout.org has serialized two of his books: 2010's Rebooting the American Dream and the newly revised edition of Unequal Protection (originally published in 2004). When informing his listeners how they could read these books online for free, Thom mentioned that his publisher was against it because his book (the first one) was selling quite well. He also allows non-commercial affiliates to carry his radio program at no charge.

Thom Hartmann also won't do suck up interviews. Occasionally the topic comes up and he says some politicians will only agree to come on the program if the questions are pre-approved, and Thom Hartmann refuses. This isn't something a hack would do. On 12/8/2010 Thom Hartmann had White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer on the program. Dan Pfeiffer came on to defend the deal President Obama had struck with the Republicans to extend the bush tax cuts (SWTD #71)... legislation which had not yet been passed at the time of the interview.

Thom grilled him for the entire nine-minute segment, all the time trying to convince Mr. Pfeiffer that the tax compromise was a bad deal. Afterward Thom remarked that he believed he probably burned some bridges with that interview and that he would not be asked back to the White House again, but so be it. This is not the kind of behavior you'd expect from a hack.

The accusation made by the doofus Hart that Thom Hartmann is a partisan hack is not supported by the facts. So why did he make it? I think it was simply because WTNPH didn't like the quote from Thom Hartmann I presented to him. In rebutting my argument in favor of protectionism Mr. Hart asked if I had ever heard of Frank William Taussig, an economist who (in addition to dying 61 years ago) is "credited with creating the foundations of modern trade theory". My bad, I guess if I'm going to argue trade policy I should've known who this guy is. WTNPH, having trapped me into admitting my ignorance, declared victory, pointing out that it "spoke volumes" that I "had heard of Thom Hartmann and not Frank William Taussig". Snap!

What irks me is that he goes off on another blogger for mischaracterizing his views when he had already mischaracterized Thom Hartmann as a partisan hack, a person WTNPH obviously knows very little about. As I've demonstrated, Thom Hartmann is anything but a partisan hack. And then the Hart who doesn't take prisoners belittles me when he asks if I've heard of some important economist and I admit I hadn't.

So my views on free trade are "cartoon-like partisan extremist illogical crap"... I can understand how a self-described moderate would reach that conclusion. Obviously I don't agree that my views are cartoon-like, partisan, extremist, or illogical, but whatever - that doesn't bother me (as bad as it sounds). What I don't care for is the hypocrisy. And the fact that whenever he makes what he considers a brilliant retort in response to my "crap" he concludes with an "LOL".

Further Reading
[1] Dick Morris Admits He Lied About Clinton, Reno & Waco by TheJushuaBlog 4/21/2010.
[2] Dick Morris' Clinton Book Is a Back-Stabbing Bio by News Hounds 8/11/2005.

SWTD #66, wDel #2.

Liberal Blogger Harassed by GOP Goons

Truth is condemned as a trap; justice is jeered at; saints are harassed as social enemies. Hence this Incarnation has come to uphold the Truth and suppress the False -- Sathya Sai Baba (b. 11/23/1926) a popular Indian guru, spiritual figure and educator.

"Sorry to hear about your blog", my next door neighbor commented as I stepped out of my office into the hallway.

"What do you mean Barry?" I asked.

"Well, I heard from the local division chief that you were shutting it down", Barry explained.

"I haven't decided yet", I replied. "I just authored a new post that received a comment almost immediately".

Barry snickered. "One comment? I think perhaps you should stick with your original decision".

I closed the door to my office and locked it, preventing any unauthorized individuals from gaining access.

"I thought you said you were sorry Barry. Telling me I should stick with my original decision implies that you'd be glad if I terminated my blog".

"Honestly", Barry remarked, "I've had my eye on your office for quite some time. Mine is just a converted storage closet".

"I could use the extra space", Barry continued. "Perhaps I could even hire some of your investigative staff". "My blog's readership is actually increasing, unlike yours".

"Let me guess, the member of my staff you're interested in hiring is Janeane? Forget it Barry, you don't have a shot with her. She thinks you're a creep".

"What?!" Barry exclaimed, "I think you just want her for yourself". Barry paused, apparently formulating a thought. Then he said, "you can't eliminate the competition that easily".

"Look, Barry, we may be compatriots in the Liberal cause, but, other than that, I've never liked you. I suggest you leave Janeane alone", I said, poking Barry in the chest with my finger.

"Or what", Barry inquired, "trying to get me to back off by telling me how you'll cry your eyes out after I bed her won't evoke any sympathy from me".

