The Bobblespeak Translations: Meet the Press - January 2. 2011

Emptywheel: Peter "Material Support for Terrorism" King

David E's Fablog: Goodbye Sailor

Jack & Jill Politics: In case you missed it, Arizona bans Ethnic Studies (h/t Blue Gal)

Bob Cesca: Adults? That's Rich

Bernard Avishai: Rising Calls For An American Imposed Peace Plan

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The Daily Show capped off a hilarious eight year run and paid tribute last night to the man that may have destroyed America, but was a great boon to the comedy industry. With a special "Men in Black-esque" cameo from WH Press Secretary Dana Perino.

I could not finish this article without crying. The number 3000 is far too staggering to consider when you put it into perspective of each one being a person whose words of wisdom to their loved ones, like First Sgt. Charles King, have been taken so unfairly away. How many children will not know the voice of their parent, like little Jordan? The NY Times Editor Dana Canedy shares her personal loss (reg. req.)

For months before my fiancé, First Sgt. Charles Monroe King, kissed my swollen stomach and said goodbye, he had been preparing for the beginning of the life we had created and for the end of his own.

He boarded a plane in December 2005 with two missions, really - to lead his young soldiers in combat and to prepare our boy for a life without him.

Dear son, Charles wrote on the last page of the journal, "I hope this book is somewhat helpful to you. Please forgive me for the poor handwriting and grammar. I tried to finish this book before I was deployed to Iraq. It has to be something special to you. I've been writing it in the states, Kuwait and Iraq.

The journal will have to speak for Charles now. He was killed Oct. 14 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his armored vehicle in Baghdad. Charles, 48, had been assigned to the Army's First Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, Fourth Infantry Division, based in Fort Hood, Tex. He was a month from completing his tour of duty.

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How's that War on Terror going, George? Everyone talks about Iraq, but they seem to forget that we initially started with an attack on the Taliban forces in Afghanistan. Maybe the administration prefers that we forget that, since Afghanistan doesn't appear to be in a better situation since our invasion, does it? The Taliban is strong and wreaking destruction on the citizens; opium crops and sales are up. Have we won hearts and minds yet?

HindustanTimes: (h/t GM)

While the world prepares to say goodbye to the year 2006, waiting eagerly to welcome the new year 2007, the people of Afghanistan, the Karzai government and the US and NATO fighters would like to forget their worst year since the ouster of Taliban five years ago.

The year 2006 witnessed the killing of over 3900 people, representing a four-fold increase over the 1000 deaths last year.

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Al Franken played this goodbye montage to Scotty on today's show..

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Stevens broke down after his latest attempt to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was defeated. Ted tried to use the defense spending bill to force through a home-state oil drilling provision.

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Stevens: "This has been the saddest day of my life It's a day I don't want to remember, and I'm sorry to see it come to an end -cause I am drawing a line with a lot of people I've worked with before. I really am--I say goodbye to the Senate tonight. Thank you very much."

Chip Reid notes: "Our senate producer stayed here until the wee hours last night to try to find out if senator stevens was saying he was going to resign. Ken asked are you coming back? Stevens said, quote, 'I don't know."

The MSNBC host felt so bad for Ted at the end of the segment that he said: "It has been his life for many years."

I guess he shouldn't have tried the slimy act of attaching his provision onto the defense spending bill.

Digby writes:

Because the beltway press corps has conditioned itself to respond only to Republicans. They've trained themselves not take Democrats seriously, either the rank and file who inconvenience them with e-mails they do not want to read, or the leadership they simply disdain. Unpopularity obligates them to criticize Bush at least mildly, but the relief they feel when his numbers edge up a bit is palpable. They don't seem to know this about themselves.

Say Goodbye

Libby withheld key info from investigators....

Frist and stocks and outside trusts...

Goodbye Robert the "Crypt Keeper "Novak

Their special guest was none other than Tucker Carlson.

I would have put up a clip, but they were hurting me.

CNN Lets 'Crossfire' Host Carlson Go

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

NEW YORK - CNN said goodbye to pundit Tucker Carlson on Wednesday, and with him likely the "Crossfire" program that has been the granddaddy of high-volume political debate shows on cable television. CNN will probably fold "Crossfire" into its other programming, perhaps as an occasional segment on the daytime show "Inside Politics," said Jonathan Klein, who was appointed in late November as chief executive of CNN's U.S. network. Klein on Wednesday told Carlson, one of the four "Crossfire" hosts, that CNN would not be offering him a new contract. Carlson has been talking with MSNBC about a prime-time opening replacing Deborah Norville. (hat tip manzano3)