And the sky is blue

No wonder the modern GOP hates science...it makes sense:

There's no gentle way to put it: People who give in to racism and prejudice may simply be dumb, according to a new study that is bound to stir public controversy.

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNND...Rick Santorum comes out against getting a college education. [cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Time to execute some people

Who manage to register lower IQs than him (somehow there are some of them)

Rick Perry’s dismal showing in the presidential contest has plunged his approval among Texans to its lowest level in a decade, and more than half say in a new poll that he should not seek re-election as governor.

Immediate Action Required

As we know child abuse didn't seem to cause much of a reaction within the Vatican. But something things get them to act with great dispatch.

The Vatican was shaken by a corruption scandal Thursday after an Italian television investigation said a former top official [Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano] had been transferred against his will after complaining about irregularities in awarding contracts.

Unknown whether or not the names include any Romneys. For many years the papal official dealing with things like abuse claims within the Church was Cardinal Ratzenger, now known as Pope Benedict XVI. Surely he isn't mixed up in this business too?

"Holy Father, my transfer right now would provoke much disorientation and discouragement in those who have believed it was possible to clean up so many situations of corruption and abuse of power that have been rooted in the management of so many departments," Vigano wrote to the pope on March 27, 2011.

Guess who got shipped out of the Vatican?

Despite his appeals to the pope that a transfer, even if it meant a promotion, "would be a defeat difficult for me to accept," Vigano was named ambassador to Washington in October of last year after the sudden death of the previous envoy to the United States.

But David Brooks was probably excited

Oh those endorsements are awesome:

Nate Silver @fivethirtyeight

Newt has surged negative 6 points in the Florida polls since the Fred Thompson endorsement.

Requires this.

Somehow this doesn't sound like a deterrent

To vote Obama.

Barack Obama won't ask Timothy Geithner to stay on as Treasury Secretary if the president wins reelection, Geithner told Bloomberg TV's Trish Regan Wednesday.

Aw, we'll all be crushed. So who will the just as underwhelming replacement be?

Fact-ish

Oh what a surprise, when it comes to a Democrat, "FactCheck" manages to fuck up fact checking.

So long James Madison, hello Robert Heinlein.

Newt Gingrich's political development apparently began with "Space Cadet" and ended with "Starship Troopers"

Yesterday, America's self-proclaimed enemy of the deficit Newt Gingrich emphasized his latest policy plank:

"We will have the first permanent base on the moon and it will be American," Gingrich said.

And now to find the billions of dollars to build it...I guess it will come from more tax cuts for millionaires, as that is his other major platform.

Jobs programs, education, help for the poor, no. Tax Cuts and Moonbases, yes.

All that and a bag of chips (plus a war with Iran).

When it comes to science fiction as policy Newt has a long history of thinking he is Buck Rogers.

-- 1995, “Honeymoons in space will be the vogue by 2020.”

Please fill in your own jokes here....but I do wonder if that is why Calista's hair looks like something Buzz Aldrin designed?

-- 1985 he advocated “a large array of mirrors [that] could affect the earth’s climate,” warming it up so farmers could extend the growing season.

So he not only believes in man-made climate change (disqualifying in today's GOP), he's completely for speeding it up.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Ready for that Southwest Airlines "Want to get away?" commercial

This is about the worst athletic botch I can remember, I could not feel worse for her. It's sort of like putting yourself in a position of nominating either Romney or Gingrich -- either one is an own-goal.

Greatest Interview ever

Maurice Sendak interviewed by Colbert:

The Colbert Report
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This part of last night's show was awesome too. Rick Santorum does, in fact, like making baby soup.

Good thing Republicans are not beholden to facts

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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If a Republican was President

You'd be hearing this story non-stop on FoxNews and George Bush would have been portrayed as being there personally directing fire:

In a daring nighttime raid Tuesday, U.S. Navy SEALs rescued two hostages, including one American, who were being held by kidnappers in Somalia, U.S. officials tell NBC News. American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and a 60-year-old Dane, Poul Thisted, were working for a Danish relief organization in northern Somalia when they were kidnapped last October. U.S. officials described their kidnappers as heavily armed common criminals with no known ties to any organized militant group.

But as John "Santa Claus" Cole jollily points out this doesn't fit into the "Obama is a Pussy" theme. the GOP wants to portray (like the killing of that Osama fella stuff).

And again, if nothing else Obama has proved he can kill people illegally more cheaply, you'd think the Republicans could at least not begrudge him that (posterity however...).

Still?

The last batch of recordings made under President Kennedy were released yesterday (and again, good job Nixon making sure we won't get the same things under subsequent Presidents).

It has many interesting and mundane things on it...

Conversations with top officials briefing Kennedy on Vietnam were among the most memorable, Porter said.

After hearing vastly different viewpoints from top advisers who had gone on a fact-finding mission to South Vietnam, Kennedy can be heard commenting: "You both went to the same country?"

Porter said the frustration palpable in Kennedy's voice during the conversation was insightful.

But the most vexing part of the release was this:

Of the final hours of recordings released on Tuesday...officials excised about five to 10 minutes of family-related discussions and about 30 minutes because of national security concerns.

These tapes are nearly fifty years old...the cold war is over...what possible "national security" concerns could there be? I bet it involves the origin of 'Bat Boy'!

That speech was okay

But Jerry Ford would have thought it was too conservative... But as usual, Obama benefits from who his opposing critics are. Such as this man, best know for defending endless wars fought for illegitimate reasons with the tactic of implying treason upon their opponents.

Well, that is timely criticism indeed coming as it does upon the heels of record profits for Apple.

Buoyed by holiday spending, the company's revenue hit a sky high $46 billion and net income of $13.1 billion. This amounts to about $133 million of profit per day during the 14 week-long quarter.

And let us not forget the true patriotic "American-Corporate Way" of getting those profits, by having them made overseas in China and treating those workers like dirt.

You'd think Fleischer would be more than satisfied enough with Obama's ability to conduct inappropriate acts of war more inexpensively.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

Nerd post of the day

Return of the Jedi the way it should have gone...

So how much of that went to hating on gays?

Mitt gave $2.6 million to the Mormon Church last year alone:

The couple donated $1.5 million in 2010 to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which also received donations from the family’s foundation. They contributed $2.6 million to the Mormon church in 2011, according to the estimated return.

So how much of that ended up being spent in California to keep gays from marrying?

Sunday's episode was fine

But last night's special episode of Downton Abbey (on NBC for some reason) was just 90 minutes of the dog's ass interlaced with O'Brien and Thomas sniping at each other.

Another drip in the growing puddle

More fun for Mitt, less fun for his victims:

Off a gritty bend in the Miami River, a few miles from a warehouse where he recently touted his job-creation plans, there’s a complex of buildings that bear witness to a time when Mitt Romney’s private equity firm laid off hundreds of workers, shuttered a profitable factory and made out with hundreds of millions of dollars.

It started in 1995, when Romney’s Bain Capital targeted the company that became Dade Behring, which made blood-testing machines and performed animal research at its Miami campus.

Bain borrowed heavily to buy the company and closed a factory in Puerto Rico to improve the bottom line. About 400 lost jobs there. Then in 1997, Bain shuttered Dade Behring’s Miami operations, costing another 850 jobs and a $30 million payroll in the community.

Before growing debt consumed the company, Bain executed its exit strategy and made $242 million.

And I wonder how many more of these stories will surface on Mitt's serial killing victory tour?

Drip prefers the "drip,drip,drip" method

Oh how politically savvy:

Romney advisers stressed that the holdings in the Caymans — along with those in a Swiss bank account that was closed in 2010 after an investment adviser decided it could be politically embarrassing to Romney — were reported on tax returns and were not vehicles to avoid taxes.

Okay, first...this occurred to them for the first time in 2010...after he had already run for President?

Second, a Swiss bank account too? Oh Mitt and his money right next to Nazi Gold!

Third, just how bad are those prior years?

Fourth, how long does he think he'll get away with not returning those...and how does he think this is going to close the matter?

That shit may work on FoxNews but not anywhere else.

I missed the debate...(again) last night

So I missed the talent portion:

Let us put them in…the Octagon!

It seems just like yesterday some guy stated here that Mitt Romney as Republican nominee was going to happen. And then this happens.

Newt Gingrich has all but erased Mitt Romney's 23-percentage-point lead of a week ago among Republican voters nationally, and the two candidates are now essentially tied

And thanks to the Supreme Court time for the "Chubb Group" of the Gingrich Campaign to continue the underwriting:

Gingrich pal and wealthy businessman Sheldon Adelson will offer up another $5 million in funding for Gingrich’s super PAC, Winning Our Future.

