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From 2007, my favorite Public Radio program, "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!". Open Thread below...

About Bluegal aka Fran
Bluegal aka Fran's picture
Executive Producer of The Professional Left Podcast. On staff at Crooks and Liars since 2007. Master's degree from Harvard. Happy wife of Driftglass. Mother of three geniuses. Obsessive knitter. Blogs at http://bgalrstate.blogspot.com. .
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fiver's picture

Corruption favors the wealthy.

curtilingus's picture

Awesome story thanks fiver.

Sounds like the guy needs to hold a new contest. Whens the last time some guy had 6 women break up with him in the same week?

fiver's picture

Truth can definitely be stranger than fiction.


Corruption favors the wealthy.

ldzppln's picture

GOP governors consider turning down stimulus money

BATON ROUGE, La. – A handful of Republican governors are considering turning down some money from the federal stimulus package, a move opponents say puts conservative ideology ahead of the needs of constituents struggling with record foreclosures and soaring unemployment.

Though none has outright rejected the money available for education, health care and infrastructure, the governors of Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alaska, South Carolina and Idaho have all questioned whether the $787 billion bill signed into law this week will even help the economy.

"My concern is there's going to be commitments attached to it that are a mile long," said Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who considered rejecting some of the money but decided Wednesday to accept it. "We need the freedom to pick and choose. And we need the freedom to say 'No thanks.'"

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., the No. 3 House Democrat, said the governors — some of whom are said to be eyeing White House bids in 2012 — are putting their own interests first.


Man smart, woman smarter.

RobertD's picture

...oh please, oh please, oh please...

I, for one, would *LOVE* to see how this would play out in Alaska.
; )

Excelsior's picture

PLEASE guys, turn it down! By all means, alienate the remaining dregs of your constituency! Spit in their faces, grind their families into dust, all the while twirling your mustaches and laughing your fruity laughs! We're all just salivating to see you bury yourselves like that.

Please do it. Please. *whimpers*


There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits

xoites defends Constitution's picture

I have no desire to see innocent people get tossed into the streets just to get the Southern White People's Party; i mean the GOP out of power forever.

bullfrog's picture
X!

where the hell have you been, i almost forgot about you!!

bullfrog's picture

... ridiculously sassy as always and she's been taking notes and bookmarks!

Tax the Rich's picture

That's what they voted for. Serves em' right! If this is what it takes to get republican psychopath's out of our lives, then by all means......


If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.

liberalNmoderation's picture

of course take the cash moneys at the last minute.
They're just flappin their jaws to make themselves look principled...

Rush, Hannity and BillO are saying that a Fairness Doctrine would shut down their free speech and would censor them. When 5 corporations control the airways and prevent the opposite views to be heard, isn't that censorship? I would like to see that argument made.

RobertD's picture

If BillO simply would have invited Cher to be live on the set with him when he called her a "pinhead," we *all* could have seen some censorship in action.

I think she would have shut down his "free speech."

Excelsior's picture

someone around here suggested they'd love to set Whoopi Goldberg on ol' BillO. What I wouldn't GIVE to see her rip him a new asshole!


There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits

liberalNmoderation's picture

I say we get all the right wing propagandists and put them on set with a pack of ravenous wild dogs.

Cronie3's picture

No, it's not censorship! It's a free market. Air America tried to break this, launched some great talent (Rachel Maddow anyone?), but it just shows that only conservatives/republicans/loonies listen to AM radio. Just because the government comes in and uses it's heavy hand to try and change that isn't going to make smart people start listening to AM radio. They've got better things to do!

Screw censorship, it's starts on AM radio and morphs into something like Feinstein's attempt to restrict freedom on the internet. It's NOT what Democrats are about!

ron's picture

Many of the progressive radio hosts beat out Rush, Hannity and BillO in certain markets and still are dropped. It's censorship of opposing views.

Cronie3's picture

These moves by Democrats turn off independents and makes us look like the whiners that I suppose we are. There is no controlling the marketplace of ideas, look who won despite "radios" best efforts.

ron's picture

that they are the whiners? Reality is reality. The truth has to be told and even the left,progressives or whatever label they want to put on us should have a voice in the airways that we all own. They may own the stations, but we own the airways. Are you going to let the corporations censor you?

Cronie3's picture

The government will not be able to change what people listen to. Corporations may be able to, but that's where we need to start, enforce monopoly rules and FCC regulations. Kill their advertising revenue, do anything BUT try to stop this with the government.

