Will Porn Star Stormy Daniels Run for the U.S. Senate As An Independent?

The news today is that Daniels has announced that on Tax Day, she will reveal whether she intends to challenge incumbent republican David Vitter in this year's Louisiana Senate race. In other words, it's almost a certainty she's running. But here's the real question: Will she run as an Independent? She formed an exploratory committee about a year ago concerning this race, and so far she has not declared a party, leaving open the possibility that she'll be an Independent.

Now, I've often said that I would like to see a hell of a lot more Independents running for office instead of just settling for choosing between the lesser of two evils in every single election. But is that agenda really advanced if it's a porn star that's running as an Independent? Well, I guess not exactly. But still, how hilarious would it be for someone like that to run as an Independent and actually toss a dem or repub out of office? I would love it. And in the crazy political climate we have this year (in which Independents are angrier that I've ever seen them in my life), more Independents should run. You never know, you might just win.

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=76991&catid=155

Some Good News Tonight, For a Change. And From Iran?

ABC News is reporting tonight that an Iranian nuclear scientist has defected from Iran and has resettled in the United States. While I doubt we'll ever be privy to what this guy has to say about Iran's nuclear program, I'm sure he told our government everything he knows (since the CIA apparently worked with this guy concerning his defection to the U.S.), which is only a good thing tonight. And I wonder if ole Mahmoud still had that stupid little grin on his mug when he found out about this? Doubt it. Nice.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/iran-nuclear-scientist-defects-us-cia-intelligence-coup/story?id=10231729

Scary Days: Apparently If You Criticize the New Health Care Law, Obama & The Dems Will Haul You Into Congress to be Grilled & Berated.

Last week, a number of large companies (including John Deere, Caterpillar, 3M and AT&T, just to name a few) came out with statements indicating that Obama & The Dems' new health care law will raise their non-cash expenses, hit their earnings, and affect their stock prices by making it more costly to provide prescription drug coverage to retired workers. Obviously, that's not the sort of thing that Obama & The Dems really want to hear. So what do they do about it? On Friday, democrat congressman Henry Waxman (pictured) fired off a letter to several of these companies demanding that they appear for a House subcommittee hearing in April in order to explain why they made those statements last week (link below).

Folks, this is outrageous, pathetic and, frankly, un-American. In this country, we have a little piece of law that is completely unique in the entire course of human history -- It's called the First Amendment. It permits individuals and companies to freely criticize government and the laws that government enacts. And when the government's controlling party imposes adverse consequences upon you for criticizing a policy or law of that party -- such as hauling you in to be verbally accosted and harassed at a congressional hearing -- then what is likely to result is a complete chilling of free speech (since who in their right mind would really want to be taken to task by a congressional subcommittee). Explained another way, Obama & The Dems apparently figure that if they put the screws to these companies for saying something negative about one of their policies, then other companies and individuals will think twice in the future before they say anything negative about Obama & The Dems' policies.

This is a direct assault on perhaps the most fundamental right that he have as Americans (and I believe one of most natural rights shared by all human beings) -- The right to freely express yourself. This assault on the First Amendment by Obama & The Dems should be condemned from all sides. If only this had been the first time that we've seen this sort of thing from these people.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Democrats-threaten-companies-hit-hard-by-health-care-bill-89347127.html

Who Do Obama & The Dems Think They Are This Week, The Nature Boy Ric Flair!?

The linked story aptly describes, in my opinion, the tone and theme of Obama & The Dems current rhetoric regarding their jammed-through health care monstrosity: "You'll Learn to Like It!" For me, such description immediately harkened back to the Glory Days of none other than myriad-time World Heavyweight Champion The Nature Boy Ric Flair. Back in the day, one of his most favorite and oft-repeated lines was, "Whether you like it or you don't like it, learn to love it, because it's the best thing going in this business today!" The only thing missing from Obama & The Dems' current talking points is an obligatory "WOOOOOOO!" every now and then. I would think that they could muster up at least one. I can't see Pelosi or Reid doing much of a "WOO", but Obama or Biden? Most def. I just hope they don't enlist Howard Dean, because he would take the "WOO" way too far (namely to South Carolina, Oklahoma, Arizona, North Dakota, New Mexico, etc., etc.).