"As if there is any chance of that happening", I replied. "Now, excuse me, but I've got somewhere else I need to be". I turned away from Barry and walked briskly down the hallway and proceeded down the wide spiral marble staircase. I swiftly crossed the large ornately decorated lobby. Circling the fountain and large granite statue of striking union members, I walked between a pair of towering stone pillars and headed for the front exit.

"Have a nice evening, Mr. Dervish", the security guard politely implored as he opened the door for me.

"Thank you very much Frank, you have a very nice night yourself", I replied as I passed though the open doorway and into the courtyard in front of PIF HQ.

Out in the parking lot I spotted Detective Smurf Jones leaning against my Ford Focus.

"Nice car. I wish I could afford something like this", Jones said, standing up straight. "Unfortunately that's not possible given my public servant wages".

"Jones, I don't understand why you're here", I said, baffled. "I thought you had finished your report on my blog. You're not harassing me on your own time, are you?".

"Absolutely not", Jones answered. "I was straight with you when I said my report recommended my division cease its investigation of your blog".

"However", Jones continued, "my captain wasn't convinced. I told him that you were shutting down your blog, but then you went and published another commentary. Also, not that this is any of your business, but I've been temporarily reassigned back to your case. Apparently the brass doesn't like it when you use a rocket launcher to blow up a bus full of nuns".

"Now, wait a minute!" another voice shouted. A man stepped out from behind a nearby topiary and continued talking as he covered the few steps between me, Jones, and the manicured shrub he had been standing behind. "I did NOT blow up a busload of nuns. They had already disembarked when my bazooka accidentally fired".

"Yes, only the driver was killed", Jones agreed. "This is my partner, Tony Hawkins", Jones explained, addressing me again.

"Now I've got TWO of you trying to intimidate me?" I inquired incredulously.

"Only temporarily, until the investigation regarding the incident at the Canadian border is concluded", answered Hawkins.

"Listen, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, nor do I care", I said, opening the door of my Focus using the remote on my keychain. "Now excuse me, gentlemen, but I've got to go".

"Not so fast, Liberal", Jones barked, grabbing me by the arm. "We have unfinished business".

Image: A bus explodes after being hit by a rocket fired from a bazooka wielded by Tannis Protection Private Security officer, Tony Hawkins.

 swtd-65. polfi-3.  Previous. Next.

Conservatives Are Astonishingly Stupid

During the period 1951-63, when marginal rates were at their peak - 91 percent or 92 percent - the American economy boomed, growing at an average annual rate of 3.71 percent. The fact that the marginal rates were what would today be viewed as essentially confiscatory did not cause economic cataclysm - just the opposite. And during the past seven years, during which we reduced the top marginal rate to 35 percent, average growth was a more meager 1.71 percent ~ Eliot Spitzer (b. 6/10/1959) former Governor of New York and current co-host of the CNN political commentary program "In the Arena", as quoted in his 2/23/2011 Slate magazine article, "Tax Fraud".

Question: What's the difference between a Liberal and a puppy?

Answer: A puppy stops whining after it grows up.

The above "joke" is from the "best-selling" book, "365 Ways to Drive a Liberal Crazy", by Libertarian Conservative dumbass James Delingpole. Upon reading the setup I assumed the punch line would mention how puppies are born blind but later open their eyes - unlike Liberals. This is the joke (or some variation of it) I'm sure most people are familiar with. Mr. Delingpole must have never owned a dog, or known anyone who owned a dog. As a pet owner (or pet guardian, as a politically correct Liberal might refer to himself) I can say unequivocally that adult dogs whine - quite frequently, in fact.

Another way a Conservative can drive a Liberal crazy, according to Mr. Delingpole, is to use the words "Oppressive" or "Regressive" instead of "Progressive". Then feign puzzlement when called on their incorrect language usage, asking, "how is it progress to steal free citizens' liberties, money, and hope, and hand it all over to government bureaucrats"?

I'm a subscriber to Mr. Delingpole's newsletter, and every day he sends me an email containing another method by which Conservatives can drive Liberals crazy. Most of them are as stupid (or stupider) than the two provided examples. Delingpoole obviously believes that, to drive a Liberal crazy, one must ignore the advice of Abraham Lincoln who said, "it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt". One Amazon reviewer accurately describes the book as "a celebration of ignorance".

