It's now been
two weeks since
unarmed black teen
Michael Brown was
killed by
white police officer Darren Wilson, and the
people of
#Ferguson,
Missouri,
aren't any closer to knowing
the truth about
the circumstances of
his death.
To the vast majority of African-Americans, legal observers, and people capable of empathy, the handling of the case and ensuing protests has been alarming (to say the least); but to conservatives, the entire situation can be summed up in one word: B-O-R-I-N-G.
Also, too: Suck it.
As far as Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Megyn Kelly, and all of their Fox News cohorts and viewers are concerned, the only disturbing aspect of what's happening in Ferguson is that the media is covering it—while continuing to ignore #Benghazi and the immigrant/ISIS Ebola conspiracy.
And besides, Brown was reportedly all hopped up on pot (laced with PCP?) and rap lyrics, so he pretty much had it coming.
Or something.
Morning lineup:
Meet The Press: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY); Others TBD.
Face The Nation: Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH); Former Deputy Director of the CIA Michael Morell; Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI); Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO); Actor Gary Sinise; Roundtable: Nia-Malika Henderson (Washington Post), David Rohde (Reuters), Susan Page (USA Today), Margaret Brennan (CBS News) and Bob Orr (CBS News).
This Week: Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX); Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO); Roundtable: Bill Kirstol (Weekly Standard), Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD), Peggy Noonan (Wall Street Journal) and Former White House Senior Adviser David Plouffe.
Fox News Sunday: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ); "Brain Surgeon" Dr. Ben Carson; Civil Rights Activist Rev. Jesse Jackson; Roundtable: Republican Strategist Karl Rove, Bob Woodward (Washington Post), Radio Host Laura Ingraham and Juan Williams (Fox News).
State of the Union: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI); British Ambassador to the US Peter Westmacott; Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D); Roundtable: Montgomery County, MD Chief of Police Thomas Manger, Dallas, TX Deputy Chief of Police Malik Aziz and Detroit, MI Chief of Police James Craig.
Evening lineup:
60 Minutes will feature: a report on the multibillion dollar industry that collects, analyzes and sells the personal information of millions of Americans with virtually no oversight (preview); a report on the aftermath of the disaster in Fukushima, Japan (preview); and, a report on the plight of humpback whales (preview).
On Comedy Central...
With two big stories dominating the news, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report were obviously off (again) this week. As such, there are no new videos to share.
Instead, here's a look back at Cliven Bundy pontificating about the merits of slavery. (04/24/14)
The Daily Show
Monday: Pre-empted
Tuesday: Author David Rose
Wednesday: TBA
Thursday: Comedian/Author Todd Glass
And the Heritage Foundation's racist immigration study. (05/14/13)
The Colbert Report
Monday: Pre-empted
Tuesday: Actor Jeff Bridges & Author Lois Lowry
Wednesday: Actor Michael Sheen
Thursday: Street Artist JR
Elsewhere...
A Missouri City Councilman apologized for blaming his racist Facebook posts on his allegiance to the Republican party.
Tinsley apologized on Monday, saying that "at one time, I was a very active Republican, very opposed to Obama. I want people to know that I am very remorseful for it. It was inappropriate. I believe I got caught up in an emotional moment of sharing jokes. It seemed funny at the time but today it’s very serious and it’s not funny at all."
Poplar Bluff Republicans were not happy with apology. "It even got more intense when he proceeded to blame the republican party for him thinking like that," said the chairman of the Butler County Republicans, Eddy Justice. "Republicans believe everyone should be judged on their qualifications, on their ability."
Tinsley then apologized again, this time to the Republican party. "Anything that I have said, that I referred to the activity because I was a Republican, that is not true," he said. "It's not an excuse."
Meanwhile...
Some racist and sexist blog posts came back to haunt the Republican challenging Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN) this November.
Hagedorn, the son of retired congressman Tom Hagedorn, was a surprise victor in last Tuesday's GOP primary. But he brings some serious baggage to his race against Walz, a four-term incumbent. In posts from his old blog, Mr. Conservative, unearthed by the Minnesota politics blog Bluestem Prairie, Hagedorn made light of American Indians, President Obama's Kenyan ancestry, and female Supreme Court justices, among others, in ways many voters won't appreciate. [...]
Lest anyone challenge his bona fides, Hagedorn wanted to make abundantly clear he was a straight white male. "Senator McCain's campaign was all but flat lined before he brought the feisty Caribou Barbie into our living rooms," he wrote in 2008. "Which reminds me, on behalf of all red-blooded American men: THANK YOU SENATOR McCAIN, SARAH'S HOT!"
Not all female politicians were viewed as favorably. In a 2002 post, Hagedorn referred to Washington Democratic Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray as "undeserving bimbos in tennis shoes." Former Bush White House counsel Harriet Miers, he wrote in 2005, had been nominated "to fill the bra of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor."
And, last but not least...
The Tea Party of Louisiana fell victim to the oldest trick on the internets.
The Tea Party of Louisiana has declared Sen. David Vitter a "turncoat of liberty" because of his support for Common Core, warning yesterday that the education standards will turn kids gay. Vitter came out in favor of Common Core while Gov. Bobby Jindal, who once supported Common Core, is now trying — so far unsuccessfully — to repeal the standards. Angry with Vitter's remarks, the Tea Party group responded by linking to an article titled "Common Core Turns First Wave Of Students Gay," apparently unaware that it was from the parody website Broken World News.
The Times-Picayune notes that Broken World News lists on its About page: "If you believe any of the shit you read here you are a freaking moron."
Freaking morons, indeed.
- Trix