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/28/lawmakers-willing-gamble-public-anger-health-care/

How Does John McCain Get Away This Weekend With Not Taking a Stand on a Controversial New Arizona Immigration Law?

(Link below). Last night I was accused on a political message board -- Tigerboard.com's Politics Board -- of never taking a stand on anything. For anyone who takes a look at this space from time to time, of course, such an accusation is patently absurd. For example, did I coin the phrases "Black Christmas" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" because I was some mushed-mouthed "moderate" unable to make up his mind on Obama & The Dems' health care monstrosity?

But do I take a stand on every single issue that's out there in the political realm? Hell no, I don't. There are some issues that I consider to be close calls and with which I continue to grapple in my own mind (or want to become more informed), and there also are plenty of other issues (e.g., gay marriage, whether to close GITMO, etc.) that (1) I view to be issues that are of huge concern to the far right and far left (I call them Right vs. Left Pissing Match issues) but not really to most folks in Middle America and (2) I really couldn't give a rat's ass about either way! I largely leave those types of issues alone in this space, and there's nothing liberals or conservatives can do about it, frankly, since this is my space. If you don't like it, get your own damn blog and rant about those issues there.

Which brings me to the subject of McCain. Unlike me, McCain is a politician! In my view, once you throw your hat into that arena, you have an obligation to take a stand on just about any issue with which you are confronted or asked about (even if it is one that you really don't care too much about). You need either to state a position or say that you're not yet informed enough on the issue (and then within a week become informed and release your position). This weekend, when asked for his position on the controversial immigration bill that's about to become law in Arizona (and which would allow police to charge illegal immigrants with criminal trespassing for being within the boundaries of Arizona and which is being called by some the toughest immigration enforcement bill in the country), McCain refused to take any position, using the tremendously weak excuse that "it's a state issue."

It's obvious what's going on here: (1) McCain faces a tough republican senate primary challenge this year from another republican who is more conservative than McCain; (2) McCain likely has issues with the new Arizona law (since he was an advocate of the failed national immigration reform legislation that conservatives hated so much in recent years); and (3) McCain doesn't want to take a position in opposition to the new law since Arizona conservatives would not like that. I'm sorry, but I cannot accept the justification that McCain is simply playing "good politics." He's an elected politician, and he needs to take a position, for better or for worse.

Much like Obama, McCain utterly failed to impress me in the 2008 campaign -- Both just struck me, among many other things, as just typical politicians (albeit I was impressed, from a purely political perspective, with Obama's ability during that campaign to never commit any political miscues). So I followed my typical practice of voting third party and against these two parties whom I do not trust nor like. Unfortunately, neither Obama nor McCain has done much of anything since to disprove (in my mind) precisely what I thought of them in 2008.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/arizona-state-law-promises-toughest-illegal-immigration/story?id=10212698

Postscript: Nice legs, Sarah (she's campaigning for McCain in Arizona this weekend).

I Like the '80s, But Do Today's Teens & 20-Somethings Really Want To Be Battered Over the Head With Them All Year Long?

Hollywood apparently thinks so; either that, or it's just fresh out of original ideas. In addition to the current '80s-themed "Hot Tub Time Machine," check out this list of upcoming motion picture releases (link below):

-Clash of the Titans (4/2 release) (I guess this makes some sense given the new 3-D genre).

-The Karate Kid (6/11 release) (I would leave the original alone).

-The A-Team (6/11 release) (a personal favorite of mine).

-Red Dawn (11/24 release) (This time the Chinese invade. The original's OK for nostalgia, but that's about it. Why would you remake this?).

-The Thing (2011 release) (the '80s version was itself a remake, so why not?).

-21 Jumpstreet (no release date yet) (I hadn't even heard this title since the '80s themselves -- Why remake?).

-Poltergeist (no release date yet) (Will this movie be "cursed" like the original was?).