Honestly, who would really just start listening to AM radio because the government imposed some rules about political equality? You?

ron's picture

Now wre getting somewhere. So, regulate the media airways and get progressives in the media. Isn't that still government intervention?

xoites defends Constitution's picture

It happens when the Fire Department shows up to pry you out of an accident; when an officer of the law arrests a murderer.

We have to end it!

ron's picture

Not a good analogy. Comeon, you can do better than that.

xoites defends Constitution's picture

The airways belong to the public. The government is supposed to be us. The broadcast medium needs to serve us and not the bottom line of corporations nor their political ambitions.

How'd i do?

ron's picture

We know who is on the right side of the argument.

Cronie3's picture

I understand your analogy and agree with it in principle. I don't think the government doesn't have a purpose, but in regards to the airwaves it is not the same. Just show me where in law it states the airwaves are owned by the public. Also show me where one is prevented from purchasing airwaves if they desire. Just for the record...

Amitola's picture

..you..you Whiner!


"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy

fiver's picture

This has nothing to do with free market survival of the fittest. The system is rigged. How is Air America going to break into nationwide talk radio while being actively opposed by the likes of Exxon, Bank of America, GE and others.

Limbaugh has a significant audience because Clear Channel owns so many stations. Its not as if he's gotten much competition from the left.

Not from Air America anyway. How could they?


Corruption favors the wealthy.

upchuck's picture

That argument is the same exact argument that was used to create PBS. Every station is a for profit business. This means that the media will always have a pro-business stance; therefore, a nonprofit television station (PBS) was created.

ConcernedCanuck's picture

Says Obama Admin is NOT INTERESTED in even discussing bringing back the Fairness Doctrine. They are NOT INTERESTED in even thinking about it. There's your answer.

Tax the Rich's picture

They don't have to argue it, they own a monopoly. They are terrified what will happen if they did have to compete. They aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed.


If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.

Batocchio's picture

Great closing lines there.

Orangutan.'s picture

The Business Behind Getting High
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=16578...

Core of Corruption: (A look into American Politics)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SbSqe9Me_c

gogetem's picture

Core of Corruption looks really good!

Erroll's picture

Quite surprising that neither Countdown nor C & L has made mention of Obama attempting to make Afghanistan another Vietnam by ordering 17,000 American soldiers sent to that war-torn country.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-02-17...

xoites defends Constitution's picture

She had an entire segment on the futility of it all.

Truth B Told's picture

thats because the Obama admin sent out a low-key memo making the announcement.

like a sneak.

ron's picture

so low key, it's been all over the media.

bullfrog's picture

no one wants to talk about the pipeline, and the daniel plainviews* calling the shots?

and where's all that smack going? 90% of the world's heroin comes from afghanistan -somebody wants that resource, big time.

*from "there will be blood" -the p.t. anderson masterpiece.

bullfrog's picture

best way to put heroin dealers out of business is to convince everyone to get off heroin. i know, easier said than done, but that's how you do it.

Tequila's picture

The UAW takes it up the ass for a company which still wants to ask taxpayers to fund more lay-offs. States might get rid of the death penalty to cut costs. The Uighurs aren't allowed to move in with us.
The failed drug war in Mexico is expanding to Guatemala. ND is hoping SCOTUS will agree with a fertilized egg being the same as a human being. A guy kills himself in a church. Another run for the banks, because of Stanford.
UBS is forced to give up its stolen loot. And the Swiss are also bullshitting as usual:

"We accept full responsibility for these improper activities," Peter Kurer, chairman of Swiss-based UBS AG, said in a statement. He added that the bank was determined to abide by the terms of the deal with U.S. criminal and securities officials.

"Client confidentiality, to which UBS remains committed, was never designed to protect fraudulent acts or the identity of those clients, who, with the active assistance of bank personnel, misused the confidentiality protections," he said Wednesday.

Kim Jong Il wants to remind N. Koreans they live in a democracy by "voting" for his government. What legacy, George? Barry saves homeowners. His new pick for health secretary? Exxon doesn't think destroying Alaska is enough; so now it's going after California.McCain is still a bitter asshole.

sphinx's picture

Did George Washington Smoke Pot?

By HARVEY WASSERMAN

http://www.counterpunch.com/wasserman02162009...

