Buck Naked Politics

Bush Emerges from His Lair to Criticize Obama's Policies to "Local Business Group" (with Illustrative Video on W's Deep Thoughts)

by Teh Nutroots | Give the man this:  he kept his mouth shut for five whole months.  Between them, Bush and Cheney are setting a whole new precedent for past administrations to abuse new ones -- just as they set new precedents for current administrations to abuse their power and to create an atmosphere of fear and represession.  

But give Bush this as well....he didn't go on national TV to do his blathering.  Yet. 

"I know it's going to be the private sector that leads this country out of the current economic times we're in," the former president said to applause from members of a local business group. "You can spend your money better than the government can spend your money."

The Daily Show on Waterboarding, USA: The Parsing of Nancy Pelosi

"Nancy Pelosi denies knowledge of harsh interrogation techniques before slowly parsing her unequivocal denial of never being told."

After the jump!

Snark on Toast: Venal Politicians, Crappy Taste; Shorter All the Defenders of Dick Cheney's Lies; the Omnipotence of Obama & His Childlike Faith in Insurance Companies; Following the Money

by Teh Nutroots | British libertarian Vindico isn't only disgusted by British MPs who divert taxpayer money to their own ends; he also objects to their taste in taxpayer-funded gewgaws:

Not only are our MPs up to their receding hairlines in the Parliamentary trough, but they also appear to have no taste whatsover...

John Reid claimed for a pouffe and a glittery loo seat on MPs' expenses...

The Daily Show: "Come home, Truth...Daddy Cheney Forgives You."

Dick Cheney has no regrets whatsoever and must speak out because otherwise, where do we find ourselves?  Or, as Jon Stewart puts it, "Excuse me, your Dick is out."  For reals. Jon Stewart is on fire here....after the jump.

Quote of the Day -- Fred Barnes to Republicans: "Be the Party of No"

by Damozel | At first I thought it was satire.  Then I wasn't sure.  Then, reading on, I was sure. It isn't.  It's being offered perfectly damn seriously as tactical advice to the GOP:

Improving the party's image is a worthy cause, but it isn't what Republicans ought to be emphasizing right now. They have a more important mission: to be the party of no. And not just a party that bucks Obama and Democrats on easy issues...but one committed to aggressive, attention-grabbing opposition to the entire Obama agenda.

Many Republicans recoil from being combative adversaries of a popular president. They shouldn't. Opposing Obama across-the-board on his sweeping domestic initiatives makes sense on substance and politics.... If Republicans scan their history, they'll discover unbridled opposition to bad Democratic policies pays off....They'll lose nothing by trying. (Weekly Standard)

Except every election from now on into eternity.  Er....I mean, "Good advice!  I hope they'll take it!"

Side of Snark with Dijon Mustard: Sean Hannity Eats Burgers Like a MAN; the GTL Begs to Differ with David Feherty; Progressives Contemplate the GOP Crazy

by Teh Nutroots | Hannity attacked Obama for ordering a hamburger with Dijon mustard.  Mmmm, dijon mustard.  So TBogg said, he said:

When Sean Hannity wants a burger he makes his own. He pulls up to a pasture, selects a cow, head-butts it, strangles the stunned animal WITH HIS BARE HANDS, rips a chunk of meat from the still warm body WITH HIS BARE HANDS, throws into a fire he has made by rubbing two sticks together WITH HIS BARE HANDS, pulls the smoldering burnt flesh from the fire WITH HIS BARE HANDS, and then rips at it with his sharpened incisors. He doesn't need a bun. Buns are for pussies.....

Later there is pudding. But no spoon. Spoons are for pussies.

(Added) Jesus, These people are idiots.

The Daily Show: "Apakalypse Now" (Pakistan & Afghanistan)

 by Damozel |  How safe is Pakistan's nuclear arsenal from  the Taliban? 

Jon Stewart:  "Funny story:  After 911, we gave Pakistan 10 billion dollars to shore up their government's ability to fight extremists such as Al Qaeda and the Taliban....Want to know how it worked out?...I'm pretty sure we could have got those results with 2 billion dollars."....[Video after the jump]

Ship of Snark: The Print Media Grinds Its Teeth and Shakes Its Fists at Google; Republicans Discuss Their Navels & Their Shrinkage Problems Some More

photograph, Newspaper Cat, by Doviende/Pete , used pursuant to CC license

by Teh Nutroots |   MoDo (and other members of the print media) rage, rage against the dying of the light.  Man, I missed this when it came out:  Alex Goodall's response to MoDo's pissing and moaning over how the Google and the internets will eventually cost her her job -- prime stuff, this.

For context, here's a bit of MoDo's standard brand of self-serving whinging, following a conversation with Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt -- all good, risible material when you consider the source. [And let me say at the outset that I don't want to see the disappearance of the print media.  As the photograph shows, it still has uses which the internet can never serve, such as a comfy bed for your cat.] 

The Daily Show: The Search for the Lost Party

photograph, "Jump!", by Thomas Edwards (Photo Monkey), used pursuant to CC license

Jon Stewart looks at the GOP's new revolution and its whole range of brave, new ideas....after the jump.

Planet of Snark: Condi Explains It All to Some 4th Graders; No Fat Chicks on the Bench; Advice for Shrinkage Sufferers; Blind Spots; & the Brits Leave Iraq

Out of the Mouths of Rugrats.  Princess Sparkle Pony, long-time Condi watcher, comments on Condi's recent run-in with a fourth grader on the subject of torture (Condi Lies to Children About Torture):

[I]t seems that all anybody wants to ask Condi about these days is torture, which is icky and totally rude because it makes her uncomfortable. This time it was a fourth grader who wanted to ask the question  newspapers refuse to ask, and...it made Condi's meet-children-cute thing a little tense....

