Weekly Roundup, March 5-12, 2012

by Blueberry T

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Womens History Month: Are We Going Backwards?

Ebbtide’s guest post ushered in Women’s History Month with a sobering look at GOP attacks on women’s rights that threaten to undo progress that many had taken for granted. We are having to refight battles that we thought were won decades ago. Fair pay. Choice. Contraception. The definition of “forcible rape.” Criminalizing miscarriage (miscarriage of justice). Allowing doctors to deny medical care to women whose lives are threatened, rather than perform abortions – or to deny them truthful information about their pregnancies. This post happened to coincide with the tremendous reaction against Rush Limbaugh’s vile, disgusting and prolonged slander against Sandra Fluke, which led to such outrage that many of his advertisers deserted him. That, and the news that even Republican and Independent women are becoming alienated by the GOP’s “culture wars” and interference in women’s decisions, leaves room for hope that our daughters and theirs will not have to fight these same tired battles.

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Geoffrey Dunn on Steve Schmidt’s Confession

Kathleen’s post highlights Geoffrey Dunn’s excellent review of the movie Game Change. Dunn characterizes the movie as Steve Schmidt’s confession about his role in picking Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate, without vetting, as a brazen political tactic to counteract Barack Obama’s popular appeal.

Steve Schmidt: “I think that she helped usher in an hour of know-nothingness, and mainstreamed it in the Republican Party to the detriment of the conservative movement... And I think her nomination trivialized American politics, and had a lot of results that I'm not particularly comfortable with. And, of course, you know, I had a very personally difficult relationship with her during the campaign. But it was a mistake. There's just no two ways about it.”

And this from Dunn: Game Change serves as Steve Schmidt's confession. The film reveals Palin for what she is: intellectually dysfunctional, psychologically imbalanced, and most importantly, politically polarizing. Near the end of the film, Schmidt emotionally apologizes to McCain: "I'm so sorry that I suggested her."

The post also includes several excellent interviews, setting the stage for the movie premier.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

More Treasonous Teabaggers – Issa and West

Sunnyjane continues her excellent series on the Tea Party Republicans who are wreaking havoc with our government. This post focuses on Congressmen Darrell Issa of California and Allen West of Florida. A more sorry pair would be hard to conjure up. For all his wealth, Issa has repeatedly displayed a paucity of judgment and a moral bankruptcy that spills over into the public domain. West is another RWNJ who is so dysfunctional that none other than Sarah Palin thinks he would be a perfect vice presidential candidate. Perhaps she thinks that he is such a whack job that it would make her look good in comparison? Sunnyjane, thanks for taking another one for the team.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Palinbots Fake a Playbill for the Premier of Game Change

Andrew Breitbart may be dead, but his deceptive, conniving spirit lives on in the Republican Party. Since these people cannot win on the merits of their arguments or their work, they must resort to trickery and cheating. And so it came to pass that on Thursday evening, Palinbots distributed a fake playbill to those attending a special screening of Game Change. The playbill was a poor attempt to discredit the movie, but the likelihood is that it discredited Palin and her minions instead. Rightly so.

Game Change

The long-awaited premier of Game Change finally happened, and Politicalgates had a live-blogging party! The general consensus is that the movie is an excellent portrayal of Palin’s ignorance, mental instability, hunger for power and willingness to blame and step on people who fall out of her favor. We all agreed that the portrayals of Todd, their relationship and her relationship to her children were completely off-base. In the end, the movie conveyed a strong sense of guilt on the part of Schmidt. That’s nice, but I personally do not accept this as adequate atonement for unleashing Palin on America. He and others need to reveal the rest of what he knows, to put an end to the Hitler-esque rise of a demagogue that we see as the movie ends. Those who enabled her and those who still enable and cover for her are complicit in what happened during and since the election. Palin unleashed latent racism and hatred in this country, and the damage will be here for years to come unless someone shows her for what she really is. The movie is a start, but not an end, to that important task.

Some Comments and Links:

Psalm023: So much news to chew on and it makes me want to withdraw for a day to get a straight bearing again. With the damage and loss of life from the tornadoes, and the hateful Rush-speak, Breitbart, the constant unreasonable criticisms of the President from the far right, the racist remarks, the division, religion being used as a political tool, politicians who will do and say anything to get elected, and SP and those like her who get away with everything, all sounds like a reason to get discouraged. But, a community of people who keep up the good fight, keeping informed and getting the word out, one small step at a time, I think, will open the floodgates of truth and integrity back to the front lines.