Steve T.'s picture

Good discussion, but setting the issues aside -- if they can ever be set aside in this place -- one thing must be said. Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is a treasure. If you can't get it on local radio, you can get it for free as a podcast from iTunes. I do, every week.

What's best is when these smart, funny people and their smart, funny guests start improvising. The week after the election the show was on the road in Boston and had Barney Frank as a guest. The host, Peter Sagal, asked that since the Dems have won and don't have to pretend not to be socialists anymore, what industry are you going to nationalize next? [He was joking.]

Without hesitation Barney replied, "The Alaska Tourist Bureau," which brought the house down. I'm not sure he was joking.

Tequila's picture

How will Obama handle his federal judge picks? The Pope tries to guilt-trip Pelosi over abortion. Holder tells it like it is. The chimp owner flip-flops on whether or not she gave the animal Xanax.

Tequila's picture

Is the Skull and Bones organization tainted by grave-robbing? A Klan thug gets indicted
over a killing. Forensic labs suck.

Ferrofluid's picture

from MSNBC.com via AP

"Bushes, Kerry are members
Both presidents George W. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and many other men in powerful government and industry positions are members of the society"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29265600/?gt1=43001

Students used get tasered by police following orders from SS/staffers for asking politicians about S&B at public meetings.

Who could forget that horrible image of the police aiming that taser at his back as he legally talked over the microphone to Kerry.

Remember "dont tase me bro"

Tequila's picture

They don't want us to set up shop in their country.

sphinx's picture

President of Special Interests

...
The American economic elite are hiding their treason to the American people behind “free trade.”

I want to say this as clearly as it can be said. The offshoring of American jobs is the anthesis of free trade. Free trade is based on comparative advantage. Jobs offshoring is an activity in pursuit of lowest factor cost--an activity that David Ricardo, the originator of the free trade theory, described as the betrayal of one’s own country in pursuit of “absolute advantage.”

The “free market” shills on the payroll of the U.S. Chamber, NAM, and in economics departments and think tanks that are recipients of grants from transnational corporations are whores aligned with elites who are destroying the American work force.

Obama has appointed to his National Economic Council blatant apologists for the offshoring of American jobs.

Possibly Obama loves the country that elevated him to its highest office. But his administration is populated with people whose loyalty does not extend beyond elites to the American people.

http://www.counterpunch.com/

is sending him as an envoy to Russia. Can anyone explain? Weren't we all so offended when he was declared 9/11 commish because it was so outrageous? The guy had to resign. But here we go...wheeeeee!

via The Telegraph:
http://eyesonthelies.com/2009/02/07/kissinger...

momsmerrymelodies's picture

It's a Meet-Up of the Military/Industrial/PETROLEOM mafia. As someone else noted, to divide up territory. ISRAEL'S contirbution to world economic meltdown I mean really! was there ever a financial meltodwn that didn't include ISRAEL??????

bullfrog's picture

it's important everyone see that documentary and understand the case.

however, don't assume to know what's inside the heart and mind of henry kissinger. he may genuinely wish to atone for past sins; he's also probably got a ton of grandkids who call him "opa".

i seriously doubt ol' hank wants to see this whole place blown to kingdome come.

lilith's picture

.

theWalrus's picture

"Liberals may call him a "war criminal," but historians have inadvertently paid Bush a great tribute this week by ranking him as a "below average" president. I can only dream that, someday, no-name, left-wing historians will rank me as one of the all-time worst columnists."

Ann, you don't have to dream.

CoIntelPro.PronktasticlyAgainst.SCLM.E-Voting.Incumbents's picture

New York Post resorts to racism

Feb. 18: Rev. Al Sharpton expresses his outrage over the New York Post's decision to run a cartoon featuring a cops shooting and killing a chimpanzee with the caption, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/vp/292684...

NY Post is published by News Corp. Listed below are the Sr. level executives at News Corp. please show your outrage & bombard their email boxes & voicemails.

Teri Everett Sr. VP of Corp Affairs Jack Horner, Dir. of Corp. Affairs
212-852-7070 212-852-7952
teverett@newscorp.com jhorner@newscorp.com

The primary press contact for the NY Post: Steven Rubenstein steven@rubenstein.com 212-843-8043
Suzanne Halpin shalpin@rubenstein.com 212-843-8043

Please do not ignore this!


