That’s What I Said: Bill Maher on Democrats Still Chasing Bipartisan Cooperation

I don’t like Bill Maher. He’s a pompous jackass with some problematic ideas regarding race. But damned if I didn’t nod my neck sore, watching this “New Rules” segment on the Stewart/Colbert rally.

While I only partly agree with his critique of the Comedy Central duo (specifically the false equivalence of the Olbermann/Beck parallels), he’s definitely reading from my most private journal when he rips on the Democrats for waiting patiently for reason to return to the Republican party like a little latchkey kid who swears Poppa will be back any minute now. He just went to buy some smokes. Three weeks ago.

Here’s a bit of what Maher had to say:

“The message of the rally, as I heard it, was that, if the media stopped giving voice to the crazies on both sides, then maybe we could restore sanity. It was all nonpartisan and urged cooperation with the moderates on the other side forgetting that Obama tried that and found out…there are no moderates on the other side. When Jon announced his rally, he said the national conversation was dominated by people on the Right who believe Obama’s a Socialist and people on the Left who believe 9/11’s an inside job, but I can’t name any Democratic leaders who think 9/11’s an inside job. But Republican leaders who think Obama’s a Socialist…all of them.”

To read more and watch the video, check out Mediaite’s take on the the segment:
MEDIAITE: Bill Maher Disses The Daily Show Rally: It’s Better To Have A Rally That’s “About Something”

Newsweek (and MediaMatters) on “Illustrated” Obama

One of the things I love most about my job (besides 2 out of 3 meetings being catered) is the selection of free magazines I have access to. Over the years, I’ve watched AdAge get thicker as both Time and Newsweek turn to little more than glossy pamphlets as I go to and from the elevators daily. Still, I seldom stop to pick them up, though… places to go, people to do. (is that how that goes?)

Last week, as I hustled between meetings, something caught my eye in the stacks I usually give a cursory glance. It was the brilliantly worded, even more expertly laid out  cover for the August issue of Newsweek. I had to have it. And even as I tried to run three mini meetings at a time for the rest of the day, I started each one by pointing to my desk and asking the impatient person hoping for the answer they wanted: “Doesn’t that look like it’s gonna be an incredible piece?” Sure, most of them only agreed to get back to the issue at hand, but I’m pretty sure I touched one or two of them deeply. (You’re welcome, Newsweek.)

That’s What I Said: The Onion on the Cordoba House Debate

So, I read The Onion pretty regularly, and try to share some of its greatest hits as much as I can. There’s nothing quite like the crazy, farcical writing that’s their stock in trade. Today, as I chomped down on an unholy, salt-laden protein-fest that was supposed to be good for me, I came across:

Gentries explained that it “didn’t take long” to find out as much about the tenets of Islam as he needed to. He said he knew Muslims stoned their women for committing adultery, trained for terrorist attacks at fundamentalist madrassas, and believed in jihad, which Gentries described as the thing they used to justify killing infidels.

Grinds My Gears: The Cordoba House “Debate”

Sometimes, I hate people. I’ve been trying to stay out of this Cordoba House madness in the hope that by not feeding it in some way on my little blog, the shit would go away. But of course that isn’t the case, and shit’s starting to get real out here. In my opinion, all this anti-Islam furor is a better anti-American terrorist recruitment tool than anything bin Laden ever came up with.

So with that, America, I must enumerate what grinds my gears about this whole Cordoba House mess.

Sherrod Blowback: Breitbart’s Latest Successful Race-Bait Attempt Perhaps Not So Successful

Andrew Breitbart, far-right media blowhard and Karl Rove/Lee Atwater fetishist, most famous for the scandal he fabricated about community organizing group ACORN, may have finally been caught in the act.

A few days ago, he released a clip of USDA official Shirley Sherrod seemingly regaling the crowd at a local NAACP event with the tale of her denying a white farmer the help he so sorely needed. The media was up in arms, brimming with appropriate outrage. So were the USDA and NAACP — the latter immediately condemned her actions and the former forced her to resign immediately (apparently insisting she tender her resignation from wherever she was, via Blackberry).

As it turns out, Breitbart only showed a fraction of her 40-minute speech. Not only did that apparent abuse of power happen in the late ’80s, and not during her USDA tenure, but there was no abuse of power. The selected portion of her speech was part of a larger one in which she explains how she went from considering whites less disenfranchised (and thus, less deserving of her help) than blacks, to deciding that poor whites were getting shafted just as much as blacks were. She then goes on to detail her efforts to save this white farmer from the lawyer who was supposed to be helping him save his farm (also white, seeing as we’re playing Racial Bingo here), and spends the rest of the video preaching racial unity and co-operation with a touching sincerity.

Justice Department May Intervene in Oscar Grant Case

The Grant case isn’t over yet. Some comfort (small and cold, though it may be) may be on the way. The Justice Department may be ready to intervene. Highly unlikely, considering the justice department’s record of making grand declarations, and then doing nothing once the news cycle ends. Still, I feel like if Eric Holder had his way, things would actually happen. On a multitude of fronts.

 The article also shares some other news — some good, some bad. The good?

Federal officials planned to begin their civil rights investigation after the conclusion of the state case against Mehserle, who faces sentencing Aug. 6.

Involuntary manslaughter convictions call for two to four years in prison. But since the jury also found Mehserle used a gun during the crime, the judge could tack on an additional three to 10 years — an option Oakland officials hope would quell additional unrest in the city.

