Well, I would have called it “The misAdventures Bachmann MotorMouth OverDrive – The Early Years” but: they didn’t ask me. At any rate, “False Witness! is now out and available. I placed the order for mine – and if you act quickly, you can too!!! Link on over to BiasedLiberalMedia.com and get your copy of “False Witness! The Michele Bachmann Story (Vol. 1)”!

Here’s part of what the entrepid Bill Prendergast has to say about his entrepenueral offering:

The first issue is about how she got started in politics. Twenty four pages of electrifying black and white comics that have never been printed before. (DumpBachmann)

All that, for a measely $4.95 with shipping included! That link, again: www.BiasedLiberalMedia.com – go order your copy now!

(crossposted from MnProgressiveProject)

Watching the GOP’s state convention on Saturday, I heard the name “Craig Westover” during some debate from the floor. “Craig Westover”? The “Craig Westover” that bloviates at the right-leaning Pioneer Press?

Yep! THAT Craig Westover; the Craig Westover that has the following at the bottom of his columns in the Pioneer Press:

Craig Westover is a contributing columnist to the Pioneer Press Opinion Page and a senior policy fellow at the Minnesota Free Market Institute (mnfmi.org).

Does anyone see anywhere in that “inComplete Disclosure” that Craig Westover is not only involved in republiCon party polics, he’s managed to make his way to the rarified air of the State Central Committee?

I don’t, and I remember that in 2006, Craig “Firmly Embeded” Westover was not only “contributing” at the PiPress, Craig Westover was part of the PiPress’ candidate endorsement screening process.

Hmmmm… I remember from back in the day, when I was a GOPer, how hard it was to get elected just from BPOU to District; I can’t imagine that these days it’s any easier to go from District to State (especially what with all that ideological purging for purity’s sake in the GreedOverPrinciples party) and I really can’t believe some newbie – say, since December 2006 – goes from bein’ NOT involved in party politics and goes all the way to State Central Committee participant.

Bottom line? I guessed Craig Westover was up to his neck in partisan party politics when the Pioneer Press had him involved in its endorsement process.

So, I asked the PiPress the pointed question:

How aware of Craig Westover’s party activism was the Pioneer Press back in 2006, when the Pioneer Press involved Craig Westover in its endorsement process?

Here’s the thoughtful and complete answer I got:

Tommy,

Aware enough.

ROFLMAO!!!!

The Pioneer Press was aware of Craig “Firmly Embedded” Westover’s partisan political activism, and let him participate in candidate endorsement anyway ??!?

No wonder “journalism” is held in such low esteem, these days.

I thought I’d give the PiPress another shot, so I sent in reply:

(redacted)you want to make an official, “for quote” statment before I start writing?

How about you, Craig?

Craig’s in there, because I started out asking Craig about his involvement in partisan party politics, and CC’d the PiPress. Mr. Firmly Embedded seemed to get a little nervous as my questions became more pointed, at which point I switched tacks and asked the pointed question, above, to the PiPress and cc’d Craig.

Here’s what I got back, from the PiPress, after asking if they wanted to give a “for quote” statment:

Tommy,

Nope. Write whatever you want. First Amendment’s a beautiful thing.

Apparently, the PiPress knows that “journalistic integrity” isn’t incorporated in the First Amendment – because it isn’t.

And neither is “inComplete Disclosure.”

Those of you reading this, that are involved in campaigns, may want to remember this sordid little story next year, during endorsement screening time.

The Pioneer Press is going to ask you to be open and honest.

Remember that they weren’t.

Oh, and For The Record – here’s Mr. Firmly Embedded’s response to the request for quote:

“For the record, Prior to the 2008 election cycle, I was a casual GOP caucus attendee. I got active in the 2008 cycle so I could go to the state convention as a Ron Paul delegate and really got active after the 2008 convention. I have not written anything for the PiPress promoting a partisan issue other than the principles I have always pushed.” — Craig Westover, 15 June 2009

Yeah, “right.” Go with that, Craig. I have no way to verify it, but: it sounds like Fishsticks to me.

Oh, speaking of Fishsticks: apparently, I wasn’t the only one that noticed Mr. Firmly Embedded’s party activism – Spot over at The Cucking Stool noticed, too. Spot takes a look at Mr. Firmly Embedded’s backing Michele Bachmann’s “Gangster Government” rantings, and – most appropriately – includes pictures of Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff.

