THE KIND OF PEOPLE THEY ARE

Scenes from CPAC: the Conservative Political Action Conference

http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/cpac-speaker-proves-its-just-teabaggers
Jason Mattera of the Young America's Foundation, declared that: "Our notion of freedom doesn't consist of snorting cocaine, which distinguishes us from Barack Obama." . . .

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/looking-for-reaction-by-digby-theyre.html
MATTERA: It's always a delight to participate in CPAC. This is like our Woodstock. Except, unlike the left gathering, our women are beautiful . . .

http://firedoglake.com/2010/02/18/at-cpac-marco-rubio-mocks-obama-for-using-a-teleprompter-while-using-a-teleprompter/
Here’s Teabagger candidate Marco Rubio [reading from a teleprompter]

“The president couldn’t find anywhere to set up a teleprompter to announce new taxes,” Rubio said of the snow accumulation.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/at-cpac-rubio-grins-at-audience-waterboarding-comment-video.php
Rubio Grins At Audience Waterboarding Comment (VIDEO)

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/02/rubio_opens_up_cpac_to_crowds_delight.php
[Rubio's] biggest applause line: he called tea party-ism the greatest movement in American history. . . .

Dick!

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/cheney-makes-surprise-appearance-at-cpac.php
Former Vice President Dick Cheney just made a surprise appearance at CPAC after his daughter, Liz Cheney, finished her speech.

The crowd went wild, standing up and cheering for several minutes before he began talking. . . .

"2010 is going to be a phenomenal year, and I think Barack Obama is a one-term president," he said to wild applause.

Liz!

http://firedoglake.com/2010/02/19/noblesse-o-bilge/
“There’s no polite way to put this, but that kind of incompetence gets people killed,” Cheney said. . . [read on]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/cpac-2010-the-return-of-bush-cheney.php
[E]verywhere you look, people are saying nice things about George Bush and Dick Cheney. . . .

More: http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2010/02/18/cpac_highlights/index.html
At CPAC today: A checklist of crazy

Teabag-inspired lunatic pulls off an Al Qaeda-style terrorist attack. Some might find this an ironic contradiction. I don’t

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/crash_pilot_wrote_anti-irs_anti-corporate_screed.php
Joe Stack, the Texas man who this morning, say law enforcement officials, flew a plane into an Austin building that houses a local IRS office, appears to be the author of a lengthy online screed, lashing out at the IRS, the federal government, and big corporations, and referring to his coming death.

The rant reflects many of the same populist, anti-government, anti-tax, and anti-corporate themes that have surfaced around the country over the last year. It is entitled, and concludes: "Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well." . . .

More: http://firedoglake.com/2010/02/18/man-who-crashed-plane-into-austin-office-building-hated-irs-government/

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/scams-by-digby-tv-is-obsessed-with-anti.html

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2010/02/18/stack_politics/index.html

Scott Brown, teabag-inspired Senate winner in Massachusetts, can’t quite bring himself to condemn the attack

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/terrasymps-by-digby-for-bunch-of.html
SCOTT BROWN: Well It’s certainly tragic and I feel for the families obviously that are being effected by it. And I don’t know if its related but I can just sense not only in my election but since being here in Washington people are frustrated. They want transparency. They want their elected officials to be accountable and open and talk about the things effecting their daily lives. So I am not sure if there is a connection, I certainly hope not, but we need to do things better.

More: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/not_ready_for_prime_time.php

Good luck with that

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/18/hatch_says_tea_party_threatens_to_split_gop.html
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said the Tea Party movement must learn to work with Republicans . . .

[NB: I think you have it backwards. . .]

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2010/02/18/gop_house/index.html
If Republicans take back the House this fall, expect the tea party crowd to have quite a bit of sway with the party in power. . . .

Conservatives issue a manifesto: the Mount Vernon Statement

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/conservatives-unveil-mount-vernon-statement----declare-that-americas-founding-ideas-are-under-sustai.php

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/over-before-it-began-by-digby-wolf.html

More: http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/mount-vernon-to-right-wingers-youre-not-welcome-here.php
But it turns out that not only is today's signing taking place several miles away from the actual Mount Vernon -- 4.4 miles by car, by our count -- but conservatives asked to sign their declaration at the real Mount Vernon, and were denied. . . .

Will the GOP pull out of the health care summit at the last minute? They might

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/02/why_have_a_summit_anyway.php

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/18/insiders_say_democrats_will_gain_most_at_summit.html
The new National Journal Political Insiders Poll finds 85% of the Democratic Insiders said that they expected their party would benefit most from President Obama's health care summit next week. Likewise, 62% of Republican Insiders also said that the Democrats were more likely to benefit.

The right is serious: they really do want to go after Social Security and Medicare

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/bachmann-social-security-a-tremendous-fraud-video.php

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/americans-united-launches-radio-ad-against-bachmanns-wean-comments-audio.php

ABC tries to do a he said/she said story on whether the stimulus succeeded or not – but can’t find anybody credible to take the “anti” side

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/02/abc-cant-find-economists-who-think-the-stimulus-failed.php

I guess this tells us a lot about Palin’s supporters

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/poll-americans-dont-think-palin-is-qualified-to-be-president----but-some-would-vote-for-her-anyway.php
Poll: Americans Don't Think Palin Is Qualified To Be President -- But Some Would Vote For Her Anyway

Inspiring, isn’t it?

http://www.samefacts.com/2010/02/uncategorized/i%E2%80%99m-never-going-to-pretend-like-i-know-more-than-the-next-person/
[Palin] “I’m never going to pretend like I know more than the next person” [read on]

[NB: Well, no danger of that, Sarah.]

George Will: Palin “whiny”

http://www.samefacts.com/2010/02/uncategorized/george-will-goes-after-sarah-palin/

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

ARE WE THERE YET?

Mike Enzi (R-WY), part of the “bipartisan” negotiating team on health care last year, now brags that he was really just trying to delay and derail the bill – and succeeded

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/enzi-boasts-about-his-role-delaying-health-care-reform.php
"If I hadn't been a part of the debate, you would already have universal health care," Enzi said Monday . . .

Health care deal in the works, for real this time?

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/endgame-house-senate-edge-towards-deal-on-bill-for-health-summit/

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/are-we-there-yet-health-care-summit-could-be-final-play-before-a-merged-bill-passes.php

Insurance companies keep helping the case for reform

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/anthem-rate-hikes-just-tip-of-iceberg---premiums-going-way-up-in-six-more-states.php
Anthem Rate Hikes Just Tip Of Iceberg - Premiums Going Way Up In Six More States

GOP wants to switch focus from health care to jobs

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/boehner-and-cantor-forget-health-care-transparency----its-a-jobs-meeting-we-want-televised.php

The stimulus worked . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/business/economy/17leonhardt.html

http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/02/17/aggressive-effort-by-democrats-to-defend-stimulus-on-its-anniversary/

. . . but people don’t know it

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/17/just_6_think_stimulus_created_any_jobs.html

More: http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/02/why_are_americans_so_mad_about_the_stimulus.php

Now the GOP is scared to death that people will start to realize it

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/02/head-i-win
Rich Lowry's "smart friend" just sent him an email warning that the economy is improving and conservatives need to prepare for this frightening possibility. How should they do this? By making sure that the media turns economic success into a narrative of liberal failure. . .

