ART by STOWE: Star War Valentines 2010
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In Tancredo’s view, the Tea Party movement would never have been sparked under a McCain administration because Republican Party leaders and activists would have been muffled from criticizing their president. Meanwhile, McCain would be cutting deals with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
If the Arizona senator had won, Tancredo said, “Sarah Palin would not be free to tell it like it is.”
If McCain had won, “There would be no Republican in Ted Kennedy’s seat in Massachusetts.”
Tancredo, best known for his hard-line stance against illegal immigration, also said the theoretical McCain administration would have already held a bill signing ceremony outside the White House with Rep. Luis Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat who previously worked with McCain on an unsuccessful overhaul of U.S. immigration laws that would have provided a path to citizenship for some of the illegal immigrants residing in the U.S.
“We would not be here” if McCain had won, he said. “What happened to us in that last election was really a revolution.”
Tancredo also heaped criticism on Obama, calling him “a committed socialist ideologue” and warned against the “cult of multiculturalism” in America.
I agree with some of the Tea Partiers main arguments: that fiscal conservatism is the proper path, that government regulation has greatly exceeded its proper scope, and that states should be freer to govern without interference from the federal government.
But these principles are difficult to get behind when racist douchebags like Tom Tancredo and incoherent ninnies like Sarah Palin are leading the charge.
Further, my understanding is that the true tea-baggers fully embrace the social conservatism espoused by Republicans. My opinion is that any movement aimed at restricting the scope of government should at least be neutral on divisive issues like gay marriage and abortion. With so many independents out there, many of whom are essentially social liberals and fiscal conservatives, it's too bad no mainstream movement has credibly emerged to challenge the sad two-party hegemony.
Slate takes a look at the most terrifying political ad ever.
The credit card industry is so competitive that regulation is unnecessary.
4. Rather than a self-regulating and intensely competitive market of more than 5,000 issuers, the credit card industry is one of the most concentrated in the nation (and is increasingly being hit with allegations of monopoly practices). The top three issuers -- Bank of America, Citibank and Chase -- control more than 60 percent of outstanding credit card debt. Consumer choice has declined over the past 20 years as economies of scale for marketing, administration and customer service have led thousands of card issuers to cash out to the largest banks. And self-regulation has failed when it comes to weeding out the worst card issuers; Visa and MasterCard have dismal track records in disciplining their members.
Clicky for the five others.
Here's the list. You (and I) check in midway at number 26:
26. You
Charges: Based solely on Fox News and cartoon depictions of evil scientists, you think “Climategate” is a real controversy that somehow affects the truth of global warming. You think science is just another religion. You think Dan Brown writes nonfiction. You want the government to get its hands out of your Medicare. You think Dr. Oz can heal you with his palms. You believe in horoscopes. You bought a Snuggie. You’re suddenly outraged by government malfeasance because because a black guy got elected, or you refuse to be outraged by government malfeasance, because you don’t want to come across as racist. You think Avatar was either the worst or best film ever and you have film chops to describe why, yet you know fuck all about how the real world works, because you’re too busy satiating yourself with junk food, internet porn and “reality” HDTV to care. It took a fucking Underwear Bomber for you to learn about Yemen. You’re proud of your ignorance and proud of that too. In other words, you suck, you know it, and your every word is a sad and futile attempt to deny it.
Exhibit A: Glenn Beck.
Sentence: Glenn Beck.
Jay Leno makes the list as well:
12. Jay Leno
Charges: Longtime font of tepid zingers and sad Kevin Eubanks banter, the Chin that ate Letterman went too far this year with his vainglorious quest to completely vanillify prime time comedy. But, like an obese, mustachioed stretch pants enthusiast, America simply wasn’t drunk enough at 10 to find Leno attractive. While technically not an ‘09 infraction, his decision to bump Coco—rather than have the sack to break contract—is only further testament to the man’s largely undeserved ego. Seriously, Jay, stop buying cars already.
Exhibit A: Makes Jimmy Fallon seem hilarious.
Sentence: New gig as Craig Ferguson’s eyebrow handler.
But Beck is number one.
1. Glenn Beck
Charges: As the Sybil of cable punditry and graduate of the prestigious University of I Don’t Remember, Beck’s bipolar professor routine is hands down the funniest thing on TV. When he gets out the chalkboard and starts drawing trees and playing misspelled word association games with a comically grave demeanor, Beck makes Stephen Colbert look like a piker. The fact that millions of Americans think he knows what he’s talking about, however, is not funny at all. If this simpering boob, blubbering the same old reds-under-the-bed melodrama from the ‘50s with a sophomoric Da Vinci Code twist, is the face of the people’s rebellion, sign us up for the empire.
Exhibit A: “This president has exposed himself as a guy, over and over and over again, who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture… I’m not saying that he doesn’t like white people.”
Sentence: Drowned in crocodile tears; eaten by crocodile.
I have a simple three-step test to indicate whether a country is "governable":If your answer to any of these questions is "yes", then you may be living in a country that is ungovernable, and should consult the World Bank, or an arms dealer, if the symptoms do not resolve within a week.
- Is it having, about to have, or living in the aftermath of, a coup?
- Has the civil war killed at least 1% of the population?
- If an alien landed and demanded to be taken to see a representative of your government, would you be unable to comply with this request?
Otherwise, you are living in a functional nation-state. You may not like what the government does (or doesn't do), but it is governable, and indeed, is being governed right this very minute!
I'm as tired of the GOP's crap-tactics as anyone, and not necessarily because I'm a huge fan of Obama's proposed reforms. Still, I agree with McArdle. A little gridlock (or a lot) doesn't make the country ungovernable.
Healthcare lawyer. New Dad. Part-time rock singer. Huge web dork. Houston Proud, etc.