I’m guessing Craig “Firmly Embedded” Westover didn’t do much writing about Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, nor The K Street Project.

Come to think about it, the Pioneer Press didn’t publish much about those three, either.

Well, to the Pioneer Press and Craig “Firmly Embedded” Westover, I’m sure it was the “right” thing to do…..

(crossposted from MnProgressiveProject)

Bachmann MotorMouth Overdrive has been saying bizzare things lately – as usual. How bizzare? The ol’ TwoPutter has two examples for today. Let’s look at the first – it’s “right” after Limbaugh and some other wingnut:

Countdown: Worst Persons, Michelle Bachmann Is Clueless, 6-10-09

The second clueless thing noted today (so far) by Bachmann MotorMouth Overdrive came via (and a H/T to!) those vigilant folks at Dump Bachmann. Now, I’ve heard a lot of reasons rightwingnuts use as a rationalization for denying poor people access to medical care, but this one?

Well, it’s simply the ideological Bachmann, in typical MotorMouth Overdrive mode:

The Guttmacher Institute also routinely reports showing that when public funding is not available, 30 percent fewer women who receive Medicaid have abortions. Now, this is interesting because it means 30 percent more babies whose mothers receive government-subsidized health care survive because of abortion-funding restrictions. And this is, I think, particularly important for women and men in the African American communities, in the Latino communities. In communities of color, we see a very high
percentage of abortions. And I know one of our colleagues, Congressman Trent Franks, speaks about this often. He has a tremendous heart, as we do as well, for unborn children in the minority community because such a grossly high percentage of babies in the African American/Latino community are aborted, and we don’t want to see that.

[Time: 20:00]

These babies add to the richness of the American fabric just as Caucasian babies do. All babies are valuable, but what we’re seeing is an even higher percentage of babies who are losing their lives in the minority community. In particular, we see this with minorities as they access Medicaid funding. If they have Medicaid funding, government funding, we’ll see more abortions, and we’ll see that particularly in the minority communities.
(C-Span)

How’s that for an insensitive thought-process? Cynically deny poor people – especially poor people of color – acess to Medicaid, and there will be less abortions!

BRILLIANT!!! Well, for Michele, that is….Bizarrely, Michele goes on:

This is a common-ground issue, I think, that we can share with those who embrace a pro-abortion view and with those who embrace a pro-life view because the polls have shown very clearly that the majority of Americans do not support taxpayer-funded abortion. They don’t support it. We are here to represent the will and the interests of the American people. That’s not where the American people are right now. They don’t want to see us spending their money when we don’t have much, when this government
is in the red–in red ink up to our eyeballs. We don’t have money to pay for the intentional murder of unborn children.

The Obama budget changes this Dornan amendment (emphasis added), as my colleague Mrs. Schmidt has said, to the Financial Services’ appropriations bill, so the publicly funded abortions will, once again, be available in the District of Columbia. Right here where we stand this evening, this is the District of Columbia. So now, once again, President Obama is expanding abortion. Instead of making it rare, instead of making it safer, this is making more abortions, particularly for pre-born babies of color.(C-Span)

“…pre-born babies of color.” As opposed, say, to “post-born”? Is Michele playing the race card to garner sypmathy here, when the real issues for Bachmann and her ilk are 1) – keepin’ folk off the dole, and 2) – denying local control for the citizens of W.D.C. which, of course, is something GOPers like to claim they’re really for (except when they’re not).

The “Dornan Amendment” essentially prevents the citizens of Washington D.C. from using local funds to provide abortions – except in cases of rape, incest, or threat to the life of the mother. Bachmann and her ilk want to keep W.D.C. in the company of Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Wyoming – where local funds cannot be used for abortion except in cases of rape or incest.

Except, here’s the difference – those states, just listed, made that decision themselves, which is something the citizens of Washington D.C. don’t get to do. And Bachmann and her hyocritical ilk – GOPers elected elsewhere – would prefer to keep it that way; keep it as it’s been since GOPer Bob Dornan from California got that amendment stuck in there over 20 years ago.

Like I said, GOPers like local control (except when they don’t).

Even more hypocritical, is Bachmann standing up for an amendment Dornan passed, as Dornan has quite a reputation as a bigot.

