From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…
The Birthday Boy Responds to the Un-American Liar
First the un-American liar:
Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., says he believes scores of his Democratic House colleagues are members of the Communist Party. At a town hall meeting [earlier this month] in Palm City, Fla., the Tea Party-backed freshman was asked by a man in the audience: "What percentage of the American legislature do you think are card carrying Marxists or neo-Castro Socialists?"
West responded that he believed "there's about 78 to 81 members of the Democrat Party that are members of the Communist Party." When asked to name them, he declined.
8 days later, the un-American liar
doubled down:
“So name names for me,” [CNN's Soledad] O’Brien said. “Start naming the 78 to 81…”
“Oh, we don’t have to…” West countered.
“Oh, we do! I’m dying to know,” O’Brien pressed. “Which are the members of the…”
“You can go look up the progressive caucus…” interrupted West.
“I got ‘em right here!” O’Brien interjected…
“[T]hen you’ve got the names,” West said.
Today is
Edward R. Murrow's 104th birthday…born April 25, 1908 in Polecat Creek, North Carolina. He had more integrity in his pinky than Congressman West has in his whole body. Murrow went after un-American liar Senator Joe McCarthy for saying stuff like this:
"The issue between the Republicans and Democrats is clearly drawn. It has been deliberately drawn by those who have been in charge of twenty years of treason. Not the hard fact is...the hard fact is that those who wear the label...those who wear the label "Democrat" wear it with the stain of a historic betrayal."
So, since West feels so moved to revive McCarthyism, here's a little Murrow magic from his famous
See It Now broadcast
of March 9, 1954:
"We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men---not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.
This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent, or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities. As a nation we have come into our full inheritance at a tender age. We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn't create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it---and rather successfully. Cassius was right. "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves." Good night and good luck.
Happy birthday, Ed, wherever you are. And Congressman West? The 50s called. They'd like their red-baiting back, please.
Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Note: BREAKING! Breaking news story revealed to not really be breaking news at all, but a hasty rewrite of a breaking news story from five minutes ago. Film at 11.
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By the Numbers:
Days 'til the grand opening of the new Expo Line between L.A. and Culver City: 3
Days 'til the Maine Fiddlehead Festival: 3
Percent of public-sector job losses that have occurred in Texas or states where Republicans recently took control: 70%
(Source: Paul Krugman)
Ad revenue of the entire newspaper industry in 2011: $23.9 billion
Ad revenue of Google in 2011: $36.5 billion
(Source: Harper's Index)
Number of calories in a Triple Bypass Burger at the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas: 6,000
Number of customers who have had a heart attack while eating one: 2
(Source: L.A. Times)
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Mid-week Rapture Index: 182 (including 5 Financial Unrests and 1 cake of Sauron). Soul Protection Factor 24 lotion is recommended if you’ll be walking amongst the heathen today.
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Puppy Pic of the Day: "Yooo ahhh…so beautiful…to…meee..eee…eee……"
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CHEERS to the generosity of the "net"-roots. Back in January, Kossack Denise Oliver Valez asked everyone to circle April 25---World Malaria Day---on our calendars. I chose instead to write it on my hand in magic marker, which is why I'm glad I bookmarked the link to her diary because otherwise I'd be commemorating National Giant Blue Palm Smudge Day. So here we are. And here's the World Health organization's summary of where we are:
During the past decade, global malaria prevention and control efforts have been scaled up, with notable progress in sub-Saharan Africa, where the vast majority of malaria cases occur. The number of long-lasting insecticidal nets delivered to malaria-endemic countries in sub-Saharan Africa increased from 5.6 million in 2004 to 145 million in 2010. … However, malaria transmission still occurs in 99 countries around the world, and the malaria burden continues to cripple health systems in many African countries. In 2010, this entirely preventable and treatable disease caused an estimated 655,000 deaths worldwide. About 560 000 of the victims were children under five years of age, which means malaria killed one child every minute.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce that number: the humble mosquito net. That's where you can help. Denise sums it up in 10 words: "Got ten dollars? Save a child's life.
It's that simple." If only everything was.