Karl Rove: the economy is growing, but not because of the stimulus

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/economy/rove-economy-is-recovering-despite-recovery-act-not-because-of-it/

Now Republicans are taking credit for the stimulus package they opposed

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#35450631

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/17/838002/-Stimulating-Republican-Dishonesty

Of course not Mark – NOTHING that happens on Obama’s watch can be a good thing. That’s the Republican Rule

http://www.samefacts.com/2010/02/uncategorized/idle-query-2/
[Mark Kleiman] Has any right-wing politician, pundit, or blogger expressed any satisfaction about the capture in Pakistan of the military commander of the Afghan Taliban? . . . [read on]

Remember the friend of the neo-cons, Ahmed Chalabi? The chosen heir to replace Saddam Hussein in Iraq? Google “Chalabi Iran agent” for evidence that the best buddy of Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld et al was actually working for Iran, and helped dupe the US

http://www.samefacts.com/2010/02/uncategorized/odierno-chalabi-clearly-influenced-by-iran/
Odierno: Chalabi “clearly influenced by Iran”

Dubya emerges to take a few shots at Palin and the teabaggers

http://firedoglake.com/2010/02/17/george-w-bush-disses-palin-first-tea-party-senator-marco-rubio/

Who ARE the teabaggers?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/meet-the-tea-partiers-male-rich-and-college-educated.php
Male, Rich and College Educated

More: http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/02/meet-the-tea-party.php

The kind of people they are

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/tea-party-speaker-wants-sen-patty-mu
Tea Party speaker wants Sen. Patty Murray to 'get hung'

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/17/837932/-CPAC:-Take-a-Whack-at-Pelosi,-Reid
CPAC: Take a "Whack" at Pelosi, Reid

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

PLAYING TO THE BASE

Top Taliban military commander captured – when do the GOP calls for him to be tortured begin?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/16/837465/-U.S.-Captures-Top-Taliban-Commander

http://washingtonindependent.com/76639/5-major-results-of-top-taliban-commanders-capture
5 Major Results of Top Taliban Commander’s Capture

http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2010/02/15/its-extremely-important-we-dont-torture-mullah-abdul-ghani-baradar/
It’s Extremely Important We Don’t Torture Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar

Dick Cheney is now boasting in public about breaking the law

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2010/02/16/cheney/index.html

Nearly a catastrophe – Indiana Dems almost end up with an accidental candidate to replace Bayh who had NO chance of winning

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/dems_dodge_a_bullet.php

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/conservatives-working-to-get-longshot-dem-on-in-sen-ballot.php

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/would-be-dem-replacement-for-bayh-the-machine-is-out-to-get-me/

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022435.php

http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/02/16/in-sen-who-will-be-the-candidate/

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/16/837579/-IN-Sen:-State-party-will-select-Democratic-nominee

More: http://washingtonindependent.com/76712/tamyra-dippolito-a-look-back-in-laughter

Who are the teabaggers, really? Turns out we’re watching the political legitimation of the people who used to be marginalized as secessionists, black-helicopter conspiracy theorists, nativists, militianistas, and survivalists. Used to be kooks – now they’re the base of the Republican party

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/rightwings-exploitation-of-american.html

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/getting-inside-tea-party-its-core-re

Oh yeah, racists too: http://firedoglake.com/2010/02/16/early-morning-swim-keith-olbermanns-special-comment-on-racism-and-the-tea-party-movement/

Michael Steele trying oh-so-hard to coax them into the GOP fold

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/gop_to_tea_partiers_so_come_here_often.php

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/tea_party_leader_on_steele_meeting_we_will_not_all.php

Republicans still taking credit for stimulus projects they opposed

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/virginia-gov-bob-mcdonnell-then-stimulus-bad-now-thanks-for-the-cash.php

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/16/pawlenty_budget_relies_on_stimulus_money.html

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022433.php

More: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/16/837641/-WSJ-uncovers-more-examples-of-GOP-lawmakers-privately-admitting-stimulus-created-jobs
WSJ uncovers more examples of GOP lawmakers privately admitting stimulus created jobs

Why, why, why?

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/obama-announce-loans-build-two-nuclea
Obama To Announce Loans To Build Two Nuclear Reactors

GOP still waffling on participation in the health care summit

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022427.php

With insurance companies acting like thugs and pulling in record profits, can the Democrats change the discussion about health care reform?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/16/837360/-Fox:-The-Wellpoint-Rate-Increase-Was-Bad-Because-it-Re-energized-HCR

More: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/23691

Acting like losers – and thus becoming so

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/02/16/2202825.aspx
If we told you that Democrats were favored to lose about eight Senate seats (six of which are in states Obama carried in '08), lose some 30 to 40 in the House, and see their top domestic issue -- health care -- stalled in Congress, you’d guess that President Obama’s approval rating was, what, 35%? Maybe 40%? But as any close follower of American politics knows, Obama’s approval is at or near 50% (even at 53% in the always-volatile Gallup daily track). Yet Democrats, including what we saw and heard from Evan Bayh yesterday, are behaving like Obama is at 35%. . . . [read on]

Nobody can be this stupid, right? So then the question is, Why is he saying it?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/16/837594/-Halperin:-The-Key-to-Bipartisanship-Ask-the-GOP-to-Play-Nice
[Mark Halperin] Obama needs to conduct some sort of face-to-face intervention with amenable senior Republican legislators, to convince them that it is possible to make a deal in one or two important areas without agreeing on every issue or laying down their arms for the next election. He needs to remind his adversaries that the purpose of government, ultimately, is to improve the lives of the American people, that its leaders - whether in the majority or the minority - shouldn't want to be part of a system that inspires so little faith. And that, friends or not, the only way to build back the trust of the American people is to start to trust each other, if only a little bit. [read on]

More: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/narcissistic-centrism-by-diogby-in-wake.html

It’s always OUR fault

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/glenn-beck-uah-shooter-killed-profs
Glenn Beck: UAH shooter killed profs because she was a 'left-wing extremist'

Bonus item: Not to be missed: Rachel Maddow trashes Glenn Beck over global warming lies

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#35431886

More: http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/biggest-scam-generation-beck-and-han

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

BYE BAYH

Evan Bayh (D-IN) announces that he won’t run again for a relatively safe Democratic seat, making it more likely that it will turn Republican in the fall. No one can decide what it means: he’s screwing his party, he’s protesting their ineffectualness, he’s tired of the political culture in Washington, he’s running for President . . .

