It's Thursday Morning...

...and Mitt Romney is still not going to be president.

Quote of the Day: Ann Romney

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Occupy SLO Pulls Up Stakes

Occupy SLO is no more. What you see above is all that’s left, a solitary steam cleaner pressure-washing the sidewalk, presumably clearing the site of slogans chalked onto the concrete, but also washing away the flowering of an idea.

I’ll be the first to admit that the Occupy SLO encampment degenerated into little more than a campsite for the homeless over the past couple of months. We got an “all-staff” email here at the County last week urging employees to steer clear of the location. Safety officials warned that “the character of the encampment has changed considerably” and cautioned employees to beware of “assertive behavior by the campers” and “tailgaters attempting to access the building.”

While the initial message of “the 99%” remains a valid one and potent political argument, it appears the duty of mounting large-scale political movements is best left to areas with a stronger population base, such as Oakland, CA; Wall Street, NYC, Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC. Occupy movements are all still going strong in many big cities.

The little gathering in the Happiest City in America was here for 135-some-odd days, but it had clearly lost its mojo many weeks ago. The County had already whittled the presence down to one simple “information tent,” routinely staffed by just a couple of people, but on a trek past the site last week one could easily hear the boozy, curse-laden chatter of lost souls, rather than any passionate political discourse. When the ne’er-do-wells outnumber the activists, it’s time to fold up the tent.

So on Monday, the whole damn thing was gone. And today the County brought out the steam-cleaner to blast away any last remnants of a nascent, ultimately transient, political awakening.

On a Contentious, Contested Primary Season

When the discussion focuses on this year's protracted, contentious Republican primary race, GOP apologists keep pointing out that way back in 2008 Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama went at it hammer-and-tong well into the summer months, and ultimately everything turned out alright for Democratic "unity" in the general election. What those observers fail to mention is that, back in 2008, Democrats actually liked both of their candidates, and most voters would have been happy with either one. The "Barack or Hillary" debate was by and large a luxurious one, a calculus between two candidates each worthy of being president.

For the Republicans in 2012? Not so much.

Creating a False Reality: How They Do It

Apparently, the New York Times had a whole article over the weekend criticizing President Obama for "ignoring" [read: failing to act on] a deficit-reduction report issued by a committee he appointed (aka the Simpson-Bowles Commission).

Only problem is: no such report was ever issued.

When committee co-chairs Simpson and Bowles realized they did not have the necessary support on the panel to get a majority approval of their particular deficit reduction proposals, they disbanded the committee and wrote their own report.

That's not the same thing!

Headline of the Day

Made you snicker!
[h/t Hullabaloo.]

LL Cool G

California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsome was in SLO for a conference yesterday.I'll go out on a limb and say he's probably got more than his share of secret admirers.

Ladies?

Easy Fix to the "Conscience Clause" Problem

If the Catholic Church is really so "hell-bent" against its agnostic, atheist, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Zoroastrian and Catholic employees using contraception, then maybe what they ought to do is forego their exemption from paying taxes.

Then they can set the terms for their workers' insurance coverage however they want.

I'd be down with that.

Congressional Hearing on Men's Prostate Health

Following hard on the heels of Rep. Darrell Issa's absurd all-male congressional hearing on women's health and contraception funding, Democrats held testimony of their own on men's prostate issues and government funding of Viarga prescriptions:

[*j/k*]

Boob Job

There's an almost Shakespearean irony at work to think that the purposeful (not to mention tone deaf) injection of politics into a once noble charity's mission led to an examination of the excesses of its founder, and those excesses may ultimately lead to the fall of the founder and CEO of the Susan G. Komen Foundation -- if not the Foundation itself.

Better Frothy Than Good?

Democrats have to pinching themselves with glee at the notion that Rick Santorum has emerged as a real threat to R-Money.

Could President Obama really be granted the good fortune to run against "one of the finest minds of the 13th-century?" That would be pure comedy straight through to November.

Messed Up System

Takeaway from the Elizabeth Warren interview on The Daily Show last week: In 2010, the top 30 corporations in America paid more to lobbyists than they did in income taxes.

Going Negative

Lots of talk today about how Mitt Romeny's relentlessly negative campaign strategy in Florida may have put a boot on Newt Gingrich's big fleshy neck, but could also hurt him in the general election.

But we hear this every year! I think the last truly positive [successful] presidential campaign was probably the Eisenhower re-election in 1956, when "Leave it to Beaver" and "I Love Lucy" were playing on the teevee and everyone "Liked Ike."

So get used to it.

Basic Mathematical Observation

Narcissism can be an expensive hobby.

SNAP!

Quite possibly the most devastating ad Mitt Romney could ever run against Newt Gingrich, and it doesn't say a work about Mitt save for his "approval" at the end.

Shorter version: Newt Gingrich is not qualified for the Oval Office.

Random Observation

If you ever want to have a pointless argument with no apparent end, just spend a while talking to a libertarian.

Racist Jackals and Merciless Hyenas

The rise of Newt Gingrich says much more about the Republican voting base than it does about Newt Gingrich. He remains largely unchanged from the sanctimonious, arrogant asshole he was in the 1990s. The Republican electorate, on the other hand, has ripped away the mask of conservative moderation, only to reveal the ugly, bitter intolerance of its true self.

In 2008, GOP voters scoffed at the very notion of empathy and compassion. Now they are proving without question nor conscience that they have neither.

Your Liberal Media

SC Primary Review

Just a couple of quick takes in the wake of the South Carolina Republican primary:

1) Mitt Romeny looked dead tired during his "2nd place speech" last night. He had heavy, really dark circles under his eyes.

2) Not a news flash, but even in victory, Newt Gingrich is an asshole. Rather than an uplifting musical message such as "God Bless the USA" or "Don't Stop Believing," at his victory party last night they were playing Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust."

3) Ron Paul wrapped up an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer last night by saying: "Thank you for having me, Mitt."

4) Rick Santorum virtually predicted he's going to get crushed in the next primary (in Florida), noting that there are some "more neutral" states further along on the calendar.

The circus now moves on to voting in Florida on January 31.

Delusional "Moderates"

These people are delusional and this is just silly.