BETTER YOUR BRAIN

ShortFormBlog: Obama on Secret Service: U.S. officials must “observe the highest standards”

shortformblog:

• cause Over the weekend, a major political scandal involving the Secret Service — a government agency commonly tied to the president — broke in Colombia, suggesting that agents were hanging out with prostitutes. Yeah, that’s really bad.
• reaction The president, discussing the allegations…

1. As far as the Presidential election goes, this week has pretty much set in stone that Romney is going to be everyone’s reluctant choice for the GOP nominee. Unless they pull some magic and premiere a new candidate at the convention, the race isn’t going to be interesting again for a while. Obama should beast at the debates and that will be that. 

2. On Rush Limbaugh- his comments this week about Sandra Fluke, the women who was not allowed to testify at the congressional hearing regarding contraception as a women’s health issue, went a little something like this:

“What does it say about the college co-ed Sandra Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex, what does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She’s having so much sex she can’t afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex. What does that make us? We’re the pimps.”

For a man always complaining about people twisting his words, he sure knows a lot about it. I don’t think I need to explain everything that’s wrong with what he said, but there’s enough here to go on for pages. Equating being on birth control to being a prostitute…I would call it demeaning but it’s so ridiculous that I can’t take it seriously enough to call it that. There are so many reasons for being on birth control, from medical to oh, you know, not wanting to get pregnant. 

Rush is an ignorant, hateful, patriarchy-supporting, slut-shaming, woefully misinformed man; I feel terrible for everyone subjected to his opinions every day. He’s awful and Fluke has handled the situation with nothing but class, responding by calling him out for being the patriarchal, dismissive asshole that he is. 

Fuck the patriarchy; Fuck Rush Limbaugh. 

3. On Andrew Breitbart, who died today at age 43 leaving behind several small children:

We’re on opposite ends of the spectrum and I was remarking the other day to a friend about how repugnant most of what came out of his mouth was. I’m still pretty bitter about his work in bringing Anthony Weiner and ACORN down, and he has said more than his share of heinously offensive things over the years. He was a virulent racist and sexist and I did not like the guy.

However, he was an impressively influential figure anyway you cut it. He helped launch Huff Po and Drudge, two major story-breaking news sites, and has had his hands in just about every major political happening in the past few years. He built himself up in the image he wanted to embody,a rather repulsive one but exactly to his specifications. He did nothing anonymously and fought tooth-and-nail for his beliefs.

I can’t say I’ll miss him having his hands in all the wrong pots, threatening liberals, and being an asshole on general principle alone, but things will be a little less interesting without his enthusiasm for stirring the pot.

Whenever Newt Gingrich is on tv now, all I hear is wahhhwahwahhhhwahwah. (akin to the Charlie Brown teacher) I still hold that he isn’t dumb, and I have a hard time seeing how anyone could think he is given his sordid past and the fact that people still want to vote for him, but dear lord, the man can’t say 10 words without 3 of them being wrong. Things he has said in the last week or so that have been incorrect/annoying:

• Palestine is a real place, with real people. Just because they used to be part of the Ottoman empire does not invalidate their modern day standing. Go pick on Turkey or somewhere
• Most conservatives opposed the insurance mandate you supported in 1993. Just because you supported it doesn’t mean everyone did. 
• Call me crazy, but child labor laws are in place with good reason. Someone has to be educated enough to know when you’re wrong.
• An entry level janitor does not get paid more than an entry level teacher. Straight up wrong. 
• The problem is too much money in political campaigns. Not lack thereof. Just no. 

This is turning into a Newt-Gingrich-is-a-bad-candidate post and I’m okay with that. (protip it’s because he is). He’s risen to the top after the Cain’s dalliances with the fairer sex, which is frankly ridiculous considering what this man has done. Let’s look at some quotes straight from the horses mouth:

“We would have won in 1974 if we could have kept him out of the office, screwing her [a young volunteer] on the desk.” - Dot Crews, his campaign scheduler at the time

He’s also reportedly had oral sex with a lot of his campaign workers, so that he can still say “I never slept with her” (I did not have sex with that woman, sound familiar?) This is particularly funny since he was Speaker of the House under Clinton and spent a good bit of his time berating the man for moral inequity and going off  about “family values”, when all the while he was getting some under the table.

