Pure Twaddle

Let me first preface this clip with a few facts:
1. I like Stephen Colbert
2. I believe P. Obama is eligible to be the US president
3. I believe in honesty

Now regard the following video:

It’s shocking how many times Colbert is cut into Taitz’s conversations. It’s not just basic interruption, a good ear would catch that most of her words have been edited out so that the only voice is Stephen’s. Sure it’s satire, but to invite someone on and make them a foil by post-production is disgusting and cheap. I thought better of you, Colbert. You don’t win arguments by erecting a straw man.

Popularity: 8% [?]

What I want to know (and what you’re ignoring):

1. What exactly is Obama’s health plan. Yeah, I’ve seen the sound bytes. I’ve watched the Daily Show interview. I see the Republicans bitch about it. But what exactly is the plan? You haven’t once talked about the details. If there are none, tell us so!

2. What the hell is going on in Iraq? Obama got elected and suddenly there’s nothing important to report from our first major war since Afghanistan. Which brings me to:

3. What the hell is going on in Afghanistan? The Economist is reporting we’ve had one of the worst months of casualties in the EIGHT YEAR CONFLICT. Why the hell isn’t this a nightly discussion?

4. What the hell is going on with the economy? Ok, ok. Every economist disagrees with every other economist. That still doesn’t explain whether I’m going to have to temp for the next five years. Sure, it’s impossible to tell the future, but for God’s sake at least tell us what the possible outcomes are.

5. How much is the TARP and stimulus money helping? You were all over the debates like a fat kid on chocolate last October. Now the whole thing is treated like an amorphous blob that hangs without our periphery. There MUST be some kind of metric that can determine whether what was enacted EIGHT MONTHS AGO is having an effect.

6. What’s happening in Iran? You’ve had one night of passion with the temporary revolution and now you won’t call her back. Huge things are happening there still; you’d never know by your coverage. Is she not sexy enough for you?

7. Why are you ignoring China? The Uighurs have been rioting against one of our largest trading partners, lenders, and governmental opposites. Why is this almost completely ignored?

You want to save journalism and the newspapers? Start reporting the news, you idiots! I don’t give a damn about Sotomayor. I couldn’t care less about Goldman Sacks. Just explain to me what the hell is happening in the world!

Popularity: 7% [?]

Since when did David Broder, columnist and University of Maryland journalism professor, get a job with the Obama administration? Here are some quotes from his Washington Post opinion piece summing up Obama’s First 100 Days and their translations into normal speech:

What he has shown — and it is an important accomplishment in itself — is a mastery of the art of managing the presidency.

Trans: Obama hasn’t screwed up yet. Yes, this is a major feat.

And it is surprising, because there was no reason to assume that he had the skills to direct such a large enterprise.

Trans: We were expecting a shite-show considering his complete lack of executive experience.

Obama had a few stumbles in assembling his Cabinet and, as a result, lost the services of one potential major asset, Tom Daschle, his original choice to manage his health-care initiative.

Trans: Sure, six known tax cheaters seem like a lot, but isn’t it better to keep people above the law if they follow your political agenda?

Hardly a day has gone by in the first three months that Americans have not seen Obama on their TV screens in a variety of roles — chiefly as economic salvage director for seriously shattered housing, credit and employment systems.

Trans: Nope, we’re not sick of showing him on the TV yet.

But they’ve also seen him as commander in chief of armed forces fighting two wars, diplomatic traveler engaged with world leaders, and agenda-setter for Congress — to say nothing of first father, first fan, first consort of Michelle and first master of Bo.

Trans: “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”

But the overture has gone well, and so far, the cast seems to know its parts.

Trans: I’ve memorized my lines, now where’s my appointment?

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From the Washington Post transcript of Obama’s town hall meeting in Strasbourg, France on April 3, 09. Read it aloud for the full effect:

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Defense Secretary Robert Gates has raised the hackles of many lawmakers for daring to suggest that we cut our defense budget. Specifically, he wants to reduce spending on our amorphous missile defense systems, the president’s new helicopter, and the F-22 Raptor, inter alia.

Naturally, the immediate reaction from the (ostensibly) small-government conservatives is to point out how Obama is leaving us completely defenseless. Before your mind can register the inanity of this idea, they go on to point out the disparity between the reduction in defense spending to the monstrous domestic spending that the Obama administration is trying to push through for next year. I agree that Obama is spending way to much money as it is; but, they are implying that it’s not fair that he gets to spend all this money on what he wants. Their goal is not to reduce spending overall, it is to limit increases to only what they want.

There is a big brouhaha over the Raptor cuts. Gates doesn’t want any more because he says it “has not performed a single mission in either [Afghanistan and Iraq].” Makes sense, right? We’re not using the 190 or so we have now, why buy more? Well, the warplane is made primarily in Georgia and cutting the order will most likely lead to job losses in the Peach State factories. It’s ridiculous, so the argument goes, to allow these jobs to disappear when the nation’s overall unemployment rate is climbing.

But this logic does not justify buying a whole new set of F-22s. At $65 billion a pop, this is simply corporate welfare. There is a direct correlation between buying jets we do not need and handing cash to GM and Chrysler. Just because the dollars are marked in the Defense column doesn’t make it legitimate. If the only way your business can survive is if the Federal government pumps money into it, you probably should not be playing in the open market.

I was agog when our defense budget hit $601 billion (that’s $601,000 million). Last year it was up nearly 27% to $762 billion. We spend more on defense than every other nation combined. We have had only one attack on our soil since World War II and all the military spending in the world could not and did not stop it. But one suggestion (from the guy Bush hired to fix Iraq, no less) that we stop spending billions of dollars on essentially useless war toys and suddenly we’re naked to the world. Let me tell you, we’ve been naked for a long time; no size budget will fix that.

Popularity: 16% [?]