-Ghostbusters III (no release date yet) (Enough already!).

-The Smurfs (no release date yet) (Good Grief! NO!).

Looking at this list, I think the only one which I have any real interest in seeing is The A-Team. That's partly because I want to see if the A-Team actually kills their first bad guy this time around.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-eighties28-2010mar28,0,802635.story

Breaking News From My Congressional District: Wife of Outgoing Kansas Dem Congressman Dennis Moore Will Run for Hubby's Seat.

(Link below from the Kansas City Star; Moore, BTW and appropriately enough, is pictured on the far left above in the Nancy Pelosi photo op).

This is great news! Because now I will have a Moore to vote against in November! I had been greatly disappointed by Moore's decision not to run, but this almost makes up for it. Moore, for the record, voted for Obama & The Dems' health care monstrosity both last fall and this past Sunday. He refused to hold a townhall meeting last August to hear what we think about the dems' health care legislation, and now he's runnin' for the hills. It will be interesting to observe whether his wife, in contrast, will actually have the courage to listen to the viewpoints of her potential constituents during the campaign.

Postscript: How about liberal Steve Kraske's line in the linked story about Stephene Moore (Dennis' wife) perhaps not having to face quite as tough a political climate in November now that the dems' have passed a health care bill. Mr. Kraske: See my blog post immediately below this one -- Many of us Independents have already made up our minds. Your people sealed that deal with Sunday's vote. Take me for example: If the bill had gone down to defeat, there's a very good chance that in November, I would have followed my usual practice of voting for a third party candidate as a protest vote against our two B.S. parties. But after Sunday, that ain't happenin'. Not in November, leastways.

Further postscript: Is that Paul Simon to Pelosi's left in the picture above? I think it is! A true rock and pop music legend, even if he might think about keeping a little better company! ;)

http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/21840

When I Said on Sunday Bloody Sunday That We Independents Look Forward to Seeing Obama & The Dems in November, I Wasn't Just Whistlin' Dixie Over Here.

We damn pesky Independents decide elections. Which is not good for Obama & The Dems. From today's Politico.com (link at the bottom):

"Independent voting: The Republican base is fired up and ready to go. The Democratic base, not so much. Who’s left for Democrats to court? Independents. But right now the slippery swing voters are lining up behind the GOP, by double-digit margins as large as 18 points in recent polling. The health care bill is just one of a litany of items on the Democratic agenda that Republicans say has placed the party in power out of touch with an electorate more worried about nearly 10 percent unemployment and a ballooning budget deficit."

Nothing surprising there. These kinds of poll numbers among Independents have remained fairly steady since the August of Discontent (no coincidence there). Much of the dem rhetoric this week has been to the effect that, "Things will all be better by November -- They'll forget all about health care by then." Wrong guess, dems.

Let's see, your widespread unpopularity with Independents has been a constant now for, what, at least 7-8 months? But it's suddenly going to drastically improve over the next 7 months as you try to ram-rod Cap'n Trade and other massive far left legislation right down our throats? I will give you dems credit for one thing: You are at least consistent in your incessant delusional thought.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34908.html

I'm Often Told: "You Need to Pick a Side, Pick a Party!" To Which I Say, Why in the Holy Hell Would I Ever Do That?

What reason has either of these two parties ever given me? A new Louis Harris national poll reports today that 57% of American republicans believe that Obama is a Muslim, and that 45% of American republicans believe that Obama was "not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president" (link below). Translation: You've got a republican party full of right-wing nutjobs and loons. Yeah, I'm chompin' at the bit over here to run out and join them!

Which brings me to the democrat party. There -- as has been on full display for 14 months now -- you have a party controlled by far left-wing goofs and freaks -- hell bent on growing the size of the federal government and taking over just as much of the private sector as they possibly can against the Will of a clear majority of the American people. They don't care what we think because they think we are all stupid, racist right-wingers to the extent we disagree with them on anything. Where can I sign up for that wonderful party?