“She isn’t young enough or pretty enough to be the President’s wife.” - Newt, on his first wife.

“He walked out in the spring of 1980…. By September, I went into the hospital for my third surgery. The two girls came to see me, and said, “Daddy is downstairs. Could he come up?” When he got there, he wanted to discuss the terms of the divorce while I was recovering from my surgery.” - Jackie, his first wife.

These two don’t need a lot of commentary. Class act, right?

To add a little more fire to his lady problem induced flame,

[In the book] “Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them”, [I] “found frightening pieces that related to my own life.” - Newt

Nothing like a little misogyny to spice up your campaign, right?

As far as his affairs go, I don’t care. That’s his business and it doesn’t affect his effectiveness as a politician. The misogyny and cruelty is another matter. The POTUS should be a person of moral integrity, and Gingrich doesn’t make the cut. Not convinced yet? Let’s talk money.

GOPAC, Newt’s longtime political action committee, was the centerpiece of a complex network of non-profit, and mostly tax exempt organizations that Newt has used to support himself and other conservative candidates. In an act of incredible hypocrisy, this crusader against taxes obtained taxpayer subsidies for his personal and political goals, by misusuing these tax-exempt groups.

Of course, using tax-exempt educational or charitable donations for partisan purposes is illegal, and several ethics complaints were filed against Gingrich. He agreed to pay a $300,000 fine for misleading the committee during the investigation, and in the process dodged conviction on the actual charges through a combination of finessing some legal definitions, sheer self-confidence and raw political power (as Speaker of the House at the time of the complaints, he appointed the ethics committee. Furthermore, GOPAC had one ethics committee member on its roster last session, and gave money to another.)

(source)

Another Republican wannabe exploiting others and skirting the rules they helped to create? Gingrich 2012.

Quotes taken from an interview with Dot Crews by the AP and the source quoted above.

Update Number 1 for the Presidential Wannabes

It has been two debates since my first major post about this year’s crop of presidential hopefuls so it’s about time for an update.

Herman Cain is coming out stronger and stronger with the base, but as his fellows have caught on they’ve also upped their game attacking his 9-9-9 plan, something I’d really prefer to not call an economic plan since it demonstrates zero knowledge of how a Value Added Tax and a market economy work together and who they affect. At some point, he won’t be able to just keep saying that every analysis of the plan but his is wrong and he’ll be forced to face some unpleasant facts. Until then however, he’s congenial, he plays above the belt, and he “doesn’t speak politician” which goes down smoothly in the current political atmosphere and I think he’ll continue to do well, especially in contrast to some of his peers that can’t hold it together during debates. 

Rick Perry should just stop now. He might win Texas, and by merit of being a white male, a couple of other southern states but on the over all I think he’s nearly done with his run. He can’t perform in debates, he’s inconsistent, and to quote Dead Presidents he looks like a lego man. He isn’t the worst candidate running, but I don’t consider him a serious contended for the nomination anymore. His strategy right now seems to be to attack people ad hom, and it isn’t working out well.

Speaking of inconsistent, Mitt Romney is doing pretty well for a guy that can’t keep an opinion for more than a few weeks at a time. He has a lot of haters right now, mostly because the other candidates know that despite losing some of his ground to Herman Cain he’s still the top pick for the nomination. He’s popular in the states he’s governed, and he has a solid track record as a politician. He’s gotten a little heat for being a Mormon recently, as was to be expected, but he’s handled it nicely. He and Perry were having a little bitch fit tonight,but he came out on top in the end. I still think he’ll end up with the nomination.

Newt Gingrich faired shockingly well at tonight’s debate, and he’s been doing a little better in the polls recently. However, he won’t win the nomination, and I still hold that he’s too smart to be in this race. He’s had some nice quips and one liners in the news, including my personal favorite about Herman Cain “strolling for president”. Newt is a smart man, and an experienced man, but he’s just one of those guys that people don’t really like and aren’t entirely sure why they don’t like. He isn’t going much further in the race, he’s about topped out.

