Pushing the Limits

The government, restrained by the 1st Amendment, may not restrain citizen speech, with certain exceptions. You can't slander anyone, you can't lie under oath, you can't commit fraud against others, and you can't threaten the President.

This may be legal - it is certainly reprehensible.

Polls on Facebook The obama Poll.png by deanbarnett on Aviary

We Need a New Noun - Twitterbation?

Watching Colorado state Senator Dave "If You're a Slut Your Baby Should Die of AIDS" Schultheis' Twitter stream is a revolting amusement; revolting because of his insanely limited intelligence but amusing because of the apparently  sincere followers he allows. (For the record, I have been officially blocked from this elected official's Twitter stream, a prior restraint activity that begs an ACLU intervention.)

Typically, Schultheis' stream consists of retweets, so much so that original contributions by the Senator are so rare as to provoke questions of his ability to compose a sentence. But on occasion a couple of his acolytes produce  bewildering repetitious tweets, like these:
Twitter - Search - Sen_Schultheis.png by deanbarnett on Aviary

So I wonder - should we coin a noun to describe the endless, self-satisfying  repetition of tweets between followers in a Twitter stream? I'm thinking "Twitterbation" might be appropriate (and I DO NOT want to expand this to describe Twitterbation between members of the same gender, as seen above).

Suggestions?

This Could be Entertaining

Linda McMahon, of World Wrestling Entertainment fame, is seeking the Senate seat in Conneticutt currently held by Chris Dodd. The comedy potential is enormous.

Batshit Crazy in 140 Characters

My favorite local wackaloon, Colorado state Senator Dave Schultheis, is now concerned over a dubious Fox News report that Massachusetts is considering legislation to address a potential H1N1 epidemic by such means as mandatory immunizations and quarantines. Some of his fellow travelers are concerned about "marshall law" while the Senator has asked the cash-strapped Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment to "comment".

Really, Senator? An official expenditure of Colorado state funds to address a report on Fox News? Sure looks like an irresponsible fiscal act on your part.

Twitter - Search - Sen_Schultheis.png by deanbarnett on Aviary

Nate Silver on the Tea Baggers Rally

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Size Matters; So Do Lies

Nate dispassionately examines the attendance at and meaning of the "9/12" rally in DC, and how the truth of genuine grievances can be overshadowed by lies and poor judgment. Money quote:

The way this false estimate came into being is relatively simple: Matt Kibbe, the president of FreedomWorks, lied, claiming that ABC News had reported numbers of between 1.0 and 1.5 million when they never did anything of the sort. A few tweets later, the numbers had been exaggerated still further to 2 million. Kibbe wasn't "in error", as Malkin gently puts it. He lied. He did the equivalent of telling people that his penis is 53 inches long.

Tea Baggers vs. Pot Heads

The Cluster Fox crowd, particularly Dick "I Used to Have Power" Armey's FreedomWorks corporation, really really want to show their "9/12" crowd in DC deserves to be taken seriously, even if they are forced by actual turnout numbers to lie through their dentures about attendance.

Was it 1.5 million, as FW's Matt Kibbe claimed ABC reported? Well, no. ABC, referring to DC Fire Department estimates, pegged the crowd at 60 to 70,000.

Tell ya what - when the Tea Baggers clearly outnumber the beer-swilling pot smokers at Bonnaroo, I'll consider taking this Cluster Fox movement seriously.

ABC contradicts Kibbe: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/protest-crowd-size-estimate-falsely-attributed-abc-news/story?id=8558055

Bonnaroo Attndance: http://www.bonnaroo.com/rolling-stone-july-9-23-2009.aspx?preview=true

You Can't Handle the Truth

Florida GOPer Reads Speech, Changes Mind

Obama’s School Speech Changes Florida GOP Chair’s Mind - Central Florida News 13

(Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer) previously said he was appalled that taxpayer dollars were being spent to spread Obama’s “socialist ideology,” but after reading the speech, he will send his kids to see it in school.

This sort of full blown crazy gets passed off without so much as a mini media frenzy while the Joneses and Sotomayors of the majority party get microscopic examinations. Looks like crazy white guys from the South (in other words, the GOP base) hold themselves to a different standard.

Text of Pres Obama's "Indoctrination" Speech

Normal folks read at your leisure. It's pretty mild. Demented Fuckwits, put on your tinfoil hats, cover your ears, and shout "Birth Certificate" over and over and over and over. . .

Media Resources Prepared School Remarks

Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Back to School Event

Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009

Franchised Faith? Prayer as Fast Food

For when you're just too busy to talk to your imaginary friend on your own time.

Arizona Church Offers Drive-Thru Prayer - US - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com

The Chandler Christian Church in Chandler, Arizona turned their parking lot into a drive-thru prayer service.

You pull up, tell the church members what's on your heart and they pray for you right there, while you are sitting in your car.

Jobs Advisor Hounded Out of Office

White House Official Resigns After G.O.P. Criticism - NYTimes.com

WASHINGTON — White House officials on Sunday tersely accepted the resignation of the administration’s special adviser for environmental jobs after a number of his past statements became fodder for conservative critics and Republican officials.

Umm, does this mean Republicans are anti-jobs? Ideology over employment?

Michelle Malkin Hearts Zombies

Michelle Malkin » I repeat: It’s not the speech, it’s the subtext

"It's not what he actually said, it's what I tell you he said."

So be a good zombie and obey your Anchor Baby Overlord.