something I'll never understand

Voters vs. Themselves: Why People Vote Against Their Interests
(Huffington Post)

why several years?

Pentagon Starts Clock On Lifting Gay Ban, Warns It Will Be Several-Year Process
(Huffington Post)
---
This is such a simple no-brainer that every sane person in the world supports - I really don't understand why this would be such a long process. It's the easiest thing in the world to simply say: "hey, it's ok to be gay". Not exactly rocket science...

a super-tame pro-gay ad is rejected but they'll allow this trash?

Tim Tebow Super Bowl Ad May Be Based On Falsehood

A commercial featuring Tim Tebow and his mother Pam that is likely to air during Super Bowl XLIV may be rife with inaccuracies, according to power lawyer Gloria Allred.

The ad, which is expected to promote an anti-choice message, will be based on the theme "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life." The Christian conservative group Focus on the Family has paid for the spot. James Dobson, the group's founder, has a history of inflammatory statements and once said that gay marriage will "destroy the earth."

Despite resistance from women's groups, the ad is expected to air during the Super Bowl. It is believed that the commercial will focus on Pam Tebow's 1987 pregnancy, during which time she fell ill in the Philippines. According to reports, doctors recommended that she abort the pregnancy, but she chose to go through with the birth of her son Tim.

Tebow grew up to be one of the most accomplished and celebrated stars in college football history, capturing two national championships and becoming the first sophomore to win the Heisman trophy.

Because abortion under any circumstance has been illegal in the Philippines since 1930 and is punishable by a six-year prison term, Allred says she finds it hard to believe that doctors would have recommended the procedure.

The attorney, who has represented a roster of famous clients, claims she will lodge a complaint with the FCC and FTC "if this ad airs and fails to disclose that abortions were illegal at the time Ms. Tebow made her choice," according to RadarOnline.

Tebow has unabashedly displayed his Christian faith: Bible passages written on his eye black became a weekly occurrence during Florida football games.

(Huffington Post)

---

This is obviously FAR more offensive and controversial than the silly, tame, funny pro-gay ad.

I'm actually a little surprised that any station would want to be this controversial during a game.

crazies flock together

Palin On Whether She Will Still Speak At ‘Scammy’ Tea Party Convention: ‘You Betcha!’
(Think Progress)

more of the usual repug hypocrisy

Senate Republicans Called For Commitment To PAYGO Before Voting Against It
(Think Progress)

considering how gay football is (with the tight pants and ass grabbing), it's pretty silly to reject this

ManCrunch SuperBowl Ad REJECTED: Gay Dating Site Ad Denied By CBS (VIDEO)
(Huffington Post)
---
This is tame and just funny - not in any way offensive - and not much different from what the players do to each other and every play.

more of this, please!

Cameras Roll As Obama Schools GOP

President Obama traveled to a House Republican retreat in Baltimore on Friday and delivered a performance that was at once defiant, substantive and engaging. For roughly an hour and a half, Obama lectured GOP leaders and, in a protracted,
nationally-televised question-and-answer session, deflected their policy critiques, corrected their misstatements and scolded them for playing petty politics.

White House officials told the Huffington Post they were absolutely ecstatic.

MSNBC's Luke Russert, who was on the scene in Baltimore, relayed that a Republican official and other GOP aides had confided to him that allowing the "cameras to roll like that," was a "mistake."

So effective was the president that Fox News cut away from the broadcast 20 minutes before it ended.

It was the type of performance that Obama's supporters have long demanded and that his own aides have been eager to deliver. The question-and-answer session at the end wasn't initially supposed to be broadcast, but the White House pressured GOP leadership to bring the cameras in. They knew the optics it would generate, a source with knowledge of the planning relayed. Hours before the event began, Republican leaders finally relented.

What resulted was what one Democratic strategist described as, "amazing theater" -- certainly for cable news. Standing on a stage, looking down at his Republican questioners, Obama assumed the role of responsible adult to the GOP children, or, at the very least, of a college professor teaching and lecturing a room full of students.

He chastised Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) for calling his economic agenda radical and poked fun at the GOP's own platform. "I am not an ideologue, I'm not," he said. "It doesn't make sense if somebody could tell me, 'You could do this cheaper and get increased results,' then I would say, 'Great.' The problem is, I couldn't find credible economists who could back up the claims that you just made."

He rebuked a questioner who insisted that the monthly deficit is higher now than Bush's annual deficit. "That's factually just not true," he said. "And you know it's not true." He lampooned Republican lawmakers seated in front of him for portraying his health care legislation as "some Bolshevik plot." He mocked Republicans for railing against the stimulus package and then showing up at "the ribbon-cuttings for some of these important projects in your communities." And he did it all while calling for "a tone of civility instead of slash and burn will be helpful."

Whether it was chutzpah, political savvy, or both, it certainly was refreshing. Reporters were thrilled with the British-parliament-type exchange between president and lawmaker. The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder asked that forums like these be held monthly. The Nation's Chris Hayes suggested Obama next go before the progressive caucus. Ezra Klein of the Washington Post labeled it "the most compelling political television I've seen...maybe ever. NBC's Chuck Todd added: "The president should hold Congressional 'town halls' more often. Public needs to see this if they'll ever trust Washington again," From the narrower vantage point of the White House, the event also made for effective politics, spurring some comparisons to the type of political engagement relished by former President Bill Clinton.

"Most people thinking about this would have thought 'ooh Obama is going into the lion's den," said Dee Dee Myers, Clinton's former press secretary. "But there was a great opportunity to jujitsu that. On one level it looked brave but on another he was the substitute teacher there, lecturing the audience.

"A lot of us have been waiting for that moment, a little more fight, a little more politics," she added. "He is in a political business and he has to pay attention to not just the substance but the politics."

(Huffington Post)

More from Think Progress on this great performance:
Obama calls out GOP hypocrisy for going to ‘ribbon cuttings for the same projects that you voted against.’
---
Obama Reprimands GOP: Stop Saying ‘This Guy’s Doing All Kinds Of Crazy Stuff…To Destroy America’
---
Republicans dismayed by Obama’s strong performance, say it was a ‘mistake’ to let cameras roll.
---

if it is not a guilty verdict, then the jurors are as crazy as he is

Jury reaches verdict in Kan. abortion slaying case

WICHITA, Kan. – Jurors have reached a verdict in the trial of a man accused of killing a Kansas abortion provider.