And to think of all the episodes of NOVA that could make. I still think in the long run, Romney will be "settled" for, not because he is loved but because he'll do...but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to see this:

Veteran GOP Operative Steve Schmidt: Look, I think, not only are we not moving towards a coalescing of support by the Republican establishment for Newt Gingrich, we're probably moving toward the declaration of war on Newt Gingrich by the Republican establishment. And if Newt Gingrich is able to win the Florida primary, you will see a panic and a meltdown of the Republican establishment that is beyond my ability to articulate in the English language.

To the Octagon.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]

On the other hand...

If Romney loses Florida...

Newt Gingrich leads Mitt Romney by eight points in Florida, according to a poll conducted the day after the former House speaker won the South Carolina primary. According to the Insider Advantage poll, Gingrich has 34 percent support, Romney has 26 percent, Texas Rep. Ron Paul has 13 percent, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum garners 11 percent.

There may be no settling at all, the base may just decide they want to burn that SOB to the ground.

And they probably think that's a good plan.

And speaking of quality journalism

Good to see David Gregory's nine (or ten?) figure salary hasn't prevented him from questioning right-wing memes...because he doesn't want to bother.

GREGORY: Can you have a Republican nominee who can play into the class warfare argument that the president wants to play in general?

Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?

Quality

Oh that HuffPo front page continues to be of the highest caliber:

Oh no.

It will soon be time to settle

There comes a time, if you are in a mood to marry, that you are more than aware of your potential mates foibles. They chew strangely, they occasionally smell, they don't like the same shows you like, etc.

But all-in-all they'll do because after all you aren't exactly perfect.  

And if marrying is the most important thing of all, you'll sadly take what you can get. Newt Gingrich may have won South Carolina, and Mitt Romney may be a terrible politician, but of the GOP's potential suitors he's the best remaining option. And Republicans seem to agree, in their inimitable manner:

In a January 14-17 YouGov poll, 66% of Gingrich supporters said they had a “very” or “somewhat favorable” opinion of Romney. About 15% were neutral. The remaining 19% were unfavorable, but only 2% were said “very unfavorable”—which is how I would translate “deep dissatisfaction.” The same thing is true of Santorum supporters: 57% had a favorable view of Romney.

So they are going to settle (and since Andrew Sullivan is predicting otherwise...they'll settle) for Romney...for the least bad of a series of bad choices. All before the likely divorce on November 7, 2012.

Which is unfortunate in a way because Gingrich can definitely handle divorce.

And now PANIC!

It used to be sometime in March or so that there was a traditional freak-out in whatever Party was the challengers in the upcoming election as the almost certain nominee suffers a temporary setback. But this year the GOP decided to get it started early.

As fun as this all is, and as someone who certainly isn't a Republican it is quite fun...once I get my jaw back in place, I just do not think Gingrich is going to get the nomination. Now that he's having his little run the powers-that-be in the Party are going to step up and make sure Mitt gets it.

However the caveat to the normal course of business is that the GOP has done everything in its power to let the crazies run free, the only real question is whether they can get them back in the bottle? It won't be easy.

We're riding this SOB to the gates of hell ...

Because once they are there, they'll just let Newt in as an honored guest.

Nice job Republicans.

And then they went home to watch the Golf Channel

Apparently Mitt Romney won only one group in South Carolina...those making over $200,000 annually.

And in Mississippi no less

With their "noble" history on racial issues.

Former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour's grants of commutations or pardons to more than 200 prisoners, all but eight in his final days in office, disproportionately benefited white offenders among a predominantly black prison population, a Reuters analysis found.

Newt's spidey-senses go off

Heidi Klum and Seal to divorce.

But of course

Taking IOKIYAR to new depths of bullshit, FoxNews psychologist of choice, believes that three marriages...including six years of clandestine lap naps with his then mistress...will make Newt Gingrich a better President.

Family values...situational only.

Conservatives always accuse the left of practicing moral relativism...apparently because they have perfected it.

Well that settles it

Chuck Norris, seen in the early morning across America struggling to act the part of "Chuck Norris, Total Gym salesman" has stopped looking for black helicopters long enough to endorse Newt Gingrich. Newt obviously being an enthusiastic user of the "Total Gym" (and hoping to bag Christy Brinkley as spouse #4).

Pat Sajak will endorse Ron Paul because of his high-vowel percentage (you know it kills that crazy [yet boring] guy that Obama is so vowel-rich).