So just keep tellin' me, you deranged right-wing fools and loony left-wing weirdos, that I need to pick a side and one of these two parties. To you I say, No I Do NOT. And I haven't. And I won't. Stick that in your out-of-touch extremist pipe and smoke it.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/199166.asp?from=blog_last3

Dem PA Gov Ed Rendell Says Americans Are Primarily Angry About Obama & The Dems' Health Care Bill Because of Republican Rhetoric Opposing the Bill!

I must say, out of all the outlandish and mindless democrat party words and actions over the past 24 hours, this was the first one that truly enraged me. (Rendell spouted it on tonight's O'Reilly show). Certain things (or, more precisely, a certain item) was promptly flipped towards my television screen upon hearing such silliness. The very classic liberal mentality that would result in such a statement by Rendell is the very same mentality and world view that resulted in this massive monstrosity of a bill being foisted down the throats of the American people on Sunday Bloody Sunday. That is, folks: A basic tenet of the liberal and even more radical progressive world view is that people are stupid and are unable to digest the full marketplace of ideas and reach their own conclusions as to the truth of a particular issue.

That far left viewpoint is exhibited everytime one of these liberal buffoons like Rendell shows up on TV insinuating that the American people have merely been hoodwinked by republican talking points. And it's also exhibited when Obama & The Dems ram-rod this widely unpopular bill right up our behinds -- They don't care what we think, because we're just a big stupid populace who needs liberal elites in Washington to take care of us, regulate us, and make our decisions for us. It's a purely anti-democratic (and frankly, anti-intellectual) notion. And it's one that I will fight against for the remainder of my days, even if for me, the far-right-controlled republicans most of the time are just as full of B.S. as these radical progressives who have hijacked our federal government.

SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY

Today and tonight, House dems -- with most of the media off on a Sunday and the nation focusing on the NCAA basketball tournament -- have ram-rodded through Obama & The Dems' massive and widely unpopular heath care legislation on a straight party line vote, with only use of the "nuclear option" (reconciliation) remaining in the Senate next week before this legislative monstrosity heads to Obama for signature. (And if Senate dems have any trouble next week using reconciliation for the "fix it" portion of this legislation, then Obama will simply sign the Senate bill which the House has passed tonight -- either way, this legislation will be foisted upon us).

Never before in American history has such a sweeping and significant piece of legislation and massive restructuring of the American economy occurred with so few people celebrating and so many people outraged and angered. Count me in the latter group, obviously. To Obama & The Dems: We Independents will see you in November. We're looking forward to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM4vblG6BVQ

SHOCK: Panthers Choke the Chickenhawks!

The #1 ranked University of Kansas ("KU") Jayhawks fall today 69-67 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to the Northern Iowa Panthers from the Missouri Valley Conference. This may be the most embarrassing and heartbreaking loss for KU Fan that I can recall, since KU was favored to win the entire tournament but lost in the second round. Today is surely worse for KU Fan than even those first round losses to Bucknell and Bradley, since KU wasn't considered the odds-on favorite to win it all in those years. And just to add insult to injury, the loss assures that KU gets no farther in this year's tournament than their bitter, hated rival -- the University of Missouri Tigers. Ouch. Nice day to be a Tiger!

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20100320_NIA@KS/northern-iowa-69-kansas-67?tag=coverlist_footer;coverlist_photo_content

More Apparent Disingenuousness From Obama & The Dems on Health Care: Any Claimed Deficit Reduction From Their Bill Appears to be a Fraud & a Joke.

Bare with me here: There are two parts to this, but I think it's fairly easy to understand:

First, from the Associated Press today (first link below): In the dems' original House health care bill, there was a provision often referred to as the "doctor fix" or "doc fix," which would roll back "a programmed cut in Medicare fees to doctors." Put another way, the Doctor Fix would prevent doctors from suffering severe cuts in Medicare reimbursement.