Michele Bachmann says some ignorant shit, and I hate that she’s in the national spotlight. I doubt she’ll get the nomination, so for me she’s just a hateful woman mouthing off about all of her peers and saying incredibly off base and offensive things, as well as some beyond stupid ones. “The devil is in the details”….settle down, Michele.

Ron Paul introduced himself tonight as “I’m Congressman Ron Paul from Texas. I’m the champion of liberty.” Enough said.

Jon Huntsman….my opinion remains the same. He’s the best candidate the GOP has, and he’s the least likely to win the nomination.

I still refuse to recognize Santorum as a real candidate, so the messages about that can cease and desist. I know he’s running, but he won’t win and he isn’t worth discussing (although the shout out to his daughter was super cute, as I’m sure he intended it to be.)

Last but not least, our current and 44th president, Barack Obama. Look at those abs, look at that face. Definitely a keeper. (hint hint) 

One of my personal favorites, Mr. Bill Clinton, the 42nd POTUS. Great president, great hair, great affinity for women other than Hillary. Good democrat and social activist. 

Here’s an easy shot: JFK. The 35th President is in my mind a little overblown, but no one can deny that he was smokin’ hot. Sleeping with not only his gorgeous wife but Marilyn and just about anyone else he wanted, he certainly qualifies for this list.

Now Mr. 28, Woodrow Wilson. Solid 2 term Democrat. 

Next, the 26th President of the US, Theodore Roosevelt. As well as being one of my favorite presidents, he was a stunna as a boy. I mean, check out those sideburns. He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman, and kept in great shape. 

Let’s start with President William Henry Harrison, the 9th president. He had 30 days of stud-dom before dying in office. 

pantslessprogressive:

Good news! GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty isn’t a birther, unlike some of his competition.

Let’s give Sean Hannity some credit for trying to find out, since he pushed T-Paw on Obama’s birth certificate… while making it clear that Hannity himself is most definitely a birther.

HANNITY: Donald Trump has said where is the birth certificate? You said it is not an issue for you. You have no doubt whatsoever. … Why don’t they just produce the stupid thing and move on?

PAWLENTY: […] But on the other hand for me, the news reports from CNN and others have said they’ve seen the birth certificate.

HANNITY: Never trust CNN. … You don’t have a problem with people saying can we see it? Can you find it?

PAWLENTY: No, but it has been reported. You know, CNN, I watched it myself. CNN reported they saw the birth certificate. You got to either believe that they didn’t and they’re lying or there is something else going on.

HANNITY: It’s just something weird that they won’t release it and just get it over with. It seems to me because I don’t doubt it. I’m just — now it is getting strange that they don’t say here. [via ThinkProgress]

(via pantslessprogressive)

• The State, as well as pro-Mubarak protesters (many of whom have been coerced into this by the state) have begun shooting at protestors. Things are deteriorating quickly. Protests will continue, and people will continue to die. Laying down one’s life for one’s ideals is a powerful death. Every martyr the state perpetuates creates 2 more brave protesters ready to take the place of the fallen. 
• We stand to lose a lot of great historical artifacts if things continue down the path they seem set on. Whether things are destroyed by Secret Police or Protestors, once they’re gone, they’re gone. 
• A real risk here is a power vacuum once Mubarak steps down, which is officially in September but will ostensibly be considerably sooner, being taken advantage of. The Muslim Brotherhood stands to gain some power if this happens, but only about 25% of the population back them. To be clear, the Muslim Brotherhood is a vaguely fundamentalist Islamic group that have some to some power and renown in the Middle East. They’ve been outlawed in Egypt but still maintain a presence. Depending on the issue, they range from being extremely helpful to rather sinister. In this case, they should have some say in Egyptian politics when the new government takes over, as they do represent a hefty minority. Nearly 90% of Egyptians are Muslim, and most see religion as having some roll in government. However, most Egyptians also have no desire to live in a theocratic state like Iran or Saudi Arabia. Maintaing balance between the secular and religious factions of Egypt as power changes hands will be tricky. Hopefully a suitable candidate will be fairly elected as President and will help moderate congressional elections and appointments and such. 
• Contrary to most Middle Eastern revolutions, this has been largely secular. Rather than being driven by religion ,it’s been driven by frustration ,disgust, and a thirst for democracy and reform. This is very interesting to me.
• Obama needs to tread very carefully in this matter. He doesn’t need to be seen as backing a future regime. I have mixed feelings about how he’s handled it so far. I think he’s been a bit too friendly with the Muslim Brotherhood, but on the other hand he wants a quick change of power which I find very wise. Siding with ElBaradei has also been a smooth move. 
• The main candidates to assume power in Egypt when Mubarak steps down: 