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2010/02/15/bayh/index.html

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/15/bayhs_decision_gives_republicans_key_chance.html

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/02/lane-on-bayh.php

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/02/bayhs_retirement.php

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/15/evan-bayhs-retirement-lea_n_463048.html

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/02/evan-bayh-quits-huff

http://washingtonindependent.com/76609/evan-bayh-and-the-broken-senate

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/is_bayh_running_for_president.php

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022412.php

His remarks: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/bayh-i-do-not-love-congress.php

A GOP Senate?

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/15/odds_improve_for_republican_senate.html
[Tom Jensen] "Three months ago I would have said Republicans have about a 5% chance of taking back the Senate. Now I'd put it more in the one in three chance range. . .”

On the timing of his announcement

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/last_minute_decision.php

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/curious_about_the_timing.php

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/house-dems/dems-zero-in-on-three-possible-replacements-for-evan-bayh/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/2/15/837264/-IN-Sen:-Did-Bayhs-timing-limit-GOPs-options

He’s not going to be missed

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/02/evan-bayh.php
[Matt Yglesias] He’s an immoral person who conducts his affairs in public life with a callous disregard for the impact of his decisions on human welfare. He’s sad he’s not going to be president? He doesn’t like liberal activists? He finds senate life annoying? Well, boo-hoo. . . [read on]

Can we stand back from this moment to appreciate how we got here? A sweeping Democratic victory in 2008 brought a hugely popular President and a filibuster-proof majority to Washington. Now, only a year into the Obama presidency, the Dems are divided and demoralized, fighting with each other, complaining that the process is broken, and blaming everybody but themselves for the paralysis of government.

Having run a lame, useless candidate in a pivotal Senate race, they lost an unloseable seat, TED KENNEDY’S seat, and lost their 60 vote margin. Having completely given in to the GOP in allowing them to set the new rule of filibustering everything, without political consequence, letting them delay and hold bills and nominations that the Dems COULD force through, the Dems now look like a party that doesn’t know how to govern. Check that – remove “look like,” change to ARE

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/its-too-haaard-by-digby-in-final-act-of.html

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022419.php

“American Political Insanity Explained”

http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2010/02/american-political-insanity-explained.html

Ahem

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022421.php
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele appeared to be relishing Sen. Evan Bayh's (D-Ind.) decision not to seek re-election to his U.S. Senate seat in 2010.

In a statement, Steele put Bayh's announcement in the context of other recent Democratic retirements, saying that it was a sign Democrats were "running for the hills because they sold out their constituents and don't want to face them at the ballot box."

[Steve Benen] Is that so. Here are a handful of relevant details for the RNC to consider:
In the House, there are more Republicans retiring than Democrats.
In the Senate, there are more Republicans retiring than Democrats.
Among governors, there are more Republicans retiring than Democrats.

The GOP is already feeling the pinch of agreeing to a health care summit with Obama where they can’t set the agenda

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/15/837311/-GOP-will-Attend-Health-Summit
[McJoan] GOP will Attend Health Summit . . . Though they're still not happy about it . . . [read on]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/obama-asks-gop-to-bring-health-care-ideas-but-they-say-no-lets-start-with-clean-sheet-of-paper.php
The Obama administration's invitation to the Feb. 25 summit informs members that text of a "proposed health insurance reform package" will be posted online before the meeting. A White House official tells TPMDC that the text will be the product of the discussions that have been ongoing between the House and Senate since each chamber passed their bills last year.

That's the sticking point for the GOP, who say Obama is inviting them to a meeting but doesn't really want their ideas if he already has a draft bill.

"A productive bipartisan discussion should begin with a clean sheet of paper," Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said in a statement this weekend. . . .

http://www.openleft.com/diary/17398/gop-demands-white-house-post-health-care-proposal-online-then-attacks-wh-for-doing-exactly-that
GOP demands White House post health care proposal online, then attacks WH for doing exactly that

Guess what? The Obama admin did EXACTLY the right thing in handling Abdulmutallab

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022410.php

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022416.php

But they’re doing the WRONG thing here

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2010/02/16/pragmatism/index.html

Here is the deeper issue in dispute over trying terror suspects as criminals rather than as “military combatants.” The terrorists WANT to be classified as warriors – it raises their status with their supporters around the world. Treating them as criminals treats them like the thugs they are. In a different world, it would be the conservatives arguing against dignifying their actions . . . but bizarrely, they are the ones who want to raise their status. Why? I think a big part of it is that under Bush and Cheney, once you announced a “global war on terror” the President became a War President for as long as the GWOT lasted (which would be, basically, forever). This gave the President unbridled executive and political powers – which they abused in all sorts of ways, we know. If you don’t call terrorists combatants, if you don’t keep CALLING it a “war on terror,” then that accumulation of power in the Presidency goes away, and the justification for torture, domestic spying, etc, goes away. The Repubs DO think they will hold the Presidency again, and maybe soon. And that’s what Cheney is all worked up about

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/02/promising_a_conviction_for_ksm.php

It will never happen, but it’s fair to ask WHY NOT?

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/admitted-war-crimes-by-digby-andrew.html
Andrew Sullivan makes the case that Dick Cheney confessed to a war crime yesterday when he said on ABC, "I was a big supporter of waterboarding." It sounded like a confession to me too. . . .

Sullivan writes:

The question is therefore not if, but when, he is convicted as a war criminal

More: http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/02/15/dick-and-the-naked-senator-waterboarding-bffs/

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/15/837136/-Some-Call-it-Torture
[McJoan] Politico heavyweights Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei have a long justification for why Dick Cheney gets to do what he would have called treason just 13 short months ago--criticizing the President in a time of war. Or maybe it's just a long justification for why Politico has chosen to become Cheney's pet megaphone. . . .

Obama has pulled back on what he sees as the most inexplicable overreaches of the Bush-Cheney years — the "enhanced interrogation techniques" ("torture," to critics)...

[Big Tent Democrat] You can have any opinion you want about waterboarding, but it is a fact that it is defined as "torture" under the relevant international treaties and federal law. That is a fact. In short, it is not "torture" to critics, it is "torture" under the law. And there is no dispute that the Bush Administration sanctioned waterboarding. If a news organization is too frightened to publish a factual statement, then what value does it have as a news organization? None.

Alice blurts an inconvenient truth

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/02/george-bushs-fact-problem
“..it reminds me of something I used to say at the White House when people would complain that we had a communications problem on this or that. Sometimes that was true, but that was usually because we had a fact problem.”

Bonus item: The NASCAR candidate

http://washingtonindependent.com/76621/palin-meets-the-press
When asked what a trip to a swing state like Florida does for her political ambitions, the former Alaska governor said, “Haven’t thought a darn thing about the politics of this. I’m thinking about this good, active, speed-loving event that a lot of Alaskans, too, are really into. We’ve got our snow-machine races up there, and this is, of course, on a much greater scale, same type of sport though, same type of breath-taking, speed-loving, All-American event that we like to see up north.”