Some stuff you can't make up!

in a country in which all of our best leaders, from mlk to jfk to rfk, keep getting taken down, YOU CAN NOT JOKE ABOUT THIS CRAP.

i sure hope holder's ready to crack those f$cks over the head.

ysbaddaden's picture
)O(

I have to admit I didn't quite get the "joke." What was it's target? Obama didn't write the budget by himself, more than likely it was by committee, a little for me a little for thee.

It may've been a reference to a thousand monkeys writing for a thousand years but that's stretching it. Also I scratch your back if your scratch mine, and we'll eat what we find.

You could easily erase the words in the cartoon and make them the Darwinian police.

However, assassination jokes against any official from president on down wouldn't be accepted on most blogs, so why should this fish & chips wrapper print it?


Diabolus est Deus Inversus

Yesterday proved something to me I've always believed...that there are just as many progressive racists as there are conservative racists.

ysbaddaden's picture
)O(

Doesn't michelle (gri)malkin call every guy Joe?


Diabolus est Deus Inversus

bullfrog's picture

ever seen "when we were kings"?

george foreman gets injured sparring, and the fight gets postponed. ali gets frustrated and says he wishes foreman would hurry up and fight him 'cause he's "messin' with my dreams".

that's how i feel about eric holder. hurry up and bust these crooks, YOU'RE MESSIN' WITH OUR DREAMS!!

noah's picture

NPR = National Propaganda Radio

Right Wing Hater's picture

Bush crime family....

They took out all the so called 'moderate' voices (that I never really could find anyway)...and put in corporatists & free marketeers....


We don't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children - Native American proverb
If being cold means there's no such thing as global warming, does being full mean there's no such thing as world hunger?

Right Wing Hater's picture

Paul Krugman: Apocalypse now - http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/a...
Everyone should be paying attention to the political/fiscal catastrophe now unfolding in California. Years of neglect, followed by economic disaster — and with all reasonable responses blocked by a fanatical, irrational minority.
This could be America next.

US commander: Allied Troops 'stalemated' in Afghanistan by Taliban - http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/A...

For a degrading, violent, racist cartoon against President Obama, the New York Post is the BuzzFlash Media Putz of the Week. The disturbing part of the Sean Delonas cartoon is that it can be seen as degrading and racist on multiple levels. Yes, and sponsored by Rupert Murdoch.
- http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/honors/131

Looting Social Security - http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090302/greider...
These players are promoting a tricky way to whack Social Security benefits, but to do it behind closed doors so the public cannot see what's happening or figure out which politicians to blame. The essential transaction would amount to misappropriating the trillions in Social Security taxes that workers have paid to finance their retirement benefits. This swindle is portrayed as "fiscal reform." In fact, it's the political equivalent of bait-and-switch fraud.
Its simple, lift the cap....problem will be solved

Pinko, Socialist, Che Guevara follower Alan Greenspan backs temporarily nationalizing banks. - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/e310cbf6-fd4e-11dd-a1...

Robert Parry: 'Bitter' Gore; 'Principled' McCain - http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/021809.html

Dana Jill Simpson: Make Rove Testify on Siegelman on Monday - http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/39922

Howard Dean: The Far Right's All Out Offensive Against Medical Research - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-dean/the...
The Republican War on Science continues...

Brad Blog: 'Green News Report' - http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6906

Joe Conason: The Obstructionists Lost - http://www.observer.com/2009/politics/obstruc...

Dr. James Hansen Calls On Americans To Join Him At The Largest Protest On Global Warming In U.S. History
- http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/dr_ja...


Political Irony: http://politicalirony.com/2009/02/18/nation-b...
http://politicalirony.com/2009/02/18/the-incr...
http://politicalirony.com/2009/02/18/random-q...


We don't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children - Native American proverb
If being cold means there's no such thing as global warming, does being full mean there's no such thing as world hunger?

Right Wing Hater's picture

Depression fetishists?

Why is human suffering & misery at the top of their list (see con-servative 'bootstrap theory', torture, and 'social darwinism' for further details)?

What did the middle class ever do to them?


We don't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children - Native American proverb
If being cold means there's no such thing as global warming, does being full mean there's no such thing as world hunger?

Tax the Rich's picture

We had a small piece of the pie. Having millions isn't enough. Not when you can have billions. They are sick!


