After the past week, I couldn't stop thinking about this ever-timely Pete Seeger song. What was the biggest pile of Republican garbage this week?

They Gave Us a Republic: Big bank execs make out like bandits.

Majikthise: Nicaragua's shocking abortion ban, and the deadly consequences.

Sadly, No: Megan McArdle argues against health care reform, ignoring pesky facts, including an important medical innovation.

Cheyanne's Campsite: Celebrate Pete Seeger's 90th year and the Newport Folk Festival's 50th.

Guest post by Batocchio. Temporarily send tips to batocchio9 AT yahoo DOT com. Thanks.

2006 SENATE RACE RANKINGS: Hotline's editor-in-chief, Chuck Todd's analysis of the races....and vet and senate candidate, James Webb, shows he knows how to respond to vile GOP slurs. In other congressional news, it appears that the Ney operation is crumbling. Pete Seeger on our friend and NY Dem candidate for congress, John Hall.

Sadly, No! In Praise of Robert Somerby

Sooner Thought: We know the proudly ignorant G-Dub doesn't read, but apparently, nobody in that chickensh*t outfit does. BushCo could have saved themselves the trouble of pissing off the entire world by peeking into their bank records and simply read Loretta Napoleoni’s book, which lays out how terror funding really works.

Taylor Marsh: Jack Bauer would laugh at Rush...who may have a new gig.

Martini Republic: Here's a story that slipped under the radar..

TDS on Delay's ACU Tribute

Blast form the Past

I'm digging in the vault to see what I come up with and this is a winner. The American Conservative Union sponsored a big party in honor of Tom Delay back in June. As usual-they all blamed the media for his troubles and Phyllis Schlafly hit the high point with her Star Trek reference.

Download | play -WMP only- Download | play -QT

Roy Blunt makes a cameo appearance too.

Blunt: When I became the WHIP, he gave me a velvet coded hammer

Jon: "You never hear about the laws Tom Delay doesn't break."

The segment wrapped up with a tribute to "The Hammer" by playing Pete Seeger's song called " If I Had a Hammer"

Jon: If Tom Delay actually had a hammer, he'd bludgeon Pete Seeger to death...

DOWNLOADS: (1805)

PLAYS: (3962)

Embed

Bill O'Reilly has a plan for the Republican Party to get its mojo back: Go after Bruce Springsteen!

Seriously.

O'Reilly last night, in his Talking Points Memo segment, cites a remark Springsteen made at the Pete Seeger tribute concert the other night:

At 90, he [Seeger] remains a stealth dagger through the heart of our country's illusions about itself. ... He sings all the verses, all the time. Especially the ones that we'd like to leave out of our history as a people.

This incensed O'Reilly -- who nonetheless spotted an opportunity therein:

Now, Bruce Springsteen is not a PhD in political science, obviously. But his snide reference to America defines how the far left sees this country. And you know what? Most liberal and conservative Americans disagree with him.

So let me spell this out to that even the Republican leadership can understand it. Get solutions to problems. Explain your Culture War positions clearly and without spite. And most important, stick up for America! Because the Democrats are certainly not doing that. Use that strategy, GOP, and you'll get back in the game.

He repeats the point a little later with Karl Rove:

All right, but the Democratic Party has been very successful in demonizing the Republicans as a bunch of people who, uh, say no to everything, ah, are bigoted, you know, because of their social issues of gay marriage and illegal immigration. And they've been very, very successful in doing that. And I would say now that conservatives are on the defensive. And the Republican Party certainly is.

Continue reading »