1. Mohamed Elbaradie- former UN ambassador, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, all around good guy. excellent choice.
2. Omar Suleiman- 2nd hand man to current Egyptian president, ex military man, eradicated a lot of Islamic terrorism as Chief of Egyptian Security, albiet through questionable means. very sketchy appointment and candidate
3. Amr Moussa- Sec. General of the Arab league, ex foreign minister under Mubarak. seeing as he used to be the voice for dictators, another shoddy choice, although not a terrible one
4. Ayman Nour- lost the presidential election to Mubarak in 2005 and was jailed shortly after, leads a liberal human rights oriented party. this may not resonate well with all of Egypt’s poor, who are more concerned with immediate issues, but none the less a solid candidate.
5. Mohammad Badie- Mentor of Muslim Brotherhood, unlikely to actually run as the Brotherhood has stated that they don’t wish to assume power, even assuming they’re allowed in the country again. However, his group will certainly play an important role in the months to come.

Someone posited to me the other day that Obama was the most effective Democrat since LBJ. I’d say Clinton has him beat by several miles thus far, but it remains to be seen as he has 2 years left. Thoughts on this, anyone?

I had several pages of rant, but they were just reitterating my rage. Ignore lack of S/V agreement and changing pronouns. Shortened:

• Criticism is vital to the formation of a stable democracy. Presidents and Congressmen among many others should be, and indeed deserve to be criticized. Constructive criticism is a great way to improve an administration and adjust policies; even negative criticism has its place when well deserved and well stated.
• Party loyalty, referring in this instance to that of political parties, is admirable. Supporting a cause you can stand behind and being part of a mass movement for the betterment of the country is nothing to be ashamed of, wether your involvement constitutes volunteering money or time, or just espousing the beliefs of your party. 
• However, when the loyalty you give to your party exceeds that that you give to your country, I have a serious problem. What I see is perpetual criticism of the President and congress based purely on the rhetoric of one’s party. Do the aforementioned characters warrant criticism? Damn straight they do, if legitimized through reason and logical processes. [Protip: spewing rhetoric you read online doesn’t count]. 
• To return to the perpetual aspect of the criticism: Why not be proud of what leaders have accomplished? Out of a 2 year administration, and many god-knows-how-old congressional stints in office, I doubt there is anyone who can’t find something they’re glad was passed. There is appropriate criticism, and there is never-ending, repetitive criticism. Rather than jump on every step our leaders take, I want to see people find something they can appreciate. 
• Yes, we are a faction-ridden, divided nation but yet 1 nation we remain. Rather than keeping a running line of criticism against the administration (although they certainly are making it easy to do so right now), I would like to see supporters and dissidents alike find something they can be proud of. We aren’t Democrats and Republicans first. First, we are Americans and ultimately, we are associated with and by that association stand behind the policies passed and enacted. Might as well find one you’re glad to be associated with. You might even learn something about the administration. Then, critique that which you aren’t satisfied with. 
• It seriously infuriates me when people haven’t taken the time to see what exactly their leaders have done and instead constantly critique it with falling degrees of legitimacy, generally just echoing party rhetoric. If you are going to criticize, be prepared to back your shit up. This rule applied no matter what you’re criticizing. Use intelligent criticism, and before you criticize, find the commonalities between you and that which you plan to criticize, if for no other reason than “Know thy enemy.”