From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…
August 30, 1944
Happy birthday to Molly Ivins. I believe she has a few words to say:
Excellent bio.
[W]e've bounced back from this same mistake before---the mistake of thinking that we can make ourselves safer if we just make ourselves less free. We get so scared of something---scared of communism or crime or drugs or illegal aliens---that we think we can make ourselves safer by sacrificing freedom. Never works. It's still true: the only thing to fear is fear itself.
-
Being slightly paranoid is like being slightly pregnant---it tends to get worse.
-
I have a correspondent named Irwin Wingo in Weatherford, Texas. Irwin and some of the leading men of the town are in the habit of meeting about ten every morning at the Chat 'n Chew Café to drink coffee and discuss the state of the world. One of their number is a dittohead, a Limbaugh listener. He came in one day, plopped himself down, and said, "I think Rush is right. Racism in this country is dead. I don’t know what the n****rs will find to gripe about now." I wouldn't say that dittoheads, as a group, lack the ability to reason. It's just that whenever I run across one, he seems to be at a low ebb in reasoning skills.
-
Nincompoopery has never been a bar to high office in our nation. Newt Gingrich's sole claim to serious consideration is that he's great copy. He has no ideas, no principles, no integrity, and by and large, he's a damn fool.
-
From my own brief acquaintance with Hillary Clinton, I'd say she's not only exceptionally bright, but also a kinder, funnier and nicer person than is generally perceived. As we all get to know her, I suspect much of the controversy will die away. (From 1992)
-
Next time I tell you someone from Texas should not be president of the United States, please pay attention.
-
One more Texas sign in front of a pharmacy: GENERIC PROZAC NOW IN, GOD BLESS AMERICA.
If you haven't read the biography
Molly: A Rebel Life by Bill Minutaglio and W. Michael Smith, it's a really good account of her amazing yet far-from-charmed life as a journalist and shitkicker. And you can revisit Molly's columns
from the 2000s here. Even though she's no longer with us, her writing is still like Red Bull for the progressive soul.
Cheers, Molly.
Your west coast-friendly edition of Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Friday, August 30, 2013
Note: Here's the schedule for next week. C&J will be off Monday so that we can sharpen our snow shovel blades, pre-salt the sidewalks, and practice cooking emergency pots of clam chowder in anticipation of winter. An abbreviated C&J will turn up Tuesday, assuming we've scraped together bail after getting caught wearing white after Labor Day.
-
Starts tomorrow!
By the Numbers:
Days 'til
Star Trek: Into Darkness comes out
on DVD:
11
Days 'til the
Hatch Valley Chili Festival:
1
Original and revised rate of economic growth in the second quarter:
1.7%, 2.5%
(Source: Commerce Department)
Percent of gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans who are out to their mothers:
56%
Percent who are out to their fathers:
39%
(Source: Harper's Index)
Cost to participate in the world's largest tomato fight, in Bunol Spain:
$13
Tons of tomatoes that were thrown:
130
(Source:
The Age)
-
Puppy Pic of the Day (via NonnyO): Was blind but now I squeeee!!!
-
CHEERS to good news, good news and more good news. There was a bunch of it yesterday, on a bunch of different fronts. Here's a quick rundown of teh WIN:
Happy Dance!!!
New Mexico: Clerks in all 33 counties join the ACLU to get a ruling from the state Supreme Court on uniformity in issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Washington/Colorado: The Justice Department says it's not going to interfere with marijuana laws passed by voters in Washington and Colorado.
Nationwide: The White house announces new executive actions to prevent guns from falling into the wrong twitchy hands.
Fast Food Land: Strikes in 60 cities yesterday prompted Labor Secretary Thomas Perez call for new urgency in sticking a crowbar in our collective wallets and raise the minimum wage.
Military: A judge ruled that the Veterans Administration can't deny disability benefits to married same-sex couples...
Treasury: ...and the IRS now recognizes same-sex marriages in all 50 states.
Economy: It grew faster than expected in the second quarter.
And in
Toyville: A company called Thinkway is manufacturing the one and only thing I now know I want under my War-on-Christmas tree this year: the
Despicable Me 2 Fart Blaster. Happy Happy!
Hey, whatever happened
to this guy's "red line?"
-
-
JEERS to careening down the slip 'n slide of insanity. Today we got a fresh snapshot of where the American people stand regarding likely U.S. missile strikes on Syria in retaliation for that country's chemical-weapon strike on its own people. Apparently 4-out-of-5 of us want President Obama
to get permission first from Congress. Yes---the same Congress whose judgment has been so disturbingly dismal that its approval rating is close to falling
into single digits with those same American people. But public whiplash aside, in this case I'm with the 79 percenters. I think Congress
should get involved in deciding whether or not to blow up Assad's country. It'll distract 'em from trying to blow up ours.
JEERS to furry ambushes. On August 30, 1979, President Carter was attacked by a 20-foot tall rabbit with laser eyes and a grenade in each paw! Or…not:
Carter v. Wabbit
Carter was alone in a small fishing boat when a swamp rabbit, a species of large cottontail, began swimming toward his boat. He turned the frightened and agitated rabbit away with a paddle. Several months later he jokingly mentioned it to press secretary Jody Powell, who repeated it offhandedly to a reporter. To Powell's horror, The Washington Post headlined "President Attacked by Rabbit." Carter was lampooned by turns as crazy, weak, and ineffective.
It was a low-water mark for shoddiness in journalism. Or as Politico would call it: the high-water mark for excellence in journalism.