Don’t take my word for that; go to Amazon.com and buy a copy of Dornan’s book – quaintly titled “Shut Up, Fag!: Quotations from the Files of Congressman Bob Dornan, the Man Who Would Be President”

The NY Times has Dornan once saying about an electoral opponent: “Every lesbian spear chucker in this country is hoping I get defeated.”

That story was – to no surprise, from me – about Dornan’s run for the GOP Endorsement for President of the good ol’ USofA.

Dornan’s bigotry is available in book form through Amazon.com; Bachmann’s bizarre bigotry is potentially available every time she gets behind a microphone.

(crossposted from MnProgressiveProject)

T-Bag announces he’s out; which obviously means there’s a whole buncha republiCons in. Well, even some Republicans, too. Which begs the question: how serious are they?

It’s easy to go to various blogs and find out what various rightwingers are postulating; it’s even easier to check in with the (almost)official rightwing site (although, many bona fide RightWingNuts haven’t weighed in yet.)

It’s important to note: what you might find, might simply be “opinions.” Well, “opinions” if – and I mean “if” – the following “commentary” is considered “opinion”:

D Says:
June 4th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Laura Brod was one of the chief proponents of the “Rape the Taxpayers of Hennepin County to the delight of multi-billionaire Carl Pohlad”.

Nobody, I mean NOBODY, in the Hennepin County GOP has forgotten her vote and defense of ripping our right to vote by referendum on the Twins stadium.

And I will take great joy in reminding my state delegate friends of this woman. (MinnesotaDemocratsExposed)

Gotta love them RightWingNuts, “right”?

“Right.” Even when they got opinions such as this:

J Says:
June 4th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Aside from her tax issue which will be huge, Brod will have to answer for her personal behavior if she runs. She’s – ahem – played the field. A lot.(MinnesotaDemocratsExposed)

Doncha just love “blogs” “written” and “moderated” by “gentlemen” considered “candidates” for “positions” of “authority” in today’s “Family Values” party?

But, I digress. What’s “written” is just “opinion.”

What’s needed, is analysis! And fortunately, I’m here to help!!! So, let’s take a look at domain names – taken and available and related to those considered “potential candidates” by those from the party that bows to the guy with the big cigar….

…taken:

LauraBrodForGovernor.com – taken
BrodForGovernor.com – taken
Brod2010.com – taken
LauraBrod2010.com – taken

OK, every indication is Laura “Screw Hennepin County” Brod is in!

But, what domains did her “brain(dead) trust” miss?

Well, by my unofficial and quick reconoitering:

BrodForGovernor2010.com – available!
LauraBrodforGovernor.com – available!!
Brod4governor – available!!!

Dam – what were THEY thinking??!?

Plus, they missed these:

DumpBrod.com – available!
DumpLauraBrod.com – available!!!

One would think those around “The Card Check Girl” woulda checked what’s happened up in the 6th, what with the Dump Bachmann stuff…..

Then again, has anyone ever accused Brod of bein’ “brighter than Bachmann”?

Not likely….

Anyway, on to the next contestent “contestant”, in the “Small Tent” Party!

SullivanForGovernor.com – taken
Sullivan2010.com – taken

Well, I guess that’s not surprising; there’s a lot of “Sullivans” in these fifty states. Let’s look a little closer:

BrianSullivan2010.com – Available!
BrianSullivanForGovernor.com – Available!!!

Gee – is Brain “Brian” – a GOP National Committeeman – so out of touch that he didn’t register his domains, before T-Bag headed for the Des Moines Register??!?

How ’bout Marty – who couldn’t wait 24 hours to dance on T-Bag’s grave “legacy”?

Seifert2010.com – taken!
SeifertForGovernor.com – taken!!!

OK, that explains the presser, less than 24 hours after T-Bag bolted for Iowa….but:

What explains this?

MartySeifert2010.com – available!
MartySeifertForGovernor.com – available!!!

Could it be, that after spendin’ all them years in the GreedOverPrinciples party, that Marty got a case of the cheaps?

You tell me.

And tell me – is Pat in?

PatAndersonForGovernor.com – available!
PatAnderson2010.com – available!!!

And all of the Rammer’s are available; then again: did anyone really think Rammer could get a state-wide GOPer endorsement, anyway?

Now, here’s the deal: Steve Sviggum is a really nice guy. Horrible policies, but: truely a nice guy.

A genuinely nice guy. Again, horrible policies, but…. I noted “Sviggum.com” was taken. So, when I found that “SteveSviggum.com” was open, I took it.

