New Coffeehouse

Josh Marshall has launched a new group blog, TPMCafe. I highly recommend it. His first guest blogger at the TPMCafe table for one is someone you may remember, John Edwards. He'll be talking about the harsh realities facing 36 million Americans living in poverty and what we can do to help them.

Here's an excerpt from Sen. Edwards' first post:

David Shipler, who recently joined me on a panel at UNC, tells a striking story about a single mother he met while researching his book, The Working Poor. She had no savings and low earnings, so she had to live in a drafty wooden house. This exacerbated her son's asthma. That led to two ambulance rides to the hospital. Those trips led to ambulance charges she couldn't pay. Those charges damaged her credit report. And so then she was denied a loan to buy a mobile home. That meant she had to stay in that drafty house—the house that contributed to her son's asthma attacks. And she had to buy a car from a sleazy dealership that charged her 15 percent interest.

As one little boy David met told his mother, “Being poor is expensive.”

That boy was right on. The Brookings Institution recently released a fascinating study demonstrating how low-income families pay more for all sorts of things. They pay more for groceries and gasoline. They pay more for furniture and appliances. They pay higher prices for insurance and for utilities. And—something that has troubled me for a long time—they pay more for financial services, whether it’s cashing a check or getting a loan.

New Coffeehouse

Tie A Yellow Ribbon

Nah. Listen to Bill.

Just take your yellow ribbon magnet off your SUV and take it directly to your local armed forces recruiting center with your military age son or daughter, and bring your chickenhawk ass in case you still qualify.

This means you too, Curt Schilling.

Now, I know you're thinking, but, Bill, I already do my part with the "Support Our Troops" magnet I have on my Chevy Tahoe. How much more can one man give? Well, here's an intriguing economic indicator. It's been over a year since they graduated, but neither of the Bush twins has been able to find work. Why don't they sign up? Do they hate America or just freedom in general?

And that goes for everybody who helped sell this war. You've got to go first. Brooks and Dunn, drop your cocks and grab your socks! Ann Coulter, darling, trust me, you will love the Army. You think you make up shit!

Curt Schilling, b-bye! You ended the curse on Boston. Good. Let's try your luck in Fallouja. Oh, and that Republican Baldwin brother, he's got to go so that Ted Nugent has someone to frag.

But mostly, we have to send Mr. And Mrs. Britney Spears. Because Britney once said, "We should trust our president in every decision that he makes, and we should just support that and be faithful in what happens." Okay, somebody has to die for that. Or at least go. Hey, maybe she'll like it. Hell, she's already knocked up. That'll save the MP unit about ten minutes.

And think of the spiritual lift it will provide to troops and civilians alike when actual combat smacks the smirk off of Kevin Federline's face and fills his low-hanging trousers with dootie.

In summation, you cannot advocate for something you wouldn't do yourself. For example, I'm for fuel efficiency, which is why I drive a hybrid car and always take an electric private plane. I'm for legalizing marijuana, and so I smoke a ton of it.

Tie A Yellow Ribbon

I Want My MTV

Not so much.

It's not like they've actually played any music on the channel in the last decade anyway. Just another lame idiot celebrity and bling-bling glorification channel.

Oh, there's a political message there already. Consume. Consume. Consume. Ignore the world around you, youth of America. That's until your apathetic ass is sent off to die or be maimed.

I Want My MTV

Fountains to Bono: We need to talk

Hello. hello.

Why hasn't Paul called me after what I've been saying for the past few months? What do I have to say to get a call?

I must respond to Bono's quotes about the misery of the indie rock ghetto and "being Kid A'd to death."

My response is:

The truth is that there is valid, powerful and influential music being made in the indie rock ghetto and if you saw LCD Soundsystem on Thursday night you wouldn't see any misery. I'll take Radiohead just as they are. (Don't change, Thom!). They don't need to be on MTV, which doesn't exactly play music anymore, to be influential.

My belief is that the kids who are going to form bands are already listening to Radiohead or LCD Soundsystem or Arcade Fire. That's all that matters. Not every band needs to reach millions of people. As GK said on XRT this morning, niche music is a good thing. Bands start to suck when they concern themselves with what will appeal to the masses. Artists should be true to their vision and if mass appeal follows, so be it. If not, so be it. The Velvet Underground never sold many albums, but the kids who bought their albums formed bands. That's influence. Mainstream acceptance is fleeting. Inspiring kids to form bands is lasting.

By the way, GK rocks.

Fountains to Bono: We need to talk

Ike's Wisdom

Sirota via DailyKos:

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are [a] few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

- President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 11/8/54

Let's hope his prediction was right. It would sure be sad to see the Republican Party disappear. (Although these days, with its leadership beholden to the American Taliban, it bears no resemblance to Ike's Republican Party anyway.)

He had incredible foresight in his warning to the American people about the dangers of a military-industrial complex.