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/15/palin_at_the_race_track.html
"This is awesome. It's an All-Americana event. A good, patriotic, wonderful event that's bringing a whole lot of people together. I think it's good for our country."

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

WHO CARES WHAT HE THINKS?

Dick Cheney, the Troll, crawls out from under his bridge again to offer exactly the same criticisms of Obama’s wimpy defense and security policies he has given on every other occasion he’s had the chance over the past year. And still he keeps getting invited back, and still it is treated as “news.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704543804575065361936288390.html
[WSJ] Cheney Attacks Obama on National Security

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0214/Cheney-gives-Obama-some-credit-sort-of-on-national-security
[CSM] Cheney gives Obama some credit (sort of) on national security

Scare tactics: http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/cheney-al-qaida-wants-nukes-obama-doe
[Cheney] I would point to a study that was released just within the last week or two up at the Kennedy School at Harvard by a gentleman -- Mowatt-Larssen's his name, I believe. He was CIA for 23 years, director of intelligence at the Energy Department for a long time, that looks at this whole question of weapons of mass destruction and Al Qaida and comes to the conclusion that there's a very high threat that Al Qaida is trying very hard to acquire a weapon of mass destruction and, if they're successful in acquiring it, that they will use it. . . .

More waterboarding! http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/cheney-waterboarding-should-have-been-option

Actually, Cheney did make some surprising news this time

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/terrorism/cheney-struggles-to-explain-terror-contradictions-but-endorses-repeal-of-dadt/
[Greg Sargent] [H]e made fairly large concessions when it comes to his criticism of the current administration: He conceded that the shoe bomber could have been placed in military custody under Bush, but wasn’t. And he acknowledged that some in the Bush administration — not himself, obviously — saw trying terror suspects in civilian courts as an effective weapon against terrorism. . . . [read on]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022404.php
[Steve Benen] For every far-right Republican that tells the Obama administration, "I can't believe you're Mirandizing terrorist suspects, trying them in federal courts, imprisoning them on American soil, and closing Gitmo," the administration responds, "Bush/Cheney Mirandized terrorist suspects, tried them in federal courts, imprisoned them on American soil, and supported closing Gitmo ... and you never said a word."

So, today, Cheney said the only rational thing someone who wants to trash President Obama can say: he disagreed with his own administration. . . .

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/terrorism/cheney-struggles-to-explain-terror-contradictions-but-endorses-repeal-of-dadt/
[Greg Sargent] Some real news in the Dick Cheney interview on ABC . . . Cheney basically endorsed repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. . .

Ooooh, ouch: http://www.americablog.com/2010/02/dick-cheney-today-said-its-time-to-end.html
[John Aravosis] Dick Cheney today said it's time to end DADT. Obama admin officials today said let's wait a few years.

Liar!

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/david/liz-cheney-civil-terror-trials-led-911
Liz Cheney: Civil terror trials led to 9/11

Positively Orwellian: the “Committee for Truth in Politics”

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022400.php

America’s new civil war

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/american-story-by-digby-reader-writes.html

Michael Steele will try to coax the teabaggers into the GOP camp

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32919.html

Here’s something you don’t usually see on Meet the Press – a journalist actually doing real reporting

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/rachel-maddow-calls-out-rep-schock-hypocri

It has seemed pretty likely all along that the contingent of American Baptists down in Haiti were doing something shifty with the bus full of kids they were trying to smuggle out of the country. The American news media can only cover this in terms of good Christian intentions gone awry – and the right has, of course, mobilized in their defense. But the question remains: what were they doing?

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2010/02/14/haiti/index.html

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/empathic-myopia-by-digby-glenn.html

How the press operates as McCain’s spin machine

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/02/quote-day-mavericky-mccain
[Doyle McManus] Ever since he entered politics as a foot soldier for Ronald Reagan in the House in 1982, McCain has been a fiscal conservative, a traditionalist on social issues and a hawk on foreign policy....His image as an independent has been exaggerated, often by those of us in the media who yearn for politicians to break ranks because it makes a good story.

[Kevin Drum] Well, that's good to hear. Of course, as McManus says, this is the story that fits McCain's needs right now since he's running against a conservative opponent in the Arizona primary. So that's what we're hearing. Funny how that always seems to be the case with McCain.

Bonus item: Joe the Plumber blames Palin and McCain for the fame he’s had – and that he uses for quotes like this. I mean really, WHO CARES what this guy thinks anymore?

http://firedoglake.com/2010/02/14/personification-of-patriotic-pro-america-areas-no-longer-supporting-sarah-palin/
Wurzelbacher touched on several different points during his speech, and many of them were surprising. He said he doesn’t support Sarah Palin anymore. . . .

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/14/quote_of_the_day.html
"I don't owe him shit. He really screwed my life up, is how I look at it."

-- Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher, quoted by Scott Detrow, about Sen. John McCain "using" of him during the 2008 presidential campaign.

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

TAKING YOUR EYE OFF THE BALL

It’s one thing to lose a race – it’s something else when you don’t even bother to start

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/opinion/13herbert.html
[Bob Herbert] Way back in 1979, in the midst of an energy crisis, Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House. They were used to heat water for some White House staffers.

“A generation from now,” said Mr. Carter, “this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people, harnessing the power of the sun to enrich our lives as we move away from our crippling dependence on foreign oil.”

Ronald Reagan had the panels taken down. . . .

We missed the boat then, and lord knows we’re missing it now. Two weeks ago, as I was getting ready to take off for Palo Alto, Calif., to cover a conference on the importance of energy and infrastructure for the next American economy, The Times’s Keith Bradsher was writing from Tianjin, China, about how the Chinese were sprinting past everybody else in the world, including the United States, in the race to develop clean energy.

That we are allowing this to happen is beyond stupid. China is a poor country with nothing comparable to the tremendous research, industrial and economic resources that the U.S. has been blessed with. Yet they’re blowing us away — at least for the moment — in the race to the future. . . .

China also has become the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels and is pushing hard on other clean energy advances. As Mr. Bradsher wrote: “These efforts to dominate renewable energy technologies raise the prospect that the West may someday trade its dependence on oil from the Mideast for a reliance on solar panels, wind turbines and other gear manufactured in China.” . . .

http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/2010/2/11/a_clean_energy_gold_rush.htm
[McClatchy] Of the 10 largest wind power companies in the world, the United States has one - General Electric. Of the world's 10 largest solar companies, we have two - First Solar and SunPower - but almost all their manufacturing is in Asia. Hydropower and geothermal companies are also located in the Far East.

