I thought I had a comment on the last bit, but then, just blanked. Aye carumba.

Rush Limbaugh is a big, fat idiot.

This whole tax issue thing tells me one thing - and solidly so: Our tax system needs to be revised. Period.

I had both an accountant and lawyer tell me I would have no tax liability from the sale of a property and I wound up owing the IRS almost $23,000.00.

It is too complex and favors the wealthy. It needs to be revised.

And the word "freedom" wasn't in the Declaration of Independence either. So Rush made a bastardization of a bastardization.

Yeah, I am really unimpressed with this new trend of catching people "cheating" on their income taxes. I bet if you did a thorough audit of anyone who files more than an EZ, you'd find something they underpaid, and probably something they overpaid, too.

One year I accidentally took a child care deduction that was phased out for our income level, and I had to file an amended return when my accountant caught it the next year. Am I now branded with a scarlet T for life? Because if so, I don't think you are going to find many people pure enough to serve.

Speaking of taxes, did I read somewhere that the IRS stopped checking the tax returns of our financial betters because it was too complicated and instead decided to crack down on those of us with much simpler tax returns?

Did you all see the video of the police officer beating up the 15-year old girl? He kicks her pushes her into a wall, then the floor, punches her twice, then pulls her up by her hair. Wow. This guy has had 2 officer-involved shootings and a DUI. Why is he still a cop?

But the girl KICKED A SHOE AT HIM, resulting in "injury and pain!" PLus his report says he got a BLOOD BLISTER!

Even 'tho I'm sick of hearing and typing about Rush (but playing him along is good for the struggle), I note the orotund oracular obfuscater likes to pull junk out of his fat draft-evading and oxycontinental ass. I've called him "Rush Loombowel" because he weaves a fabric of BS ... But he doesn't just pull it out of his own ass - as many note, he spews out standard talking points. Anyone hear about or from any of the rightist propagandists behind the scenes? I'd like to read a tell-all from one of the trenchers, should it come out (or already did).

About that Blackwater renaming, Steve --- (Prounounced "Zee" - as in Nazi.)

A tip 'o the hat to Blue Girl for that one!

As Klein points out, Class Warfare started back with Reagan. Not coincidentally, it was the first time I remember, as a young lad, Republicans using the strategy of pre-emptive accusation...something so commonplace with them now. Even while they were beginning their class warfare, they accused the Dems of instigating class warfare.

For 25 years there's been a one-sided class war in this country. It's obvious who was on the loosing side now.

I have read transcripts of various things that Rush Limbaugh has said but I have never actually listened to him. This afternoon I heard a bit of his speech at CPAC on C-Span's radio station in DC -- just a couple of lines.

Content aside, I was very impressed by how much he sounds like a Nazi.

America, some of her anyway, is listening to the words spoken by a pain-killer addict.

To ease our pain, it's okay to believe the rant of a radio giant.

When the brain is denied opiates, it gets nastier.

Me thinks Rush has a touch of nastiness.

The left needs an unhinged ex-hippee to counter-act the bizarre stuff coming from Rush these days.

His voice is powerful

But then again, 99% of humanity is probably dumber than me.

Thank you for the link-love Steve! And thank you SteveW for the tip 'o the hat. Much appreciated.

Steve W, @17:56

Except that the "z" in Nazi *is not* pronounced as "zee" (as in "zebra" or "pizzle" ); it's pronounced as "ts" (similar to "patsy" and "tsunami"). The *philosophical* profile of the organisation does fit, though.

* Why did the RNC force its finance director out? -- Steve Benen

OK, I'll bite... Why? 'cause the article didn't say.

Well, we all saw how dangerous a shoe can be. Our retarded former presidunce was almost decapitated by one in Iraq. (snark) Would we have noticed if he had been? Steele had better watch out or Flush Limpbough, the Oxycontin Warrior, will be putting up the cop that beat the 15 y/o girl as the next head of the RNC. I would still like to know why Blackwater, or more accurately Murder, Inc., had to have silencers for weapons in Iraq. Also, I would like to say "F**K Yoo" to John Yoo. Your prison cell is waiting. Maybe Yoo would like to re-earn a law degree while in prison. It seems the first one didn't take.

The King County Sheriff's Office is the sorriest excuse for a law enforcement body I've ever encountered (and I'm an attorney in King County, so I have some basis for comparison). Oddly enough, my last interaction with a KCSO officer ended with him slamming me against the wall in the foyer of the courthouse....

The reason the repigs are whining about "class warfare" is because they know they're outnumbered and it's not fun to be the one riding the cart to meet the guillotine.

Why did you mock Rush for the preamble thing? No it's not in the Constitution, but it's in the Declaration of Independence, and the section he misquoted is part of our country's values, isn't it? You should criticize him for claiming that Obama's agenda takes aways rights to life, liberty, etc. Criticizing him for getting a quote wrong is just trivia, and it's stupid.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19517.html

Steele said he was sorry to Rush.

Let's not Rush to conclusions.

Did Steele even last 24 hours???

NOW we worry about the Constitution?

Here I was told by Republicans that it was just a goddam piece of paper.

