Hominid Views

Things change here as of today.

I started this blog in July of 2005, and have published at least one post a day since June of 2006. During that time I have guest blogged or co-blogged at a few notable places: HorsesAss.org, Jesus’ General, Blatherwatch and Upper Left.

Things are changing. Henceforth, I will be posting over at HorsesAss.org. The Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza, which has been posted every Friday night since late May of 2006 will migrate to HorsesAss.org as well.

I hope to see you there.

Oops! Rachael Maddow gets snookered by a satire web site:

The article that caught Maddow’s eye called for an “American-led invasion” into Egypt and begged former Alaska governor Sarah Palin to lead the war cry.

“The escalating crisis in Egypt could become a defining moment for Sarah Palin,” Billings wrote. “Governor Palin needs to speak out publicly and forcibly for an American-led invasion to protect our interests in North Africa.”

How can such a thing happen? How could Dr. Maddow be hoodwinked by something so utterly outrageous that it could only be satire?!? I mean, really.

On the other had….this is in the news today:

Five South Dakota lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require any adult 21 or older to buy a firearm “sufficient to provide for their ordinary self-defense.”

The bill, which would take effect Jan. 1, 2012, would give people six months to acquire a firearm after turning 21.

As far as I can tell…this isn’t satire but, damn if it doesn’t feels like something right out of The Onion. In fact, some whack-job religious web site calling for Ms. Palin to speak out in favor of invading Egypt seem pretty tame compared to a bill that, if passed, would arm an entire state.

There is a bit more to the bizarre legislation in South Dakota:

Rep. Hal Wick, R-Sioux Falls, is sponsoring the bill and knows it will be killed. But he said he is introducing it to prove a point that the federal health care reform mandate passed last year is unconstitutional.

“Do I or the other cosponsors believe that the State of South Dakota can require citizens to buy firearms? Of course not. But at the same time, we do not believe the federal government can order every citizen to buy health insurance,” he said.

Rep. Hal Wick earns an F in Teabaggery 101. The point that the nut cases trying to kill millions of uninsured Americans repeal the health care law are trying to make is that the federal government cannot force citizens to purchase something, like, say, automobile insurance, but the state governments can. And the states do force people to buy automobile insurance.

The opponents of the health care law would suggest that the right to force citizens to own a firearm is a power reserved for the states. This comes from their interpretation of the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

So, Rep. Wick tries to “make a point” by proposing legislation that can only be described as “extremist,” but he doesn’t really know enough about the underlying issue to get it right. My God…that is a degree of self-satire that can only arise out of profound ignorance!

Unless I’m pulling a Maddow here, and have been completely bamboozled…

Via the New York Times:

Barbara Bush, one of the twin daughters of George W. Bush, will endorse same-sex marriage on Tuesday, publicly breaking ranks with a father who, as president, pushed for a constitutional amendment banning such unions.
[...]

She describes the issue as a matter of conscience and equality.

She isn’t the first to daughter to break with her father:

Meghan McCain, the daughter of John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, has become an outspoken supporter of same-sex marriage, despite her father’s opposition to it. And Mary Cheney, the lesbian daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, has forcefully backed it as well — and is widely credited with helping to persuade her father to do the same.

In the case of Mr. McCain, Mr. Cheney and Mr. Bush, it is not just their children who have supported it. So, to varying degrees, have their wives. Laura Bush, in a television interview in May, said, “When couples are committed to each other and love each other” they should have “the same sort of rights that everyone has.”

Now the question is whether President Obama will reverse his position on same-sex marriage before Sasha and Malia have a chance to grow up and teach him a little about equality and conscience….

Ed: Where is the Republican JOBS PLAN???

Liberal Viewer: No one to blame for Arizona shootings?

Glenn Beck’s Personal Hell?

• Rabbi’s take on Glenn Beck
• Cenk: Rabbi’s speak out against Glenn Beck.
• Lawrence O: The Glenn Beck Holocaust Holocaust “issue”.
• Thom: Prof. Frances Fox Piven on Glenn Beck targeting her.

Thom: US Muslims have Constitutional rights, too:
Young Turks: Obama on Pot.

Ann Telnaes: Republican’s lack of vision .

SOTU:

• David Pakman on the 2011 State of the Union.
• Young Turks: Rep. Michelle Bachmann’s disastrous Teabagger response.
• Newsy: After passing over it in SOTU, Obama to push gun control.
• Thom and Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) SOTU reaction.
• Young Turks: Michelle Bachmann Iwo Jima FAIL.
• Sam Seder: Michelle Bachmann is batshit KKKRrrraaaaazzzzzzy.
• Tina Dupuy: On Rep. Bachmann’s absurd rebuttal.
• Newsy: Did Michelle Bachmann steal the SOTU spotlight?
• Boehner won’t clap for DADT repeal.
• Newsy: Our generation’s Sputnik moment.
• Lawrence O: ‘Sup with Bachmann’s camera?
• Josh Marshall on Keith Olbermann is the man who built MSNBC.’>Palin and Bachmann (via TalkingPointsMemo).
• Young Turks: Sarah Palin’s “Spudnut” moment.
• Ann Telnaes: Sarah Palin “explains” the history of the Solviet Space program .

Ed: Speaker Boehner and social insecurity.

Newsy: Department of Homeland Security scraps the color coded security alerts.

Mark Fiore with CorporateLand.

Sam Seder: Keith Olbermann is the man who built MSNBC.

Ann Telnaes: Justice Scalia speaks to the Teabaggers.

Members of Congress least likely to have an affair.

Pap with Jonathan Tsaini: It’s not raining, we’re getting peed on.

Cenk: Rand Paul’s KKKrrrrrraaaaaazzzzy budget cutting plan.

Newsy: Obama weighs in on the Egyptian unrest.

Roy Zimmerman: “I approve this message”:

Lawrence O to Utah State Senate, “Ignore House ‘State Gun’ bill.

Sam Seder: Karl Rove broke election law, Eric Holder shrugs.

Ed and Pap: The Supreme Court stooges.

Newsy: The Birfers rise again!

Young Turks: Plot to undermine Planned Parenthood.

Wackjob Rep. Broun: “Obama Is A Socialist!”.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

One hundred dollars. That’s all they want. A measly $100:

The state [of Hawaii] would charge $100 for a copy of President Obama’s birth records under a bill introduced in the Legislature by five Democrats. It would change a privacy law barring the release of birth records unless the person seeking them has a tangible interest.

“Tangible interest?” Since Obama previously provided a birth certificate, it is hard to imagine how anyone has “tangible interest” other than President Obama. (Okay…and maybe his children if the Vitter–Paul resolution ever gains traction.

Hawaii should reconsider their plan. First, they should auction just one copy of the “long form” birth certificate. And they should start bidding at $71.6 million. Why that amount? Because that’s Hawaii’s 2011 budget deficit.

And those crazy birfer bastards at World Net Daily or the kooks at FAUX News might just get into a bidding war. One of them might just cough up the dough in order to “call Hawaii’s bluff” and have the “scoop of the decade.”

Hawaii should definitely clear the check before delivery….

This could be great news for political bloggers and the entertainment industry (esp. late night comedians):

Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle of Nevada descended upon the movie premiere of a conservative Christian movie in Johnston tonight, and she wouldn’t say that she was running for president.

But she wouldn’t say that she wasn’t.

“I’ll just say I have lots of options for the future, and I’m investigating all my options,” Angle said before a couple hundred people sat down to watch the premiere of “The Genesis Code,” a $5 million film that aims to present a controversial view on religious freedom and on the balancing act between faith and science.

The list of Republican 2012 hopefuls is getting mighty long, but we don’t have nearly enough teabaggers in the run yet. Although with it looking more and more like Palin, Bachmann and Angle will run, we may see something of a Teabagger hat trick. Think of the three of them as the Mama Grizzley brigade going up against the Silverback Males (Romney, Huckabee, Gingrich, etc.).

Mmmm…makes me think I’ll be consuming large quantities of popcorn….

I missed about half of Obama’s State of the Union address because I was teaching until 6:30 (Pacific Time). What I heard sounded fine. The “neutral press” seemed to give Obama pretty high marks based on polls. CBS News finds a remarkably high 91% of SOTU-watchers approved and 9% disapproved. Furthermore,

This year, 82 percent of those who watched the speech said they approve of the president’s plans for the economy, up from 53 percent who approved before the speech. Eighty percent said they approved of Mr. Obama’s plans for the deficit — in contrast to 45 percent before the speech. Eighty-three percent approved of Mr. Obama’s proposals regarding Afghanistan, which received only a 57 percent approval rating beforehand.

A CNN poll found 84% positive and 15% negative. This is up from 78% positive to 21% negative last year.

I caught most of the response from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). Meh. I don’t really remember much about this rather generic speech, except that Ryan had the most annoying cadence in his speech pattern. The pattern repeated over and over again. And he spoke too quickly. I guess his rhetorical flaws completely distracted from the message, because I cannot recall any specifics.

And I caught America’s favorite Teabaggress Rep. Michele Bachmann’s extra response on behalf of the Teabaggers. My reaction was, “YOU LIE!” Seriously…her rhetoric was so full of hackneyed political clichés and half-truths that all I could do is roll my eyes and proclaim, “How 2009!” Get with it, woman…this is 2011. Followed by another, “YOU LIE!”

Obama has seen a surge in his approval rating of late. And the House Republicans can take the credit for it.

Here are a couple of polls. Today’s CNN/Opinion Research poll has Obama approval/disapproval at 55% to 44%. This reflects an approval that is 2% better than a week ago, and 7% better than November and December’s polls. The last time Obama did this well was in November of 2009.

Another example…Rasmussen Reports, whose Presidential approval polls are a bit right leaning (although consistently so), have Obama’s approval/disapproval at 52% to 47%. You have to go back to 17 July 2009 to find approval that high and disapproval that low.

Why do I credit the House Republicans for Obama’s surge? Two reasons.

First, as many political scientists will point out, the President’s approval suffers when he is of the same party that controls both chambers of Congress. So, the fact that the House is controlled by the Republicans seems to have the (apparently psychological) effect of aligning more people with the President.

The second reason is the rather nasty of tone and combative attitude coming from the house Republicans (who are politicking under the influence—of teabags). This perpetual “digging in” works wonders for the rabid right and lunatic teabaggery, but just makes independents and centrists go, “Ewww, Ick!”

These polls come out just before Obama delivers a State of the Union address. I presume he will shy away from topics like the dangers of human-animal hybrids, and stick to something more populist, like rebuilding an America damaged by nearly a decade of reckless frat-boy-gone-wild rule. The surge will continue.

The headline of Joseph Berger’s New York Times Politics piece is, “Senate Republicans to Oppose Obama’s Spending Plans.”

There is a certain something—a sense of parsimony—missing from the headline, isn’t there? I mean, doesn’t “Senate Republicans to Oppose Obama’s Plans” provide a more comprehensive description with one less word?

Even shorter is, “Senate Republicans to Obstruct Obama.”

And is it really necessary to mention the POTUS? “Senate Republicans to Obstruct” pretty much captures everything notable about the Senate Republicans over the past two years…. (I mean, other than from a few freak shows on the side.)

Hu Done It:

• Ann Telnaes: Rolling out the red carpet for Hu.
• Stephen translates Rush’s mockery of Hu (via Crooks and Liars).
• Ann Telnaes: Chinese leaders get their photo-op.

Ed and Pap: Michelle Bachmann goes rogue.

Young Turks: Poll shows FAUX News is least trusted news.

Palin Around with KKKRAZZZZZY!

