I saw this picture a couple of days ago and I wasn't going to write about it. I don't think Herman Cain is going to get the nomination. He's not going to ever have any real elected power. He's just a local radio talk show host Americans for Prosperity has propped up to be the straight-talking reason the tea party isn't racist (wink, wink). Speaking of which, yesterday I was on a right-wing radio show (he says he's "independent"...wink) and there were John Birch Society ads running during the break and the narrator had a distinctly African-American voice. Interesting.

Anyway, it wasn't until last night at the 84th GOP primary debate when Cain called the first female Speaker of the House "Princess Nancy" right in the middle of his sexual harassment scandal did he really get my ire up. "Queen" I think I'd be OK with. But really? Princess? She's a history maker, a grandmother and a respected Democrat wrangler - not a vacuous tween irritant. Men who don't see women as equals, don't get how not to be demeaning.

Plus when you're not a schmuck who uses your influence to get women to do you sexual favors and you're accused of doing that - you don't start blaming "democrat machines" and fingering whomever you think leaked the story. A "leak" by the way, denotes truth - as opposed to a "smear" which is false. A true story is leaked...probably by Romney.

So in the wake of the "Princess Nancy" projectile: I submit this picture of Herman Cain and Chicago broadcaster, Amy Jacobson. This picture was released after Jacobson said she was a witness to Cain and his first public accuser, Sharon Bialek, hugging at an event a month ago. This was after Cain said he'd never met the woman accusing him of sexual harassment (and groping).

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Michele Bachmann goes to Washington to legislate. Legislate means "making laws". Strangely enough, Bachmann doesn't seem to understand what it means to comply with those laws.

The ad at the top is the newest attack ad against Tarryl Clark, Bachmann's capable progressive opponent. Although Bachmann appears at the beginning of the ad for 3 seconds, it is not in compliance with election laws in Minnesota.

Seph Tanner at Daily Kos explains:

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Time 10:47am EST

"Local news posted photo of arrested photog - all arrests were directed by Republican poll watchers. I don't nor does any other legal authority, know why it is illegal" to photograph - TV news cameras abounded. I will challenge it tomorrow. It was intimidation pure and simple and the people buckled after the arrest. I have taken photographs myself and will have them in a few hours. That's if I'm not arrested too!"

Any Doubt about Santorum?

via BlondeSense:

A little reminder “In his Senate office, on a shelf next to an autographed baseball, Sen. Rick Santorum keeps a framed photo of his son Gabriel Michael, the fourth of his seven children. Named for two archangels, Gabriel Michael was born prematurely, at 20 weeks, on Oct. 11, 1996, and lived two hours outside the womb.

Upon their son's death, Rick and Karen Santorum opted not to bring his body to a funeral home. Instead, they bundled him in a blanket and drove him to Karen's parents' home in Pittsburgh. There, they spent several hours kissing and cuddling Gabriel with his three siblings, ages 6, 4 and 1 1/2. They took photos, sang lullabies in his ear and held a private Mass.

"That's my little guy," Santorum says, pointing to the photo of Gabriel, in which his tiny physique is framed by his father's hand. The senator often speaks of his late son in the present tense.”

Oh yes, there is lots more at the link above.

To each his own, but……

War on Terror

via Liz

correction: picture was photo shopped by Liz

Admiral Thad Allen approved part of Louisiana's Barrier Island project proposal today as a component of the Federal oil spill response, opening the door for Louisiana to recover its costs from BP or the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.

As important as the costs are, approval is far more significant for Louisiana's coastal wetlands. The proposed plan allows for 45 miles of barrier berms to be constructed immediately to protect the coastline and wetlands from oil, particularly in the event of a hurricane.

The photo at the top is from the plan filed (PDF) with the Army Corps of Engineers. The highlighted areas are where the berms will go.

Hopefully they can get this project underway immediately and complete it fast, before the hurricanes start rolling in.

USA Next sued for $25m over AARP ad

via AmericaBlog

A $25 million four-count lawsuit was filed today in federal court in Washington, DC against right-wing front group USA Next and political consulting firm Mark Montini International for stealing an Oregon couple's wedding photo and using it without permission in a high-profile gay-bashing ad designed to drum up support for social security privatization by attacking AARP. A hearing has already been scheduled on the emergency motion for a temporary restraining order before by Judge Reggie Walton today at 3pm EST in Courtoom 5, US Court House, Washington, DC, 3d and Constitution. The hearing is open to the media.

Salon has more here

Full Press release can be seen here

Well I couldn't be happier. USA NEXT uses smear tactics on AARP, then lies about buying the photos as reported by CNN to smear the AARP. Let's see how this plays out.

USA Next accused of stealing photo of gay couple for anti-AARP ad campaign

via AmericaBlog

WASHINGTON, DC - Conservative front organization USA Next was accused today of illegally using a gay couple’s wedding photo in an anti-gay ad campaign supporting President Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security.

The couple in the photo, Richard M. Raymen and Steven P. Hansen of Portland, Oregon, have come forward through an attorney to demand that USA Next stop using their image, and that the organization publicly apologize for using their image in a homophobic and libelous way. The demand, contained in a letter sent today to USA Next Chairman and CEO Charles Jarvis, references the couples’ right to seek damages for the misappropriation of their image.

One of my favorite sites is BagNewsNotes, which looks at media framing through the media's choices of visual images. This picture was not taken from a news site, but America.gov. What kind of subliminal messages are they sending to us with the use of this photo to discuss the meeting between Hillary Clinton and Hamid Karzai?

Let's go Butler. It's been a good tournament.

You can watch the game on-line here.