It took the jury just 37 minutes Friday to reach the verdict in confessed killer Scott Roeder's (ROH'-durs) trial. It was to be read late Friday morning.

Roeder has said he shot Dr. George Tiller on May 31 to protect unborn children.

His lawyers on Thursday failed to make a case for a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. The judge also refused to allow the jury to consider a second-degree murder conviction.

If convicted of first-degree murder, the 51-year-old faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

---

Thank goodness:

Anti-Abortion Activist Found GUILTY Of Murdering Kansas Doctor

(Huffington Post)

and yet, the repugs say that Obama's policies are not working and we should go back to their policies which almost destroyed us

Economy soars 5.7 percent, fastest in 6 years
---

are even the crazy repugs distancing themselves from the crazy tea-baggers?

National Tea Party Convention falls apart: Bachmann and Blackburn announce they are pulling out.
(Think Progress)

sounds like this guy is projecting

Inhofe calls Obama a great liar, says ‘most’ of State of the Union speech ‘wasn’t true.’
(Think Progress)
---
What a scumbag - lying about Obama lying and trying to act like he's being nice!
Of course, Obama's speech was eloquent and effective, so the repugs have to lie about it in order to score any of their usual political points.

just more standard repug lies and hypocrisy

Does Rove Think Reagan And Bush Were ‘Weak’ For Discussing The ‘Situation’ They Inherited?
(Think Progress)

all repugs just say no to helping Americans and Palin is their leader

Sarah Palin's 'analysis' of Obama's State of the Union is just more Tea Party incoherence and intransigence
(Crooks and Liars)

repugs are ballsy, gotta give them that

James Clyburn Shoots Down Mike Pence's Assertion That Republicans Were Shut Out of Health Care Debate
(Crooks and Liars)
---
Just flat-out denying recent reality is pretty damn ballsy. Amazing how they get away with it constantly...

repugs making it plain they don't want to help Americans

The Republicans' Sit-Down Strikes During The SOTU
(Crooks and Liars)

State of the Union

Once again, Obama showed what a masterful and compelling speaker he is and spelled out a sane and logical way forward.
Now let's see if he follows through with his rhetoric, instead of continuing to disappoint those who elected him.

More from Think Progress:
McCain seen mouthing ‘blame it on Bush’ when Obama outlines the problems he inherited.
---
And again highlighting my problem with Matthews:
Chris Matthews on Obama during SOTU: ‘You know, I forgot he was black tonight for an hour.’
(Think Progress)
And more from Huffington Post.
---
And still more from Huffington Post:
WATCH: Conservative Supreme Court Justice Alito Says 'That's Not True' During Speech
---
And common sense advice:
Obama Takes On Democrats: We Have A Big Majority, Don't 'Run For The Hills'
(Huffington Post)

And, showing how good Obama's speech was, the repug response was so utterly bland and lacking in any kind of substance (or reality), it was almost sad:
READ GOP'S RESPONSE
(Huffington Post)
---
In most of the response, McDonnell was agreeing with Obama and when he wasn't, it was because he was lying about what Obama actually said or what reality says...

go Oregon!

Progressive Victory In Oregon: Voters Approve Tax Hikes On Corporations And The Wealthy To Close Budget Gap
(Think Progress)

very weird excuse for bigotry

Top DADT Advocate Says Abu Ghraib Abuses Happened Because Women Are Allowed In The Military
(Think Progress)

another absolutely blatant repug lie

Pawlenty Falsely Claims ‘Most Credible Economists Say’ Stimulus Is ‘Not Working’
(Think Progress)

do the repugs think that anyone believes these blatant lies?

Lauer Calls Out Cantor’s Claim That The GOP Stood ‘Ready And Willing’ To Work With Obama On The Stimulus
(Think Progress)
---
The repug lies just get more blatant and obvious...

crazies

King and Bachmann hatch plan to ‘foment revolution’ with ‘Declaration of Health Care Independence.’
(Think Progress)

this only makes sense in his own head

O’Reilly Gripes That Haiti Benefit Organizers Are Ignoring Him — After His Network Refused To Air The Event
(Think Progress)

how long will they be able to continue with this ridiculous allegation?

AZ Sen. candidate Hayworth panders to birthers: ‘We all had to show our birth certificates’ to ‘play football.’
(Think Progress)

because don't like average Americans

Why Is Nelson OK With Using Reconciliation For Tax Cuts For Millionaires But Not For Health Care For Americans?
(Think Progress)

this made me literally do a double take and then laugh out loud

Ronald Reagan's Charm Could Teach Obama some Lessons
---
How do people not remember that Reagan was one of this country's most hated presidents - at the time only second to Nixon though now, of course, a third to bush?
And, despite all of his many faults, Obama's charisma and charm cannot be denied and are certainly far stronger than that senile fool's....

that's what happens when you side with extremists - it's hard to ever be extreme enough for them

Right-Wing Fringe Rebels Against Palin Over Her Endorsement Of ‘RINO’ McCain
(Think Progress)

good news for a change

Report: States passed more pro-LGBT bills in 2009 than in the previous two years combined.
(Think Progress)

disgusting

Halliburton/KBR Goes After Rape Survivor Jamie Leigh Jones’ Personal Integrity In Its Supreme Court Petition
(Think Progress)

yes it would, which is another reason why the repugs don't want it to pass

Passing Health Reform Would Contribute To Obama’s Deficit Reduction Goals
(Think Progress)

Um no - no, they are not

Ingraham: Americans Are Saying ‘Maybe That Bush Guy Wasn’t Quite As Bad As We Thought’
(Think Progress)
---
No, I think if anything, people are realizing that he was even worse than anyone could possibly have imagined...

well, you had better get started then

Obama: I’d rather be a ‘really good one-term president’ than ‘mediocre two-term president.’
(Think Progress)
---
He would be one of the most popular presidents ever if he just started working on completing some of his campaign promises - even just basic common sense ones like repealing DADT and closing Gitmo...

no, this is a big deal

Bill Gates suggests Ugandan anti-gay bill is not that big a deal.
(Think Progress)
---
I don't think he meant it the way it came out, but still....

