There's a fine line between smarmy hypocrisy and bat-shit crazy

We've mentioned in the past an animus toward the Republican wingut Congressman from Detroit's western suburbs, Thaddeus McCotter.

While he touts his supposed deficit hawkishness (to various degrees of failure), his new deficit building initiative is "HAPPY."

"HAPPY" is proposed to be an annual $3,500 per household deduction for pet expenses.

Now, I love my pets to an extreme, and I certainly respect understand pandering for votes on the backs of a huge special interest group.

However, this kind of political hypocrisy is just . . . a bitch. Get it? Ahhh-hahahahahaha.

Cheers to NPR's ATC for the lead. Thad's interview pandering follows:

Amidst Media Inanity, R.I.P. Ted Kennedy

Wearing my talk radio hat, I was lucky enough to shake hands with Ted Kennedy a few years ago, just before he got sick. (No pictures, alas.) Digesting the media obituaries regarding the late, great Senior Senator from Massachusetts, I am consistently amazed at the editorial choices which were made while covering the great man's life:

• How many personal demons would you possess if you'd suffered the family tragedies that he did, all while under the gaze of the public eye, much of which was directed at him because of those tragedies?

• How easy is it for people to take one tragedy out of a man's life -- now, almost forty years gone -- and demonize that person for it? I'm looking at you, Christian conservatives, who seemingly would never forgive Kennedy for anything -- but was it for his actions, or just leverage for their hating his politics? Must be politics, because their memories and lack of forgiveness regarding similar acts do seem party-sensitive.

• Amidst all the thousands of hours of wasting television "news" coverage of OJ, the Buttafucos, John and Kate and all such similarly inane crap, why did we never know Kennedy was such good friends with Republicans, like Orrin Hatch? All sorts of talking heads know enough to speak glowingly of it, but why wasn't that personal behavior covered over the years decades that our politics have become so polarized? Why couldn't that be role modeling for kids to observe on TV, instead of types like the Gosselins and the Hiltons?

• Finally, Joe Scarborough keeps suggesting this one particular 1990 GQ takeout story on Kennedy as being a turning point in his life. Perhaps, but, Joe, was that the only magazine article you've ever read?
  

And, now, what a wonderful (totally memorized) coda to a great life:

Slacker Friday Cover of the Week: Ex-VPILF Dedication Edition

Covering, ummm, himself, actually, the late great Warren Zevon;

This one goes out to Sarah from Wasilla:

"Poor poor pitiful me /

Poor poor pitiful me /

Oh, these boys won't let me be /

Lord have mercy on me /

Woe woe is me."

Governmental Change We Can Believe In: Hot Topless Cabinet Ministers

The Today Show's opening this morning teased a piece about "the topless model hosting Michelle Obama around Italy," as if the two are BFFs. And then, at 7:49 -- after holding the perverted voyeuristic interested audience for all four quarter-hours -- they finally got around to the piece.

The host for the current G8 summit is Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who, for a number of reasons ranging from pathetic to entertaining, is in the midst of a divorce. So, he needed a hostess for all the wives, or as our U.K. friends call them, WAGs, and picked former Italian showgirl Mara Carfagna, who he appointed to be the country's equal opportunities minister, to show the WAGs around.

The young lady apparently has modeled in various states of undress. Whoop-de-doo. Others in the political discourse, whether intentional or accidental, have done the same. As long as she does her job well, y'know?

But, ooooh, the word "topless" on morning television. How racy.

If only for his actions Tuesday, Rep. Peter King's place in Hell is secure

So, who would you rather hang out with?

The friend described here by the nice, well-known, "normal" white actress?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Or the father described here?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Or this horrible man weasel, talking about the never-convicted man above on the day of his funeral?

Gov. Sanford's Arc of Hypocrisy, in Graphics!

Look, dude, I don't care if you hooked up with a llama when you were in Argentina, as long as you are competent in your position and you aren't a raging hypocrite about it.

So, when you say this about your actions, comparing yourself to King David(!):



Which has begat this:



When you once upon a time said this about a fellow sinner:



You then should check out this piece about this extremely interesting graphic that indicates Red Staters "sin" (as they would define it) more than Blue Staters.



And, then, in conclusion, dear governor, you should remember this quote from the Bible: "Judge not, that ye be not judged." ~ Matthew 7:1.

The Minnesota Senate Recount Goes Super Meta High Tech

You have specialized reporting sites, up-to-the-minute vote counts, and even the opportunity to virtually re-enact the process of judging challenged votes.

As Andrew Sullivan notes, that last feature is quite meta, no?