Conservative ignorance is most apparent when it comes to the issue of taxation. For some reason Cons believe that cutting taxes for wealthy individuals is the most effective way to stimulate economic activity. Some of them seem to think that it is the only way. Which is why they insisted tax cuts be a part of the Democrat's stimulus bill - the stimulus bill they almost immediately began to claim had "failed".

In reality it was their tax cuts that failed to produce economic stimulation. Specifically it was (and continues to be) the bush tax cuts that are supressing the recovery. A 3/1/2011 article by Larry Beinhart on Alternet makes the point that "history shows that when spending is cut - in the name of balancing the budget - recessions immediately follow".

When he decided to extend the bush tax cuts for an additional two years President Obama said he had no choice because the Republicans were holding benefits for unemployed people hostage. After the Republicans got the tax cuts for the rich they had demanded (significantly increasing the deficit in the process) Congress repealed DADT and passed a number of other pieces of significant legislation in the lame duck session.

Politically moderate citizens across the nation rejoiced at what they (incorrectly) perceived as bipartisanship - and the president's popularity increased. Unfortunately what they apparently did not realize is the fact that the "compromise" actually sabotaged the prospect of an economic recovery.

On the 11/4/2010 broadcast of the Thom Hartmann Radio Program economist Ravi Batra said "3 or 4 months ago... [I] said to you that, if the government spending stays where it is we'll be stuck at the bottom, and we'll stabilize at the bottom. And that is essentially what we are seeing. Even now there are layoffs in the economy, although there is some growth. But now that we have this new leadership from the Tea Party and the Republicans... They're going to put even more constraints on government spending, and I think a double-dip is for sure now".

Taxes are at a historical low, and the deficit and national debt are at an all-time high. The last Republican administration passed their tax cuts (which went primarily to the wealthy) at a time when we had a budget SURPLUS. Then they spent trillions on two (illegal) wars. Finally, financial deregulation, as championed by Conservatives, lead to a housing bubble burst which brought our economy to it's knees.

Even though they are still pro-tax cutting, pro-war, and pro-deregulation, they believe continued high unemployment can be solely attributed to President Obama and the Democrats. Either the Republicans are astonishingly stupid or this is all part of a long running plan to impoverish the middle class and funnel even more money into the hands of the upper one percent.

Apparently the American people are that stupid. Many of the voters who helped elect Barack Obama in 2008 didn't bother showing up to rebuke the Republicans in the 2010 mid-term. Disillusioned moderate and Tea Party idiots were duped by Koch-funded "grassroots" organizations into showing up and voting against their own interests, which allowed the Republicans to seize control of the House and proclaim the American people had sent a message. The message was we needed to do more of the same shit (cut taxes and spending) that brought about the recession to begin with!

This is why the Cons have been circulating the ridiculous conspiracy theory which suggests it was progressives who are responsible for the 2008 crash. It wasn't excessive tax cuts, two lengthy wars, or deregulation that we can attribute the downturn to - the reason we are in a recession is because Democrats forced Fanny Mae, Freddie Mac, and private banks to give risky mortgages to irresponsible poor people.

Now they're setting up another economic downturn which they will blame on the President and the Democrats. The mind-blowing thing is that their strategy to win back the White House in 2012 may work. I think the chance of a president Palin or Bachman are quite low, but what about President Romney or Pawlenty (who Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC's "The Last Word" believes will be the GOP nominee). Whoever the Republican challenger is, they will be, without doubt, a worse choice that our current president. Yet, some Democratic voters say there isn't much difference between the two parties. Some may vote for a third party candidate (who can NOT win), or stay home (in which case the Republican WILL win).

I've seen comments on a number of progressive blogs expressing disappointment with Obama. He isn't a Socialist and he surely isn't the most Liberal president ever. He's a moderate corporate-appeasing Democrat at best. But this does NOT mean progressives should HELP elect a Republican president (by throwing their vote away)! To my fellow progressives I say, if this course of action isn't astonishingly stupid, it is at least an exceedingly bad idea.

SWTD #64

The War on Terror Babies

It's a really convoluted and time-consuming way to wage jihad, to be sure, but when your goal is to destroy Western Civilization, you'll stop at nothing -- Tim Murphy of Mother Jones Magazine; as quoted in his 3/16/2011 article, "The Return of the Terror Babies".

"Hey! Careful, you almost knocked over my abortion!" detective Tony Hawkins shouted at the intern who had just rudely bumped his desk. "That was a personal gift from the Representative" Hawkins bellowed at the cowering teenager.