Californian repug is proud to be a racist

Santa Clarita Councilman Tells Anti-Immigrant Protesters: ‘I’m A Proud Racist’

Yesterday, The Los Angeles Daily News featured a video of Santa Clarita councilman Bob Kellar informing a group of cheering protesters rallying against immigration that he is a “proud racist” who considers being called a radical a “compliment”:

We have got to wake up America. I know you guys are engaged and you understand. But I’m telling you this is serious. And if I sound like a radical, thank you. I consider that a compliment…The only thing I heard back from a couple people was “Bob you sound like a racist.” I said, “That’s good. If that’s what you think I am because I happen to believe in America. I’m a proud racist. You’re darn right I am.”

(Think Progress)

utterly bizarre thinking

Matt Dowd: The Best Thing for the President to Do is Get in a Fight With the Democrats
(Crooks and Liars)
---
Wha...?

WTF?

Lt. Gov. of South Carolina: "Don't feed the poor. They'll 'breed.'"
(Crooks and Liars)
---
What the hell is wrong with South Carolina?!

how could anyone living in this reality possibly believe this?

Chris Matthews and Panel Still Touting the "Obama Moved Too Far to the Left" Meme
(Crooks and Liars)
---
Obama is - at best - center-right these days. The reason that his popularity is fading is because he is ignoring the left and pissing off anyone with even mildly liberal leanings. If he actually came through with even a few of his campaign promises (that are almost universally supported by a vast majority of Americans), his approval ratings would soar.

But, he is trying so hard to be bi-partisan that all he is doing is kissing republican asses all day long instead of accomplishing anything.

Hardly rocket science here...

problem with putting your trust in religion

117 Russians in hospital after drinking holy water

MOSCOW – More than 100 Russian Orthodox believers have been hospitalized after drinking holy water during Epiphany celebrations in the eastern city of Irkutsk, an official said Monday.

A total of 117 people, including 48 children, were in the hospital complaining of acute intestinal pain after drinking water from wells in and around a local church last week, said Vladimir Salovarov, a spokesman for the Irkutsk Investigative Committee.

Salovarov said 204 people required some medical treatment after consuming the water, the source of which was a stagnant lake. He said, however, that it was too early to say what caused the illness.

Many Russians consider any water obtained on Epiphany — which they celebrate on Jan. 19 — to be holy.

The water is typically bottled for consumption later. Tap water in most of Russia is undrinkable.

---
Or were they just not "worthy"?!

how could anyone ever think this was appropriate?

Company will stop putting biblical references on guns after Petraeus expresses ‘serious concern.’
(Think Progress)

science-haters trying to kill the rest of us

After hottest decade in history, senators attempt to outlaw science of global warming.
(Think Progress)

not in the reality that the rest of us occupy

Inhofe: ‘I believe in racial and ethnic profiling’ because ‘all terrorists are Muslims or Middle Easterners.’
(Think Progress)

wait - now helping a country in the midst of its worst natural disaster is the same as waging an illegal war and destroying a country?!

Hugh Hewitt echoes Hugo Chavez: Obama is ‘invading Haiti.’

Yesterday in an interview with writer Christopher Hitchens, conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt argued that President Obama had “invaded Haiti” in the aftermath of last week’s earthquake, in a way that was less legal than what President Bush did in Iraq:

HH: We’ve invaded Haiti. We dropped troops on the presidential palace yesterday. The difference between Bush invading Iraq, and Obama invading Haiti, is that Bush had Congressional authorization. I’m glad that President Obama has done this, but don’t you find it odd that the left is all quiet as to this extraordinary exercise in presidential prerogative unguided by, unauthorized by simply unilateral on the part of the President?

CH: Yes, not seeking any international body, and as far as we know, though it’s very hard to be sure, no permission, not that I think their constitution would allow them permission, from a Haitian government, either.

HH: That’s right. I mean, we just took over.

Hewitt added that he thinks it’s “great” that the United States is in Haiti, but continued to argue that what Bush did in Iraq and Afghanistan was more “constitutional.” One of the few other public figures who have made Hewitt’s argument is Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has said the United States is “occupying Haiti undercover.” U.S. forces, however, are providing security at the request of the Haitian government. (HT: Instaputz)

(Think Progress)

only crazy people would have ever thought otherwise

Barnicle: People now think Massachusetts is ‘part of America’ because of Brown’s election.
(Think Progress)

painfully ironic

O’Reilly: It’s so awful when people intrude on your vacation with their cameras.
(Think Progress)

because we know the repugs don't want anyone to be qualified

Long-stalled TSA nominee Erroll Southers withdraws due to Republicans’ political opposition.
(Think Progress)
But, maybe Obama will do the logical thing:
Will Obama Recess-Appoint Former TSA Nominee Erroll Southers?
(Think Progress)
---
Of course, the repugs would be up in arms about this, even though bush did it countless times with completely unqualified people.

weird adjective to use

Defiant Obama urges Congress to pass jobs bill
---
Why is he "defiant" in wanting to help create jobs? Because repugs will do anything to screw the American public instead of helping them?

some people just don't get it

Evan Bayh Calls For A Retreat From Principles In The Wake Of Mass. Election
(Huffington Post)
---
The "wake up call" is for Dems to start acting like Dems and not capitulating to every teeny-tiny desire the repugs request and instead do what the American public elected them to do.

well sure, that makes plenty of sense

Harry Reid: Senate Won't Move Ahead On Health Care Until Scott Brown Is Seated
(Huffington Post)
---
This is probably the "right" thing to do, but do you think for a second the repugs would do this if it were the other way around?

big kudos to her, but does her husband know?

Cindy McCain NOH8 PHOTO: McCain Joins Project Protesting Prop 8
(Huffington Post)

sometimes I wonder why I even care about the idiots in this country

Democrats seek back footing after epic Mass. loss
---
Except that these idiots and their moronic decisions affect me every day.

It just pisses me off how little people care about what happens to this country. I know that the Dems have been disappointing this past year (very!) but it has still been a supreme improvement from the 8 years of horror that we've had to sit through because of clowns voting for disgusting repugs like this one.

It looks like we're not even going to have a chance for any real change to happen at all before we revert back to repug-led caveman days.

Following politics can be very, very depressing if you care about America...

why?

Obama plans to re-emphasize his interest in bipartisanship
(Americablog)
---
Because it's done so much good so far?
Doesn't he realize by now that a big reason that most people are upset with him is because he has capitulated so much already?

Fox lying for the repugs again

Fox News falsely claims: Coakley rally has plenty of empty seats
(Crooks and Liars)

repugs think that everyone is a nazi except themselves

Brown Supporters Call Coakley Supporters "Nazis"
(Crooks and Liars)
---
This is really out of hand and has to stop. Nazis murdered millions - they didn't try to help people get health care...

by destroying it?

Karen Hughes: Bush rescued the economy
(Crooks and Liars)
---
The repugs really want to re-write history completely and say that black is white and the sky is green.
Sorry, scumbags, reality has a liberal bias...

repugs cheating in MA.?

Weird Ballot in MA: Brown's name already filled in
(Crooks and Liars)

WTF?!

WATCH: ESPN Host Says 'Martin Luther Coon' Live On Air
(Huffington Post)

trying to set this country back by decades

Texas Social Studies Curriculum: Out With Civil Rights Leaders, In With Phyllis Schlafly And Joseph McCarthy
(Think Progress)

Fox campaigning for repugs again

Fox’s Gretchen Carlson Suggests Fox Viewers ‘Make A Call To Massachusetts’ To Help Scott Brown Win
(Think Progress)

if Obama wants to do the right thing

Will The Justice Department Investigate A Possible Cover-Up Of Homicides At Guantánamo Bay?
(Think Progress)

shameless

GOP Claims It’s Upholding The Legacy Of MLK, A Fighter Against The ‘Injustice’ In Health Care Inequality
(Think Progress)

all too true

Kerry: ‘The only thing Republicans say yes to are Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, tea partiers, and Fox News.’
(Think Progress)

when the crazies are even too crazy for bush, you know they are crazy

Bush repudiates criticisms that Obama is ‘politicizing’ Haiti: ‘I don’t know what they’re talking about.’
(Think Progress)
---
But kudos for bush for being honest for a change.

per repugs, helping fellow Americans is bad for the country

McConnell On Health Reform: ‘It Would Be Good For The Country If It Failed’
(Think Progress)
---
I'm sure it would be good for the repug party because they know that this will be immense for the Dems if real reform passes.
But, no matter what happens, the repugs will blame the Dems for it not being effective enough, though it will be due to the repugs blocking any real reform...

and this scumbag has a shot at Ted Kennedy's seat?!

Brown Justifies Denying 9/11 Rescue Workers Aid: ‘We Had To Take Care Of Our Own Priorities First’
---
Red Cross financial aid Scott Brown voted to kill now assisting Massachusetts relief efforts in Haiti.
---
Scott Brown Denies Asserting That Obama Was Born Out Of Wedlock, Refuses To Apologize
---
Brown stands by supporting a tax-subsidized golf course over 9/11 rescue workers.
(Think Progress)

and it's about time

Justice Department Intervenes In Gay Rights Suit For The First Time In A Decade
(Think Progress)

because people understand how stupid this is

Poll: Majority Of Voters Don’t Believe DADT Is Helping The Military, Support Total Repeal Of The Ban
(Think Progress)

how do they come up with this stuff?

Beck: Obama is ‘dividing the nation’ by reacting ‘so rapidly to Haiti.’
(Think Progress)
---
So, reacting quickly to a disaster where time is essential is now a bad thing to the repugs?
I guess considering that bush took a week to even stop his vacation after Katrina, this makes sense to the repugs.

repugs really don't want anyone to have health care (other than themselves, of course)

Tea Party Darling Marco Rubio And 35 Other Candidates Sign Pledge To Repeal Health Care Reform
(Think Progress)

this shows a big difference from bush's administration

Atomic scientists push back Doomsday Clock because of Obama’s ‘pragmatic’ foreign policy.
(Think Progress)

because they've seen what bi-partisanship does these days

Poll: Americans think standing for principle is more important than bipartisan compromise.
(Think Progress)
---
People are starting to realize that trying to be bi-partisan with a party that admits that all they want to do is say no and block any progress is non-productive.

because Fox has been so hard on her

Paranoid Beck would embarrass her, Palin focused on googling NYC landmarks right before their interview.
(Think Progress)
---
What a weirdo! Does she really not understand that Fox is her biggest cheerleader and they would never do anything to undermine her?
But then, this is someone who thought that a softball question like "what do you like to read" was a "gotcha" question!

repugs continue to try to re-write history to absolve themselves

Steele Claims He ‘Wasn’t Chairman Of The Party’ At The Time Ensign’s Sex Scandal ‘Took Place’
(Think Progress)

another bizarre repug conspiracy theory

Scott Brown Touts Beck-Like Conspiracy Theory That He Wouldn’t Be Seated Until Health Reform Is Passed
(Think Progress)

bi-patisanship is nice and all, but maybe you could find someone who didn't help destroy the country?

Obama asks George W. Bush to assist Haiti relief efforts.

Yesterday, following the tragic earthquake in Haiti, the conservative Heritage Foundation suggested that “President Obama…reach out to a senior Republican figure, perhaps former President George W. Bush, to lead the bipartisan effort” to assist the beleaguered Caribbean country. Indeed, it is now being reported that Obama has asked the former Republican president to join with U.N. special envoy to Haiti Bill Clinton to raise funds for the nation:

Former US president George W. Bush will join former president Bill Clinton to help lead the US relief effort in response to the earthquake that devastated Haiti, an official close to Bush said Thursday.

Bush, President Barack Obama’s predecessor, “will join president Clinton in helping with disaster relief” after the catastrophe, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

While Bush can lead a sorely needed hand to help assist raising funds for the recovery effort, it’s also important to recall the former president’s legacy on the island nation. Under Bush’s watch, the democratically elected leader of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was deposed by a military coup led by rebel elements, which the Bush administration and allied groups supported. Following the coup — after which looting “cost Haitian businesses hundreds of millions of dollars,” over half of the country’s police “officers quit,” and the price of rice “more than doubled” — Aristide was interviewed by CNN and described his Bush-ordered exodus from the country as a “coup d’etat.”

(Think Progress)

wish we had more like Grayson

Rep. Alan Grayson Responds to Giuiliani on Republican Exceptionalism

From Rep. Grayson's You Tube page:

Former Republican Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani claimed that no attacks happened on US soil 'except' for 9/11. Rep. Alan Grayson responded by pointing out all of the other exceptions the Republicans would like to exclude from history.

Dave N.: You gotta love Alan Grayson. Republicans' are desperate to make Americans forget what an abject failure conservative governance has been. Grayson is one of the few congresscritters actively fighting back:

Grayson: And I realized that I was witnessing the birth of a new form of political discourse from the right wing in this country: The Exception. The Exceptional Exception -- the exception that proves the rule or disproves the rule, as the case may be.

So in the future I'm expecting that we'll hear from the right wing the claim that no cities drowned under the Bush administration -- except for New Orleans. And that there were no wars that were started by mistake under the Bush administration -- except for the war in Iraq. And that the Bush administration added nothing to the federal debt -- except for a half-trillion dollars, which works out to $15,000 for every man, woman and child in this country. And that they respected all of our constitutional rights as Americans -- except when they didn't.

I think we'll hear Republicans claim that the Bush administration managed the economy quite well -- except when they brought it to the brink of national bankruptcy. In fact, they'll claim that the Bush-Cheney administration was a complete success, except for the fact that it was an abject failure -- an abject failure.

In fact, what we learned in Washington for eight years is that the reason why Republicans hate government so much is because they're so bad at it.

It's this willingness to tackle the right-wing media and its talking points that sets Grayson apart from his colleagues. No wonder his fund-raising campaign has been so successful. People want to reward someone who stands up for them.

(Crooks and Liars)

showing their ignorance

Fox Thinks Winter Chill Disproves Global Warming; Experts Disagree
(Think Progress)

so if elected, he would not serve?

GOP Senate Candidate Marco Rubio Calls For Suspending Congress For Two Years To Fix The Economy
(Think Progress)
---
And this is the rhetoric the repugs spout instead of real ideas...

will China become more progressive that the US?

Chinese state press highlights China’s first public same-sex ‘marriage.’
(Think Progress)
---
Yes, this marriage is not recognized by their government, but it is telling that the government is promoting it.

heartless and evil

Pat Robertson Cites Haiti’s Earthquake As What Happens When You ‘Swear A Pact To The Devil’
(Think Progress)
---
What a scumbag...
Of course, he is also referencing something that happened centuries ago. I guess god is very patient in his vengeance...

again?

Obama To Meet With House Republicans In Spirit Of Bipartisanship
(Huffington Post)
---
Once again proving that despite the repugs continual lies, Obama reaches out continuously...

funny, they flat-out admit that he's there because he is their only African-American

Congressional GOP wants to keep Steele ‘out of sight, out of mind.’
(Think Progress)

TSA nominee logical and intelligent - repugs furious at this

Right Wing Mounts Witch Hunt To Smear TSA Nominee With Flailing, Off-Target Attacks
(Think Progress)

I don't think that there will be any problem with this

Fox News VP: We ‘hope’ Palin will be ‘polarizing’ as a Fox News contributor.
(Think Progress)

very strange definition of "commonsense"

Dobbs Defends His Birther Advocacy: ‘Seems To Me Still A Perfectly Commonsense Question’
(Think Progress)

classy

Tucker Carlson’s new website kicks off with jokes about rape, being gay.
(Think Progress)

guess he didn't care much who he got as a running mate

McCain on claims of campaign's lax vetting of Palin: 'I wouldn't know.'
---

WTF?

Rush Limbaugh Says Ted Kennedy Had 'Negroes' Serve Him 'Booze' (AUDIO)
(Huffington Post)

jeez, we'll never be rid of her

Sarah Palin signs on as Fox News contributor.
(Think Progress)
---
Just goes to show that you do not have to have any knowledge of anything at all to be on Fox!

yeah, that'll work

GOP plans on reintroducing legislation to ban and deport immigrants from ‘terrorist’ countries.
(Think Progress)

hardly surprising from this clueless dolt - she probably actually believed it

Heilemann: Palin ‘regularly’ said that ‘that Saddam Hussein had been behind 9/11.’
(Think Progress)

these are the people lecturing the Dems on race

The overwhelming diversity of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference: one woman, one person of color.
(Think Progress)

seems like a slam-dunk case

Groundbreaking gay marriage trial starts in Calif

SAN FRANCISCO – The first federal trial to determine if the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from outlawing same-sex marriage gets under way Monday, and the two gay couples on whose behalf the case was brought will be among the first witnesses.

The proceedings, which are expected to last two to three weeks, involve a challenge to Proposition 8, the gay marriage ban approved by California voters in November 2008.

Regardless of the outcome, the case is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it ultimately could become a landmark that determines if gay Americans have the right to marry.

The judge who will render a decision, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, has asked lawyers arguing for and against the ban to present the facts underlying much of the political rhetoric surrounding same-sex marriage. Among the questions Walker plans to entertain are whether sexual orientation can be changed, how legalizing gay marriage affects traditional marriages and the effect on children of being raised by two mothers or two fathers.

---

I honestly don't see how the court could not say that this discrimination is un-Constitutional. I don't see any other way to interpret it, but we'll see...

really? the repugs really want to highlight their record on race?

Republicans cite Lott in calling for Reid to quit

WASHINGTON – A double standard? Republicans seeking Sen. Harry Reid's resignation as majority leader over racial remarks he made about Barack Obama say yes — that Reid should be held to the same standard as former GOP Sen. Trent Lott, whose own racial gaffes cost him the Senate leadership in 2002.

Democrats say no, that Reid's comments — while unfortunate — were nothing like Lott's.

Reid apologized to Obama and a handful of black political leaders after a new book reported that he was favorably impressed by Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign and, in a private conversation, described the Illinois senator as a "light-skinned" African-American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."
---
Lott had cheered the 1948 presidential campaign of Strom Thurmond — a segregationist Democrat opposing President Harry Truman — during a 100th birthday tribute to Thurmond, by then a longtime Republican senator.

---
Yes, Reid's remarks were terribly unfortunate and he was right to apologize for them.

But Lott said that this country would have been better off if we had elected a racist segregationist, he opposed programs for the poor and minorities and he opposed MLK Day! These remarks were from an obvious serial racist, while Reid has been a campion of minorities.