The problem: The Doctor Fix would cost over $200 million and severely undermine the leading democrat allegation and talking point that their health care legislation will reduce the deficit. In short, deficit reduction has been one of (if not the most) prominent arguments that Obama & The Dems have tried to advance in favor of their massive and widely unpopular health care monstrosity (just today, for example, Obama was trumpeting the dems' health care legislation as one of the biggest deficit reduction bills in American history). So since the Doctor Fix would negate their deficit reduction claim, House dems cut that provision from their bill.

Today the Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the Doctor Fix roll back would cost $208 billion over 10 years, "wiping out all of the deficit reduction, leaving the legislation $59 billion in the red." More simply put, the deficit would increase, not decrease, if the Doctor Fix is enacted into law. But, you might ask, what's the issue here since the provision has been eliminated by the dems?

Well, that's the kicker here and the second aspect of this. From today's Politico.com (second link below): Obama & The Dems plan to introduce a Doctor Fix provision separately and later, after they ram through their initial health care legislation. Dems today would not deny this, and they actually admit they "are working with doctors' groups to introduce a 'doc fix' after reform is finished" (that from a Nancy Pelosi spokesperson). (BTW, it's not like I'm getting this stuff from Rush Slimebaugh or Glenn Beck -- Politico.com is as down-the-middle a news website as I've been able to find, and the Associated Press is, frankly, very left-leaning, in my opinion.)

So bottom line: It would appear that Obama & The Dems' great "deficit reduction" claim for their health care legislation is a giant fraud and shell game, since every appearance is that they have every intention of adding to that legislation with subsequent legislation that will completely wipe out any and all alleged deficit reduction (instead adding $59 billion to the deficit).

But here's my thing: What difference did any of Obama & The Dems' apparent outright dishonesty about deficit reduction really make? Poll after poll has consistently shown for months that a clearcut majority of the American people (and a decided majority of my fellow Independents, not to mention practicing, non-academic physicians across the country) reject Obama & The Dems' health care legislation even despite all the propaganda about deficit reduction. So none of it worked!

To me, as a result, this is just another example of awful, outrageous and perhaps even outright fraudulent behavior on the part of Obama & The Dems. Where's the shock? We've been watching this sort of thing over and over for the past year. And it's the reason why so many Independents are going to kick these people the curb this November. Just take me: I can't recall the last time I've ever voted for a republican. I certainly have never voted for one for President. I virtually always vote for third-party candidates as a protest vote against two parties that I feel do not represent me nor the majority of Americans. But make no mistake: If Obama & The Dems jam through this health care nightmare in the days to come, this November I will be looking for every single Republican I can find on the ballot. And I won't be alone.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Medicare-fix-would-push-apf-2700343586.html?x=0&.v=2
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34728.html

Obama & The Dems' Reconciliation Bill Finally Released Today. Looks Like Another Sweetheart Deal for One State -- This Time North Dakota!

And just for good measure, dems have tossed in student loan reform legislation (an item obviously very closely related to health care). What I can't tell from the early coverage is whether dems still intend to pursue the outrageous procedural gimmick of "deeming" the original Senate bill as "passed" without voting on it. I assume they likely are still pursuing that, but I'm sure it will become more clear as the day progresses. The vote on the reconciliation bill (very predictably) is to occur Sunday when most of the media is off and everyone and their mother will be watching the NCAA tournament. Read more:

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0310/BREAKING__Reconciliation_bill_posted_.html
http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0310/North_Dakota_bank_gets_a_carve_out.html

What a Great Group of Folks, These Far Left Progressives!

It's reported today that Bart Stupak and his family members have been the subject of abuse and harassment at all hours of the day and night due to Stupak withholding his decision on whether or not he will vote on Obama & The Dems' massive health care monstrosity (link below). Wouldn't ya just love to hang out with a room full of these progressives -- The Fun! NOT! Although, it's not as if the prospect of hanging out in a room full of conservatives strikes me as exactly a barrel of fun, either. And I'll also say this: Whenever I've had the occasion to hang out with some liberals and conservatives at the same time, I've found them to be much more tolerable as a general proposition. But good grief, the venom that some of these people (on both extremes) are capable of with respect to anyone who disagrees with them on anything! I've never understood it and never will. But then again, I'm not a partisan ideologue, so what do I really know or understand about much of anything, right!?
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34630.html

Hello Porky! Earmark-Lovin' Missouri Republican Senator Kit Bond Named to Politico.com's "Proud Porker" Wall of Shame Today.