Amy1: Imagine an all-women panel setting guidelines for Viagra use! Imagine men asking their female bosses for permission to ask for Viagra ins.coverage.

Louiecypher: Oh Sarah Sarah, you little CT (and that doesn't stand for Crazy Teenager!). Still hoping for a brokered convention, and time to fire up the grift machine or as we call it SarahPac. Ah a pre-paid tripp opps typo, trip to Floriduh for you and the kids, damn maybe you can fire up the Magic Grift O' Bus!!! Warmer climes and better times, oh curious does toad do you iron doggy style or is that just for other ladies? This could be a game changer (damn did I say that?). Just a hint Sarah beware of the Ides of March.... -Louie

Lillibird: In her crazy delusional little brain she does think Obama beat her and she is out for revenge everytime she opens her mouth. She lives with Obama in her head every hr of every day and he doesn't give her the time of day and it's eating her alive and driving her crazier..

HelenNPN had a great long comment on Wednesday night; here is part: The GOP is literally waging a war on women's reproductive rights on many levels… Men usually think reproductive rights (birth control, abortion) is about sex, but it isn't. For women it is about freedom itself. The ability to control what happens with your own body is probably the most basic freedom that humans have. Unlike men, for women the ability to lead a self determined life, to choose how one's life will unfold, depends directly on being able to control their fertility.

Rush has tremendous reach. Did you know he is piped in daily to the military at taxpayer expense? This is a blatant exercise in dumbing down troops, providing them misinformation disguised as news with
unremitting attacks on minorities, females, other religions, foreigners… Rush Limbaugh is the purest propagandaist the right wing has…Take Rush off of Armed Forces Radio http://wh.gov/X1O

Sunnyjane: Palin IS a big pain, but I think it's really important to expose her for the raving idiot she truly is. Fortunately, I think even the right is tired of her.

More_Cowbell, with an assist from Maddies­_Mom: Mary also had a more believable birth story!

IWantTheTruth: Her communication skills may be crazy but she DOES communicate anger, resentment, hatred, disdain, victimhood very well.

EbbtideMB pointed out this gem: Somebody at Little Green Footballs describes the Breitbart fanclub (or bitty-barts, as some call them) this way: "He was in it for the money, his disciples are in it for the cause." Now, who does that remind you of?

Linda1961: On this date in history:

1629 - Charles I dissolved Parliament. Although he ruled alone for 11 years afterward, this didn't end well for him, as he was executed in 1649 by Parliament for treason.

1969 - James Earl Ray received his sentence for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. Ray got 99 years in prison.

2012 - A refrigerator in Wasilla AK died due to excessive hits from canned goods thrown by an enraged Sarah Palin as she "didn't watch" "Game Change."

Laprofesora952: My favorite part of the movie was when Steve Schmidt confronted Scarah about the Couric interview, telling her it was her fault it had gone so badly. I had never heard any reports of anyone ever confronting her about her inadequacies or culpability. It was a beautiful thing, I could watch it over and over.

Dusty linked to the incomparable margaretandhelen.

HopeforAmerica reminded us of how McCain came to pick Palin.

Sassy pointed out this sobering article on hate groups; turns out the right-wing groups vastly outnumber the left-wing groups; what a surprise… (not).

Cheeriogirl linked to this on Eric Cantor’s “Wheel of Fortune.”

Honestyingov found this from Esquire on Game Change.

Zane1 linked to Daily Beast – Andrew absolutely nails this review of Game Change.

Good article in Washington Monthly on President Obama’s many outstanding accomplishments.

A brilliant Colbert, this one on targeted killing of American citizens; here is his tremendous smack-down of Rush Limbaugh, including this gem: “and Rush knows what he’s talking about, because every time he’s had sex with a woman, he’s had to slip her a pill first.”

The Last Word: Patrick linked to this scathing piece on Rush Limbaugh by Martin Bashir: "Is it really in Republicans’ best interest to be known as an apologist for such an odious, loathsome and tired sack of hatred?"
+++

UPDATE (by Patrick): All Americans, regardless whether they are Republicans or Democrats, today should feel proud of Steve Schmidt, McCain's former senior campaign advisor. Steve Schmidt today gave an absolutely brilliant, brutally honest interview on Morning Joe, which I regard as almost historic. Rarely before have we seen such an honest, straightforward and merciless assessment by a former political player. Just the plain truth, free of party politics and ideology, but driven by regret and feelings of responsibility. Steve Schmidt has shown a lot of courage, and hopefully this will have an impact and change things for the better.

Watch: