So I guess it's sorta kinda bad that some low-level employees at the IRS "targetted" the Tea Party's requests for 501(c)(4) status when they were burdened with an overwhelming number of requests from the Tea Party. Republicans, of course, are trying to make it bigger than that. They're trying to allege that Obama knew about the IRS investigation and audit … Read More
God-Evoking During Tragedies
Well, this is a refreshing change: You’d think by now CNN would have learned to stop treating its assumptions as truths. But when Wolf Blitzer made a casual comment Tuesday, it turned out to be a teachable moment both for the newsman and television viewers. Speaking live to a survivor of the deadly tornado in Moore, Okla., Blitzer declared the woman … Read More
Summer Reading
It's called… Description: Presidential candidate Danielle Powers, full of firebrand pluck and red state sex appeal, has the country in a tizzy. But on an international tour to beef up her foreign policy experience, disaster ensues—her plane explodes over Siberia. Miraculously, Danielle survives, along with one other passenger—a mysterious stranger named Steadman Bass. Trapped in a wilderness of snow and ice, … Read More
WTF Quote Of The Day
After Hurricane Sandy, Republican Senator Inhofe (and others) voted against a bill for $50.5 billion in Hurricane Sandy disaster relief. But he's all for relief for Oklahoma victims. On MSNBC, Inhofe argued that tornado aid for Oklahoma is “totally different” from aid for Hurricane Sandy. “Everyone was getting in and exploiting the tragedy taking place,” he said. “That won’t happen in Oklahoma.” Right. Can … Read More
Devastation in Oklahoma
It was bizarre yesterday — I just happened to be at my desk and saw a news alert, and soon I was watching the live streaming video of that main F4. I saw it form, I saw it grow and devestate, and I saw it die. The good thing about that means, if *I* saw all that, certainly the people … Read More
OK CIty In Trouble
Watching this scary live feed from KFOR. This thing is big, even by Oklahoma standards. UPDATE: Also….
The NEW Obama Scandal
Seriously, it's this: That's right. Barack Hussein Nobama made a Marine violate miltary code by forcing him to hold an umbrella. That's the scandal du jour. And indeed, military code says that a soldier in dress uniform should not carry an umbrella. But military code experts say something like this: “IF THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF GIVES YOU A LAWFUL ORDER YOU … Read More
Today In Second Amendment Fun
Anastasia Adair, a 22-year-old Colorado woman, died after she was accidentally shot with an assault rifle she had recently purchased, TV station KMGH reported on Thursday. Adair's husband, Shane, and other witnesses told police she was drinking with friends in her garage Tuesday night and wanted to show off the weapon. It fired twice, hitting her once in the head as … Read More
Turns Out, There Were Benghazi Lies After All
CBS's Major Garrett told viewers last night something news consumers don't usually see or hear: House Republicans gave journalists bogus information, apparently on purpose, in the hopes of advancing the right's version of the Benghazi story. So here's what happened. Republicans in Congress saw copies of these emails two months ago and did nothing with them. It was obvious that they … Read More
An Interesting Wrinkle
Regarding the IRS "scandal", there's a handy visual in the IG report (pdf) that came out this week, responding to the controversy. (I added the red oval to highlight the relevant portion.): That's right. Noam Scheiber elaborates on this interesting point: It turns out that the applications the conservative groups submitted to the IRS — the ones the agency subsequently combed over, provoking … Read More
I Feel Sorry For These People
From Business Insider: Taking time off for family or passions "can offer a nice life," legendary GE CEO Jack Welch once told The Wall Street Journal. But he said that it lessens the chances for promotion or to reach the top of a career path. Welch is not the only one who believes this. Recently, Glencore Xstrata PC CEO Ivan Glasenberg argued that executives who start to … Read More
This Week’s Viral Video Is A Bit Of Social Activism
The subject? Lookism. 4.2 million hits in two days. But let's be fair. A&F aren't complete douches: Late on Wednesday, American retailer Abercrombie & Fitch announced it would sign a safety upgrade plan that has been signed by six major European retailers and one other American company, PVH, owner of Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Izod. The agreement, which is legally binding, includes … Read More
The Real IRS Scandal
L.A. Times: It's strange how "scandal" gets defined these days in Washington. At the moment, everyone is screaming about the "scandal" of the Internal Revenue Service scrutinizing conservative nonprofits before granting them tax-exempt status. Here are the genuine scandals in this affair: Political organizations are being allowed to masquerade as charities to avoid taxes and keep their donors secret, and the IRS … Read More
Today’s Second Amendment Legacy
A man was field stripping two handguns in Tullahoma, Tenn. when one discharged, shooting his 1-year-old daughter in the chest, The Tennessean reported. Kevin Sayre, 26, was "showing how parts of one gun were interchangeable with the other one" in the presence of the child. Police said Sayre was acting recklessly. He was charged with aggravated assault. The child was listed in critical … Read More
House Republicans Will Vote Tomorrow — For The 43rd Time — To Unsuccessfully Repeal Obamacare
They know it is an exercise in futility, because even if (for some reason) the House Republicans manage to pass a vote to repeal Obamacare, the Senate won't take it up OR pass it, and even if THAT happened, Obama will never sign the repeal into law. So it's a symbolic thing. That's okay. Symbolism has its place. But this … Read More