Yes, Reid is a poor public speaker and yes, he should have never said these things and should have apologized, but equating these remarks is beyond absurd.

More from Think Progress:
Right Wing Rallies Around Trent Lott’s Segregationist Remarks To Attack Harry Reid
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And from Crooks and Liars:
GOP Whistling Dixie on Lott-Reid Comparison
---
And from Daily Kos:
John Cornyn Says Segregation Is "Innocuous"
---

wow...

Judge Napolitano: If our gun rights hadn't been taken away, 9/11 would never have happened!

Apparently, the job of filling in for Glenn Beck comes with a wingnuttery quotient proviso. Because yesterday on Beck's show, Judge Andrew Napolitano made sure he filled his.

Napolitano started by complaining that it was "progressives" who were arguing that we had to give up our liberties in order to obtain security. Come again?

What exactly did we hear from the American Right during the eight years of George W. Bush's nonstop assaults on civil liberties -- ranging from wiretapping citizens to using torture to using military tribunals to try American citizens? Oh, that's right -- we heard that opposing these measures meant we hated America and cared more about terrorist rights.

It's true that Napolitano opposed the wiretaps and the torture. But is he now claiming that these were progressives who argued they were necessary?

In any event, the real capper came shortly after:

Napolitano: Can the government keep us safe? I don't think so. I think airline travel is safer today because pilots have guns, because cockpit doors are now like bank vaults, and because the passengers have become courageous. All this was done by individuals, in the private sector, and not by the government.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: If the feds had not stripped us of our natural rights to keep ourselves safe by keeping and bearing arms, 9/11 would never have happened!

Come again, again? Napolitano seems to think that if everybody on board those planes had been permitted to pack heat -- which is the scenario he seems to envision here -- we'd all have been a lot safer.

Oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Just let everybody bring their guns on board. That'll make us safer. Uh-huh.

Maybe Napolitano is arguing that only pilots should have been allowed to pack heat. But that would not exactly be consonant with his complaint that the feds had taken away our "natural rights" to carry guns.

All I can say is that if the airline system were insane enough to follow his suggestion and let everyone exert their "natural rights", I'd be exerting my natural right to take a train or a bus.

(Crooks and Liars)

not surprised, but what a shame

Government-run health insurance option appears doomed
---

what a great slogan - "I impede progress every day"

John McCain's New Ad: I Stand In Obama's Way Every Day
(Crooks and Liars)
---
Does he really think that people are looking for politicians who stop anything from being done?
I think that most people are upset that not enough is getting done.

ho hum, more of the usual repug hypocrisy

GOP Senate Candidate Rep. Mike Castle Takes Credit For Over $5 Million In Stimulus Funds He Voted To Kill
(Think Progress)

and America continues to fall farther behind the rest of the world

Portugal’s parliament approves same-sex marriage.
(Think Progress)

shameless in their denial of obvious reality

Using Double Standard, Conservatives Claim No Terrorist Attacks Happened Under Bush

As the Wonk Room’s Matt Duss has been pointing out, conservatives and hawks are falling all over themselves to hail the failed Christmas Day bombing as a “success.” “This was — this was an attack that didn’t succeed on the scale it was expected to but did succeed,” said Brit Hume on Fox News.

At the same time, conservatives seeking to exploit the attempted attack for political advantage have been contrasting Obama’s record on terrorism with President Bush’s, claiming that the last administration “had a 100 percent perfect track record.” On Fox News yesterday, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour declared that “after September 11, not one time did the terrorists who are trying to kill us and end our way of life, not one time were they able to attack the mainland United States.” Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani claimed on Good Morning America today that “We had no domestic attacks under Bush.”
---
Ignoring the irony of Rudy “noun, a verb, and 9/11” Giuliani claiming there were “no domestic attacks under Bush,” the logic of the conservative claim that the failed Christmas Day attack represents a mar on Obama’s record while Bush’s post-9/11 record was spotless reveals a stunning double standard. As many, including ThinkProgress, have pointed out, Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalab’s failed underwear bombing is nearly identical to Richard Reid’s failed shoe bombing in December 2001, but the conservatives attacking Obama for letting an attack occur on his watch don’t seem to count the shoe bombing as an attack on Bush’s watch.

This was perhaps best demonstrated by Las Vegas Journal Review publisher Sherman Frederick’s column claiming that “the two cases of domestic terrorism since 9/11″ both happened on Obama’s watch. The only way for this to be true is for Abdulmuttalab’s failed attack to count as a case of domestic terrorism while discounting Reid’s failed attack. Additionally, as Media Matters has repeatedly pointed out, several other domestic attacks did occur under Bush’s watch, such as the 2001 anthrax attacks and the 2002 attack against an El Al ticket counter at LAX.

(Think Progress)
---
The worst attack on American soil ever is somehow now not only not bush's fault, not even just good for bush, but now it happened in some weird space/time continuum that shifted it to someone else's presidency!

And, on top on that, a failed terror attack under Obama's watch - which he is, refreshingly, taking the blame for - is worse that a monumentally successful one under bush's watch!

When did reality-denying become standard practice and even acceptable among our pundits and repug leaders?

How are we ever going to work together to solve any of the horrible problems facing this country if we have to deal with people who can't even accept not only facts, but basic reality?

bush really won their hearts and minds, didn't he?

CIA bomber's wife says war must go on against US

ISTANBUL – The Turkish wife of a Jordanian doctor who killed seven CIA employees in a suicide attack in Afghanistan says her husband was outraged over the treatment of Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison and the U.S.-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Defne Bayrak, the wife of bomber Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, said in an interview with The Associated Press that his hatred of the United States had motivated her husband to sacrifice his life on Dec. 30 in what he regarded as a holy war against the U.S.

Bayrak also said Friday, "I think the war against the United States must go on."

Turkish police questioned and released Bayrak on Thursday. But she says police confiscated a book she had written called "Osama bin Laden the Che Guevera of the East."

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Obama really has his work cut out for him to try to recover the damage bush did to this country and its image around the world.

I can't imagine why!

Sen. Lieberman's approval ratings tanking in Connecticut
---
Maybe if he actually acted in his constituents' best interests instead of playing politics, he wouldn't be having these problems...