No matter. Welcome to the party, Rush. Good to have ya. The beer's gone and the movie's over, but let's see what's in the frig.

Obama releases secret Bush anti-terror memos

There is some really juicy stuff in this article. Some of the best are:

The Justice Department released nine legal opinions showing that, following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Bush administration determined that certain constitutional rights would not apply during the coming fight. Within two weeks, government lawyers were already discussing ways to wiretap U.S. conversations without warrants.

and

"First Amendment speech and press rights may also be subordinated to the overriding need to wage war successfully," Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo wrote, adding later: "The current campaign against terrorism may require even broader exercises of federal power domestically."

Yeah, head will hopefully start rolling

yeah, steele said he was sorry to rush ... steele said, "i'm sorry! the democrats made me say it!"

reality has become perilously difficult to distinguish from parody. i don't understand how "the onion" stays in business.

while i don't have the link (i'm sure you can find it if you're willing to go there), if you want several minutes of jaw-dropping hilarity, i recommend the malkin post and comment thread about the steele-limbaugh/republicans-are-nazis thing.

the consensus is that steele is a weasel, "a follower, not a leader," for falling out of line.

they are actually arguing that republicans are responsible for passage of the 1960s civil rights legislation. there was consideration of whether martin luther king jr., a member of the republican party, would have voted for george bush or mccain. the consensus: historians and think tanks will have to figure that out.

someone pointed out in an aside that it was a "democrat tax increase" when bush1 was president.

that thread really is a breathtaking creation. i would love to see what's on the cutting room floor.

one of my favorite comments:

"In this country, diversity is a one way street, that has to change."

the context was an argument about GOP minority outreach. the person who made the above comment argued that nobody's going to arrest a black person if they register as a republican, what more do they want.

i have had my mind well and truly blown.

Except that the "z" in Nazi *is not* pronounced as "zee" (as in "zebra" or "pizzle" ); it's pronounced as "ts" (similar to "patsy" and "tsunami").

That was pointed to the person who first made the Xe-Nazi joke at Balloon Juice weeks ago.

Did Steele even last 24 hours???

I have to stop with all the popcorn. I'm going to weigh 400 pounds.

Tauscher is trying to distract attention from her awful anti-cramdown amendment with a little high-profile social legislation.

The action on DADT's welcome, she's right, but her amendment still sucks.

exlibra, Except that the "z" in Nazi *is not* pronounced as "zee" (as in "zebra" or "pizzle" ); it's pronounced as "ts" (similar to "patsy" and "tsunami").

But try pronouncing it 'tzee'! It's so --diminishing.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/03/02/franks-lie-red-light-express/

Oh, my goodness... A red-light express in the omnibus bill... While I can understand that fathers who take their kids to Disneyland might also want some -- more adult -- amusement for themselves, I can't help but wonder... Where do you park the kiddies while you're inside, capering with bunnies?

the consensus is that steele is a weasel, "a follower, not a leader," for falling out of line.

Could anything so compactly illustrate the Republican brain warp?

Because he falls out of line, he's a 'follower' not a 'leader', but if he had marched in lockstep with the rest of them he would be a 'leader'.

With social conservatives it is exactly as if they have their brains in backward.

(Is this a phenomena something like handedness? Is there an actually reversed physical structure in their brains?)

It was a fine day watching Limbaugh and Steele go at it, and the silliness unfold.

Obama keeps on keeping on as they unravel

Rush really has the Nazi manner right down.

If he ran for President, who could stop him?

He has the GOP cornered.

But he'd inevitably lose and his egomania couldn't take it. But think, if we had a more parliamentary system like Weimar Germany, he wouldn't have to run. He'd let the Republicans run for him, then they all vote to install him as Chancellor.

Isn't that who he really is?

From CNN's Jack Cafferty's viewer email requests back in mid-December:

CAFFERTY: Question this hour is: Should Republicans stop listening to Rush Limbaugh?
Gina in Racine, Wisconsin: "If they want to stop being distracted by misplaced hatred and hyped up stories that turn their attention away from our country’s real issues and if they want to come together and unite to make this country better, they will stop listening to Rush, Hannity, O’Reilly and Coulter.

Annie in Georgia writes: "It’s only the most ignorant of them that put any credence in Limbaugh’s hateful rhetoric, and sadly they can’t help themselves, so they won’t. But they should. He’s toxic, and that becomes dangerous in such difficult times."

Ryan in Illinois: "I never thought of sociopathy as good entertainment, but Limbaugh does get paid a lot of money for inciting hate and fear. Basically, I just feel bad for those who listen to the man. Even after just a few minutes of him, I always feel dizzy and a little nauseated."

Connie in Chicago: "Yes! Limbaugh is a far-right agitator of the worst sort with a 1950's mentality of what values 21st century America should reflect. I expect him and other like-minded Sean Hannitys of the world to step out of their closet and display their white sheets and dunce caps. Limbaugh is a bad joke."

Intelligent Design is a bunch of pseudo-scientific, religiously inspired hooey. But if the anti-Darwinists wanted to make their case against evolution based on the existence of a homo sapiens like Rush Limbaugh, I might actually listen.