"Easy, the kid didn't do it on purpose", his partner Smurf Jones cautioned.

"If anything happens to this", he said, pointing to the jar on his desk, "I'm going to hold you personally responsible, runt", Hawkins growled, grabbing the frightened youngster by the collar.

"Yes, sir" the intern squeaked, his prepubescent voice cracking.

"You see to it", said Hawkins, releasing him. The intern scurried off.

"You know" Jones said, "the abortion Representative Ghomert was referring to was ObamaCare, and not an actual human fetus in a jar. That thing on your desk couldn't possibly have come from the Representative".

"Well", Hawkins replied, "The messenger that delivered it said it was from Ghomert's office". "And", he continued, "there's a personal message attached. It says, to my favorite TP detective, yours truly, LG".

"Whatever", said Jones, "I think it's disgusting and you should get rid of it".

"That's the point", Hawkins explained, "Abortion isn't pretty. This specimen would have grown up to become a contributing member of society, if some murderous Liberal hadn't convinced its poor mother to terminate it".

"Can we go already?" Jones asked.

"Just let me grab my bazooka", Hawkins replied, striding across the precinct room floor toward the weapons locker.

Later, after he had retrieved his weapon, he met up with Jones outside the station. Hawkins slammed down the cruiser's trunk (after placing his weapon inside) and then slid into the front seat.

"Representative Gohmert is counting on us", Hawkins informed his partner. "This is a top secret mission straight from Washington", he continued. "My Canadian contact believes a busload of pregnant Muslim females may be attempting to cross over sometime in the next several days".

"Dirty Canadian socialists", Jones muttered under his breath.

"It's not much better here", Hawkins agreed. "At least the last election went a ways to setting things straight".

"Without ACORN to steal votes they can't win", Jones remarked.

"What I wouldn't give to be the one who personally slaps the cuffs on the Kenyan and escorts him from the White House", Hawkins added as he turned the key and started the engine of their vehicle.

"Are you forgetting that ObamaCare was recently ruled unconstitutional?" Jones asked his partner. "At most he'll be president for two more years. Thanks to the efforts of the Tea Party he won't be able to run again in 2012. So far 11 states have proposed legislation requiring proof of citizenship from anyone running for POTUS in their state".

"From your lips to God's ears", Hawkins sighed. "The long national nightmare is close to being over. And with a Republican-controlled House to hold him in check the poser can't do any more damage while he illegally occupies the White House. The only thing I'm worried about is funding for our special task force".

"Or I would be, if funding for our department was actually on the books".

Both Hawkins and Jones laughed.

"That's a good one", Jones said with tears in his eyes.

Hawkins pulled onto the highway, arriving at the Canadian border approximately 13 hours later.

"You book us a room while I make contact with my informant", Hawkins told his partner.

"Will do", said Jones. He checked in and waited. A half-hour later Hawkins returned.

"Here's the scoop" Hawkins said, filling his partner in. "My contact believes a bus full of nuns that crossed the border yesterday was a dry run for the terror baby plot".

"That's good news", Jones grinned, "I'm looking forward to nailing these bitches. And by nail I mean arrest, not have sex with".

"You said it, partner", Hawkins agreed. "We'll deport the Godless Muslim whores back to Islamistan, or whatever third-world hellhole they originated from".

 swtd-63. polfi-2.  Previous. Next.

Liberal Shill Reveals Why The Left Hates America

...I have tremendous pride in being a Left-wing Liberal shill. I think that it's a fine thing to be in favor of the people rather than the corporations in America. If you want to call and defend the rights of millionaires and billionaires, or the rights of corporations to trample on us, or the rights of the health insurers to rescind our policies when we get sick, or to say, no we won't insure your kid, that's fine. I'll own up to the fact that I'm on the opposite side of that argument... proudly -- Radio talk show host Thom Hartmann, responding to a Conservative caller's accusation that he was without pride in bashing the Right (The Thom Hartmann Program, 1/6/011).

I ran the title of my latest blog post by my local division chief, Laura Fawkes.

"That's a blog post an EX-Liberal would publish", she exclaimed. "You're not planning on leaving the fold, are you?"

"No mam", I said, "it's just that readership at Sleeping with the Devil is way down... I was looking for a headline that would grab people's attention".

"Try something involving sex and the notorious Liberal acceptance of that which is deviant", the division chief suggested.

