I'm going to note just 1 rather depressing "this day in history" item then move onto more fun festive things - promise! On this date in 1978, Dianne Feinstein became San Francisco's first woman mayor when she was named to replace George Moscone, who had been assassinated. Her part in the day Mayor Moscone & Harvey Milk were murdered was WAY under - played in the movie - probably at her request, knowing her. She was the last person Dan White spoke to as he was walking down the hallway after he'd shot Mayor Moscone & was on his way to Harvey's office. And, she was the one who found Harvey in his office after his murder. So, when I've said in the past that she was propelled onto the national scene over the dead bodies of George Moscone & Harvey Milk, that's why. By the way, Harvey Milk couldn't stand her - what a shock! ;D
OK, 'tis Friday night & 'tis the season, so let's rock out with our holiday music!
HA!! Too damn funny...
OK...ok...for all you "purists" out there...
Let's Countdown bearing in mind the "request" from the Ramones that's true this time of year & any other time! ;D
Long time no see to David Shuster for DHing for Keith tonight – kewl & thanks!
#5 "Kenya Believe Her?" AKA "Going Birther" AKA "Iced Tea" - I know this revelation will come as a HUGE shock to y’all, but St. Sarah from Wasilla is a birther, AND she thinks the McCentury campaign botched the opportunity to make that issue more prevalent. Later, she claimed on her Facebook that she never said it. Honestly & seriously, if "that woman" ISN’T on medication, GET HER ON MEDICATION. If she is on meds, they ain’t working, and the prescription needs to be changed! She is ill, and I mean that will all seriousness – no snarky intent whatsoever. {hee...hee...hee...} I get "my guy," Richard Wolffe to talk "that woman"/birther stuff; oh, he will have FUN! ;D HA! I knew he’d have fun! He’s absolutely correct; all this political stuff is just a game to her. She never took it seriously, and if she’s seriously considering running for POTUS in 2012, she better serious up on some issues both foreign & domestic, but since that would require book learnin’, I’m not sure she’s up for that. Richard used the words
...willfully deceptive...
, which doesn’t ever seem to bother her,
...incredibly simplistic
or
...being Dobbsian.
HEY! We have a new word in Countdown diary lexicon – Dobbsian – adjective meaning to fit whatever comes out of your pie – hole according to what you think your audience wants to hear; facts be damned! Richard also says she
...experiences an alternative world.
And, just think; Senator McCentury who took great pains to tout his experience over his opponent PICKED HER to be 1 heartbeat away from the Presidency. That pick will & should haunt & dog him FOREVER. People on her Facebook page apparently took issue with her denial that she'd waxed birther on the radio machine. Gov. Tim Kaine, DNC Chair, thinks the tea baggers will gag the GOP. Hey, c’mon, you didn’t think I could get through this subject without a juvenile adolescent joke! ;D OK, Gov. Kaine used the word "devour." If the tea baggers devour the GOP, aren’t they doing it wrong or at least being a little "aggressive" in said bagging? Oh Gov. Kaine, I must disagree with your notion that Senator Specter is "on our team." He switched sides to save his sorry political a$$ and would do so again in a heartbeat. Ya’ know what would increase "Democratic enthusiasm"? Democratic Congress critters – especially SENATORS – acting like sparkin’ Democrats would be a breath of fresh air! David Shuster asked Arianna Huffington if the "birthers" & "tea partiers" are here to stay; I don’t think they’re going anywhere as long as there’s a {insert hushed tone here} black man in the White House.
