"* Drawing a line in the sand: "House liberals are threatening to vote against any health plan that doesn't include a 'public plan option.'"

Good news. This is a very good way to ensure the reform doesn't end up just enshrining inefficient private insurance for the foreseeable future which is, of course, what the insurance industry wants.

* I find it terribly frustrating when conservative Republicans and conservative Democrats get together to make it easier to filibuster energy reform.

Dick Durbin (Ill.), Russ Feingold (Wis.), Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Herb Kohl (Wis.), Carl Levin (Mich.),

I would find it hard to believe that those 7 Senators, 12% of the entire caucus, would be included in anyone’s definition of ‘conservative’.

Yet, they are some of the Senators that Steve claims are ‘conservative’.

Do you have to toe the left wing line on every issue to avoid being called a ‘conservative’?

Oh, goodness. No lèse majesté? Did the brilliant media get that wrong?

Protocol is agreed upon beforehand, when not in accordance with established practice.
While there is quite a bit when it concerns heads of state and figurehead monarchs, touching is not a no-no ...

Commoners should not touch the majesty, but the Obamas are hardly common.

Blagojevich and five others indicted. No details yet.

In other not-The-Onion news, Alaska's GOP is calling for Sen. Begich to resign, so they can have a new election - you know, now that Uncle Ted has been cleared. One more reason to try Bush, Cheney, and all the rest of them once and for all.

On a related note, it's nice to see a U.S. leader able to play a leadership role on the international stage for a change

Yeah, but it's not so nice to see a U.S. leader bowing to Saudi royalty.

What's up with that?

Beck is not only a crazy person, he's a crazy plagiarist. That "liberal fascism" and "happy-face fascism" idiocy has already been perpetrated and roundly mocked by little Jonah Goldberg.

Steve Benen noted an article in the New York Times: "China is prepared to take the lead in producing hybrid and electric vehicles over the next three years."

China is also likely to become the world's largest exporter of wind turbines this year, and is also on track to become a major exporter of photovoltaic panels.

The death-grip of the fossil fuel corporations on US energy policy is paying off with huge profits for ExxonMobil and its ilk, at the cost of the USA becoming an energy technology backwater. The USA has vast wind energy resources, and actually leads the world in new installations of wind turbines -- but in the not-too-distant future we will be importing them all from China.

Blagojevich and five others indicted. No details yet

The others include Blago's brother, two former aides and two businessmen.

It accuses Blagojevich of corruption involving billions of dollars in state pension bonds.

The problem with AIG: the management and employees think of themselves as possessing special knowledge, they cannot be replaced. Although that could be true, to management it should have been a huge red flag. What if someone dies? What if someone hits their spouse and gets sent to jail? You cannot manage a company of this size where every employee is critical, where death or sickness of a single employee could cause a fault event resulting in billions in losses. It is a total no-brainer. Everyone has a plan B if they are doing their job.

I don't give a damn what the protocol was. Michelle Obama stoops to no one.

And that's just how we roll. Y'all.

Sixteen felony counts against Blago alone, including racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion conspiracy and lying to federal agents. Rod Blagojevich, John Harris, Lon Monk, Chris Kelly and Bill Cellini also going down. Rezko steered no-work commissions to Patti B.

The "Fitz is teh suck! He's got nothin'! Why do we have to wait until April!" whiners can go suck eggs.

Meant to say Rob, not Rod, obviously.

Michelle Obama stoops to no one.

She stoops to conquer, MissMudd. She can give me some of that gorgeous height anytime she gets tired of it.

Tell me, shortstop, why do you think it's better now than if there had been an indictment before Burris was appointed? Is it that you're convinced he has more evidence, more charges, more cooperatiing witnesses, or what?

Among the charges: attempt to extort contribution from U.S. congressman by withholding $2 million state grant from public school in congressman's district. That'll be Jackson.

The Poetry of Glenn Beck,

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/03/31/glenn_beck_poetry/index.html

Yes, it's true.

It's like Zombie Richard Brautigan.

Glenn Beck is exactly like a character from the Addams Family.

Glenn Beck is exactly like a character from the Addams Family.

I doubt Charles Addams was that perverse.

P.S. Congrats to Ed Schultz for landing the job with MSNBC. For us in the east, it'll be great to have some progressive midwest populism to accompany our dinner.

* The Royal Press Office clarified today that First Lady Michelle Obama did not breach protocol by touching Queen Elizabeth II at a reception yesterday. Can political reporters move on now? -- Steve Benen

Not yet. They should now compare Michelle and W. Don't know how many of you actually clicked on the video with the article but... What I saw was mutual affection, with the Queen *reciprocating* the gesture and trying to hug Michelle's back right back (the poor shrimp couldn't reach Michelle's shoulders, but that's a different story and not her fault). OTOH, when W gave Merkel a backrub, I never saw her lean back and rub her head against his groin in acceptance and/or reciprocation. What I saw was her stiffening up like a poker was shoved up her backside.