"I apologize, but, even though I'm a Liberal, that kind of thing just isn't second nature for me", I lamented. "Perhaps we should meet later tonight so I can impart some experience which may prove useful in stimulating your creativity".

"There already is a blog that uses that gimmick", I said, turning to leave. "It's called The Stinkhole of Moral Depravity. I can't just copy someone else's blog. I have to do my own thing". "Your loss", said the division chief as her office door swung shut behind me. I slunk back to my office and flicked on the lights. To my surprise, there, sitting at my desk was detective Smurf Jones.

"You again", I exclaimed. "I already told you, I don't know where any of the bodies are buried. The union bosses don't trust me with that information".

"Come on", Jones countered, "I have it on good authority that you're currently working on a post for your blog which reveals why the Left hates America".

"Exactly how did you come by this information?" I asked, shocked. "Anyway, that title was only meant to draw people into reading my blog, I wasn't really going to reveal why Liberals hate America... because they don't. They love it".

"Sure", Jones remarked sarcastically. "On the other hand, perhaps you're telling the truth... about the title, not that Liberals don't hate America. Because I know for a fact that they do. Anyway, I've been looking over your computer files and see a lot of half completed articles. They all seem to concern the vast Right-wing conspiracy and how Conservatism is ruining America. Typical Liberal crap, in other words", Jones said disgustedly. "Honestly, Liberals make me sick. I was hoping that perhaps you'd come to your senses".

"No such luck, detective. I'm a Liberal through and through, and will be so till the day I die. And, even though my readers have apparently abandoned me, I'll continue blogging about what I believe in".

"My captain back at Thought Police headquarters somehow got it into his head that Sleeping with the Devil was one of the more prestigious Liberal blogs", detective Jones remarked. "But", Jones continued, "he was obviously wrong. I'm sad to say that this will be the last time I visit you. I've finished my report on your blog and my conclusion is that it sucks and nobody reads it".

"Inconsequential and unworthy of further attention is my report's conclusion", Jones said with a grin on his face. "I'm disappointed that my investigation didn't turn up any dirt, but it always makes my day to put a smug self-righteous Liberal in his place... by letting him know his pathetic blog is a total waste of time. You got a couple of followers but it does not appear as though any of them ever returned after initially adding you to their reading list".

"I'm glad my failure to attract a readership amuses you", I lied. "Perhaps I'll take your advice and shut down Sleeping with The Devil. It's been almost two months since I published anything anyway. If anyone has visited recently they probably concluded that the blog HAD been shuttered".

"I like your defeatist attitude, Liberal". Detective Jones patted me on the shoulder as he exited the room.

"That's it, I'm done for the day", I said out loud as I powered down my computer. "The decision regarding whether or not additional blog posts are ever published shall be decided later".

 swtd-62. polfi-1.  Previous. Next.

Activist Tea Party Judge Rules ObamaCare Unconstitutional

It is difficult to imagine that a nation which began, at least in part, as the result of opposition to a British mandate giving the East India Company a monopoly and imposing a nominal tax on all tea sold in America would have set out to create a government with the power to force people to buy tea in the first place ~ Reagan appointed Florida Federal judge Roger Vision, in his 1/31/2011 ruling declaring the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act unconstitutional.

"A federal judge in Florida ruled Monday that President Barack Obama's entire health care overhaul law is unconstitutional, placing even noncontroversial provisions under a cloud in a broad challenge that seems certain to be resolved only by the Supreme Court"; according to a 1/31/2011 Huffington Post article. The judge's ruling, which included an obvious shout-out to the Tea Party, was characterized by the White House as "a plain case of judicial overreaching".

Four court rulings have thus far been handed down - with two judges upholding the health care legislation and two judges ruling against it. The two ruling in favor of ObamaCare were Democratic appointees, while the two ruling against were Republican appointees. A 2/1/2011 CNN reporter believes the case could head to the Supreme Court "as soon as later this year". How the Supreme Court will rule is "far less predictable than it might seem from the ruling by Judge Vinson".

A 2/4/2011 article from Global Research points out that while "The five Republican-appointed judges certainly embrace the political rhetoric of the ultra-right ... the entire court, including the four Democratic appointees, has been assiduously pro-corporate in their ruling[s]".

How the Supreme Court ultimately decides, I believe, will depend on what the health insurance companies truly desire, and not the what the Tea Party wants. Will the health insurance corporations want to overturn a law that mandates virtually every American purchase their product? Businessweek says "Insurers and other health care companies view the mandate as the law's bedrock - and the source of new profits".

Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) says, in regards to elements of the legislation that he agrees with, "[they] need to be preserved, need to be cuddled, need to be snuggled, need to be promoted and need to be implemented". Because "Frist has a fortune in the millions of dollars, most of it the result of his ownership of stock in Hospital Corporation of America, the for-profit hospital chain founded by his brother and father", my guess would be that the individual mandate is one of the "strong elements" he agrees with.

So, while FreedomWorks CEO Matt Kibbe and Utah's Tea Party Senator Mike Lee believe ObamaCare will be overturned, I think the Tea Partiers, including those who responded to a recent World Net Daily poll (see below), may end up quite disappointed.

On the other hand, we know that (at least) two Supreme Court justices are sympathetic to the Tea Party. Antonin Scalia met with the House Tea Party caucus on 1/24/2011. Law professor and MSNBC contributor Jonathan Turley observed that the closed-door get-together, "suggests an alliance between the conservative members of the court and the conservative members of Congress".

And then there's Ginny Thomas, wife of SCOTUS justice Clarence Thomas, who "started a nonprofit Tea Party-affiliated lobbying group, Liberty Central [to oppose the] leftist tyranny of President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats". Ginny's group has lobbied against the health care legislation.

Can the House Republicans, which recently voted to repeal the "job killing" health care legislation, count on their activist Supreme Court allies to rule ObamaCare unconstitutional, or will the activists on the Supreme Court back their corporate buddies instead? I can't find anyone who believes with certainty the outcome will be one over the other. What do you think?

Further Reading
[1] Congress Passes Socialized Medicine and Mandates Health Insurance - In 1798 by Rick Ungar, Forbes 1/17/2011.
[2] Our Socialist Founding Fathers by Mark Brown, Jurist 10/12/2009.

SWTD #61

Repeal of ObamaCare Likely Because American People Want and Expect It

...I wouldn't concede that it has to be a 60-vote break the filibuster cloture vote. They sent some of ObamaCare to us on a reconciliation package, which was a simple majority. So I'm hopeful there'll be people over there that will find the way for a simple majority vote in the senate ~ Republican Representative Steve King (Iowa's 5th congressional district), as quoted on the MSNBC program "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell", 1/20/2011.

A guest commentary by: the lovable Radical Right Wing Terrorist Free Market Guy (an infrequent commenter and more often lurker on this blog)...

Hi, RRWTFM Guy here, back for another guest commentary. As you may recall (and I'm sure you do) my last guest commentary on this blog concerned the threat posed by the illegal alien invasion. If you didn't read it, I suggest you check it out. I'm proud, but not surprised, to report this post received many more comments than usual for this blog. And, even though the majority of the comments disagreed with what I had to say, I'd like to believe I got some of you Liberals to re-think some of your positions - at least to some small extent.

Which brings me to the reason I've decided to return and give it another shot - "it" being the futile attempt by us on the Conservative side of the aisle to convince our Liberal friends that Big Government isn't the answer. Today I shall argue in favor of repealing the Democrat health care legislation, known by some as ObamaCare, although, in reality it is known by another name which implies it's effect will be to make healthcare affordable. Please, before you automatically dismiss what I've got to say, let me explain why this bill is anything but affordable.

Republicans say the election this past November was an affirmation of their position regarding ObamaCare, and now a 1/17/2011 public opinion poll from Rasmussen Reports confirms that "support for repeal of the national health care law passed last year remains steady" and "55% of Likely Voters favor repeal".

The Poll states that those opposed are concerned that the legislation will increase the deficit. (Although I'm certain Liberals will be quick to point out that Rasmussen Reports has been accused of being conservative-leaning, I'm not buying it. It seems that Liberals are quick to agree with polls that confirm what they already believe, but equally quick to dismiss those they disagree with as being produced by "conservatively biased" surveyors).

Bob Corker, the Republican Senator from Tennessee (the state where the proprietor of this blog resides) is also concerned about the high cost of ObamaCare. In a 3/21/2010 press release Corker points out that (now ex) governor Phil Bredesen (a Democrat) opposed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, because it is "estimated to cost Tennessee $1.1 billion over five years". Agreeing with Bredesen, Corker says ObamaCare is "a huge unfunded mandate that creates a very difficult financial situation when our state is already dealing with the effects of a bad economy".

