Advanced apologies if tonight's diary seems a bit "distracted." I'll be watching some basketball game; I think it's been in the papers & gotten some local coverage, too! ;D Hey...I'm even sacrificing 24 tonight {insert gasps of awe here}.
A good chunk of "this day in history" items are damn depressing - sorry! But, we press onward. On this date in 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death for conspiring to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. If you ever get the chance to see the documentary their granddaughter did, it will pi$$ you off & make you sad, but it is great!
On this date in 1887, British historian Lord Acton wrote in a letter, "All power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Well, he was a hell of a prognosticator, wasn't he!
Charlton Heston died on this date in 2008. Now, having watched The Ten Commandments on Saturday night - after the Butler game, of course - I KNOW Cecil B. DeMille got the whole commandment thing WRONG! Here's how it really went down.
To end on a very bittersweet note, Allen Ginsberg died on this date in 1997 - didn't even have to look this up because I knew it & remember exactly where I was & what I was doing when I found out. If I have the composure, I'd like to feature this Ginsberg work at my Dad's funeral; I think it's appropriate to remember Allen, too.
Let's Countdown.
#5 "Help Wanted?" AKA "Coming Distractions" AKA "Fight Club" - Justice John Paul Stevens may or may not be retiring this year; he might wait until next year. I hope he waits until next year. I’m not sure Congress can handle another Sotomayor – esque confirmation hearing before November. Good gawd, can y’all just IMAGINE the politicking?! You thought it was bad during Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet if there’s one before November. He’s going to be 90 years old this month. Senator Arlen Specter wants Justice Stevens to wait, too; Senator Kyl insists the Senate just wants a qualified candidate – BULL$HIT. Someone not "...overly ideological" to Krackpot Kyl would be someone whose morals, ethics, and legal standards never left pre – Brown VS. Board of Education.
Mitchie McConnell is trying to figure out if GOP Senators are going to go all tarantino on financial reform. Senators Bunning & Coburn are still blocking unemployment benefit extension & blaming Dems for their block. OK, it’s all well & good & ideal for there to be money "up front" to pay for something, but these 2 yard apes didn’t block spending for a war in Iraq because it wasn’t paid for, and they both went against "pay as you go" in the Senate. So, they can stick their blame where the sun don’t shine!
Good Monday evening to Jonathan Alter. Justice Stevens is apparently a smart character; even though President Ford appointed him, he’s tried to be moderate & build majorities. Jonathan doesn’t think Senator Specter is entirely correct; he thinks there’s more danger of a tarantino after the November elections – especially if Dems lose seats in the Senate. Jonathan Alter says there’s "reasonable Republicans" in the Senate?! DUDE! What have YOU been smoking??!! We get Sam Stein tonight, too. We may or may not get a financial reform fight in the Senate before November; immigration & climate change may wait until next year. Sam talked about the furor of Senator Reid’s office that they had to go into recess without an extension of the benefits. Ya’ know, Senator Reid, you ARE the Senate Majority Leader, or you’re SUPPOSED to be. You could’ve let them not go into recess without the benefits being extended; I’m sure the millions of unemployed in this country would’ve really appreciated that!
Sam thinks it might be tough for the GOP to vote against financial reform. Ya’ wanna bet?!
[BREAKING NEWS] An underground mine in WV has exploded. 7 are dead, and 19 are missing. This mine is around 100 miles from the Sago mine. There might be oxygen & chambers to help keep them alive up to 4 days.
#4 "Nerves of Steele" AKA "Elephant in the Room" - Michael Steele chastised Senator Reid, President Carter, and President Obama for "playing the race card" when things got tough. When Mr. Steele claimed he’d done no such thing, he must’ve forgotten the cameras were rolling! And, ain’t it just RICH for him to claim things are tougher for him in his gig because he’s African – American. Dear, you are still IN your gig BECAUSE you’re African – American. Considering the GOP’s less – than – stellar recent history with minorities, even most of them are not such nimrods to think showing you the door would boost their minority relations creds. Michael Steele didn’t rip on Lonesome Rhodes when he called President Obama racist.
And, how ‘bout those LOVELY signs among the tea – baggers?! Robert Gibbs should get a raise this week for his line today:
I think that it is a very silly comment to make. I think Michael Steele’s problem isn’t the race card, it’s the credit card.
HA! And, Mr. Steele, your credit is NO GOOD. A new fundraising dude at the RNC has an embezzlement history; well, he should be right at home. The RNC COS & one of the head fund raising dudes have resigned – OOPS! Maybe, they didn’t have enough embezzlement in their histories? Here’s Melissa Harris – Lacewell! Media attention to Mr. Steele’s boneheaded moves are a lovely distraction from actual policy debate. HA! Professor Harris – Lacewell doesn’t remember race cards being doled out to her. ;D And, she made a WONDERFUL point about what Clarence Thomas said during his confirmation hearing; his support in the African – American community skyrocketed when he described the Anita Hill stuff as a "high – tech lynching." You CANNOT tell me that word choice wasn’t an accident. How’s that support among the African – American community now, "Justice" Thomas?!
**A British sports anchor was talking red cards in soccer. The guy on the scene didn’t know what the spark was going on. Well, at least they all got a good laugh about it. Some Czech Republic dudes are "whipping" women with lashes. Some other guys in England sky – dived in a wind tunnel; OK, sorry, that’s not really sky – diving.**
#3 "The Doctor is Inane" AKA "The Doctor is In(ane)" - The doc in FL who put up the sign refusing treatment to those who voted for Obama is now saying it was all just a joke; funny, I don’t recall laughing. Well, what a shocker; the doc was interviewed by FAUX News! They let him spew his HCR lies – again a HUGE shocker.
One of Rep. Alan Grayson’s constituents sought the help of Rep. Grayson – man, talk about an ally! Rep. Grayson wants to do what he can to bring some sort of accountability to this doctor.
{Breaking News – President Obama may be changing tactics about when our nation would be using nuclear weapons. An official announcement might be tomorrow that we will be limiting our use of these weapons.}
WPITW – John Avalon has designated some "wingnuts of the week"; he used to be a speech writer for America’s Mayor. He designated Code Pink for trying to do a citizen’s arrest of TurdBlossom and the Hutaree group. Sure, that makes sense! Boss Limbaugh is using TurdBlossom math to try to discount job growth. Lonesome Rhodes has compared himself to Gandhi & Rosa Parks.
[Sorry F.O.O., I’m over Tiger Woods, and y’all know how I feel about golf. Feel free to comment if you’d like below.]