The confrontation between Cramer and Stewart was hardly loaded with "fireworks"; I thought Jon went out of his way to be collegial with the guy and even invite him to give a genuine explanation of why the media was so complicit in the mindless run-up of assets with zero value. It wasn't like pulled a hidden camera, Michael Moore-esque "gotcha" on the guy.

What a pussy who is clearly going to continue doing things exactly the same way.

Um, ElephantHombre, let me see if I get this straight:

You're all fired up in some sort of Neocon righteous rage over Greenwald and Goodman getting an award named after a cat whose been dead for 20 years, when Glenn was 22 and probably just starting law school...

...who was, by all accounts, a pioneering investigative journalist...

...and who, yes, does appear according to some pretty damning evidence do have been spying for the Soviets back in WWII...

OK, it sucks that the guy was a spy, but here's the thing. If Glenn and Amy had been given the Izzy Stone Award for Patriotic Service to Country, I could see you sitting back in your dank basement, settling your hands on your Comic Book Guy-like belly, and crooning, "Eeeeexcellent" in your best Monty Burns tone. Buy they received awards based on the widespread perception that Stone was one hell of a journalist. That is a compliment to them that has zero to do with Izzy's alleged spying. Perhaps my earth logic does not resemble your Coulter/Limbaugh logic, but I don't see how that award smears them by association in any way.

You know, The BMI Foundation gives out an annual Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize, but that doesn't make the winning musicians smack addicts. Just saying.

I'm a stickler. It's "who's been dead..."

Passing a resolution calling the Dems the "Lying Poo-Poo Head Fartface Party, So There"?

I am enjoying this more than I ever could. First the "There's a storm coming" ad, now this. It's like found goddamned poetry.

Populist rage, populist righteousness and populist ideas will not make a difference in the long run in this nation until we get the money out of the political system. The Constitution is not going to be shredded; we're not going to adopt a town hall method of governance. We're going to remain a republic, which is a system that can work...when the representatives have the same amount of skin the game as the "little people." Because of the trillions that flow into and out of Congress, they don't. By and large, they don't give a shit. Lord Acton was wrong. Money corrupts, duh. Big shock.

Until we can change this, populism will give some issues a temporary shot in the arm, maybe get some legislation passed, but longstanding, systemic change? No. Campaign finance and lobbying reform, together with wholesale reforms in transparency and ethics laws for members of Congress, members of the executive branch, and state officials, are the only steps that will make populist passion matter. Because only then will the policymakers have to listen.

I'm writing the biography of March Fong Eu, the five-term Secretary of State of California. I interviewed her son, Matt Fong, formerly California controller and treasurer, recently, and this was the bleakly realistic assessment of politics that he gave me:

"The reality is that politics had little to do with qualifications or merit. It has everything do with your political power base – what you did and what more you can deliver for people that are making the appointment…if you’re not constantly coming out and saying “Here’s what I can do for you tomorrow...” (support) is just not there. It’s the American hypocrisy. We believe the good guys win and the bad guys lose! In the long run it’s true but in the short run lots of bad guys win. Look at Bernard Madoff! The judges are the worst. Friends of mine who were lawyers used to come up to me and say, ‘I’m going to be a judge!’ I’d say, 'Why?' They’d say, ‘Because, I’m a great lawyer!’ Nobody cares. When was the last time they went to a fundraiser? Never. Then no one cares. I’d say, “Pull your head out of your ass, that’s not how it works.” Sure enough, they didn’t get it. A couple of years later they’d come back to me and I’d tell them, ‘You have to do X, Y, and Z.’ Now they’re a judge.”

After the interview, I told my wife I'd just been cured of any desire I had to run for office. As long as it's like this, populism will be a trend and a fad, nothing more.

Nice Mother Abagail shout-out. Word to your Walkin' Dude.

...is an overt acknowledgment of the truth that most people know tacitly: that the Neocons tortured not because they thought it would yield useful information but so their version of the U.S. would appear badass. Because it fit into their alternate fucking reality of the world.

It doesn't feel pity. Or remorse. Or fear. And he absolutely WILL NOT STOP. Until we are dead! Or so over the whole thing that we say, "Yeah, OK Norm, we'll create a fucking 61st seat for you if you'll just go the hell away."

An example of a runaway ego in full feather, my friends.

...summarize the comprehensive platform of the Republican Party.

Ahem.

Boo!

Questions? Comments?

...deserves a star for a great post, not to mention a damned spiffy user name.

The Republicans may be down and out in the U.S., but they are sporting 80% approval ratings in Middle Earth, Narnia, Oz, Loompa Land and the place Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews went when they jumped into the sidewalk drawings in "Mary Poppins."