One way to ensure only Republicans are eligible for a scholarship

My Cliff's Corner Column from AMERICAblog

Thanksgiving

Another week. More preposterousness to report.

Ok so we’re coming up on Thanksgiving, a time when we give thanks for all that is special in our lives. And I don’t mean special in a George W. Bush hooked-on-phonics kinda way.

I’m thinking about the truly wonderful things that have hopefully graced our lives over the past year.

But that’s not all! We’re also granted the opportunity to unpack stale mythology as we pretend we bonded with Native Americans long enough to eat a meal ensemble where they actually weren’t the main course — and conveniently forget that we did to their land what Bob Ney did to their casino profits. And if they didn’t like it, we stuck a gun barrel in their face and told them to go Jack Abramoff.

Yet, with that lumpy gravy about to flow like the dopamine levels in Karl Rove’s cerebral cortex during pseudo-giddy electoral predictions, I figured why not use this hallowed space to give thanks for all that has blessed my life over the past year:

Thanks to my one-month old adorable son Douglas, for entering my life (and my beautiful wife for doing, let’s say, 98.7% of the work) and already having more hair and understanding of the Sunni Triangle than Dick Cheney.

Thanks to IMs, Congressional Pages and attempted GOP cover-ups.

Thanks to Keith Olbermann, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert for fighting the insidious "liberal media.”

Thanks to “Democrat” Marty Peretz’s wife for buying his public platform, so we can listen to his post-Trotskeyite, pathetically pretentious, imbecilic faux-sagacity on Iraq.

Thanks to obscure Tunisian racist phrases.

Thanks to The Young Turks, the best damn show on radio — where I am allowed to spew my pablum once a week.

Thanks to J.D. Hayworth, for losing.

Thanks to Sean Hannity’s hairdresser — it’s really a delight (and kinda gay).

Thanks to FoxNews Democrats like Susan Estrich and Kirsten Powers for their helpful and insightful analysis as to why their party sucks.

Thanks to Democrats for suddenly remembering the word “Iraq” during the campaign.

Thanks to the great slate of Democratic populists who have the ability to change things in this country (I can’t just name a few here, it would do injustice to the rest).

Thanks to Connecticut election law for allowing primary losers to run for office until they finally find a way to win.

Thanks to Ken Mehlman’s closet… that must be where he his turnout formulas disappeared.

Thanks to Robert Greenwald for making the best damn progressive films out there.

Thanks to Tom DeLay for aborting his soul.

Thanks to AMERICAblog for everything you do.

Thanks to Anne Northup for losing.

Thanks to Ted Haggard, temptation and voicemail.

Thanks to Michael J. Fox.

Thanks to Brittany and K-Fed for the memories.

Thanks to Ann Coulter and her pet larynx for the memories.

Thanks to MSNBC bookers for allowing me to have nice conversations with Republicans on TV.

Thanks to Michael Steele for losing.

Thanks to Don Sherwood’s aggressive massage technique.

Thanks to Jim Talent for opposing stem cell research.

Thanks to bloggers for doing the MSM’s job.

Thanks to President Bush for waiting until after the election to go Ike Turner on Rumsfeld.

Thanks to martinis for turning Mark Foley into a molester and Mel Gibson into Charles Lindbergh.

Thanks to Howard Dean and the 50 state strategy.

Thanks to “The Dukestir.”

Thanks to the Republicans for bringing back Trent Lott — and Michael Richards for playing him on stage.

Thanks to Katherine Harris, just for existing — I smell reality show darling (I’ve already pitched it: Pearls Gone Wild).

Thanks to Karl Rove for “dealignment.”

Thanks to Dick Cheney for having stellar aim… I hear Grover Norquist has some free time and airline miles.

And finally, thanks to the entire GOP for running an operation Lucky Luciano would have been proud of. I appreciate your kindness in letting us have the legislature back so my son only had to spend three weeks and one day under unified criminal rule of our government.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! Hopefully you, like me, can rest a bit easier knowing Republicans actually have an assorted check or balance.

(Quick Plug: Check out a Podcast of my appearance on The Radio Agonist on KTLA San Antonioif you are so inclined.)

Below is a Podcast of my discussion last night on The Agonist Radio Program on KTLA San Antonio with Sean-Paul Kelley.

We got into my political prescriptions for winning in Ohio (where I have many family members). We also talked about taking on Republicans and not backing down, the 50-state strategy and the perils of being married to Mary Matalin.

Check it out if you are so inclined.

One Point For Brett

Our site-approved political consultant Brett chimes in again:

"Kerry Says 'Botched Joke' Won't Hurt 2008 Run"

Does he mean the recent war joke, or his 2004 Presidential run? BTW, I didn't find either of them all that funny.