As a lifelong Missourian (currently living in the smelly state of Kansas), Bond (pictured far right above) has in the past garnered an ounce of respect from me for not being some doctrinaire, rabid conservative like many other Missouri politicians of his era, such as John Ashcroft. That being said, Bond is a political fat-cat -- a career politician who's never seen an earmark or piece of pork that he didn't find scrumptious. Politicians like Bond speak to the need for term limits in the legislative branch. I've never understood any compelling reason for our American political culture being devoted to term limits in the executive branch, only to completely eschew term limits in the legislative branch. I say, limit the terms of all of these politicians, regardless of office, party or persuasion. And feel free to start with Porky Bond.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34541.html

Look For the "Great Bracket Bust-Out" Later This Week From Obama & The Dems If Pelosi Manages to Coerce Enough Votes to Ram Health Care Through.

If that person is able to wrangle up the votes through the propaganda and thuggery of her & her minions, then expect a repeat of what we've seen from these people over the last year: We watched the House's version of the bill pass on a Saturday night last fall when there was little evening news coverage and most of the nation's attention was focused upon college football games and the regular Saturday night activities (shopping, going out to restaurants and bars, etc.). Then we watched the Senate dems ram through their version of the bill on none other than Christmas Eve ("Black Christmas," as I referred to it in this space) -- when obviously hardly anyone was paying any attention to Washington DC. This week, if the tone deaf radical-leftist creature known as Pelosi can get her votes, then expect a late night vote on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday -- When most everyone nationwide is going to be focusing upon the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and their own personal Tournament brackets. You can see this one coming like a wino up Main Street, like stink in a Mississippi $hithouse.

BTW, I'm still putting the chances of Pelosi getting her votes at 50%, as discussed last night. And for the record, "The Great Bracket Bust Out" is my own phrase. I don't have a link to it or anything -- I just invented it. To use another of my phrases that I've used often the last 6 months, these are truly Scary Days, but this week those very concerns are completely coming to a head. Folks, I'll follow the NCAA Tournament just as close as most of you will (Go Mizzou!), but don't lost sight of what's going on in Washington this week. The full court press is ON by Obama & The Dems to jam through this unpopular monstrosity of a health care bill. Pay attention to it. Follow it closely. And if they ram-rod it through, remember it come this fall.

Hollow Threat? Obama Reportedly Tells Dem Lawmakers That He Won't Campaign For Them in the Fall If They Vote Against Health Care.

(Link below). Obama's apparent threat begs the question: Would any of those dem lawmakers even want Obama anywhere near their re-election campaigns this fall? Methinks likely not. We're already starting to see some of this "dem distancing" (to coin a new phrase) from Obama. In just the past few weeks, we've seen prominent dem politicians in Missouri most conspicuous by their absence from an Obama appearance in St. Charles. If I'm a dem House member and Obama calls me up and threatens not to campaign for me, then right about now I'm saying, "Mr. President, can I get that in writing, please?"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/7450237/Barack-Obama-threatens-to-withdraw-support-from-wavering-Democrats.html

Downgrading the Dems: Obama & the Dems' Chances of Ramming Through Health Care Now at 50%.

In recent days, I had given an upgrade, with respect to Obama & The Dems' chances of jamming through their desired health care legislation, to more likely than not (which I set at 55% last weekend, up from the previous 45% that I had assigned). However, based upon everything I've read and heard today, I think the dems are still a number of votes short, and all of this blustering about being "close" is just rhetoric. Now, this upcoming week is going to be a flurry of activity and there's as good of chance that the dems will find their House votes as there is the chance that they won't, in my estimation. If you read this space, oppose the dems' health care desires, and are in a congressional district with a representative who might vote either way, then you can still make a difference by calling and e-mailing your congressperson with your viewpoint.