The United States, with no national goal or policy framework for clean energy, simply hasn't found a way to create a stable marketplace where large, renewable energy companies can thrive. For a nation that consumes 25 percent of the world's energy, our failure to compete is ominous, and all the more troubling because a veritable "clean energy gold rush" has begun. . . . [read on]

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/seeing_america_through_chinas_eyes.php
[Steve Clemons] Several years ago, I met with the Deputy Director of the Policy Planning staff of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and I asked him what he was working on -- and what China's grand strategy was.

His reply: "We are trying to figure out how to keep you Americans distracted in small Middle Eastern countries."

Republican obstruction: it’s working, so it’s not going away

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/13/836772/-Haley-Barbour:-Obstruction-the-Key-To-Electoral-Success
[Steve Singiser] Memo to all of those in the Democratic Party and the television punditocracy that think that President Obama and the Democrats have to have common cause with the GOP in order to claw their way back from potential electoral armageddon:

One of the most respected thinkers on the GOP side made it clear this week that the Republican Party is simply better off refusing to work with the Democrats, nor should they be offering policy alternatives of their own. . . .

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022395.php
[Steve Benen] Senate Republicans are well aware of the fact that they're breaking the American legislative process, and making it impossible for the majority to govern, which suits them fine. They're also confident that Senate Democrats won't really do anything about it, except complain. Indeed, Dems reinforce this by expressing anxiety about even considering their top legislative priority through reconciliation -- hesitancy the GOP did not show when they used the identical process during the Bush/Cheney era.

But procedural changes happen when there's a credible threat. A quarter-century ago, the threat of eliminating the filibuster altogether led to reform. Five years ago, the Gang of 14 got together when the "nuclear option" appeared likely to happen. Just a couple of days ago, President Obama threatened a slew of recess appointments, prompting the Senate GOP to quickly approve 27 pending administration nominees.

To be sure, it's naive to think Republicans would simply stop filibustering to prevent a Democratic "nuclear option" from coming to fruition. But a credible threat is far more likely to have an effect than the alternative -- which is to simply tolerate the GOP's unprecedented abuse. . . . [read on]

A serious question

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/question_of_the_day_6.php
[Josh Marshall] Have you heard anyone say "The Republicans won't allow an up or down vote on a jobs bill."

Anywhere?

More: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/the_endless_disappointment.php
[JO] It's not just the jobs bill. I can't remember the last time I've heard a Democrat use the phrase "up or down vote" on any bill held up by Republicans in the Senate. This is a shame, since a demand for an "up or down vote" is a far better message than the self-defeating complaints about "Republican obstructionism" we keep hearing. . . . [read on]

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/since_we_had_a_lot.php
[Josh Marshall] It's certainly not that I think if Democrats started demanding "up or down votes" the Republicans would just suddenly capitulate. As TPM Reader JO notes, just as with Democrats before 2007, there's a big constituency of Republicans who desperately want as much vote-blocking and obstructionism as possible. And those are the folks -- core Republicans voters -- that the GOP listens to.

What I do think is that the Democrats -- whether you want to talk about the White House or the Senate -- have done virtually nothing to communicate to the electorate why nothing is getting passed. Yes, if you're watching closely you know. But mainly the people who are watching closely aren't up for grabs. . . . [read on]

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/elementary.php
[CB] [T]he question is not what will the Republicans want to vote for, but what will they have to vote for. With a handful of exceptions, when Republicans sought Democratic votes during the Bush years, they did not do so by crafting broad bipartisan compromises; rather, they created legislative environments in which certain Democratic Members felt that, from a political perspective, they had to vote for Republican proposals. Even with the shrunken Republican Congressional caucuses, there are still numerous Republicans sitting in swing seats who can be made to feel political heat . . .

The political consequences of failure on health care

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022398.php

The Repubs just have a better messaging machine. Its uncanny

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/backroom-deals-by-digby-one-of-things.html
[NYT] House Republicans suggested that the ongoing work by Democrats to resolve their differences would amount to a “backroom deal among the White House and Democratic leaders” that would “make a mockery of the president’s stated desire to have a ‘bipartisan’ and ‘transparent’ dialogue.” [read on]

Better to kill than capture?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/13/AR2010021303748.html
When a window of opportunity opened to strike the leader of al-Qaeda in East Africa last September, U.S. Special Operations forces prepared several options. They could obliterate his vehicle with an airstrike as he drove through southern Somalia. Or they could fire from helicopters that could land at the scene to confirm the kill. Or they could try to take him alive. . . .

[NB: You can’t interrogate them if they're dead, but you don’t have to worry about messy issues like trials or imprisonment. . . ]

Ahh, the old days . . .

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/13/836002/-Back-in-the-Bush-Days,-They-Bragged-About-Criminal-Convictions-of-Terrorists
Back in the Bush Days, They Bragged About Criminal Convictions of Terrorists

The first step is admitting your dependency

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32885.html
Fox News has been making a serious charge about mainstream political reporters: They hate Sarah Palin.

This is not just wrong, it’s absurd. The reality is exactly the opposite: We love Palin.

And if Palin does not exactly love us, she’s smart enough to recognize how quickly reporters devour every provocative remark she utters. She knows how to exploit our weakness to guarantee herself exposure far out of proportion to her actual influence in Republican politics.

It’s a tangled, symbiotic affair — built on mutual dependency and mutual enabling. . . .

The GOP is trying to discipline the teabaggers into straight-line party loyalty

http://firedoglake.com/2010/02/13/sarah-palin-not-a-true-libertarians-cup-of-tea/

Glenn Beck must be happy

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/michigan-militiamen-insist-theyre-ju
Michigan militiamen insist they're just ordinary folks with guns and a deep paranoia about the government . . [read on]

Sunday talk show line-ups

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/the-sunday-show-line-ups-37.php
• ABC, This Week: Former Vice President Dick Cheney.

• CBS, Face The Nation: Vice President Joe Biden.

• CNN, State Of The Union: National Security Adviser James Jones, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN).

• NBC, Meet The Press: Vice President Joe Biden.

More: http://washingtonindependent.com/76552/because-you-need-to-know-what-dick-cheney-thinks-about-things
Because You Need to Know What Dick Cheney Thinks About Things
[Spencer Ackerman] The torture advocate and former vice president will be on ABC News’ “This Week,” interviewed by Jonathan Karl, possibly the only ABC reporter to contribute to Cheney’s favorite magazine, the Weekly Standard. It’s sure to be a hard-hitting interview. Interestingly, ABC is allowing Jane Mayer of The New Yorker — for my money the best national security reporter in the business — on its post-interview panel. A shame she’s not actually interviewing Dick Cheney.

Bonus item: Let’s see – McCain is responsible for giving us Sarah Palin as a national figure, but don’t expect a lot of gratitude from her. Now the man they together made a household name trashes both of them

http://www.politicspa.com/politicspa-joe-the-plumber-takes-aim-at-palin/6536/
Samuel Wurzelbacher, aka “Joe the Plumber,” took aim at former Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin . . .

