I'm discussing only 1 "this date in history" item, but it's a doozy - at least for me it is! So, feel free to gloss over this part if you'd like & go right into the meat (or tofu) of the diary. Here's a clue.
On Oct. 13, 1925, Lenny Bruce, the controversial American comedian, was born. And, he died entirely too young & too soon {sigh}. In a word I don't use lightly, Lenny Bruce was a First Amendment martyr. As far as I'm concerned, without Lenny Bruce, we wouldn't have had George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Bill Hicks, Lewis Black, or the comedians who are comfortable saying whatever the heck they want to in their acts without fear of arrest, jail time, etc. Sadly, Lenny did not live to see the pardon that was FINALLY granted to him for the pending charges & sentence at the time of his death, but at least George Pataki did ONE THING right while he was Governor of New York.
And now, ladies & gentlemen, Lenny Bruce!
Expect to see more clips & quotes in the comments or maybe in the diary itself. I know George Carlin didn't go for the "afterlife" concept, I don't really know if Lenny did or not, and I'm a little fuzzy on the issue my own darn self. However, a part of me would like to think of George & Lenny together somewhere writing material about $t. $arah from Wasilla! :D
Let's Countdown...
OK, 2 nights in a row for a My Favorite Year clip...Has Keith or other Countdown peeps been peeking here?! ;D
#5 "Foreign Funding" AKA "Chamber of Others" AKA "America for Sale" - Keith’s sportin’ the Great Orange Satanic tie tonight! Please, try to withhold tie imagery until after the family viewing hour, OK? ;D It’s 20 days until the midterms – AUGH! The continuing investigation from Think Progress has done the math – not TurdBlossom’s math – to figure up that $885K from foreign interests has gone into election efforts – primarily in support of the GOBP – via the Anti – US Chamber of Commerce. Over $200 million worth of campaign ads will run up to the elections via TurdBlossom’s little cabal & others. There’s going to be a $50 million ad extravaganza THIS WEEK! The Anti – US Chamber of Commerce spokespiehole won’t go anywhere to defend said organization except FAUX News.
Neither Think Progress nor the other organization working with them disclose donations BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT RUNNING FOR OFFICE NOR ARE RUNNING ADS ON THE TELEVISION MACHINE! Were any Catholic pedophile questions hurled at Senator Feingold’s "honorable" opponent during the debate last night? According to a Bloomberg poll, 47% of respondents were less likely to support campaigns funded by anonymous businesses & donors. Shareholders are trying to fight back against corporations who are trying to put the kibosh on California’s climate law. O...M...G...a lawsuit brought on by the Anti – US Chamber of Commerce to stop "excess" intervention in company policy by its shareholders is being defended by one of "JUSTICE" SCALIA’S KIDS?!?! And, no questions of whether said boil on the butt of humanity "justice" should’ve recused himself from the Citizens United case????!!!! *&^%$#@! HOLY $HIT!
Faiz Shakir is with us again tonight to talk more Anti – US Chamber of Commerce. This organization is actively fighting on behalf of those who would chose to ship jobs overseas, diminish the effects of HCR, etc. Here’s Chris Hayes, too! A whole mess of people, including the White House, have decided this issue is a winner, so they’re taking it & running. Oh Chris, you may get it for the "political sniper" remark; I can hear it now from the Anti – US Chamber of Commerce. The Fair Elections Now bill will go a long way toward putting the brakes on Citizens United. How ‘bout the Disclose Act?
From Lenny Bruce...
All my humor is based upon destruction and despair. If the whole world were tranquil, without disease and violence, I’d be standing on the breadline right in back of J. Edgar Hoover.
#4 "Midterm Review" AKA "Does He Need a Dem Congress?" AKA "Base Strategy" - President Obama sat down for an interview with the New York Times & appeared to indicate he thinks the GOBP would be more easy to work with if they gain majority control in the House? On the subject of dealing with said GOBP,
...It might have been better for us not to include tax cuts in the original [stimulus] package, let the Republicans insist on the tax cuts, and they say, OK, you know, we’ll compromise and give you your tax cuts...