CHEERS to the primary night to end all primary nights. Well, he did it. He steamrolled his way to the nomination. And now we know beyond a shadow of a doubt: after last night's primary results in RI, DE, NY, PA and CT, Barack Hussein Obama will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States of America!!!! Whoooooo!!!! USA!!! USA!!! And on the Republican side, Ron Paul just won the Iowa caucus. Corn dogs for everyone!
CHEERS to genome sweet genome. On April 25, 1953, scientists identified DNA for the first time. Its appearance is described by the U.S. National Library of Medicine as "two long strands that form a spiral called a double helix." Or, as many wrongly-convicted prisoners have come to describe it: a lifeline.
JEERS to the shock box. I may start this as a new series. Here's the latest batch of stories that the media want you to be "SHOCKED…SHOCKED!!!" about:
Secret Service hires prostitutes, gets caught
GSA throws expensive party, gets caught
Servicemembers misbehave in Afghanistan, get caught
Marco Rubio says "vice president" out loud, gets caught
John Edwards funnels campaign cash, gets caught
Wal-Mart squelches investigation of bribery scandal in Mexico, gets caught
Romney advisor frantically deletes misogynist tweets, gets caught
I'm
"YAWNING…YAWNING!!!" Wake me when Bush, Cheney and the Wall Street scammers show up in that box. 'Til then, it's just another day ending in y.
CHEERS to Al Gore: Web Master! No, he didn’t actually invent the internet (his words: “The day I made that statement, about the inventing the Internet, I was tired because I’d been up all night inventing the camcorder.”), but Gore is being inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame for his significant role in bringing it to the masses:
Al Gore, the 45th Vice President of the United States, was a key proponent of sponsoring legislation that funded the expansion of and greater public access to the Internet. Instrumental in helping to create the ‘Information Superhighway,’ Gore was one of the first government officials to recognize that the Internet’s impact could reach beyond academia to fuel educational and economic growth as well.
No word if the Supreme Court plans to steal that from him, too.
CHEERS to getting under a blowhard's skin. Rush Limbaugh is coming after Daily Kos for what I believe is the first time in this humble blog's existence. Seems Rush is annoyed that we---specifically, I believe, Jed Lewison---compiled the dozens of misogynist statements he made about law student Sandra Fluke and assembled them in one cringe-inducing video. So he had his lackey get the video pulled from You Tube. Silly man. First, Rush is more powerful and influential than we are, so he should be ignoring us, not punching down at us. Second, he's also dumber than we are because, as Kos says, the clips are within the boundaries of Fair Use, and we'll just post 'em somewhere else ad infinitum. And third, if you play the video backwards it re-confirms: the walrus was Paul.
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Five years ago in C&J: April 25, 2007
JEERS to Mr. Frumpyface. President Bush said yesterday he's disappointed in the direction the Democratic leadership has taken on Iraq. Translation: I'm disappointed to learn that you have leadership and I don't. You've done enough damage, sir---go make yourself useful and clear some dead brush. (Start with Gonzales.)
JEERS to the shame of Detroit. All my life General Motors has been as American to me as apple pie. Well, get a load 'o this: Toyota has now passed GM in worldwide sales. It makes me so mad I just want to go out to the garage, sit in my Honda, and seethe.
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And just one more…
CHEERS to efficient emergency management:
Bzzzt!!! Bzzzt!!! Ahooogah!!!
ATTENTION REPUBLICANS: The National Waffler Service has issued a Mitt Romney Base Abandonment WARNING effective immediately in the following area:
Backing a student loan proposal that Obama is promoting on the campaign trail:
"Particularly with the number of college graduates that can't find work and can only find work well beneath their skill level, I fully support the effort to extend the low interest rate on student loans," Romney said.
A Mitt Romney Base Abandonment Warning means an actual abandonment of the GOP base has been sighted and is moving in a less-than-severely-conservative direction. Please note that these conditions may be accompanied by additional damaging flip flops, gaffes, blunders and "hot mic moments." Republicans are urged to take shelter immediately in the warmth of the nearest "Chris Christie in 2016" Facebook page. Stay tuned to the National Waffler Service for future updates.
Now back to your regularly-scheduled blogging…
I suspect the NWS is gonna be awful busy this year.
Have a nice Wednesday. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial:
“I built Bill in Portland Maine out of LEGO but I filled him with robotics. I basically brought him to life."
---Ryan McNaught
Certified LEGO Professional
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