#4 "Bipartisansh*t" AKA "Bye, Partisanship" AKA "Defending the Public Option" - HA! Whoever came up with that initial segment title should get a bonus in their check this week; that is FUNNY – especially after listening to "our" Senators all week. I’m taking the weekend off from listening to HCR debate in the Senate because I’m dangerously close to losing all faith in my system of government as it is, and it’s the sparkin’ weekend! There was not a single damn vote today on any amendments until 3:30 this afternoon. All the GOP did all day long before that was to try to continue to prop up the crap that is the Medicare Advantage program & bash AARP for daring to endorse the bill before the Senate. Senator Hatch tried one more time for a motion to commit a la Senator McCentury’s motion, but it went down in flames. Oh, and the GOP managed to trash the memory of Senator Kennedy by calling one of his last inputs into the current legislation a ponzi scheme. I nearly blew a gasket at work today when I heard that; I believe it was the "honorable" Senator Thune who used that term. Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator Chris Dodd, and SENATOR (suck on it, BillO!) Al Franken actually joined in as co – sponsors to a GOP amendment that all members of Congress had to go in on whatever public option might survive the legislative process – HA! Although the way things are going, there ain’t gonna be much of a public option. Senator Brown has tried to be a co – sponsor for weeks, but Senator Tom Coburn has acted like a spoiled brat & kept stonewalling him. Senator Tom Carper is still trying to work out some sort of public option palatable to Conservadems – SPARK THAT! Speaking of sparkin’ ConservaDems, let’s primary one next year! ;D Joementum talked once again out of a dark stinky place concerning the public option. Here’s Senator Brown – bless him! Senator Brown isn’t in the mood for any more public option compromises; oh honey, keep up that spine & that spirit! But, Senator Brown has too much faith in his Senate colleagues who he doesn’t think want to be on the "wrong side of history." They could give diddly – poo about history. When the history of all this activity is written, they’ll be long dead, and their descendants will still be receiving the benefits of them being good little health insurance industry automatons. Senator Brown thinks Senate Majority Reid might threaten committee chairmanships to get the 4 malcontents to behave; that threat might be the ONLY thing they might – MIGHT – respond to. Senator Ben Nelson wants the US Conference of Catholic Bishops to review his Stupakesque amendment he wants put in the Senate bill. Hm... is this US Conference of Catholic Bishops part of the same group in Washington, DC who threatened the city council with pulling out their desperately – needed social services from the area if the council OKed gay marriage? Yep, I thought so. Senator Brown thinks Senator Nelson’s amendment will be defeated; I would actually tend to agree with him. Senators have to worry about pleasing their entire states – not just 1 patch of land in their states.
#3 "Intensive (Health) Care" AKA "Dr. Dean’s Diagnosis" - Debate & amendments will continue to be offered through the weekend, but as I said above, y’all are going to have to watch it for yourselves or keep abreast with diaries here over the weekend; I’m taking the weekend off. ;D There’s Howard Dean – YEA! Man, he needs to get to that Senate chamber & open up a can or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 of THIS stuff.
Dr. Dean called Senator Carper silly – HA! Dr. Dean wants reconciliation if the 4 current malcontents continue to be...well...MALCONTENTS. Aetna is going to drop over half a million customers from their coverage so profits can go up. Why do we need a public option? THAT is why we need a public option for cryin’ out loud! Dr. Dean doesn’t think Senator Nelson will filibuster. OK, can we talk Dr. Dean into being DNC chair again – PLEASE??!! Man, he was good tonight.
** "Rush: the Final Frontier" - Is David Shuster a Trek geek, or did someone have to write out the original Star Trek into for him? ;D The look on William Shatner’s face at the end of this is absolutely priceless. You can tell he wanted to call Boss Limbaugh the POS he is! **
#2 "Q&A" - President Obama was asked about legalizing pot & prostitution & gambling to stimulate – HA! – the economy at his town hall in Allentown, PA today. President Obama looked like he had a ball today; I think he misses doing stuff like this – A LOT!
#1 "Tiger’s Wood" AKA "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Passion" - OK, I’m about over the Tiger Woods segments; the only reason I’m sticking through this tonight is because I lurves the Harry Shearer. HA! I love Harry’s suggestion on how to make the Tiger Woods story go away! But, St. Sarah from Wasilla doesn’t need any help or inspiration to say stupid things; she’s perfectly capable of doing THAT on her own. But, since she seems to be of the "entrepreneurial" spirit these days, she just respond to such a suggestion!