Myself: I'm in a Kansas congressional district represented by a rather pathetic creature known as Dennis Moore (whom I have tried to contact before) who is quitting Congress this year and therefore does not listen to or interact in any way with his constitutents and will vote for anything Obama & The Dems stick in front of him because he has nothing to lose -- a truly pathetic individual. But my point: There's little I can do about the current events except for ranting and blathering on this blog (which I'm fairly decent at), but you might just be in a position to make an actual difference. Dick Morris, a bloat-faced Fox News right-winger dude, whom I generally dislike and find to be rather creepy, nonetheless has some excellent info on his website how we can still fight the ram-rodding through of this massive and unpopular piece of legislation -- link below.

http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/

Lady Gaga Banned on MTV! The Day I'm More Liberal Than MTV Truly Signals the End Days!

OK, well maybe I'm exaggerating just a bit. But I cannot believe that MTV is banning Lady Gaga's "Telephone" video (sure it would have to be edited a bit to appear on regular TV in front of the kids, so why not do that?) -- such video is linked in the right sidebar portion of this space at the top of my Ladies Panel. I watched the video this weekend, and is it over the top? Damn right it is. But that's Lady Gaga's whole thing. She is 24-7 over the top and extreme. MTV needs to pull its head out of its Pat Robertson and lighten up. Like I said, an edited version of "Telephone" would need to be the version aired, since make no mistake, the video is not appropriate for the kids. But to just outright ban it is very unbecoming of MTV in my view. Did Rupert Murdock purchase MTV at some point, and I just missed it?

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/03/14/lady-gagas-bloody-nun-outfit-debut-video-causes-uproar/?test=faces

San Fran Nan This Weekend: "We're On the Verge of Making History!"

Two components/issues involved in such statement: (1) Will the dems soon be successful in ramming through their massive and widely unpopular health care legislation; and, (2) If so, will the same "make history"?

As to (1), I'm terrified to say that based upon everything I've read in recent days, the chances are now greater than 50% that the dems will be able to jam this thing through pretty soon. As to (2) -- there Pelosi is completely correct: History will be made. Since never before in American history has such a massive overhaul of the American economy and American system been ram-rodded through the Congress using procedural gimmicks, on a straight party-line vote, and against the Will of the American People. History indeed. Of the very worst kind. Never let it be said that everything coming out of Nancy Pelosi's mouth is inaccurate or wrong. Because she completely nailed it with her "making history" comment.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100314/ap_on_go_co/us_pelosi_health_care_7

So What Makes a Dude Officially "Undateable"? (And Why Can't I Wear My Sunglasses at Night?)

That's the subject of a new book (titled, you guessed it, "Undateable") that comes out on Tuesday (link to New York Post story below). Apparently according to the book, some of the things that can make a guy undateable include, but are certainly not limited to, the following:

-Crude and/or out-of-style clothing.

-Wearing sunglasses at night or indoors.
-Use of satin sheets.
-Ed Hardy wear.

-"Girlie," emo, Gothic or faux-hawk hairstyle.
-Gold chains.
-Repeatedly swiping condiments from restaurant tables (but apparently once or twice is OK).

-Sporting guylights, mandanas and/or jorts.

-Using bluetooth outside your car.
-Novelty belt buckles.

-Cellphone holsters.
-Jean shorts.

-Bad toupee.

Interesting list. For the record, I would never wear a toupee. But apart from that, I got no comment over here.

http://www.newyorkpost.com/p/entertainment/is_this_man_undateable_92X52CeXguYO7AquZhO9tM

Delusional.

I note that the new talking point that seems to be coming out of Obama & The Dems today goes something like this: "Since republicans keep trying to give us advice and tell us that it will be bad for us in November if we pass health care, then that must mean that the opposite is true and that the American people really want this bill."