So, what I want the political reporters to do is to run those two videotapes side by side and discuss the response of the recipient of the -- possibly unwelcome -- physical contact offered by one of those "over-exuberant Americans". Only fair, IMO.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[...]it must have been awkward for the prime minister of India to ask for Obama's autograph) -- Steve Benen

Why "awkward"? He was asking for his daughter (at least ostensibly). No shame in it at all, since both are besotted fathers of daughters. I'm sure Singh was very much aware of things *Obama* had done for the sake of *his* daughters (like skipping the Gridiron dinner). A little roll of the eyes, in shared complacence dressed as misery is all it would take...

The Royal Press Office clarified today that First Lady Michelle Obama did not breach protocol by touching Queen Elizabeth II at a reception yesterday. Can political reporters move on now?

Do these idiots in the right-wing media Drudge-iverse (often = MSM as well) get anything right, ever? Whether it's people making remarks about Sharia, Michelle Obama touching the queen, global currency supplanting the dollar -- every story that makes out onto Faux News or some other wingnut rumor outlet is always, completely, totally wrong, misleading, non-existent, or so utterly pedantic as to scarcely matter. It must be fascinating to live in a world where you take this stuff seriously.

"...I find it terribly frustrating when conservative Republicans and conservative Democrats get together to make it easier to filibuster energy reform..."-Steve Benen

They don't want to go on record voting against energy reform...so they hide behind the filibuster so they have deniability. It's the same with health care reform. These senate dems have been bought because (at least in the case of Senator McCaskill D-MO) they aren't representing their constituents and certainly not the will of the majority of Americans.

The country is being held hostage by this damn filibuster rule which is being abused and no longer that rare tactic it was intended to be. It obscures clarity and the intentions of individual senators.

Great Huffington Post article about how Obama's empathy might offer a way back from the madness that brought on the economic crash:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dev-petnaik-and-peter-mortensen/leadership-in-the-age-of_b_182548.html

"...
The caucus is seeking to leverage its 77 votes, which is enough to block legislation on the House floor if Republicans are united against it. But for liberals to do so, they would have to vote against a Democratic president's top priority in his first year in office..." -the Nation

Somebody has got to stand up for the will of the majority of the voters. Lord knows the senate has already geared up to block any reform thanks to the Senate Blue Dogs or Hogs who will be directly responsible for no health care reform getting through the senate ...since they know in advance that repubs have announced they will filibuster ANY HC reform presented by dems the only way the issue will get through the senate is through the budget reconciliation process( which requires only 50 votes)...which these blue dogs have formed to make sure it won't go through that way forcing it to go the way of the filibuster.

Now is when it becomes obvious that the two are conspiring to prevent healthcare reform. The health care ins industry's 'donations' are paying off big time now. Bayh's wife is directly part of that industry in a big way. The insider's influence stinks in a big way and not soon to be forgotten for denying Americans what they not only need but support in a huge way...a national public health care ins program. There are so very few honest senators left. The others just can't see what is getting ready to happen to them and their game playing.

btw...Obama's "top priority" is to introduce a public gov. sponsored health care plan and these progressives are the only ones supporting that. It's the other dems who want business as usual for their major donors.

* Drawing a line in the sand: "House liberals are threatening to vote against any health plan that doesn't include a 'public plan option. -- Steve Benen

Seems to be in concert with the MoveOn/Howard Dean campaign, down to the moronic choice of words. Aren't "lines (drawn) in the sand" worth nothing, because they're so easily obliterated, the moment a wind blows (from any direction)?

Whatever... The *cause* is right, so I'm enclosing the link to click on to sign the petition:

http://pol.moveon.org/standwithdrdean/?r_by=15863-8197714-lB4BIbx&rc=confemail

FANTASY ACCOUNTING REDUX

The FASB officially caved on the 'mark to market' rules today, which means all those toxic assets can be revalued like putting lipstick on a pig.

We're really all Japanese now.

Konnichiwa

Who will be the first to Photoshop marching Nazis with Smiley Face banners and armbands?

" Maddow did a great job last night pressing Colin Powell"

She certainly did. Powell was dodging and faking like a rookie going up against Muhammad Ali in his prime. The only reason he survived at all is that Rachel was kind enough not to go for his throat, although I have to say, she left him sort of dangling in the wind.

.
Queen: "The sister is FLY!"

All good news, for a change: You've won a "Cosie" award, certifying the blog for unlimited and multiple donations. Good job!
.

Didn't the statue over Powell's left shoulder look like one of the torture pictures from Abu Graib?

What I've been saying for Years!

Housing homeless people costs less than leaving them on the street,

http://www.furiousseasons.com/archives/2009/04/study_housing_homeless_drunks_and_letting_them_drink_saves_millions.html

and don't try to rehabilitate them, just let them carry on and over time they stabilize themselves.

Christwire: OMG

In 97% of the sampled cases?