I know this is a rhetorical question...

How long will Fox let Hannity blatantly lie about global temperatures in 2009?
(Crooks and Liars)

really?

O'Reilly figures another terrorist event, and Obama's presidency is finished
(Crooks and Liars)
---
Although the worst terrorist attack in our history only helped bush, now somehow a comparatively minor and failed one means that Obama is almost finished?

How does that work?

Oh yeah, it's always a free ride if you're a repug and always the end of the line if you're a Dem...

but we know that repugs don't care about their constituents

States ‘with the most to gain under health care reform are overwhelmingly represented by Republicans.’
(Think Progress)

their arguments are less and less coherent

To Justify Hypocritical Attacks, Rudy Giuliani Claims The Shoe Bomber’s Attempted Attack Happened Before 9/11
(Think Progress)

but he doesn't want the rest of us to have this kind of care

GOP congressman praises government health care system that paid for his treatement.
(Think Progress)

something I'm sure most opponents don't think about

Study predicts $1.5 trillion increase in GDP if undocumented immigrants are legalized.
(Think Progress)

Matthews doing a good job

Todd Harris, GOP Strategist, DECIMATED By Chris Matthews

What have the Republicans done for America lately? Or in the past couple decades?

That's what Chris Matthews pressed Republican strategist Todd Harris about during Hardball on Wednesday.

Matthews repeatedly asked for examples, while citing negative examples like Bush-era spending bills, Katrina, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Harris tried to keep the focus on the 2010 elections and expressed hope that Democrats would keep going after Bush so the GOP could stay on message about being a balance against the current Democratic leadership.

Matthews suggested one answer, which Harris latched onto. "The Bush administration kept the country safe," said the guest.

"Except the one big day," the host shot back.

"YouTube is watching," he told Harris. "You're the Republican consultant. One of the best in the country. Tell me what the Republican party has done for this country in the last ten to 20 years."

Harris stayed silent.

"Thank you," Matthews said to his recurring GOP guest as he closed the segment. "We'll have you back with the answer."

(Huffington Post)
---
But even the idea that the bush administration kept this country safe - besides the worst terror attacks ever - is false, since we had other attacks since then and bush's policies obviously has created more anti-American sentiments and attacks on out people throughout the world.

over-turning bush's war on science for the good of the country

EPA replacing Bush smog limit with stricter rule

WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed stricter health standards for smog, replacing a Bush-era limit that ran counter to scientific recommendations.

The new limits — which are presented as a range — will likely put hundreds more counties nationwide in violation, a designation that will require them to find additional ways to clamp down on pollution or face government sanctions, most likely the loss of federal highway dollars.

The tighter standards will cost tens of billions of dollars to implement, but will ultimately save billions in avoided emergency room visits, premature deaths, and missed work and school days, the EPA said.

The proposed range was what scientists had recommended during the Bush administration.

However, former President George W. Bush personally intervened and set the standard above what was advised after protests from electric utilities and other industries. The Bush standard was still stricter than the previous smog standard set in 1997.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said in a statement Thursday that science, this time around, had been followed.

---
Imagine - doing what is right and good for the American people instead of big corporations! What a change!

never one to let facts or public humiliation stop her

Palin: I'm 'Not Gonna Back Off' Death Panel Claim
(Huffington Post)

let's hope he keeps his word on this

President Obama :"Attack was preventable" Vows to close Gitmo

President Obama held a brief presser with the media and explained what happened on Christmas.

President Barack Obama asserted on Tuesday that the U.S. government had enough information to foil the attempted bombing on a Christmas Day airline flight but intelligence agencies "failed to connect the dots." Obama called that unacceptable and said, "I will not tolerate it."

"Our intelligence community failed to connect those dots which would have placed the suspect on the no-fly list," he said. "This was not a failure to collect intelligence, it was a failure to integrate and understand the intelligence that we already have."

Obama said that it was clear the government knew that the suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, had traveled to Yemen and joined with extremists there.

"It now turns out that our intelligence community knew of other red flags that al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula sought to strike not only American targets in Yemen, but the United States itself. And we had information that this group was working with an individual ... who we now know was in fact the individual involved in the Christmas attack," he said.

As for the prison for terror suspects in Cuba, he said, "Make no mistake, we will close Guantanamo prison," Obama said. Guantanamo, he said, "was an explicit rationale for the formation of al-Qaida" operating in Yemen.

He kept it short and to the point and didn't take any questions from the media.

(Crooks and Liars)
---
He hasn't been as effective and definitive as he should have been in his first year, but at least he is sane, logical and correct in his speeches. Hopefully, this isn't jsut talk.

Buchanan advocates crooks in the White House

Buchanan on Nixon: 'That Was the Best Run White House I Have Ever Been In'
(Crooks and Liars)

wha...?

Steele: Bush Was ‘Right’ To Wait Six Days To Respond To Shoe Bomber, But Obama Was Still Too Slow
(Think Progress)
---
Why is it that repugs no longer have to even try to make sense?
Oh yeah, it's our "liberal media"...

hey Fox - "retiring" and "defecting" are not synonymous

Fox News chyron cast Dorgan and Dodd as ‘defecting Democrats.’
(Think Progress)

funny how our "liberal media" lets the repugs get away with this blatant falsehoods

Conservatives Continue To Claim That Obama Refuses To Say The Words ‘Terror’ Or ‘Terrorism’
(Think Progress)
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I just I'm still naive enough to be amazed that no one calls the repugs on this flagrant bs. I mean, this isn't a matter of opinion - this is flat out denying reality.

don't think he knows what he is getting himself into

Hate Radio Host Neal Boortz Challenges Keith Olbermann To A Health Care Debate
(Think Progress)
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I think Olbermann would be merciless to this moron if he takes him up on it. We'll see how Keith responds...

but they don't care about the truth because lies are all they have

Conservatives Should Learn To Google Before Claiming Obama Doesn’t Use The Words ‘Terror’ Or ‘Terrorism’
(Think Progress)

so now giving people health care is worse than terrorism?