Well, I took “Sviggum2010.com” and “SviggumForGovernor.com” too, but: that’s a tangent.

I took “SteveSviggum.com” ’cause I wanted to make sure no one took it and play games with such a nice guy.

Well, “no one would play MOST games with such a nice guy.”

One never knows, eh? OTO….

…that “DumpBrod.com”?

I got a funny feeling that one would go for a right might bit more….

(crossposted from )

It was just one year ago, June 2008, when GOPer Laura Brod was a nominee for that month’s “Hypocrite Of The Month”. It’s important to remember why Brod was singled out that month: she stood in front of a microphone, as a surrogate for ol’ Smokescreen, even though ol’ Smokescreen had done his best to cover for his pals Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, et al. And Laura earned that nomination; click here for a recap of her hypocrisy and the sordid treatment of women that Norm Coleman ignored as Chair of the Truman Committee.

Yet there Laura Brod was, a year ago, rippin’ Al Franken. Nothing demonstrates hypocrisy more than an indignant republiCon woman defending a guy like Norm Coleman’s inactions by criticizing someone else’s jokes.

And no one epitomizes a republiCon makin’ (stuff) up more than Laura Brod and her imaginary issue of “voter fraud.” Take, for instance, part of what Spot at The Cucking Stool wrote, in a piece entitled “A solution in search of a problem” back in February 2007:

In her little incitement to action, Rep. Brod mentions the increase in “identity theft and fraud.” What she doesn’t do, because she can’t, is tie the efforts of digital thieves to voter fraud. And frankly, you’d have to be a pretty stupid thief to try to steal a vote here and there. Now that he thinks about it, Spot has never gotten a Nigerian voter-fraud scheme email!

How many voter fraud cases in Minnesota have you read about in the paper recently, boys and girls? Spot certainly hasn’t seen any. If Rep. Brod’s proposals ever gets a committee hearing, Spot hopes that Rep. Brod and her sidekicks will get a good grilling on the evidence behind statements like those contained in her letter.

Rep. Brod says that she just wants to be sure that “only those who are legally eligible can participate.” Bull chips. What she really wants is to depress the turnout of the poor, the minorities, and the natives. (The Cucking Stool)

PhoenixWoman at Mercury Rising noted “right” around the same time:

Ever since they stopped being the Party of Lincoln and adopted the explicitly racist “Southern Strategy” in the 1960s, Republicans — nationally and locally, elected and in the media, traditional and online — have been attacking any and all efforts to enable more people, especially poor people and non-white people, to vote. Instead, they push various measures, under the pretext of “fighing voter fraud”, that put barriers between poor and non-white would-be voters and the voting booth because they know that these groups of people vote overwhelmingly for Democrats.

In the case of Minnesota, my home state, Republican legislators like Laura Brod (R-New Prague– she signed the letter the State Republican caucus is circulating to outstate Minnesota newspapers such as the St. Cloud Times) and their blogging buddies are savaging newly-minted Democratic State Attorney General Mark Ritchie for his eminently sensible proposal to automatically register anyone with a valid Minnesota driver’s license. Since getting a driver’s license — or even renewing one — is a complicated process with plenty of verification checks at each step, it makes sense that anyone who has achieved a license is almost certainly a legal resident.

Republicans like to pooh-pooh any suggestions that their legislation is intended to suppress voter turnout among minorities and the poor. But everyone knows better, and there’s yet another study showing that GOP-promoted measures concerning voter identification lead directly to depressed turnout among those populations. (Mercury Rising)

So, basically, with respect to Laura Brod, what we have is a hypocrite that doesn’t mind makin’ (stuff) up. In other words, the GreedOverPrinciples party, personified.

I watched the Oral Arguments in the recount case yesterday on the Uptake; I watched what was either the last or the latest whipping a Team Smokescreen attorney endured from Judge(s). And at the very end, I watched this:

“There is no evidence of fraud in this election. And maybe it’s the law out there; maybe it’s the character of the people in Minnesota. We don’t have any fraud.”

Joe Friedberg, arguing before the Minnesota Supreme Court, 01 June 2009

That quote began at the 1:06:10 mark. It bears repeating:

“There is no evidence of fraud in this election. “

And I, too, noted Christian Sande ask just a few minutes later: “Laura Brod, are you listening?”