The 2008 presidential campaign phenomenon said Palin is not the leader of the conservative Tea Party movement.

“She’s backing John McCain,” Wurzelbacher said. “John McCain is of the Republican machine. That’s not what the Tea Party is all about.” . . .

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

LET’S MAKE A DEAL?

Is the Obama admin open to trading civilian trials for terror suspects in order to get support for closing Gitmo?

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/02/12/dealing-away-civilian-law/
Dealing Away Civilian Law

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/12/836504/-The-Case-for-Civilian-Trials
The Case for Civilian Trials

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/02/where_to_try_the_911_conspirators_political_pros_and_cons.php
Where To Try KSM And The 9/11 Conspirators? Political Pros And Cons

The date for the health care summit is set – and the Republicans are already on the defensive

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/happy-hour-roundup-162/
The White House has just released its letter inviting Congressional leaders to the health care summit on February 25th, sharing some detail about who will attend and how the summit will work. . . .

The session will begin at 10:00 a.m. and be broadcast live in its entirety…

The President will offer opening remarks at the beginning of the meeting, followed by remarks from a Republican leader chosen by the Republican leadership and a Democratic leader chosen by the Democratic leadership. The President will then open and moderate iscussion on four critical topics: insurance reforms, cost containment, expanding coverage, and the impact health reform legislation will have on deficit reduction.

Since this meeting will be most productive if information is widely available before the meeting, we will post online the text of a proposed health insurance reform package. This legislation would put a stop to insurance company abuses, extend coverage to millions of Americans, get control of skyrocketing premiums and out-of-pocket costs, and reduce the deficit.

It is the President’s hope that the Republican congressional leadership will also put forward their own comprehensive bill to achieve those goals and make it available online as well.

More: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/details-for-all-day-white-house-health-care-summit.php
White House Asks GOP To Come To Health Care Summit With A Plan

Jon Stewart video: http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/jon-stewart-agrees-with-boehner-on-health-care-summit-its-a-trap-theyre-gonna-have-tigers-there.php

Phony bipartisanship: the “jobs” bill

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/2010/feb/12/congress-useconomy-jobsbill-collapse

http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/02/12/the-too-small-jobs-bill/

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/02/why_the_bipartisan_jobs_bill_was_bound_to_fail.php

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022373.php

Yesterday the big story was that Obama stared down the GOP and forced a vote on 27 nominees they’d been blocking. But of course the Repubs couldn’t allow it to appear that Obama had actually WON anything

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/mcconnell-says-not-so-fast---shelby-released-holds-before-obama-meeting.php
Republicans are questioning President Obama's heroic-sounding battle with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell over the GOP blocking his nominees. . . .

Why NOT make more recess appointments?

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/02/27-nominees-confirmed.php
[Matt Yglesias] Barack Obama apparently went to Mitch McConnell and threatened a bunch of recess appointments unless the Senate would start confirming some of his nominees. Consequently 27 uncontroversial officials who were being held up for no reason got confirmed. But people who are being held up for a reason, no matter how stupid or petty the reason, are still in limbo. Thus the Shelby Shakedown continues and the Defense Department will still be doing without the services of three well-qualified appointees as Alabama’s least-horrible Senator continues his porking efforts. John Kyl is holding up a diplomatic appointment to a disarmament conference because Kyl loves out-of-control nuclear proliferation and wants to single-handedly sabotage the conference.

This is to say nothing of nominees like Craig Becker and Dawn Johnson who are being held up for ideological reasons. So the White House is touting this as a win, but I’m not totally sure what they’ve won. They had it within their power to put all 27 of these people in place with recess appointments and also circumvent the Shelby & Kyl holds with recess appointments and also put Becker & Johnson in office with recess appointments. The authority to do that is right there in the constitution. Given that 41 Senate Republicans are clearly going to hold up 100 percent of Obama’s legislative agenda anyway, I don’t see what else the White House has as a better use of its time than picking a fight over confirmations.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/02/a_deal_on_nominations_that_eve.html
[Ezra Klein] At this point in his presidency, George W. Bush had made 10 recess appointments. Over the course of his presidency, he would make almost 200. Bill Clinton made about 150. In describing recess appointments as "a rare but not unprecedented step," Obama made it harder to actually make any, because he's defined the procedure -- which, unlike the hold, is a defined constitutional power of the president rather than a courtesy observed in the Senate -- as an extraordinary last-resort. He also promised, later in the statement, that he wouldn't make any appointments this recess.

Working backward, why not make recess appointments this recess? The administration remains terribly understaffed. Senate Republicans have slapped a historic number of holds on Obama's nominees, and Richard Shelby's effort to hold all of Obama's pending nominees as part of a multibillion-dollar shakedown made Nelson's Medicaid deal look like petty theft. What was the danger, then, of making recess appointments? That it would lead to a fight over Republican obstruction that the administration might actually win?

Worse, why explain the recess appointment as some sort of emergency measure? At what point does the administration accept that its success is dependent on finding ways to avoid being filibustered? Reconciliation can't be considered a nuclear option and recess appointments can't be saved for special cases. George W. Bush understood this and used reconciliation and recess appointments routinely in his first year. That meant it was no story when he used the processes for his next seven years. . . .

The inevitability of using reconciliation for health care

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022385.php

Growing interest in changing the filibuster rule. Will it ever happen?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/report-support-for-filbuster-elimination-growing-among-senate-dems.php

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/12/836491/-Durbin-Signs-on-to-Filibuster-Reform

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/11/836345/-Cloture-reform-preseason-heats-up

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/02/how-many-votes-to-change-the-senates-rules.php

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022380.php

PEOPLE DON’T CARE ABOUT PROCESS!

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022386.php

Of course the GOP, having blocked every bill and appointment they can, now want to blame Obama for not accomplishing more

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/12/836563/-Cantor-Mocks-Dem-Powerlessness.-How-Will-Dems-Respond

Executive power

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/us/politics/13obama.html
With much of his legislative agenda stalled in Congress, President Obama and his team are preparing an array of actions using his executive power to advance energy, environmental, fiscal and other domestic policy priorities. . .

The Big Lie: People don’t want what Obama is peddling – but they do

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022381.php

Look, they’re all hypocrites when it suits them – but it’s the sanctimonious ones who are hardest to stomach

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/lieberman-now-against-saying-white-house-critics-help-al-qaeda-after-he-was-for-it-during-bush-years.php
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) appeared on MSNBC Thursday afternoon, and made a bold pronouncement on the political debates surrounding the interrogation of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the suspect in the attempted bombing of Flight 253: That critics of the White House should not be accused of aiding al-Qaeda.

The catch here is that during the Bush years, Lieberman himself made some similar comments about critics of the Iraq War -- saying that when they attacked the Bush administration they were harming America, or helping al-Qaeda, or attacking America's allies.

