Indefinite Detention? But I Have Soccer Practice at 4: U.S. Politics 2012

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Ezra Klein with the inside the beltway take on Jacob Jack Lew:

In Congress, Lew’s stock is unusually high. He has emerged as one of the members of the Obama administration Republicans prefer working with. Earlier this year, Ben Smith, then at Politico, profiled Lew under the headline: “Lew: A liberal GOP says it trusts.” The piece included an admiring comment from House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/the-difference-between-jack-lew-and-bill-daley/2011/08/25/gIQAtts3lP_blog.html?hpid=z1

Reading the chapter on Obamacare in Taibbi's Griftopia this morning was such a depressing, enervating experience that I sought comfort in Coriolanus.

He has emerged as one of the members of the Obama administration Republicans prefer working with.

well sayonara to that then

really like this "megabank rotation" we're setting up here, makes the process smoother

Reading the chapter on Obamacare in Taibbi's Griftopia this morning was such a depressing, enervating experience that I sought comfort in Coriolanus.

― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 9 January 2012 20:36 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

brutal. how are both of these btw? coriolanus sounds good but has some awful 2002 heavy rock song on its trailer*

*btw i'm assuming you mean the film, i feel like a philistine if you were flipping pages of the play

the play. Lots of germane speeches.

but no gerard butler

Here's the big story of the day (Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's secret involvement in the 2009 White House Halloween party) !:

A variety of conservative media outlets, including Fox News, the New York Post, and the Daily Caller, are worked up this week about a newly-discovered White House outrage: a 2009 Halloween party.

It’s tough pinpoint exactly what it is the right is upset about, but it seems to boil down to two main complaints: the White House (1) threw a lavish Halloween party during a recession; and (2) kept the event “secret.”

that's from: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/

While the Washington Post's Reliable Source gossip page says:

If Johnny Depp and Tim Burton came to your party, think you might mention it?

Of course you would — heck, you’d probably tweet the minute they walked in the door. But the White House didn’t say a word, which explains the tempest in a teapot over the 2009 “Alice in Wonderland” Halloween party.

In her new book “The Obamas,” author Jodi Kantor describes the first family’s trick-or-treat extravaganza in Washington: More than 2,000 military kids and local students received treats from the president and Michelle Obama (fetchingly dressed as a leopard) while dancers and acrobats roamed the North Lawn. Inside, there was an invitation-only party for about 200 people — mostly military families and White House staffers. “Star Wars” characters mingled with the crowd, and the State Dining room was decorated like a crazy tea party by Burton, whose “Alice in Wonderland” was a few months from release. His star, Depp, greeted the guests in his Mad Hatter costume.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/why-was-white-house-mum-on-johnny-depp-at-alice-in-wonderland-party/2012/01/09/gIQAHkNVmP_blog.html

Tim Burton decorated (His Alice in Wonderland movie was about to come out) and Johnny Depp attended as the mad hatter. Really.

On Monday, the White House hit back, saying the party was anything but secret, citing extensive media coverage of the trick-or-treaters on the North Portico.

“This was an event for military children and their families inside the White House, where the press came, photographs were taken,” said press secretary Jay Carney, who called Kantor’s account “an example of the kind of hype and sensationalizing that books like this do.”

“We may not have alerted folks that Johnny Depp was coming,” another White House spokesman, Eric Schultz, told us, “but we didn’t announce Chewbacca was coming either.

ha

When Chewbacca comes, you do not need to announce the fact.

there is an image from the rip nsfws thread that would be so perfect here

If it shows anything, it shows a bunch of assholes who will pull at any cockamamie straw they can find to justify their irrational hatred of the President.

Bush derangement syndrome, anybody?

ya no kidding

If this had happened under Bush, Fox would be apoplectic about ppl trying to score political points for something meant to benefit military children.

god, the WaPo is unreadable, isn't it.

Yeah, it was so secret that if I go to Getty Images and type in "2009 White House halloween," I get 81 image results.

I assume Tim and Johnny were just there to officiate the Illuminati Black Mass of Samhain and that's why it went unmentioned... or maybe Presidents meet celebrities all the time and its not really newsworthy. I'll take my meds before I come to any conclusions...