So the kid was all, like, "OMG, which Jonas Brother is your favorite and why did we, like, torture 'n' stuff?" Condi then scrunched up her forehead and gave her standard response....Sheesh! Look, it's a simple logic problem:

Colbert Explains Why You Should Bail Out the Prescott Group

"Help your old friends at your friendly neighborhood transnational congolomerate because if they go down, they're taking you with them."  Why Stephen endorses the bailout: 

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Banking Lobby Defeats Plan Intended to Help Homeowners

by Damozel | Despite the support of Obama and one bank (Citigroup), the Senate voted 45-51 against the bill that would have let bankruptcy judges rewrite -- "cram down" in the vernacular -- mortgage payments for homeowners.  (abc news; think progress) 

This bill was part and parcel of "a central element" in the Dems' plan to stabilize the economy. (Wash. Independent) Tragically, "[s]everal Democrats, including the newest Democrat, Sen. Arlen Specter of PA, opposed [the bill]."(abc news)  "Nays included all Republicans and Baucus, Bennet, Byrd, Carper, Dorgan (?), Johnson, Landrieu, Lincoln, Nelson (NE), Pryor, Specter (awesome!), Tester," dday says. Ryan Grimm at HuffPost discusses the millions in contributions raked in to their campaign coffers by some of those Dems. 

And -- wow -- Sen. Dick Durbin is seriously annoyed.  Siding with those who don't have "paid lobbyists" and against bankers who "own the place," he slammed the argument being mounted by the banks:

Big Tent O' Snark: Obama's Obamamania?; The GOP Digs for the Pony; Scenes from Lindsay Lohan's Coloring Book; Bill Clinton Steps Up; Asshattery; Optional Education; and The Bad Palin Lolling on a Bearskin

photograph "zirkus-circus" by Thomas Totz, used pursuant to Creative Commons license

by Teh Nutroots | Obama Celebrates Himself. Fausta comments on Obama's method of celebrating his first 100 days:   

Obamamania or overkill? President marks his first 100 days in office with THREE HUNDRED photos… all of him

But are they autographed?

The Specter Defection:  Good for the GOP!  Or so they keep trying to convince themselves.  Thers, quoting Sen. John Cornyn, says:

Buck Naked Snark: The Spanish Inquisition; the Welfare of Gov. Rick Perry; Arlen Specter, Enabler of the Flailing Caucus of the Batshit Crazy; Creed & The Armies of the Night; a Helpful Hint for Gordon Brown; Bad Euphemisms for Murder

 by Teh Nutroots |  The Heretik saith, in the manner of the One True Palin:  Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition... fortunately for Gonzo & Co. (explained & illustrated). 

Welfare state. After a whinging begging letter demanding a share of the stimulus money he opposed giving everyone else, Texas Gov. Rick Perry took one too many teabags and started talking secession.  Texas wants to be free -- just not right now.  At the moment, the governor's requesting "37,430 courses of anti-viral medicine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because of the swine flu outbreak."  (Dallas News)  Which caused curv3ball at The Poor Man to jeer:

The Daily Show Unedited Interview: Cliff May Wants to "Push the Boundaries" of Torture

by Damozel | Okay, kids:  "Cliff May defends America's waterboarding techniques in this complete, unedited three part interview" with Jon Stewart (after the jump).  Grit your teeth down on the bullet and prepare to listen (after the jump).  WARNING:  Not for those who hold old-fashioned ideas about America or its role in the world or for the weak of stomach, who aren't cowards, and who don't think it's all right to sacrifice any principle to protect your own skin..

Good Bloggin': Dick Don't Know Jack, Swine & Flu, Excess Wretchedness and an Excess of Wretches, the Price of Vengeance and License Plate Bingo as Played in Florida

"Golden laurel wreath" by Andreas Praefcke, published pursuant to this license 

by Teh Nutroots |  A Blot, Not a Jot.  Bats Left, Throws Right discusses in plain Anglo-Saxon Cheney's recent demands that Obama produce evidence to negate claims the previous administration never made, due to its having lied about torture.

Look: Dick Cheney can broadcast from his private news bunker all day, every day, from here until that Doomsday he missed his chance to initiate, and it won't mean a jot, nor should it have inspired one. How does Dick Cheney have any credibility, even on FAUX? He's the ShamWow! guy of American political infomercials, except besides punching a hooker his Miracle Washday Product turns out to have be made from recycled nuclear reactor fuel and extract of poison ivy.

At Last, an Explanation for Cheney & Rove: Balzheimer's Disease?

"Dick Cheney and Karl Rove suffer from an illness that gives them the balls to attack the Obama administration" by calling for greater honesty and transparency from our government.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Balzheimers Disease
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Colbert on Fire: Obama's "Just Following Orders" Argument

"Americans will get justice for torture without making any of the good guys pay the price."

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The Word - Stressed Position
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Jon Stewart on Fire: "We Don't Torture"

"No one is upset about the fact that America tortures, they're just upset that they now know about it."

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We Don't Torture
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"What's the Big Deal? It's a 10th of 1% of the Money We Gave Them for Sucking": Jon Stewart Tracks "The Enragening" (A Twofer)

Stop incentivizing the evil! It makes Barack Obama choke with anger.

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The Notorious AIG

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