Yesterday on MSNBC, Lieberman said just the opposite of his earlier position. . . .

More: http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/chris-wallace-very-upset-because-john-b

The Paul Ryan GOP budget: what do you get when you try to hold two contradictory ideas in mind at the same time?

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/02/calling-tea-partiers-bluff
[Kevin Drum] If Axiom I is "Taxes must not go up" and Axiom II is "The budget must be balanced," then Ryan's plan is pretty much unavoidable. For a long time conservatives have accepted Axiom I but not Axiom II, and this has been a huge electoral winner for them. But now they all say they accept Axiom II too. Paul Ryan is calling their bluff. . . .

You can never underestimate just how far the Republicans will go to flip the facts on their head – hey, why not? The press keeps letting them get away with it

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/02/how-game-played-part-576
A few hours ago Felix Salmon wrote a post about the fate of financial reform in the Senate:

Are there really Republicans who would stick their neck out and filibuster a financial-reform bill aimed at reining in Wall Street? Voting against it is one thing, but killing it with a filibuster is surely not a vote-winner anywhere in the US right now.

[Kevin Drum] I mentally shrugged when I read that because the answer is pretty obvious: Republicans will simply portray any Democratic bill not as something that reins in Wall Street, but as a convoluted Beltway boondoggle that puts government bureaucrats in charge of the banking system, kills off credit to Main Street, stifles economic growth, destroys jobs, and shovels money into the hands of favored interest groups. Fox and Rush and the Journal will all sing along, tea partiers will start demonstrating against it, and before long it will get to the point that not only will Republicans filibuster it, but half the Democratic caucus will join in.

In other words, just another day at the office. But no! Apparently I'm still not cynical enough. A few minutes later I was reading Jon Chait's blog, and it turns out that the right-wing "Committee for Truth In Politics" — George Orwell would be pleased by the homage — is already running TV ads that don't merely portray the reform bill as bad for the economy, but specifically as a bailout for Wall Street bankers. . . .

The GOP is on the rise, we are told daily – even though their poll numbers remain behind the President’s and the Democrats. Even though they have more retirees, and a higher percentage of retirees, than the Democrats. Even though their fundraising trails the Democrats. Even though their party leader is an idiot. And even though they have no legislative record or clear agenda for the future

http://firedoglake.com/2010/02/12/resurgent-republican-party-update-in-three-parts/

Are the teabaggers going to take over the GOP, or vice versa?

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/warning_tea_party_in_danger_leader_slams_palin_as.php
A prominent Tea Party leader from Texas is warning that the movement "is becoming nothing more than a wholly owned subsidiary of the Republican Party," and slamming Sarah Palin as representing "a growing insider's attack to the heart of the Tea Party." . . .

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/tea-party-should-take-over-republica
Tea Party should take over the Republican Party, convention organizer says

More: http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/movements-and-coalitions-by-digby.html

And whose fault is THAT, CBS News and New York Times?

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/02/most_americans_dont_know_they_got_a_tax_cut.php
About a third of the $787 billion stimulus was made up of tax cuts, but Americans evidently don't realize they got them: a CBS News/New York Times poll shows that only 12% of respondents knew that President Obama had lowered taxes during his time in office; 53% said Obama kept taxes the same; 24% said he raised taxes; and 11% said they didn't know. . .

Well, who wouldn’t?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/progressive-poll-finds-minnesotans-call-bachmann-an-embarrassment.php
Progressive Poll Finds Minnesotans Call Bachmann An Embarrassment

Sarah Palin said she would give away the $100,000 she was paid for the teabagger speech. Uh huh. So where is she giving it away to? [crickets]

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/sarah_palins_tea_party_honorarium_whos_getting_the.php

Bonus item: Glenn Beck, advocate for sedition

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/glenn-beck-apocalypse-now-hour-guest
The Glenn Beck Apocalypse Now Hour: Guest advises audience to buy farms, 'take up arms' to prepare for anarchy

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***

LEARNING CURVE

Lucy, Charlie Brown, football

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/11/gregg_to_the_rescue_on_health_care.html
Politico reports that Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) could broker a deal with the White House on health care, pointing out "it's clear already that Gregg's restless energy is drawing him back into the fray, and the New Hampshire conservative brings both a proven ability to swing Republican votes and a background in health care and deficit issues."

More: http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/02/11/judd-gregg-proves-the-depth-of-republican-hypocrisy-on-health-care-reform/

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/so-much-for-that-bipartisan-jobs-agreement-falls-apart-almost-instantly.php
Bipartisan agreement on jobs lasted all of a few hours. This afternoon, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus announced he'd reached accord with ranking member Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). They unveiled what was supposed to be a final jobs package. But the agreement didn't sit well with many Democrats, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has pulled it out of their hands, and announced he'd move ahead with a smaller bill.

"I think Reid saw the writing on the wall," said one top Senate Democratic aide. "This was about to get bogged down again so he pulled it back. . . ."

http://www.americablog.com/2010/02/reid-scraps-baucus-jobs-bill-after-its.html
Reid scraps Baucus 'jobs' bill after it's discovered Baucus put lots of non-jobs provisions in to win GOP support

More: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/11/836228/-Reid-Scrapping-Baucus-Jobs-Bill

http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/02/11/reid-stiff-arms-baucus-cuts-giveaways-and-ornaments-out-of-senate-jobs-bill/

What’s next? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/us/politics/12cong.html
Deal on Jobs Shows Limits of Push for Bipartisanship

More like this, please

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32874.html
The Senate confirmed a huge group of administration nominees on Thursday, following a tense exchange between President Barack Obama and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

At a White House meeting with bipartisan congressional leaders on Tuesday, Obama warned that he would make recess appointments if the logjam over nominees wasn’t broken before the Senate left for the Presidents’ Day break.

“Mitch, this is unprecedented,” the president said, gesturing forcefully on the Cabinet Room table, according to aides. “If you don’t move any, I’m going to do some [recess] appointments.” . . .

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/11/836295/-Senate-Confirms-27-Appointments,-150-to-Go
Senate Confirms 27 Appointments, 150 to Go

Well, there you go: insurance companies are pursuing “health care reform” on their own

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/29298
Insurers enjoy record-breaking profits as they cut 2.7 million people from their rolls

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/02/healthcare-death-spiral
Last week the LA Times reported that Anthem Blue Cross planned to raise premium rates by 39% for some of its customers. . . . [read on]

[NB: And STILL Obama and the Dems can’t get traction on the need for real reform.]

The real problem on health care reform

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/02/hcr-is-exactly-the-sort-of-situation-reconciliation-is-for.php
[Matt Yglesias] The real issue, I think, is that at this point there seem to be a bunch of Senators who are basically desperately casting around for some kind of excuse as to why they can’t go and finish the job. They don’t really want to finish the job, but they also don’t want to admit that they don’t want to finish the job. So they’re trying to come up with some external constraint that’s preventing them. . . .