Now I've heard that the House's vote on HR2: Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act is purely symbolic and a total waste of time. An email I received yesterday from FreedomWorks set me straight. I also used to believe the vote was purely symbolic - but NOT a "waste of time" - but President and CEO of FreedomWorks, Matt Kibbe (in a post on the blog RedState) insists that "Repeal is Real". Mr. Kibbe reveals that the vote to repeal isn't "merely symbolic", but that "repeal is achievable, and in fact likely, because the American people want and expect it".

Democrat politicians say that the CBO reported that the legislation will reduce the deficit, but the truth is the CBO was duped by the bill's "disingenuous accounting mechanisms". As explained in Bob Corker's press release, "the bill applies 10 years of new taxes to finance six years of spending, resulting in huge deficits over the next decades", that "even President Obama's own Medicare officials have determined that Medicare savings are counted TWICE in the bill, hiding the legislation's true cost", and (lastly) "Americans have not been dealt with squarely on the true accounting associated with this bill" (because it didn't include the doc fix).

Instead the Democrat majority sleazily passed it later as a separate piece of legislation (the doc fix further increases the cost of ObamaCare by $200 billion over 10 years).

In other words, the Democrat bill's arithmetic was phony-baloney, and so the numbers fed to the CBO were phony-baloney, and so the CBO conclusions were (and couldn't be anything other than) inaccurate.

There is also the problem concerning the mandate being unconstitutional, and so (at least) that provision of the law will eventually be struck down by the Right-leaning Supreme Court. As anyone can see, this legislation is getting more and more expensive as time goes by, and invalidating the mandate will, I am convinced, be the final nail in the coffin of ObamaCare. Thus one can not help but conclude that repeal of ObamaCare is not only likely, but inevitable - case closed.

Also, as I recall, a lot of Liberals were (at least initially) opposed to the Democrat health care legislation because they didn't think it went far enough (they wanted to go the full-blown socialistic "public option" route). They eventually decided (along with Liberal heroes like Dennis Kucinich and Bernie Sanders) that it was better than nothing. But now, instead of believing it to be a good starting place that can be improved upon later (a foolish hope), perhaps they'll concede that we've got no choice but to repeal it.

Democrat voting supporters of ObamaCare need to face facts. This bill simply isn't something we can afford. And it isn't even what you wanted. Liberals advocated in favor of the so-called public option (even though that would have produced a inferior product, i.e. rationing - like they have in Canada). Instead we're faced with unsustainable budget busting deficits. The sensible solution is to repeal ObamaCare now. Free market competition enabled by allowing consumers to buy health insurance across state lines, tort reform, and other sensible solutions are the answer, not bigger government, more debt, and unconstitutional mandates.

In conclusion I'd like to (as suggested by Matt Kibbe) request that you call and write your Senators, and tell them you want Majority Leader Harry Reid to schedule a debate and vote on the House-passed repeal bill as soon as possible. As previously mentioned, Democrats like governor Phil Bresden agree that ObamaCare is bad for our country. Democrat Representatives Dan Boren (OK), Mike Ross (AR), and Mike McIntyre (NC) also voted in favor of repeal, proving the Republican legislation has bi-partisan support - and deserves an up or down vote in the Senate.

Following his negotiation with the Republicans to extend the bush tax cuts for all Americans President Obama's favorability rating increased. The reason for this was because Americans desire compromise. Americans knew it wasn't wise to raise anyone's taxes in a recession, and the president worked with the Republicans to ensure that didn't happen. The House has already voted to repeal ObamaCare. If the Senate does so as well President Obama will have no choice but to sign the legislation. if he vetoes it his approval rating will surely plummet and the Democrats will lose the White House and more congressional seats in 2012. Then we can all work together to replace ObamaCare with affordable alternatives, which is what the American people wanted all along.

(I said I'd "like" to request you call and write your Senators, but I'm asking you hold off on that for now. The proprietor of this blog says he wants to post a "rebuttal" first, and then let his reader decide which argument is the strongest. Which is fine by me, as I believe the strongest argument is mine).

SWTD #60

An Insurance System That Places Profits Over People Isn't The Best In The World

I was asked if I could be tough, because I was going to be telling doctors that they couldn't do things and that I would be expected to keep a 10% denial rate. ...we were told that the medical reviewer that had the highest denial rate was going to receive a bonus at Christmas ~ physician Linda Peeno, in a 6/21/2007 interview with Democracy Now's Amy Goodman, recounting her experienes working as a medical reviewer for Humana in the 1990s.