Well, just in case Laura Brod wasn’t listening and/or keeps makin’ (stuff) up with regards to voter fraud, I thought it might be a good idea to have a way to remind her.

So, earlier today, I registered the domain name www.LauraBrodAreYouListening.com

Somehow, someway, I’m thinking that domain name will become a full-fledged website.

Stay tuned!

(crossposted from MnProgressiveProject)

With it still morning on the day Biden is announced, the RightWingSmearMachine is already thrashing in the gutter. And Lead Bootlicker Gary Gross is living up to his name. In his character assassinating hit-piece, Gross sets up the attack by saying: “Joe Biden is God’s gift to Republicans. First, let’s stipulate that Sen. Biden is one of the true gentlemen in Washington.”

A mere six sentences later, Gross lives up to his name with this attack: “It’s also extremely arrogant. Let’s also understand that Sen. Biden is afflicted with diarhea(sic) of the mouth. The more he talks, the more manure that’s spread. (emphasis added)

NRO already has the material for the ads that the RNC and the McCain campaign can run ridiculing Sen. Biden. It’s an embarrassment of riches. (complete post, here)

Gross and his ilk are giddy that Biden is a gentleman because they know that they are not. They like hitting below the belt because they know gentlemen won’t.

What is an embarrassment is bootlickin’ republiCons like Gross, that’s caused civilized society to hold it’s nose because of Gross and his ilk’s stench.

While I fully support bi-partisanship and reaching across the aisle, these days require that good and decent Democrats take the gloves are off and smack those GOPers that are Gross. Smack ‘em, smack ‘em hard, and smack ‘em often, for the old-fashioned reason – they’ve EARNED it.

republiCons are in charge of the once-proud Grand Old Party; these days GOP stands for Greed Over Principles; the Gross are the inmates in charge of that asylum; and the Gross are happily taking this campaign down and dirty and into the sewer.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s still morning and the GreedOverPrinciples party’s gloves are off. There are times even gentlemen take their gloves off – this is one. Hit back, hit hard, and hit often.

(originally published at MnBlue.com)

Tagged with:
 

Unanswered Questions

On August 6, 2008, in Media, ol' Smokescreen, republiCon, by tommy

So, there I am, blogging on the DFL Presser, when the guy from The UpTake wants to interview me. Why? It seems that republiCon Leadership STILL doesn’t answer questions, from bloggers. Let me back up – let’s look back to republiCon Ron’s presser last April, where republiCon Ron wouldn’t answer this blogger’s question, which was along the lines of: “Mr. Chairman, given your “stewardship” of the State GOP finances first as Treasurer and now as chair, and given the fines and amended and then re-amended financial reports, aren’t you and the republiCons trying to hold Mr. Franken to a standard you and the party have not been able to meet, yourself?”

So, at yesterday’s presser, after republiCon Spokesman Mark Drake commandeered the podium and then (lamely) ripped Franken’s “four letter language”, I asked Mark: “Mark, isn’t the GOP’s criticism of Franken’s language trying to hold him to a standard that Vice-President Cheney, in the Senate, didn’t manage to meet?”

Well, tried to. Watch for yourself, ol’ Smokescreen’s Spokesman, Mark Drake, refuse to answer my question.

The republiCon Party Of Minnesota LOVES to demand others answer questions; the fact that they – including Team Smokescreen – won’t answer questions only serves to demonstrate, once again:

“Hypocrisy, Thy Party is GOP (GreedOverPrinciples).”

Oh, and if someone has Mark’s e-mail address, please forward this to him. I’d like to let Mark know, now and for certain, that the reason Franken called republiCons “Shameless D*cks”, is, as you, yourself proved, once again yesterday, YOU ARE “Shameless D*cks.”

The DFL schedules a presser, then you, Mark Drake, official spokesman for Team Smokescreen, commandeer the podium, and then refuse to answer questions at a room booked by someone else?

Shameless, Mark – simply shameless. You should go (cheney) yourself.

Oh, and in the immortal words of D*ck (cheney)in’ Cheney, to Neil Cavuto, on Fox TV, when Cheney was asked about telling someone to “Go (cheney) yourself”, what I just said is “appropriate.”

Hey – if it works for Cheney, without a peep of reproach from the republiCons, then it works for me. Unless, of course, the republiCons demonstrate their usual hypocrisy…….

(originally published at MnBlue.com)