A legislative response to the “Citizen’s United” ruling – let’s roll!

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/02/citizens_united_the_democrats_strike_back.php

Thanks for the clarification: Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) GOP budget decimates Medicare and Social Security. But it’s not in order to balance the budget

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/is_rep_ryan_jon_galt.php
He thinks both programs are part of a "collectivist system" that needs to be rooted out of American life.

Put them on record!

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/house-gopers-running-for-senate-put-on-spot-dems-ask-if-they-support-social-security-slashing-roadma.php
House GOPers Running For Senate Put On Spot: Dems Ask If They Support Social Security Slashing 'Roadmap'

They just can’t stop contradicting themselves

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/mike-enzi-all-this-transparency-i-called-for-will-turn-the-health-care-summit-into-a-media-show-audio.php
Mike Enzi: All This Transparency I Called For Will Turn The Health Care Summit Into A 'Media Show'!

“Up-is-downism”

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/return-of-up-is-downism-by-digby-other.html

More: http://firedoglake.com/2010/02/11/early-morning-swim-rachel-maddows-devastating-takedown-of-republican-obstructionism-hypocrisy/

John Brennan, who has served administrations of both parties, is now demonized by the GOP because he called them out for politicizing national security

http://www.americablog.com/2010/02/foxgop-want-brennan-fired-for-speaking.html

The lie that won’t go away

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/perino_shoebomber_and_undiebomber_are_apples_and_o.php
Perino: Shoebomber And Undiebomber Are 'Apples And Oranges'

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022366.php
[Steve Benen] For good or ill, the Obama White House is generally reluctant to throw elbows. But when it comes to the Abdulmutallab case, in the face of breathtakingly dishonest nonsense, the president's team hasn't backed down an inch, and has embraced a tone with a sharp edge. Today, the White House called out one of more ridiculous critics by name. . . .

"Morale Welfare Recreation"

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/lawsuit_blackwater_put_filipino_prostitute_on_gove.php
A lawsuit filed by two former employees of Blackwater charges that the controversial security contractor defrauded the U.S. government, including charging it for strippers and prostitutes, the New York Times reports.

Perhaps the most explosive charge in the lawsuit -- filed by a married couple, Brad and Melan Davis, is that the company put a Filipino prostitute in Afghanistan on its payroll under the "Morale Welfare Recreation" category, then billed the government for her salary and plane tickets. . . .

More Broder-bashing

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2010/02/11/liberal_media/index.html
[Glenn Greenwald] I was fairly certain that Washington Press Corps Dean David Broder's career would end with his last memorably humiliating moment (of many) being this February, 2007, column, when he giddily announced that "President Bush is poised for a political comeback," that "Bush now shows signs of renewed energy and is regaining the initiative on several fronts," and that "he is demonstrating political smarts that even his critics have to acknowledge" -- only for Bush's approval ratings to continue to plummet until he finally left office as one of the most despised Americans politicians of the last 100 years. I was wrong.

Today, Broder pens a gushing love letter to Sarah Palin -- decreeing that we must "Take Sarah Palin seriously," admiring her "pitch-perfect recital of the populist message," and warning that she will be difficult to stop as a major political force -- on the very same day that his own newspaper published a poll reporting that Palin's "political standing has deteriorated significantly" . . .

More: http://crooksandliars.com/node/34870

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2010/02/dean.html
[Atrios] So Broder believes in compromise, in bipartisanship and in moderation.

And in Sarah Palin.

You know, this needs to be said: Palin isn’t just a narcissistic moron who has a knack for exploiting her fame beyond her abilities or her accomplishments – she is also a very nasty person

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/trouble-with-palin-by-tristero-id-like.html
[Tristero] It is quite true that Sarah Palin is, as Digby says, "a quitter, a liar, [and] a greedy opportunist who more commonly speaks in incoherent gibberish." But, as appalling as all that is, those are her best qualities.

For even if Palin was a reliable public servant, even if she was as honest as the day is long, even if she was not greedy, and even if she was even remotely articulate, she would represent the worst trends in modern American politics . . .

A contradiction in terms? “Palin’s Brain Trust”

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/introducing_sarah_palins_brain_trust.php

She makes Palin look savvy

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/fiorina-suggests-california-file-bankruptcy-this-state-cant-pay-its-bills.php
Fiorina Suggests California File Bankruptcy: 'This State Can't Pay Its Bills'

Bad news for the Democrats! Or something.

http://www.americablog.com/2010/02/rep-lincoln-diaz-balart-retiring-over.html
Over 10% of House GOP caucus now leaving

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/11/kennedy_will_not_run_again.html
House retirement tally: 14 Democrats, 18 Republicans.

More: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022356.php

They just can’t help themselves

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/11/republicans_mail_another_census_form.html
Federal Eye reports the NRCC has sent out another mailer with the word "Census" featured prominently throughout the document. Though the tactic was deemed legal because the mailer did not use the name or seal of the U.S. Census Agency, observers argue it could confuse elderly Americans on the lookout for the government's decennial census questionnaires, which go out next month.

The power of language

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/poller_beware.php
[Josh Marshall] Yesterday we told you about a new poll showing a clear majority of Americans supporting allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the US military. Now we have another poll which confirms that basic fact but also shows how sensitive the question is to just how you pose the question. You get dramatically different answers depending on whether the question refers to "gay men and lesbians" or "homosexuals."

The teabagger convention you DIDN'T see on the news

http://www.americablog.com/2010/02/our-favorite-college-videographers.html

Great tv moment: right-wing ninny tries to lecture Ron Reagan about what his father really thought

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/epistomology-in-her-pants-by-digby-i.html

Video: http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/pam-geller-tries-tell-ron-reagan-jr

One thing you can count on with every winter snowstorm: Rush Limbaugh and other climate change denialists saying cold weather “disproves” global warming

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/fox-news-wants-proclaim-blizzards-pr

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/02/center_for_american_progress_snowstorm_doesnt_disprove_warming.php

Video: http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/rachel-maddow-global-warming-isnt-opposite

Bonus item: Still a funny guy

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/hasnt_lost_it.php
[Al Franken (D-SNL)] "And as much as I don't trust Comcast and NBC to be honest brokers on this deal, I am trusting you to help me build support for my positions on issues like this one," Franken writes. "And as usual, by 'support' I mean 'money.'"

***If you enjoy PBD and support what we are doing, you can help by forwarding a copy of this issue to your friends (using the envelope link below) or by sending them a copy of its URL (http://pbd.blogspot.com).

I don't get anything personally out of this project, except the satisfaction of doing it (I don't run ads, etc). The credit really all goes to the people whose material I copy and redistribute. But if I do have a "mission," it is to get this information into the hands of as many people as I can.***