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01 Apr 2009 01:53

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Politics: Commentary: April Fool’s Jokes about politics aren’t funny

  • “A conservative lesbian” offers a great example. Cynthia Yockey’s article, titled “Obama confesses to treason and resigns, co-conspirators are in custody, Hillary Clinton sworn in as president,” imagines Obama getting arrested for being everything that bat$&^# insane conservatives say he is. Ms. Yockey, April Fool’s Day jokes are supposed to be funny. Make something up about how they found cheese on the moon. Pull a prank on your boss. But don’t subject people to stuff like this. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink

30 Mar 2009 22:44

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Culture, Politics: Bill O’Reilly didn’t see “Milk” because of Sean Penn. His loss.

  • He’s a great actor, and if you hire him, you’ll get a good performance. I’m just not going to give a guy who gives aid and comfort to people like Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez and Saddam Hussein, when he was alive, my 10 bucks. That’s my right as an American.
  • Bill O’Reilly • Who’s “a big movie guy” but will not spend money to see Sean Penn in a movie. We hope he changes his mind, because we think an upcoming flick of his might be right up his alley. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

24 Mar 2009 21:20

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Politics, U.S.: Maryland senator wants to save the newspaper, legislatively

  • About the bill Sen. Benjamin Cardin of Maryland introduced a bill today that would allow newspapers to be treated as nonprofit organizations and get tax breaks. They would not be able to make political endorsements (i.e. opinion sections), but they could report objectively on the news, including political campaigns. Cardin says the loss of journalism “is a real tragedy for communities across the nation and for our democracy.” source
  • About the bill Sen. Benjamin Cardin of Maryland introduced a bill today that would allow newspapers to be treated as nonprofit organizations and get tax breaks. They would not be able to make political endorsements (i.e. opinion sections), but they could report objectively on the news, including political campaigns. Cardin says the loss of journalism “is a real tragedy for communities across the nation and for our democracy.”
  • Why it’s needed In case you haven’t read the tone of this blog when we’re not making fart jokes, this is about journalism and its long-term future. Newspapers are getting closed left and right. Recently, the Ann Arbor News announced that it would fold its print edition, which is a big deal because Ann Arbor, Mich. is a one-paper town. This trend is not good for the economy, it’s not good for local news and it’s not good for the public. source
  • About the bill Sen. Benjamin Cardin of Maryland introduced a bill today that would allow newspapers to be treated as nonprofit organizations and get tax breaks. They would not be able to make political endorsements (i.e. opinion sections), but they could report objectively on the news, including political campaigns. Cardin says the loss of journalism “is a real tragedy for communities across the nation and for our democracy.”
  • Why it’s needed In case you haven’t read the tone of this blog when we’re not making fart jokes, this is about journalism and its long-term future. Newspapers are getting closed left and right. Recently, the Ann Arbor News announced that it would fold its print edition, which is a big deal because Ann Arbor, Mich. is a one-paper town. This trend is not good for the economy, it’s not good for local news and it’s not good for the public.
  • Reactions You can imagine some people like this a lot, while whiny cranks don’t. A sample: “Seriously, after all that the Media has done to this Country, to think that I would want them to survive is asinine. Stop the presses, shutter the doors, fire the editors and let’s all do this online or by word of mouth.” Here’s an editorial statement: People who say things like this are freaking idiots. Even when you say you don’t love them, you know you really do. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Mar 2009 12:24

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Politics: It’s a Tweeterview! George Stephanopoulos chats up John McCain

  • Stephanopoulos, an ABC News anchor and political adviser during the Clinton years. Whoa. source
  • McCain, the guy who lost the presidency to Barack Obama, now a heavy Twitter user. Neat. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Mar 2009 14:01

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Politics: If book sales are any indicator, Ann Coulter’s losing influence.

  • 100,000 sales of Ann Coulter’s most recent book, “Guilty: Liberal ‘Victims’ and Their Assault on America.” That’s way down from Coulter’s usual sales. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Mar 2009 21:38

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U.S.: Bill Clinton: Come on in, universal health care! The water’s fine!

  • The politics and the economics are much better now and the policies are better. They’ve made advances over where we were.
  • Bill Clinton • On why now’s a better time to sell the idea of universal health care than that dark time when Ace of Base was on the radio back in the early ’90s. On a side note, we were listening to Bush today. Remember them? They were dope! • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Mar 2009 13:18

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About, Politics: Why we’re adding a “Chatter” category

  • Ultimately, we need a spot for opinion. We’ve been wavering back and forth on this for a while, and while we do a pretty good job covering the news, there are some pretty smart things being said by columnists and bloggers worldwide that should get their due, too. And when we have an opinion – left or right – we should have a spot for it, too. Someone actually asked about this a couple weeks ago, and we didn’t have a good reason why we didn’t. Seems necessary in this day and age. Like it? Dislike it? Post your opinion here.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 6 Comments • Permalink
 

05 Mar 2009 10:18

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U.S.: Why do Democrats want Rush Limbaugh to be the GOP’s face?

  • 11% of people under 40 have a positive opinion of Rush source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Feb 2009 10:02

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U.S.: Obama to whiny governors: Stop being so whiny

  • If we agree on 90 percent of this stuff, and we’re spending all our time on television arguing about 1, 2, 3 percent of the spending in this thing … that starts sounding more like politics.
  • Barack Obama • On the stimulus package, parts of which may lead to states picking up the bill down the road. Some Republican governors have complained about this (somewhat loudly). Some of the complaining governors are potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Jan 2009 10:30

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U.S.: Russ Feingold: Senate appointments suck. Let’s kill them!

  • A new amendment Feingold, a beat-of-his-own-drummer Democratic Wisconsin senator noted for voting against the Patriot Act, has suggested that the recent New York and Illinois senate appointments have proven the idea to be antiquated. So, he plans to introduce an amendment later this week that ends senate appointments and replaces them with special elections. source
  • A new amendment Feingold, a beat-of-his-own-drummer Democratic Wisconsin senator noted for voting against the Patriot Act, has suggested that the recent New York and Illinois senate appointments have proven the idea to be antiquated. So, he plans to introduce an amendment later this week that ends senate appointments and replaces them with special elections.
  • “The will of the people” There is historic context to this, Feingold notes. “In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution gave the citizens of this country the power to finally elect their senators,” Feingold said in a press release. “They should have the same power in the case of unexpected mid-term vacancies, so that the Senate is as responsive as possible to the will of the people.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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