CHEERS to the Mustache of Independence. Wednesday's 50th anniversary of the March on Washington wouldn’t have been the same without a "King, Jr." there on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. But who? How? From whence? Well, the great state of Maine was happy to step up and provide one: Independent Senator King, Jr….Angus King, Jr.:
King, Jr.
(No, seriously.)
-
"Fifty years ago at this place, at this sacred place, Americans sent a message to their leaders and around the world, that the promise of equality of opportunity, equality before the law, equality in the right to freely participate in the benefits and responsibilities of citizenship, applied to everyone in this country---not just the lucky few of the right color or the accident of birth. This is what Martin Luther King meant when he said that his dream was deeply rooted in the American dream. […]
Fifty years ago today this place was a battlefield. No shots were fired, no cannons roared, but a battlefield nonetheless---a battlefield of ideas, the ideas that define us as a nation. As it was once said of Churchill, Martin Luther King on that day mobilized the English language and marched it into war, and in the process caught the conscience of a nation. And here today on these steps, 50 years on, indeed something abides, and the power of the vision has surely passed into our souls.”
King, Jr. watched King, Jr. in '63, so it must've been pretty cool to be invited to say a few words from "the spot." He's been a senator for [
counts on fingers] eight months now. I think we'll keep him.
CHEERS to "One ringy dingy...Two ringy dingy..." On August 30, 1963, a hotline was set up between Moscow and D.C. for the purpose of keeping the superpowers in constant contact during emergencies. It worked really well. In fact we hear an aide to Khrushchev is still shuffling around Red Square looking for Amanda Hugginkiss.
Saturday Night Squee!!!
-
CHEERS to home vegetation. Can't say this is going to be much of a weekend for the tube, exactly, but here are some of the scraps (not including infomercials, preachers, and Star Trek reruns) that all 1,800 channels will be tossing your way. Tomorrow night at 9, Animal Planet is airing the political slugfest known as
"Too Cute: Puppies growing Up." New
DVD releases include
The Great Gatsby, who is exactly like Mitt Romney except with charisma. The baseball schedule
is here. (The Red Sox will leave the White Sox "threadbare" Ha Ha Ha!) On
60 Minutes: the ongoing effort to upright the cruise ship
Costa Concordia, and a profile of Twitter inventor Jack Dorsey.
Bill Moyers & Company is a must-watch as Bill (LBJ's press secretary) sits down with Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) to talk about the '63 and '13 marches on Washington. And here's your Sunday morning lineup. Please hold your applause 'til the Zzzzzzzzzz……
Meet the Press: Ophthalmologist Rand Paul discusses international relations and military strategy while performing LASIK surgery on David Gregory's chin. Plus Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and a roundtable with Bill Kristol (whose genitals will be taped down to avoid embarrassment while talking about bombing Syria), Gwen Ifill, Katty Kay and Eugene Robinson.
Schieffer babysits McCain this Sunday.
Face the Nation: This weekend it's Bob Schieffer's turn to babysit John McCain while Cindy goes shopping; Sens. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA); Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
This Week: Terry Moran, Martha Radditz, School of Advanced International Studies Dean Vali Nasr and Retired Marine General James Cartwright on Syria; roundtable with Carville & Matalin, Tavis Smiley and Peggy Noonan.
CNN's State of the Union: Guests that are SO exciting that they can't tell you who they are!!! Either that or the guy who updates their web site is out smoking weed with Gupta again.
Fox GOP Talking Points Sunday: Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and James Inhofe (R-OK); Rep. Peter King (R-NY); roundtable with Joe Lieberman (sporting a Syria-bombing-threat-induced woody), Gen. Jack Keane, Charles Lane and Jennifer Rubin.
Happy viewing!
-
Six years ago in C&J: August 30, 2007
JEERS to insanity, step-by-step. Step 1) President Bush demands another $50 billion to fund the Iraq war, which is now costing us over $3 billion per week. Step 2) A spokesman for the Democratic leadership says, "It's long past time for giving blank checks to the administration." Step 3) Congress gives a blank check to the administration. Step 4) The Democratic base erupts. Step 5) A spokesman for the Democratic leadership says, "But we had to or we'd be accused of not supporting the troops!" Step 6) Bush demands another $50 billion. Y'know, I don’t remember dying, but this sure fits my idea of Hell.
-
And just one more…
In NYC, de Blasio is de leader.
de primary is September de 10th.
-
CHEERS to September! We're less than 48 hours away from the official start of "Where The Hell Did Summer Go?" season. So many highlights, so little time: Congress straggles back to work after over a month of hiding from their pissed-off constituents. The kids go back to learnin' school. Labor gets its day Monday (the weekend's annual MDA telethon is
a shell of its former self---just Carrot Top and Victoria Jackson spinning plates this year). There's a big mayoral primary in New York City on the 10th, and it's looking like an outright progressive, Bill de Blasio, will win big. 9/11 turns twelve (as if it needs to be said, that's more of a lowlight). The NFL season kicks off (Get it? Ha ha.)
next week, with New England calling dibs on the Super Bowl trophy this year. Shoppers jam stores looking for the perfect Autumnal Equinox, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Mexican Independence Day gifts. ("Miley Cyrus Socks? You shouldn’t have. Really.") And New England turns insanely beautiful while the threat of hurricanes looms large. Farewell, August---you were respected, impressive, grand, majestic, lofty and sublime. If only there was a word for all that.
Have a super holiday weekend. And if you plan to give birth on Monday, have a happy labor day Labor Day! Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
-