Hate radio host Neal Boortz: Health bill will kill more people than a terrorist attack.
(Think Progress)
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This is so far beyond insanity that I don't know how they have the imagination to come up with it!

crazies fighting with other crazies to see who can out-crazy each other

Glenn Beck Flooded With Calls From Birthers, Suspects White House Plot

Fox News infotainer Glenn Beck returned to the airwaves this new year, outlining his own twisted spin on Birtherism. While Beck acknowledged that the whole notion of a concerted effort decades ago to plant fake Barack Obama birth records is "a little unlikely," he nevertheless wondered aloud on his radio show whether or not the left was actually behind the rise of Birtherism -- thus trading one unlikely conspiracy
theory for an even more unlikely one.

BECK: So there are apparently, apparently there is and I'm just going to there's always games being played behind the scenes at a talk radio show and on television and everything else. It is really, it's very, I don't know, it's disappointing. Rush has called them on the games in radio behind the scenes, Rush has always called them seminar callers. But instead of being coy with the seminar callers or with you, I'm just going to expose the game that is going on. Today there is a concerted effort on all radio stations to get Birthers on the air. I have to tell you, are you working for the Barack Obama administration? I mean, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Yes: that would be the dumbest thing in the world, for Obama supporters to pimp Birtherism to right-wing radio hosts. But that's not what's happening! As David Weigel reports, Glenn Beck was recently flooded with calls from Birthers because the Birthers themselves coordinated the calls, in a campaign they dubbed "Operation Flood It," which, I guess, really masks their intentions!

From the website of anti-Obama Birther den ATLAH Worldwide:

Operation FLOOD IT- Jan 4th, 2010...

I want Beck's phone system to crash, everyone press redial over and over.

We need at least 5,000 people to do this...

Call (888) 727-2325 at 9am EST

The left are scared to death of the Obama eligibility issue and anyone that dares to bring it up is immediately attacked and and forced to resign. Just ask Lou Dobbs...

Why is Fox afraid of this issue? This could throw Obama into jail, we are not talking about czars here. That is small potatoes compared to multiple felonies and a conspiracy to deceive 300 million Americans. The ENTIRE house of cards in the Democrat party would topple, because they were all most likely involved in this conspiracy as well.

Fox has the guts to throw jabs at Obama for 4 years, but they do not have the guts to deliver the knockout punch, Obama's ineligibility. WE have to change that...

A script of talking points for would-be Birther phone-jammers, is included.

This super-difficult-to-penetrate plan, by the way, has been afoot since December 21st, so maybe Glenn Beck should go and get a Google Alert with his name, or something, if he'd like to stay abreast of these sorts of things.

(Huffington Post)

I like her already

First Transgender Presidential Appointee Begins Work
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'Being The First Sucks'
(Huffington Post)

ain't the South great?

Secret Service investigating effigy of President Obama hanged in Georgia.
(Think Progress)

crazy repugs want all repugs to be defined as crazy

Bachmann: GOP should ‘allow themselves to be re-defined by the tea party movement.’
(Think Progress)

obviously, the repugs think this, but amazing that they openly admit it!

GOP House candidate says defeating liberals is more important than defeating terrorists.
(Think Progress)

thanks, bush

2000s a ‘lost decade’ for U.S. economy, workers.
(Think Progress)

thankfully, some people are stating the obvious

McCaskill tells Demint his hold on TSA nominee is ‘nuts’.
---
Brennan responds to Cheney: He’s either ‘willfully mischaracterized’ Obama or is ‘ignorant of the facts.’
(Think Progress)

why is this anyone's business but the family's?

Parents Arrested For Giving Six Of Their Kids Homemade Tattoos
(Huffington Post)

because all Christians are adulterers?

Brit Hume To Tiger Woods: Convert To Christianity To Recover From Scandal
(Huffington Post)
---
Wow - what a ridiculously insulting and bigoted piece of advice!

that fact is a little inconvenient to their narrative, isn't it?

Fox talkers attack release of Gitmo terrorists to Yemen -- but neglect to mention it was Cheney who freed them
(Crooks and Liars)

ironic

Limbaugh Rushed To Honolulu Hospital That Gave Rise To ‘Birther’ Conspiracy

Conservative radio shock jock Rush Limbaugh was rushed to a Honolulu hospital yesterday with chest pains. After paramedics arrived and treated him at the Kahala Hotel and Resort, Limbaugh was transferred to Queen’s Medical Center where he reportedly arrived in “serious condition.” KHON2 reports:

Sources say the 58 year old [Limbaugh] was suffering chest pains before an ambulance arrived at the hotel.

Honolulu’s Emergency Services Department confirmed a male fitting Limbaugh’s description was taken from the hotel in serious condition.

As an avid golfer Limbaugh travels to Hawaii just about every year and earlier this week was seen in Kona on the Big Island and at the Waialae Country Club on Oahu.

While unfortunate, Limbaugh’s hospital visit is rife with irony. The ailing radio show host was sent to the same medical center that a United Press International reporter misidentified in an article published in 2008 as the facility in which President Obama was born. Though the error was corrected to accurately indicate that Obama was born in the Kapi’olani Medical Center, the mistake fueled “birther” conspiracy theories that Limbaugh then dedicated significant airtime to promoting. Since then, Limbaugh has gone as far to state that Hawaii “morphed into Kenya one day in 1961 [the year Obama was born] and reverted back to Hawaii the next day.”

Meanwhile, some of Limbaugh’s right-wing colleagues have spent the past week slamming Obama for vacationing in Hawaii over the holidays, which “to many Americans seems like a foreign place.” Last month, Limbaugh was voted the nation’s “most influential conservative voice.”

(Think Progress)

---

And why is he vacationing in this "foreign place" anyway?

Too bad it wasn't a throat issue that hospitalized him!

More from Huffington Post:

Rush Limbaugh Inspired By Union Hospitals, Socialized Medicine

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some good news for the new year

Argentina hosts Latin America’s first gay marriage.
(Think Progress)

c'mon Obama - I know you inherited this mess, but it needs to be cleaned up now

2009 was deadliest year for U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
(Think Progress)

Happy 2010!

Hopefully, in this decade our country can recover from the tragic damage that the repugs did to it over the last decade. It will certainly take time to repair the monumental, mind-boggling and unprecedented tragedies that they inflicted upon us, but all we can do is hope and push our elected officials to actually do the will of the people.

Here's to the Dems growing spines this year!