We should actually bomb everybody in the world who doesn't want to be exactly like us. We should have a list that starts with whichever country has the most "pregnancy cessations" per year. Because it's an absolute universal moral imperative that we make the planet safe for "unborn zygotes" right upto and including nuking as many sentient adults as is necessary to get them to accept the point of view that "innocent unborn zygotes" have more "right to life" than "full blown sentient adults" who want to make their own existential choices. Because ultimately none of us gets to choose anything other than what the Christian or Muslim or Jewish God's followers interpret their magical books to permit otherwise they are justified in killing us and it's God's magical will. Very simple. I'm converted. Where do I sign up for my magical oil dousing, wine and wafer tasting, and really cool headgear to denote my piety and moral superiority over all the heathens.

Avoid the wafers. They taste like feet. Better look out or that guy from a previous thread will pray to his god for you whether you like it or not.

The frame has shifted, but was it really Obama who did that?

An interesting question is whether the world listens to our president with the rapt attention that our media likes to imagine it does.

After Obama's speech at Cairo, Robert Fisk seemed to characterize the reaction in the Arab world as same old, same old.

KO reports that Obama is trying to continue Bush's attempts to keep secret the list of people who visit the White House! --despite the fact that the courts have ruled against such a practice repeatedly. Keith and Chris Hayes speculated that there can be little reason for this other than extending executive prerogatives.

But most people that I know, and from what I gather by reading the news really don't care. In fact, except for the diehard right-wingers, Obama is considered to be doing a very good job.

The new narrative being blared all over the teevee is that "the honeymoon is over" and his numbers are falling.

Btw, according to the brilliant Jonah Goldberg, your name is synonymous with anti-Semite. :)

I saw the same thing on Hardball today. Its ironic that no matter what Democrats do to endear themselves to the mythical "center", they still lose ground with half-steps and cowardice. Obama and House/Senate Dems had pretty much carte blanche to push forward any number of legislation and policies, but they've chosen instead to follow the same script that led them to disaster in previous eras.

You are so right. What the fuck would have happened if Obama and the dems had taken some bold steps--say, restore the Glass-Speigel Act, get rid of DOMA and DADT, put the frikkin banks under receivership as Reagan (Reagan!) did rather than hand the people's money over to the rich with no conditions, or start to bring the troops home? Here's what would have happened: the same damn thing. The repugs would have been bleating about socialism and going on with their usual fear-mongering routine. But Obama could have stepped up and exposed them for the pants-pissing, quivering, self-serving bastards that they are, and that Glenn has exposed them as here, regarding terrorism.

As Bill Maher has said, if not NOW, when a huge majority is behind the dems on major issues, when the dems have a majority of votes in Congress, and when the prez is popular, then when will the dems take advantage of the situation and shove some progressive legislation down the repubs' throats?

Our "leader"'s inaction is maddening. I cheered when I saw the photo accompanying the LGBT article in Salon today, showing protestors' signs saying "FRAUD" and "FAIL."

do you have some examples of that behavior you describe in his pre-primaries career? I don't know much about that period except the general outline we all heard in the media, and would be interested to hear about it.

This is Adnoto's life's work--making sure that his life has absolutely no impact. And trying to convince others to follow his lead.

I'm imagining a model of Rodin's The Thinker with his name and the words "Follow Me!" under it, except that he's sitting on the crapper. I'm sure that someone's made this as a gag gift.

The Troll Trophy

at sig.

President Obama, who was still a senator at the time, voted for it, even though he had been passionately denouncing illegal wiretapping for months.

you big ASSHOLE.

I was going to use this image (kovie's idea) for trolls, but it applies equally to our prez, the Great Thinker.

at sig.

And I know - I know Glenn - that you are just writing all of this - to fire up 'the troops' - to keep them motivated and to increase the pressure on the idiotic politicians - but aren't you worried sometimes that you fire them up too well (your troops)- and they will self-destruct

just like our Zombie friends from the right?! -

What a very black and white view you have of the world. Is this the only template that you can come up with--that of Rush Limbaugh? No wonder you see Glenn and his readers in such extreme terms. But it's more a reflection of you than it is of the reality of what is going on here, I believe.

transparency is the right that guarantees all others

So true. And Obama has been going around passionately defending transparency. I think I see a notable pattern here as well. The same pattern that we saw when Obama said he was a fierce advocate for LGBT rights.

To add to the list, you also have the people that tell you to "get a fucking perspective."

On one of the MSNBC shows last night, either Ed or Chris Matthews, they were insisting that the stats say that people now want Gitmo to remain open because "the Republican talking points are working."

Pffft.