NYT:

The Bush administration failed to properly enforce worker health and safety laws designed to monitor employers with a history of violations, a report found. OSHA did not follow correct procedures in 97 percent of sampled cases in the Enhanced Enforcement Program, according to the report issued by the Office of Inspector General at the Labor Department. It recommended a task force be set up to improve the program to reduce the risk of death and injury at worksites with hazardous conditions.

Moreover, OSHA designated 29 EEP cases, but did not take any of the appropriate enhanced enforcement actions. Sixteen of the 29 employers subsequently had 20 fatalities, of which 14 fatalities were in cases that shared similar violations as the EEP qualifying cases.

Holy Cow. Isn't that negligent homicide?

MissMudd: I was totally disturbed by that link. And these people think they're getting into heaven with this type of attitude?
Disgusting!
'Just get raptured' is my new motto for these wingnut-religobots.

Christwire: OMG

And we have Mike Huckabee making voter suppression jokes. Do your patriotic duty! Keep them in their driveway! Slash their tires on election day!

I agree with vwmeggs' sentiment - just get raptured already. I just changed my comment signature at my place to "When you get raptured, can I have your car?"

The USA has vast wind energy resources, and actually leads the world in new installations of wind turbines -- but in the not-too-distant future we will be importing them all from China.

It takes energy and manufacturing facilities to make them. Where in the US would you propose to manufacture them, where would the energy come from, and how much would they cost? If the US were to build up its turbine manufacturing capacity to meet the demand for renewable energy that is written into current laws, then it could not meet those demands because the consumption of non-renewable energy would grow faster than the supply of renewable energy. That's assuming, of course, that there would be approval to construct the factories to make them: in California, such approval could not be obtained before the renewable energy standard is already in effect.

This problem that you cite has not been created by the fossil fuel companies; it has been created by the insistence that renewable energy generation be installed without allowing for the time and energy necessary to manufacture the devices.

The sooner "cap and trade" or a carbon tax is implemented, the more dependent on imports of energy-generating devices from China the US will become. The US government will not receive any large tax income, the money will go to China for the manufacturing.

Christwire is like Rip Taylor on meth.

http://christwire.org/2009/03/marvel-now-promotes-gay-agenda-with-wolverine-toy/

It looks like our homo supporting friends over at Marvel have created a new toy to encourage young boys to perform mouth to mouth in a non holy way to a blow up toys twiddle rompus!

We might as well line our children up and burn them ourselves! If we make these types of devil pleasing acts ok they will all be burning in the fire lakes anyways!

I spit on you Marvel for creating such filth and then trying to cover it up with lies!

What's next? The Wonder Woman lollipop? You are sick and twisted and I hope God's Wrath purges the sin right out of you and then sends you to your master!

I bet the homo queers in San Fransisco are just waiting for their new pray to turn the ripe age of 12, so they can get their dingle dongs touched by some young boys lips! I pray everyday that God sends a fire ball right into the center of that city!

I ask all parents to pray that these homo gay supporters go out of business soon and that their black savior doesn't send them a bailout package!

psssst, Christwire = severe satire

Please don't throw me in the cornfield!

Please don't throw me in the cornfield!

In a world with real Palins, Bachmans, Steeles, and Cantors, sometimes the only way to guess whether something is satire or not is to count the misspelled words. And even that is a pretty inexact science.

I've never been a big Barbra Streisand fan, but I always admired her for refusing to wear gloves when she shook the Queen's hand many years ago. This Michelle Obama thing is nonsence.

Instead of bailing out GM the government should be giving some help to start ups like Tesla who are putting electric cars on street now. Ok, its an exotic sports car, but they are planning a sedan. The big three and their oil company cronies will never stray from the fossil fuel path. Did anyone see Bob Lutz smirking at the very concept of alternative fuel cars on 60 Minutes a while back?

"The Royal Press Office clarified today that First Lady Michelle Obama did not breach protocol by touching Queen Elizabeth II at a reception yesterday. Can political reporters move on now?"

Not Yet ...I swear to god Morning Joe had it as his lead in and spent the first ten minutes discussing it...looping the embace over and over and over. Must have been nothing else going on in the world. The MSM seems to be striving to become a glorified version of America's funniest home videos. I don't know why I do it to myself turning that shit on every morning.

psssst, Christwire = severe satire

Please don't throw me in the cornfield!

Argh...Fished in.

Huckabee, however, was serious as could be.

Not watch "MoUrning Joe"? And, miss such gems as Mika's oohing over the "good points" about the RepuG's alternative budget?

Blue Girl, stay away from the upstream area of Bagnell Dam for a few days, but, yes, the Huckster is very serious. That lure was very, very shiny, eh? As DanP says, hard to know the difference.

MatthewRMarler wrote: "If the US were to build up its turbine manufacturing capacity to meet the demand for renewable energy that is written into current laws, then it could not meet those demands because the consumption of non-renewable energy would grow faster than the supply of renewable energy."

You just plain made that up. And it is 100 percent pure BS.

If you weren't such an idiot, maybe you could make up better fake, phony, BS talking points.

Yay, go Ed Schultz! He's the closest thing we have to Rush, without the bad parts.