No saints in this game, far as I can tell. ^

Why Does Sen. Richard Shelby Love Foreign Auto Workers and Hate American Auto Workers?

So, Sen. Shelby represents a state with a boatload of foreign automakers who were lured with government subsidies, but he now won't do the same for American carmakers?

Is it payback because not passing the bill will be payback to Midwestern blue states?

As the Big Detroit Three go whip up their viability plan report for Congress on what they'll do over their Christmas break if they get a check, I imagine they'd like to review the viability and change plans all those banks and insurance companies wrote up in order to get the American taxpayers to pony up about $300 billion (so far) for them. (A special shout-out to AIG, now at $150 billion.) And to see what givebacks their white collar employees would have to make.

Oh, wait. They didn't need a plan or employee givebacks.

While some Dems aren't innocent of pandering, this is yet another case of rampaging, race- and class-fueled hypocrisy quarterbacked by an old southern white guy from the GOP.

There is a special place in hell for Sen. Shelby, but as a Republican senator from red state Alabama, he'll be in something close to it January 21, 2009.

Mitt Romney Flip-Flops So Fast, You Can't Tell Which One of His Two Faces Is Speaking

When Mitt Romney was trying to wrest the 2008 Michigan Republican primary from John McCain, the native Michigander criticized Gramps for saying that lost jobs were never returning, and made all sorts of warm, comforting noises about he wanted to bring Michigan back.

He lost. So, now . . . PSYCH!

Apparently, what he really meant was: Screw you domestic automakers and, by extension, my fellow Detroiters who I've left behind high and dry.

Former Gov. Romney is clearly a smart guy, and, the way things turned out, he probably would've helped McCain more than Moose Mom in the general election.

Intelligence without a rational core belief system beyond malignant self-interest, however, is worthless. I think that's why his Mormonism first became an issue in his political career this campaign; people were looking for an answer to explain his constant policy whipsawing and craven opportunism and became so desperate for answers that they sought God's Elohim's intervention.

The answer, as it turns out? At least for his hometown, Romney's heart is two sizes too small.

Republicans Concede. . . That VPILF Was Hawt

• Gramps was very gracious, striking a tone which may have been a bit more successful for him in the election.
• The relationship of he and his staff with Moose Mom were apparently deteriorating by the minute, including not allowing her to speak, but she apparently went rogue and rocked one of her nicer ensembles one last time before the clock struck midnight.
• Seriously, could they be making any less eye contact? ^
  
• As gracious as McCain was, his audience of supporters were not, and it was noticeable. Both literally and figuratively, they are losers.
• Let the recriminations begin!

Non Sequiturs of the Day

"White Oprah"

and

"Goin' rogue."

NYT: GOP Seats Under Siege, Including Knollenberg

The story's here.

And a take a bit closer to home

One can hope.

Remember to Vote No on Joe.

Go Gary Peters.

The Presidential Choice in Eight Words

John McCain:

"Divide and conquer."

Barack Obama:

"Can we all get along?"

At Your Election Night Party, Remember that It's Not Your Lawn, Senator McCain

Senator McCain Gramps went through some funny "last-minute campaign strategies" on SNL last night:



He forgot one: The "Get off my lawn!" plan:

Joe the Plumber's First Single

If he signs.

It's a cover:

"I'm not aware of too many things /

I know what I know, if you know what I mean."

Another reason I <3 Aaron Sorkin and Co.

Arnold Vinick = John McCain 2000

Matthew Santos = Barack Obama 2004.

Yes we can. . . check out the story.

Red State Sociology Without Mentioning "Wal-Mart" or "NASCAR"

The NYT goes all Margaret Mead today, chronicling the cultural differences between red and blue Democratic and Republican political rallies.

Apparently, according to the piece, a popular GOP event soundtrack artist is AC/DC.

If they're elected, are we hitting the "Highway to Hell?"

And, really, can't you feel the electricity? ^

Adventures in Lyrics: Team McCain's New Soundtrack

"'Cause you're hot then you're cold /
You're yes then you're no /
You're in and you're out /
You're up and you're down"


Hot N Cold

"Sarah Oh-Twelve!"

Thus spake a supporter of Moose Mom yesterday.

Some senior McCainiacs also have called her a "whack job." Ironically, Larry Flynt has been thinking the same thing.

And now the cool kids on the bus -- led by McNasty -- are apparently ignoring the new, well-dressed, hot exchange student girl from Alaska.

It's all so very mavericky.

Cheers to Pullin' for Plain for the outstanding Photoshopping; click, if you dare.

Non Sequitur of the Day

"Legacy."

BTW, I'd cut this article out of its paper, but pretty soon, you won't be able to.

Bummer.