• Ed and Pap: Sarah Palin’s sinking ship.
• ONN: Morbid curiosity leading many voters to support Palin:
  
  Morbid Curiosity Leading Many Voters To Support Palin
• Young Turks: The Teabagger’s Sarah Palin song.
• Jon with Pretty Woman (via OneGoodMove).

Young Turks: O’Donnell nails Senator Franks over gun laws.

Olbermann Signs Off from Countdown:

• Keith Olbermann SIGNS OFF:
• AC: Analyzing the Olbermann news.

Sam Seder: Bye bye, holy Joe.

Ed with some psychotalk from Sean Hannity.

The G.O.P.’s Genocide on America Act:

• Ed goes after the Republican health care diversion.
• Newsy: House Republicans vote to repeal Obamacare.
• Thom: Why repealing health care could cause the end of civil rights.
• Mark Fiore: The unspeakable horrors of Obamacare.
• Ed is fired up over the House Wingnut Genocide Bill.
• Rep. Anthony Weiner Rants about Republican lies (via TalkingPointsMemo).
• Sam Seder: “Job crushing” is a lie.
• Ann Telnaes: Wing Ding Rep. Steve King on Obamacare.

Young Turks: Darrell Issa’s shady past.

Sam Seder: Republican lies of the week.

Young Turks: Goofball Rep. Gohmert (R-TX) is frightened about Sharia law taking over US.

Ron Reagan: Dick Cheney is an unindicted war criminal.

Olbermann: Republicans take credit for improving economy.

Santorum? Eeeeeeeewwwwww!

• Young Turks: Santorum on slavery, abortions, and Obama.
• Buchanan doubles down on Santorum’s bizarre statement (via TalkingPointsMemo).

Heavily armed blogger under investigation (via Crooks and Liars).

Bill Maher on Teabaggers (via Mediaite):

Young Turks: Glenn Beck’s Jewish problem.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Former Senator “Man-on-Dog” Santorum is vexed over the abortion issue:

“The question is, and this is what Barack Obama didn’t want to answer — is that human life a person under the Constitution and Barack Obama says no,” Santorum said. “Well if that human life is not a person then I find it almost remarkable for a black man to say ‘now we are going to decide who are people and who are not people.’”
[...]

I am disappointed that President Obama, who rightfully fights for civil rights, refuses to recognize the civil rights of the unborn in this country.”

Personally, I find Santorum and his band of gametocidial apologists quite appalling. Spermatozoä and oocytes are (typically) chromosomally complete, even if haploid. Yet, Santorum ignores (and probably contributes to) the murder of trillions of spermatozoan Americans and billions of oocyte Americans every year. There are many orders of magnitude more haploid Americans killed every single day then there are unborn diploid Americans killed in an entire decade. Apparently, being a living haploid human relegates one to a third class of citizenship.

Where are the calls for civil rights for haploid-Americans? There are none, because people like Santorum are nothing but smug ploidists and gameto-bigots!

Hey! They did it! It’s the big news in the world of politics today. Today the House Repubicans voted to repeal the health care reform law.

And they repealed it with no replacement. They offered no provisions that will prevent insurance companies for dropping or refusing to insure people with serious medical conditions. They found no solution to the millions of uninsured Americans. The House G.O.P. offered no solutions to the escalating costs of health care and health insurance that will add trillions to the national debt over the long term. They provided no path to a healthier America—a path to an America whose health statistics would no longer fall below some second-world nations.

They offered no amelioration of the increased mortality and morbidity resulting from millions of American who might remain or become uninsured.

In short…the House Republicans just passed a “Genocide on American” bill. Seriously…this is nothing short of genocide on the most vulnerable of Americans.

Of course, the bill is completely symbolic. There is no chance whatsoever it will be passed in the Senate, and zero chance Obama would sign up for committing Genocide on America. But still, it is quite telling that the House Republicans are so willing to kill Americans.

I wish these words were hyperbole. But they aren’t. The House G.O.P. bill will kill Americans. Period.