Say what? Regardless, it's not just those vile, awful republicans who are warning how bad it will be for the dems in November if they ram this legislation through against the will of the American people. I note a piece today by two democrat pollsters, Doug Schoen and Patrick Caddell (link below), sounding the very same warning. Here's an excerpt:

"Their blind persistence in the face of reality threatens to turn this political march of folly into an electoral rout in November. In the wake of the stinging loss in Massachusetts, there was a moment when the president and the Democratic leadership seemed to realize the reality of the health-care situation. Yet like some seductive siren of Greek mythology, the lure of health-care reform has arisen again. As pollsters to the past two Democratic presidents, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, respectively, we feel compelled to challenge the myths that seem to be prevailing in the political discourse and to once again urge a change in course before it is too late. At stake is the kind of mainstream, common-sense Democratic Party that we believe is crucial to the success of the American enterprise."

So will Obama & The Dems listen to a couple of their own? Yeah right.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/11/AR2010031102904.html

Rush Slimebaugh Today Says the University of Missouri Has "One of the World's Great Marxist Journalism Schools." Them's Fightin' Words!

(BTW, he lumped the J-Schools of Columbia University and one or two other schools into the same description). So what's the best way to debunk the mindless and outlandish accusations of a far-right freak like Slimebaugh (or, for that matter, a far-left freak)? Well, through the facts, such as the observations of an individual with first-hand, personal knowledge of the very situation to which the allegation pertains. That would be Yours Truly, a proud 1990's graduate of the oldest and best journalism school in the country -- the one located at the University of Missouri-Columbia ("MU").

I will start by saying that apart from the copy of The Communist Manifesto that we received at the start of MU J-School (not!), I oddly enough never received any Marxist training at the MU J-School, nor did any of my many professors there ever talk about Marxism or Marxist principles. They did talk a lot about journalistic principles -- principles that I often complain in this space are way too often ignored these days, at least at the national media level. It was at the MU J-School that I learned that while we all have our own opinions, biases and perhaps certain ideologies, a journalist does his/her best at all times to divorce those items from his/her news coverage (unless of course he/she is providing editorial commentary or news analysis clearly labeled as such).

It was also there that I was exposed to a broad diversity of world views and perspectives from my fellow journalism students, ranging from thoughtful, intelligent conservatives to equally thoughtful and intelligent liberals. I was basically a kid then who had done very little thinking for himself, and frankly you could pretty accurately describe me as a liberal back then. I still can recall those wonderful political discussions and arguments with my good friend and devout republican Brett (a huge Rush Slimebaugh fan, BTW) down at Shakepeare's Pizza after our Friday night KBIA shift. Good friend Josh would go with us, and Josh and I would kind of gang up on Brett, but he damn sure always held his own very well. And he gave me reason to think, and at times to re-evaluate, and more importantly to realize that viewing the world through the lense of partisan blinders is a very anti-intellectual way of going about things. Other conservatives there like a certain larger-than-life, Elvis-loving figure named Strauss had the same impact. Did they ever convert me over to the Dark Side? No. But they played just as big of a role in the person that I am today as anyone ever did. And I thank them for that.

To summarize, my experience at the MU J-School was a highly fun period of years of being exposed to entire panoply of human ideas and world views. It was wonderfully educational and character-shaping. Were there likely more left-leaning folks there in total than there were right-leaning folks? Probably so -- the same as at most newsrooms across the country. And there's nothing wrong with that. If you endeavor to always aspire to the core principles of good journalism, then I don't give a rat's behind what your political persuasion happens to be.

And just one final note in retort to Slimebaugh's drivel from today: Of the literally hundreds of folks -- both future journalists and professors alike -- whom I met and got to know during my years the MU J-School, I can honestly say that I did not so much as run across even one Marxist! Actually, I would have liked to, because it would have been fascinating to know such a person, even if I think such a world view is so completely wrong, dangerous and out-of-place for an intelligent human being. But I would have listened, probably laughed at him/her a fair amount, and would have tried to express to him/her why I think that world view should be eschewed. Hey, I always like meeting new kinds of people! But unfortunately, meeting Marxists and being exposed to Marxist thought is simply something that never happened at the University of Missouri-Columbia Journalism School. Sorry, Slimebaugh.