An email I received yesterday from the astroturf Teabagger billionaire-funded FreedomWorks says, "This is our moment. The House of Representatives will be voting next week on a FULL REPEAL of the 2,000 page, job-killing ObamaCare law. Send your letter to Congress to show your support! This is a huge chance for the Tea Party movement to start reversing the Democrats' big government agenda which threatens to bankrupt America". According to FreedomWorks the House will debate and vote on the bill on Wednesday January 12th.

I clicked the link and was shown a sample letter which FreedomWorks wanted me to sign my name to and forward to my members of Congress. The sample letter, which FreedomWorks said I could make edits to, read as follows...

FreedomWorks Sample Letter: As a constituent, I urge you to vote Yes on H.R. 2, the "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law" Act. Voters spoke loud and clear on Nov. 2nd: No government takeover of health care. This is an unparalleled opportunity to show Americans that this Congress means business and will stick to the promises made on the campaign trail, however difficult they may be.

We need to fully repeal ObamaCare because it will kill jobs, bankrupt the government, drive up everyone's health insurance costs, put bureaucrats in charge of our health care, and ruin the world's best health care system. Our government can't afford the $2.6 trillion price tag - and our families can't afford the taxes and sky-high insurance premiums that come with this massive bill.

Congress needs to focus sensible reforms like tax credit vouchers for the uninsured, and reforms to the individual market. These are reforms that are affordable, and don't grow the size of government. With 60% of Americans in opposition to ObamaCare, the time to repeal is now. Please vote Yes on H.R. 2.

Edited letter I forwarded to my Congresspersons: As a constituent, I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 2, the "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law" Act. This bill is a complete joke, and put forward for political reasons only - which is made clear by the name of the act. The health care legislation passed in the last session will not kill jobs, is not a "government takeover" of the health care industry, and will save money (according to the nonpartisan CBO). The majority of Americans either are in favor of this bill or think it didn't go far (wasn't progressive) enough. A single-payer system would qualify as a "government takeover", but that option was never on the table, even though it would have been the most cost effective.

In the last election people identifying with the Tea Party turned out and voted. Many Obama voters, disgusted by Republican obstructionism in the last session of Congress, stayed home. Republicans are gravely mistake if they believe, and conduct themselves as if, they were given a mandate. A vote to repeal the health care legislation will be a vote against the wishes of the majority of Americans. As a constituent, I urge you to take a stand against obstructionism and work with your fellow congresspersons and the White House to get our economy back on track and not waste time voting on ridiculous legislation that has no chance of becoming law.

Finally, if you are truly interested in lowering the cost of health care please support legislation that opens up Medicare to any member of the public (regardless of age) that wishes to buy into it. The Democratic health care legislation does not need to be repealed to further bring down costs.

Sign the Petition: If you wish to sign the FreedomWorks petition click here. Fee free to use my letter in any way you see fit (by attaching your name to it or by modifying it).

Further Reading
• Repeal health law? Poll shows many think it should do more by Jennifer Agiesta and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, The New Republic. 12/7/2010.
• America's Pay-or-Die Health Care System by Ralph Nader, Counterpunch. 5/6/2008.

SWTD #59

Growing Uncertainty

The uncertainty meme is just mind boggling. Businesses always have a certain amount of regulatory uncertainty to deal with, and there's simply no evidence that this uncertainty is any greater now than it usually is ~ Kevin Drum (b. 10/19/1958) an American political blogger and columnist, as quoted from his 11/14/2010 Mother Jones article, "The Uncertainty Meme".

How uncertain are you? Answer the poll and leave a comment regarding what you are uncertain about.

View Poll Results (The poll has expired).

Further Reading
[1] The Uncertainty Canard by Jonathan Chait, The New Republic. 12/7/2010.
[2] The Uncertainty Myth: The Latest GOP Fraud on Taxes by Jon Perr, Crooks & Liars. 12/6/2010.

9/25/2014 Update: The poll expired a LONG time ago. In any case, my point with this commentary was to point out the stupidity of the Republican meme that business isn't hiring due to "uncertainty" - and poke fun at it. But I don't think I did a good job of it, and this post, IMO, is one of my worst.

I might delete it if not for the fact that it received a few comments. And I've been numbering my posts and deleting one would leave a hole. Anyway, this is a rare bad one, I think. On the whole I'm pretty proud of the body of work I've created here on this blog.

SWTD #58