WHAT?! Concerning his critics,
...Just one after the other, having to do things - $800 billion, another $100 billion here, a $700 billion TARP program that wasn’t started by me but the Republicans definitely sort of denied authorship of, and was managed by us and is going to end up costing us $100 billion or less, which is probably the smallest cost to taxpayers of any financial crisis, including the S&L bailout – despite all that, that accumulation of number on the TV screen night in and night out in those first six months I think deeply and legitimately troubled people. They started feeling like, gosh, here we are tightening our belts, we’re cutting out restaurants, we’re cutting out our gym membership, in some cases we’re not buying new clothes for the kids. And here we’ve got these folks in Washington who just seem to be printing money and spending it like nobody’s business. And it reinforced the narrative that the Republicans wanted to promote anyway, which was Obama is not a different kind of Democrat – he’s the same one tax – and – spend liberal Democrat.
Oh my goodness, he’s really still not THAT naïve concerning working & playing well with the GOBP, is he?!
IT’S "MY GUY"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Richard Wolffe, everyone! His upcoming book has a title & cover & everything!!
Bill Burton had to save President Obama’s behind in what he said to the Times. Richard didn’t think what President Obama said was the brightest thing to say, either! Wow, Richard confirmed that this White House believes that more actual governing will be accomplished should the GOBP gain control of one of the houses of Congress because they’ll feel some responsibility. NO, THEY WON’T! If it’ll further their campaign coffers & political agendas to see this country go down in flames, they will let this country go down in flames; they’ve already given it the good ‘ol college try! And, as usual, "my guy" NAILED it; this White House has been TERRIBLE about discussing & messaging why that money had to be spent, what has been accomplished with all the legislation passed in just under 2 years, etc. And, $hit, we don’t even have Rahm Emanuel to push around anymore about it!
Again from Mr. Bruce...
In the Halls of Justice the only justice is in the halls.
#3 "Impeachment as Blackmail" - President Obama, in that Times piece, identified 2 GOBPers he’d trust to work with on economic issues. One is soon – to – be former Senator Judd Gregg {insert annoying buzzer here}. WRONG! The other is Rep. Paul Ryan of the demolish – Medicare & Social Security fame {insert another annoying buzzer here}. WRONG! A tea bagger candidate out of MI is ready to grease up the impeachment machinery if he gets into the House. Rep. Daryl Issa has already indicated his creaming of jeans at the impeachment prospect, and Bat$hit Bachmann thinks President Obama is making the US – Mexico border less safe to further his political career. Well, if she thinks there’s so much trouble down there, she can go help defend it; I’ll give her a sling shot & everything!
Sam Seder’s in studio to talk bat$hit & potential impeachment. Mr. Seder was stunned by what President Obama told the Times! Me thinks I need to resurrect the potential consequences of GOBP take – over of either house of Congress. *&^%$#@!
** There was a big ‘ol tug of war in Okinawa; damn, look at all them people! A tow truck driver tried to get into the car that was being towed & fell the hell out – OUCH, man! There was a fight at a St. Louis hockey game. File that tidbit under "No $hit, Sherlock!" **
If something about the human body disgusts you, complain to the manufacturer. - Lenny Bruce
WPITW – A Happy Meal on a New York artist’s kitchen table supposedly did not mold since April. Oh, who the spark cares?! To paraphrase Woody Allen, everything our parents told us was good for us is bad for us – milk, red meat, sunshine, etc.! Here’s Bat$hit Bachmann offering to teach the Constitution to brand new Congress critters????????!!!!!! {insert lots of retching, heaving, & screaming here} Lonesome Rhodes is coming to the defense of Rich Iott – well, duh!
#1 "GOP Gay – Baiting" - Carl "Bestiality? Good! Gay? BBBbbbAAAaaaDDDdddd!" Paladino once rented out space as a gay bar. Yea, teh gayz might be goin’ to hell, but their money’s still good here on Earth! Gov. Jan Brewer’s even getting in on the action, too. The rabbi that insisted that Carl spew what he spewed over the weekend didn’t take kindly to the "apology" offered. Dave Weigel gets teh gay duty tonight. Why not Dan Savage? ;D Gov. Jan Brewer suggested her Dem opponent take a lie detector test concerning his sexual orientation. Well, we all know who she learned THAT shtick from, yes? Christine (no relation to Lawrence) O’Donnell!