If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.

tyree's picture

kenery kissingers is and was a nazi bastard ! and he belongs in the obama administration, wheres the old outrage that used to prevail on here when the bush cheny thugs owned the whitehouse? if it was bush shipping 17000 more american troops to afganistan for furthering the agression that bush started youall would be foaming at the mouth, but now that the democrats and obama have become the new war criminals few open thier yaps about where were headed, obamas either a fool or just a dupe of the pentagon, take your pick, that afganistans just the second phase of the land grab for domination of the peoples whos country it belongs to, for israel and the corporations who own america, my how times have changed , this government now has your money from taxes and thier useing it against us to distract from its criminal acts against iraq and afganistan, and if your in agreement with obama on his sending more troops to afganistan then you are the party of the new warmongers!

Tax the Rich's picture

Are you saying Obama's not the perfect liberal? He's still better than any damn repuke. But I hear ya. He has already done several things I don't like.


If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.

tyree's picture

obamas not a liberal at all! hes a right of center politician, as are most republicans , both he and hillary are cut from the same cloth, had clinton been the chosen one as president you wouldnt see any difference in thier policys ,and no ones ever seen me voice any praise for a republican on here never,

bullfrog's picture

freezing cold and clear skies, like it is here in illinois?

the heat's out in my building, no hot water, and i am literally wearing one sock, because i forgot to do my laundry!!

tyree's picture

morning froggy, flurries here and cold, dont sweat the dirty laundry put on what yah got and never mind the smell, a hundread yrs from now youll never even remember it!;]

bullfrog's picture

about what you told me -about not worrying about my ex-girlfriend. of course, you're right. but something just doesn't sit right with me.

see, i've got a little history with the raging alcoholic she hooked up with.

we used to be short order cooks on the same line. and this guy was one of those people who was a real bastard when he was sober, but a total chum once he had his first after-shift drink in him.

he used to treat me like crap and boss me around for 7 hours straight. eventually i got him back, as i usually do when someone f$cks with me unprovoked -i made a point of walking out on the single busiest football saturday of the year.

so, i'm a little worried for my ex-girlfriend, especially if she plans on getting in a car with this guy.

i mean, this guy is so much of a drunk, i swear he starts out his day with a bath in a tub full of rumplemints.

this guy dumps shots down the old hatch like he's his own damn research monkey.

i call him the "indiana jones of the liquor cabinet", because if there's a drop of booze to be unearthed, he'll find it!!

tyree's picture

well froggy thiers an old saying [ thiers none so blind as he who will not see! we all make our own mistakes and have to live with them, if you can see what he is then she can see it too, it is what it is, if your breakup was not your fault then your concern is not going to change a thing,if she did it to you once then thier will allways be a second time, sad to say!

bullfrog's picture

the break up was my fault. i let a stupid, dogmatic thought derail what we had, and what we had was beautiful.

and, no, i'm not too judgmental about the guy she's with now, because overall, i like him.

and i do need to do some soul-searching of my own. i need to sober up, myself, at least for a while. i've been putting this off WAY too long.

so i'm gonna take some time off from c&l.

see you around may day.

fastfeat's picture

Do what you gotta do to stay together. I enjoy reading your stuff. Hope you're back soon.


"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."

---Southwest Airlines

bullfrog's picture

i thought i once heard you say some kind words about soupy sales, i think he usually votes G.O.P.!

gogetem's picture

Good post, tyree. I've just finished Sy Hersh's Price of Power about Kissinger in Nixon's White House. He's a real two-faced bastard, playing the media like a fiddle, pretending he's some kind of liberal when really, he's as hard ass of a hawk as they come. And a complete opportunist kissing Nixon's ass.

Calling him a Nazi may be a bit extreme, but he's extremely far right and a war criminal to boot.

tyree's picture

yeah i said i never watch him!

tyree's picture

guys like george carlin were my kind of commedian!and i hope your cats better!

momsmerrymelodies's picture

Anytime I see this LIAR, I just have to gag!! Why does ISRAEL have more 'rights' in the US than the common citizen??????

tyree's picture

because the zionests saw the potential long ago and bought up everything that controls america news corporations politicians the military!

momsmerrymelodies's picture

Yes, and that Murdoch, who mouths not being Zionist, is just exactly that!

Cronie3's picture

whoops meant to reply

fastfeat's picture

"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."

---Southwest Airlines

ysbaddaden's picture
)O(

So when's Al Franken gonna get his seat?


Diabolus est Deus Inversus

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