Rush is the political equivalent of a duck-billed platypus, isolated from the mainland for eons, never fully evolved. Come to think of it, Rush does have a big, fat mouth and he lays eggs.

Hmmm . . . a Rushypus? A Platybaugh?

I read a while back that even IRS agents make mistakes on returns. Though I do know that you have to pay taxes on earnings even if you donate them back.

But I do wish the IRS would let folks claim the dollar amount of volunteer work if they provide documentation/proof since I usually put in a couple thousand dollars worth a year and would love the deduction. Time is money, after all, and the volunteer work I do is my normal profession.

Another gripe I have with the IRS is that the mileage rate for volunteer work is less than 25% of the business rate. Makes no sense.

Finally, the Limpballs/Steele quarrel is pretty darned entertaining. More, please.

From http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19517.html:
On Monday night, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine called on Republicans to "stop following divisive figures" like Limbaugh.
OK, way to go my Gov!

More, great take down by Kaine and look at the pitiful Stalinist groveling of Steele, his mushy mumbo jumbo about how his words came out differently than what he meant, having "enormous respect" etc.:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0309/Kaine_piles_on.html?showall

"Given his interest in the 'bastardization of the Constitution', it's worth noting that these words aren't in the preamble to the Constitution."

He doesn't know that a PDF is searchable and doesn't comprehend the preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

Sounds like Mush Limbaugh acquires his "knowledge" from somebody feeding him badly sourced prep notes.

Moments ago, Governor Tim Kaine said this:

"Chairman Steele's reversal this evening and his apology to Limbaugh proves the unfortunate point that Limbaugh is the leading force behind the Republican Party, its politics and its obstruction of President Obama's agenda in Washington."

"You be da man!" shouted Rep. Michelle Bachman to Michael Steele last week at the CPAC conference. Wow, some man.

What must Donovan McNabb be thinking? Hell, what about all of us who have been taught to judge someone not on the color of their skin but on the content of their character? What was all that struggling about in the 60s if Steele is just going to allow a bigot to force him to eat honest words?

Steele balls? More like stress balls.

exlibra, Yeah, many Blackwater thugs acted like Nazi SS Waffen types - However, the "z" in Nazi came from the Germanic pronunciation of "ti" in National (Nah-zee-oh-nal)

God, Republicans are stupid. Why did the we, the American people, ever let these clowns anywhere the levers of power?

Memo to ditto heads- the Declaration of Independence is a statement of principle (and a great one at that), but is not and has never been law. The constitution by contrast, is the law of the land. If you con't distinguish between what is law and what isn't, you are probably headed for trouble.

Funny, I heard there was a demonstration at the capitol's coal plant, but I don't see it on the news anywhere. Pointers welcome if anyone saw mention of it.

Bobby Jindal on Larry King Monday night:

"I think one of the reasons we lost elections was that the Republicans came to Washington to change the culture and instead became captive of that culture. The Republican Party defended spending and corruption we never would have accepted from the other side."

-- If Republicans had truly become captive of the Washington culture under Clinton, wouldn't they have believed in:

-- balanced budgets;
-- no pre-emptive wars;
-- honest foreign intelligence interpretation;
-- respect for human rights and individual privacy;
-- regulatory agencies that could prevent salmonella and e coli outbreaks
-- emergency response that could keep local natural disasters from becoming regional economic and humanitarian crises?

Republicans claim they need to be honest about why they lost the election but they begin from flat out false premises and proceed to delude themselves into thinking they are being honest about their mistakes. They say "spending" is the problem with Obama and that this has been the problem with Democrats all along. But Democrats didn't spend money on pre-emptive wars. They didn't give tax money away to wealthy investment "managers" as these supposed icons of Wall Street gambled away our pensions. By contrast things looked pretty good at the end of the Clinton administration.

Where is the GOP's credibility and integrity, so crucial for real national leadership? Modern-day Republicans confuse power with leadership. They will say and do anything to get power. That's why they fail, because their stated policies are grounded on a combination of ignorance and fear and mean nothing.

Rushbo doesn't even know the difference between the Constitution and a bastardized Declaration of Independence -- and he's the GOP's acknowledged leader. How dumb is that? In a meritocracy you eventually pay a price for ignorance.

Too bad we can't tax ignorance -- we'd have the deficit licked in a minute. Then again, maybe the deficit is our tax on ignorance.

I am a little tired of the "tax cheat" meme running around the media these days. This latest "cheat" sounds a lot like an honest mistake anybody could make given the complexity of the tax code. I would bet many members of the rich and powerful media core have made worse mistakes of which they are utterly unaware.

Get off the RushBo's back...

I have long maintained that 'whatever you want to hear, you can find someone to tell you!'.

If you are an angry white racist male who hates women, Rush is the perfect person to listen to.

* Why did the RNC force its finance director out?

it looks like the GOP has trouble keeping track of their own money..

let alone them worrying about other people's cash...

F.B.I. Investigates Missing G.O.P. Money

By PHILIP SHENON

Published: NYT March 6, 2008

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands of dollars are missing and presumed stolen from the chief fund-raising arm of House Republicans, according to party officials who described the findings of emergency internal audits.