Wednesday night, in a move consistent with the wishes of the majority of Americans, President Obama announced plans to draw down the number of US troops in Afghanistan.
The next day, in a move consistent with the wishes of a majority of Americans earning over $500,000 a year, the Republican leadership took their ball and went home.
Then, Friday afternoon saw the GOP-led House of Representatives debate whether a Democratic president has the same war powers as a Republican president, but in the end, no consensus was reached.
And later that day, following one of the fiercest battles to date in the culture war, the Empire State granted same-sex couples the right to get married.
Not that there's anything wrong with [any of] that.
Morning lineup:
Meet the Press: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R); Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI); Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA); Roundtable: Katty Kay (BBC), Matt Bai (New York Times) and David Brooks (New York Times).
Face the Nation: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN).
This Week: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC); Roundtable: George Will (Washington Post), Former White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, Chrystia Freeland (Reuters) and Jonathan Karl (ABC News).
Fox News Sunday: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN); Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ); Roundtable: Brit Hume (Fox News), Bill Kristol (Weekly Standard), Juan Williams (Fox News) and Kristen Powers (New York Post).
State of the Union: Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI); House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC); Former Obama Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton; Former Bush Speechwriter Michael Gerson; Reliable Sources: David Zurawik (Baltimore Sun); Glynnis MacNicol (Business Insider); Pulitzer Prize Winner Jose Antonio Vargas.
The Chris Matthews Show: Norah O'Donnell (CBS News); David Igantius (Washington Post); Michael Duffy (TIME); Helene Cooper (New York Times).
Fareed Zakaria GPS: Afghan President Hamid Karzai; PIMCO CEO Mohamed El-Erian.
Evening lineup:
60 Minutes will feature: a report on the growing number of homeless children (preview); and, an interview with jazz musician Wynton Marsalis (preview).
On Comedy Central:
Following his highly-edited appearance on Fox News Sunday last week, Jon Stewart cataloged some of the many lies peddled by the network.
The Daily Show
Monday: Actress Jennifer Aniston
Tuesday: Comedian Louis C.K.
Wednesday: Actor Tom Hanks
Thursday: Conservative Commentator Bill Kristol
And Stephen Colbert took a break from recording with musician Jack White to search for the generic Republican who can defeat President Obama.
The Colbert Report
Monday: Grover Norquist (Americans for Tax Reform)
Tuesday: Filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi
Wednesday: Actor Gary Sinise
Thursday: Author Timothy Garton Ash
Elsewhere:
Texas Gov. Rick Perry – who is reportedly preparing to enter the presidential race – died on stage performing for a Latino crowd.
Gov. Rick Perry received a tepid response when he addressed the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials on Thursday, joking about the pronunciation of a Hispanic appointee's last name and frequently staring blankly at the audience when they failed to respond to his conservative applause lines.
...
But a joke about how perfect it was to appoint Jose Cuevas to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission because his name sounds like Jose Cuervo - a brand of tequila - fell flat. Perry struggled to regain his confidence as he described Texas as a land of opportunity.
Meanwhile:
Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) explained why NBC omitted the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance at the US Open Championship.
AKIN: This was something that was done systematically, it was done intentionally, and is tremendously corrosive in terms of all of the values and everything that’s made America unique and such a special nation.
PERKINS: Why would NBC do this?
AKIN: Well, I think NBC has a long record of being very liberal and at the heart of liberalism really is a hatred for God and a belief that government should replace God. And so they’ve had a long history of not being at all favorable toward many of things that have been such a blessing to our country…This is a systematic effort to try to separate our faith and God, which is a source in our belief in individual liberties, from our country. And when you do that you tear the heart out of our country.
And in other news:
World Net Daily editor/birther king Joseph Farah explained how Hitler makes Barack Obama ineligible to be president.
The American political and media elite have determined, for whatever reason, that the Constitution's eligibility requirements for the presidency are not important.
That is the only conclusion one can draw from the misinformation, disinformation and disinterest they have shown to the serious questions swirling around not only the unique case of Barack Obama but also to the definition of "natural born citizen" in future presidential elections.
It's not unprecedented that failing republics dumb down eligibility requirements for the presidency. It's not unprecedented that failing republics ignore or obscure eligibility requirements for the presidency. It's not unprecedented that failing republics make tragic mistakes in permitting non-qualified candidates to serve in the presidency.
It happened in 1932 in Germany with a candidate named Adolf Hitler.
The rule of Godwin's law prevails.
- Trix