Neither did I. In fact I found the 2004 campaign to be a complete joke, with the result about as funny as a standup routine by Michael Richards....

Fun With Dick And...Dick

How this obviously very stupid man continues to have a column, and better yet is called "liberal," is just beyond me.

It is certainly one of the reasons I cancelled my subscription to The Washington Post, finding bloviators like him, Ignatius and members of the right-wing clap-trap simply intolerable.

I am going on Radio Agonist tonight which is based on San Antonio and is being hosted by my friend and fellow progressive Sean-Paul Kelley.

We'll be talking about the race down there for Congress that is still ongoing (a special election to be set by the governor), because of The Supreme Court's adjustment to one of gerrymandered districts of future license-plate manufacturer Tom DeLay. In this race, progressive hero Ciro Rodriguez is taking on GOP corporate shill, bed wetter and rubber stamp Henry Bonilla.

We'll also be talking about the success of Howard Dean's 50-state strategy.

If not in the San Antonio area, listen to the live stream here

This is really just too bad...really.

Fox and OJ are really made for each other. As for Judith Regan, who just wanted to "face OJ" and "educate people" about domestic violence with this piece of crap book, maybe we should "educate" people on her bedroom romps with mobster and Giuliani pal Bernie Kerik in an apartment that was supposed to be used for resting 9/11 workers.

Is that a book you think you could sell Judith?

I just returned from Cincinnati where I spent Thankgiving with family. Sadly, also in the Queen City, Goodyear has continued to show their workers how little they value their labor.

It really struck me that this is exactly where progressives/populists need to be drawing the battle lines. Not only is it the right thing to do, but as Sherrod Brown and Ted Strickland showed in their very successful populist campaigns, if Democrats want to win again in Ohio, they must once again prove they are on the side of working Americans.

The Akron based Goodyear has cut jobs, wages, healthcare and pensions for years while making millionaires out of corporate humps who suck off the tete of actual labor they would never lower themselves to do. And hey, why bother when the continual flow of increased salaries and perks makes it more likely they'll see Fiji for the second time this year than an actual factory floor.

Now they want to close a plant in Tyler, Texas and can 1,100 workers, after posting their highest profits in seven years and of course giving out huge bonuses to old, fat, balding white guys with names like Chip.

The AFL-CIO has joined the battle, and frankly, this is the kind of fight progressives should be using to define the real "center" of American politics over the next generation.

Some folks have been asking where I am. On full time baby and visiting relative duty until Tuesday. Have been since Thursday.

It is way too much fun hanging with the kid full time (I could get used to it, too bad it doesn't pay)...So I'll be back, as some flabby-breasted post-steroidal California Governor has been known to say.

Unti then, here is another piece by our political consultant friend Brett, a little bit late...


In light of the NY Times article this morning, I have a bit of advice for Democrats in the guise of an old song;

You don't tug on Superman's Cape

You don't spit into the wind

You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger

And you don't ever, under any circumstance, talk to Adam Nagourney.

I know that he works for the New York Times. And I know that you think he is your friend. But he isn't. Nagourney wants to get into print, and nothing seems to sell better than making Democrats look bad. Don't believe me? Okay, here are headlines from articles he has written in the past nine months. See a pattern?

Flush of Victory Past, Democrats Revert to Finger-Pointing

For Buoyant Democrats, Even a Big Gain May Feel Like a Failure

Bush Trumpets Verdict in Iraq As Some Polls Lift G.O.P. Spirit

Dean and Party Leaders in a Money Dispute

Some Democrats Are Sensing Missed Opportunities

Let's be even more specific. Today, he wrote about Dem "finger-pointing" and all the wrangling going on. It gives the appearance that Democrats are in disarray. But just the opposite is true.

In the U.S. Senate, the Democrats had no contested leadership elections. The Republicans had a knock-down fight for whip, with Trent Lott winning by one vote. In the House, the Dems had one contested leadership election, and Hoyer won convincingly. The Repubs have contested elections for their top two positions. Plus, the right-wing base is up-in-arms about Mel Martinez as the RNC chair. With all due respect to Will Rogers, the Democrats are the more organized, and unified, Party at this moment. But that doesnâ't help Nagourney.

So he turned to his old bag of tricks, and got Carville on record attacking Howard Dean. Now, James Carville is a whole lot smarter and more accomplished than I am (ed note: I don't agree, certainly with the former--fame does not brains make), but he ought to know better. And the rest of the Democrats should learn from his mistake. So the next time Adam Nagourney calls for a quote, just remember that old song, and put him through to voicemail.


Hat Tip to my old pal Alexis.