Dear These People: Fuck You with a Chainsaw

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1xlVoPf5UO4/Twuh_J1UpEI/AAAAAAAAC-U/2muX5d_5yi8/s1600/492869594.jpg

weird I thought Robert E. Lee was from Virginia

Oh, he was, but his birthday is celebrated as a holiday by several former members of the Confederacy.

I thought Robert Byrd was the last one to die? (ba dum bum)

Moveon.org is requesting folks on its mailing list like me to sign petitions and host events asking President Obama to "hold Wall Street banks accountable by fully investigating the Big Bank fraud that caused the housing crisis." Next Thursday, January 19, we'll deliver these petitions to local Obama campaign offices so that he uses his power to make Wall Street pay.

President Obama has a choice to make: Let the banks off the hook or order a full federal investigation into bank practices during the housing crisis. President Obama has referenced FDR's famous quote before: "You've convinced me. Now go out and make me do it." Can you help "make him do it" by hosting an event in front of your local OFA campaign office?

Can you host a "Yes He Can?" event to ask the president to use his power to make Wall Street pay?

It's pretty sad that this type of action is necessary to try to get a White House Dem to move, and it probably won't even work (Att. General Holder or someone will insist they are looking into it, but nothing will happen or they will just push for settlements).

hey what kind of cash do you guys have on you

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204257504577153041166480680.html

The owners of the New Republic, long a fixture in political journalism, are exploring a possible sale of the publication and have hired a financial adviser, people familiar with the matter said.

Blackstone Group is expected to reach out to various media companies, such as Bloomberg LP and News Corp. to gauge their interest in buying the magazine, which is known for its clout among ...

In the chapter dealing with the AHCA in Taibbi's Griftopia, there's a revolting scene of MoveOn.org getting its marching orders from the White House.

oh man ILX should totally buy TNR

murdoch owning TNR would be hilaaaarious

isn't Rupey to the left of Peretz on Israel?

along with most of the netanyahu cabinet

eh TNR good riddance

In the chapter dealing with the AHCA in Taibbi's Griftopia, there's a revolting scene of MoveOn.org getting its marching orders from the White House.

― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, January 10, 2012 9:55 PM (Yesterday

They seem to now, per my above posting, be politely differing with him and urging him to do stuff.

I'n sure that will work.

Ha

lol

jonathan bernstein found this, about the house member introducing a resolution to disapprove of obama's recess appointments:

http://black.house.gov/press-release/black-introduces-resolution-disapproving-obama%E2%80%99s-recent-presidential-appointments

It’s astounding to me that the president is claiming these are recess appointments and within his authority, when Congress was not in fact in recess,” said Black. “These appointments are an affront to the Constitution. No matter how you look at this, it doesn’t pass the smell test. I hope the House considers my resolution as soon as we return to Washington so we can send a message to President Obama.

uhhh

lol

an affronting smell

I love that the party that has put radical partisan obstructionism ahead of the national welfare for the last two years and stalled on more judges and appointments than any congress ever are up in arms about this.

yeah but tbf no other congress had a muslim trying to wrest control of the country from them

socialist muslim, be fair

socialist atheist muslim

iirc

is there any other type rly

Russ Feingold's Progressives United group is joining with moveon.org to uh pressure the Prez with petitions:

If Wall Street gets investigated for the misdeeds that led to our financial collapse, they're very worried about what we'll find.

That's why they're eager for a sweetheart settlement deal that would give them broad immunity without an investigation. Thanks in part to the pressure thousands of fellow progressives put on state attorneys general, that deal is on hold.

But we don't just need to stop a deal that will cut off an investigation -- we need President Obama to take the lead and launch the investigation. That's why we're joining with our friends at MoveOn to petition the president to investigate Wall Street now.

Hope there's a big Occupy/secular left turnout to protest at the DNC next September in Charlotte, cuz the religious right is a-comin:

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/religious-right-activists-plan-protests-democratic-national-convention

yeah there's one planned

I wonder which group will absorb most of the pepper spray?

there's one for mythbusters

Would watch

Hopefully it turns out better than their stunt with the cannon