The bad? Probation is still a possibility, though a distant one.

To appeal to the judge to consider the gun enhancement at the August 6 sentencing, write to:

Judge Robert J. Perry
Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center
210 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

You can also call (213) 974-5394. Regardless of the misleading voicemail, this is for Perry’s court.

The Oscar Grant Verdict: A Few Thoughts

Noah Berger/AP

Last week, Johannes Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Oakland native Oscar Grant in the early hours of Jan 1, 2009. He was found not guilty of voluntary manslaughter and second-degree murder charges. Involuntary manslaughter convictions carry a sentence of two to four years.

I’m surprised he was found guilty of anything. And that makes me angry. Or rather, I should be angry, but I’m so used to these injustices that I can’t muster up the rage. So I’ll just say a few things:

Cops Try to Deport Suspect to Mexico. Suspect an American Citizen

So, police in Illinois arrested a man on suspicion of grand theft auto and attempted to send him “back to Mexico.” The only problem? Dude’s American. They refused to believe him, even after he provided a birth certificate showing he was born in the US colony of Puerto Rico. Hey, if it’s good enough for the president…

Seriously, Arizona. Bad idea.

READ MORE AT GAWKER 

That’s What I Said: It’s All Gone to Hell

That’s What I Said… In which I let someone else do the talking.

Late last night, I got the following spontaneous outburst from my friend DJ, At Law,

It’s All Gone to Hell

No, not because District of Columbia high school “students demand bigger, better condoms” to prevent the nation’s second-most endowed teen populace (and their partners) from HIV and unwanted pregnancy, but because you can sign up for alerts when reality shows are casting! 

http://www.realitywanted.com/

Are you a Norwegian oxen-handler who’s always wanted to be a supermodel?  A Christian Pole Dancer? (If you don’t believe me, google it.)  A federal judge with a penchant for pickled pig lips?  A Male-to-Female Post-Op Transsexual with a new-found eating disorder on account of your estrogen-enhanced thunder thighs and so-called “Junk in the Trunk?”  A Mormon convert from Judaism with different children raised in each faith residing under one roof during your menopause?  An 8-year-old pianist/genius akin to Mozart with an embarrassing Vicodin addiction and more embarrassing (in this day and age) speech impediment?  Basically, if your life is a mad lib, there is hope for you yet.  Hope of the 15-minute variety.

Anyway, because of my need to read extensively about any new habit acquired (so that I don’t lose sight of real reality (not “reality”)), I’m in the middle of this book now:

http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100828760

I’ve read about shows where parents send their pre-pubescent children away to be on reality TV away from home for 40 days and nights and sign away any liability resulting from death or sexually transmitted disease; shows where people are promised “fame” (not cash– “fame”) in exchange for subjecting themselves to solitary confinement for longer than any other contestant (and going mad in the process); where people agree to swim with “crocodiles” (who are in fact dummies but equally traumatize the contestants); where people submit their children to examination by one of these horrible child-stars-gone-terribly-wrong so that said now-fucked-up-adult can tell their kids how to become famous, and it is all considered fair play because every of-age participant is a willing participant.  People have committed suicide or been killed (see Jenny Jones) as a result.  “We” (i.e., the Neilson-ratings families) still don’t mind watching it.

Without fully getting into my horror at the amount of attention and focus given last night to as vapid a program as Lost (which was the subject of every group email I received today and which apparently brought people to tears last night but had them posting “that actually sucked” this morning– I can make no claim either way, as I only watched it when bed-ridden in 2008 after pretty serious abdominal surgery and duly turned it off once I could manage walking over to the TV), I will say I am again disappointed.  Every attempt to re-integrate myself into society is met with a perfectly reasonable explanation for why I spend most of my free time in self-imposed exile reading Mark Twain and waxing scholastic.  Frasier anyone?

This country went to hell ten years ago this summer. The problem is the average American no longer needs sunblock.

Detroit Cops Kill 7-Year-Old Girl in Raid

I really don’t have the strength for this today.

Overzealous cops with the tactical maneuvering skills of a bull on roller skates? Check

Drunk on their own power and self-importance? Check

Rush to blame the victim and her family?

Check.

“Wrong door raids”- alright, everyone is hopefully clear that this was NOT the wrong door. As it is quickly mentioned above, this family WAS harboring the suspect (who murdered a 17 year old boy in front of his girlfriend), who was then apprehended. Aiyana did no wrong here. Neither did the Detroit police.

(And knowing Detroit, fuck, I’d do flash raids before entering *anywhere*.)

Check.

if “grandma” had been a little more interested in getting the murderer out of her house, instead of fighting with the police officer, her granddaughter would be alive today.

lets get something straight by the way. I hate cops. but in this case, they were justified. . . now the poor bastard who’s gun went off is going to have this on his head for the rest of his life. . . all because this woman was a grade A bitch.

and the community action trying to deify this little girl is WAY over the top too. claiming that she was an “all A honor roll student” is LAUGHABLE. when was the last time you saw an honor roll in a grade school…. I’ll give you a hint… there aren’t any.

either way, grandma is to blame, not the cop

 Check.

It is too early to jump to conclusions on what happened there, but having a child die in that situation is terrible. One thing I would like to know is why was she sleeping on the couch at that time? Anyone else think that is a little strange? Why would a child that age not be in their own bed at 12:40am on a school night?

I don’t have anything else to say.