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

Ike's Wisdom

FHFF

Atrios title + Sirota post = Genius

Why do Americans think journalism is a complete and total joke? Maybe because news organizations treat the most serious, somber news as a a complete and total joke. Just look at this from ABC News's "The Note" today:

"Brides gotta run, planes gotta stray, and cable news networks gotta find a way to fill a lot of programming hours as cheaply as possible...We say with all the genuine apolitical and non-partisan human concern that we can muster that the death and carnage in Iraq is truly staggering. And/but we are sort of resigned to the Notion that it simply isn't going to break through to American news organizations, or, for the most part, Americans...What is hands down the biggest story every day in the world will get almost no coverage."

Let me reiterate how unbelievable this actually is: A MAJOR AMERICAN MEDIA OUTLET HAS NOW DECLARED THAT THEY SIMPLY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN LETTING THE CARNAGE IN IRAQ "BREAK THROUGH" IN THEIR NEWS COVERAGE - AS IF IT IS SIMPLY NOT NEWSWORTHY. You can just imagine the pathetic newsroom attitude: we don't cover cats getting stuck in trees, we don't birthday parties at the local McDonalds, and we don't cover America's multi-billion dollar war in the Mideast.

If you're wondering who exactly are the Five Hundred Fatuous Fuckwits that Atrios refers to in the title of his post, I'll enlighten you. It is a reference to the D.C. media, who seem to be more interested in their invites to cocktail parties than, perhaps, doing their jobs, like asking the President a tough question about the blood and treasure we continue to spend daily in Iraq, as opposed to covering a bride that (gasp!) got cold feet.

FHFF

Friendly Skies

Not so much.

We now have a situation where your company can screw you over, denying you or dramatically reducing the pension you worked for years to provide for your income in your waning years, all the while the unprofitable company languishes in bankruptcy protection and is propped up by the taxpayer with bailout after bailout.

Oh, by the way- God forbid the employees and pensioners have any credit card debt. Unlike United Airlines, they will not be treated with kid gloves in bankruptcy court. Is this compassionate conservatism? I just heard Rush Limbaugh state the pensioners were to blame because they should have known pensions are risky.

Meanwhile, individuals no longer have bankruptcy protection, while corporations can still discharge liability for the pensions they owe their employees, with no penalty.

While the Bankruptcy Bill was steamrolling through Congress, Dick Durbin offered an amendment that would've "protect[ed] employees and retirees from the common corporate practice of discharging liability for retirement plans, retained earnings and matching funds when businesses file Chapter 11." This is really, if you think about it, quite amazing. The Bankruptcy Bill made it harder for individuals to declare and survive bankruptcy. Durbin offered an amendment that would've forced corporations, when they were declaring bankruptcy, to fulfill their stated financial obligations to their employees. These financial obligations are retirement plans, matching funds, and so forth. They are, in other words, the exact same long-term assets that are supposed to keep hard-working Americans out of bankruptcy court!

How's that for irony? Your employeer take your pension, and possibly forces you into bankruptcy where your long-term assets are no longer protected.

Our very own Senator Durbin tried to protect your pension, but, predictably, it failed, because you can't afford to pay lobbyists like United Airlines or MBNA. Too bad.

Friendly Skies

One

Check it out. Sign the declaration.

"WE BELIEVE that in the best American tradition of helping others help themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty. WE RECOGNIZE that a pact including such measures as fair trade, debt relief, fighting corruption and directing additional resources for basic needs – education, health, clean water, food, and care for orphans – would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries, at a cost equal to just one percent more of the US budget. WE COMMIT ourselves - one person, one voice, one vote at a time - to make a better, safer world for all."

1 percent. 1 person. 1 voice. 1 vote.

Make poverty history.

One

Onward Christian Soldiers

Dear Mullahs Dobson and Falwell,

With the ongoing recruiting crisis and personnel shortage, why aren't you encouraging your flocks to enlist if you think the War on Iraq was such a great idea?

Surely there could be no better way to 'Support Our Troops.'

Love,

Steve

Onward Christian Soldiers

Confessions of a Wilcoholic

My name is Steve and I have been a Wilcoholic since 1997. After seeing them live on Friday night, it's safe to say I have no interest in rehab. Why?

Let me count the ways.

1. Spiders (Kidsmoke)
2. I am trying to break your heart
3. I'm a Wheel
4. Misunderstood
5. Kingpin
6. I'm the man who loves you (Tweedy always dedicates this to his wife. Since his sons were there, he also dedicated it them and called it "I'm the Dad Who Loves You." He said it was his favorite part of the show.)
7. The Late Greats
8. Kicking TV
9. Hummingbird (especially the dance. huge fan of the dance)
10. Monday
11. Outtasite (Outta Mind)
12. Poor places
13. Theologians
14. Jesus, etc.
16. Hell is Chrome
17. Just a Kid (with his 2 sons and a couple other kids on vocals)
18. Heavy Metal Drummer
19. Hesitating Beauty

I could go on, but you get the idea.

The dad in me loved that I could see Tweedy's son mouthing the words to every song in the first balcony. I love that his kids rocked out to Spiders (Kidsmoke) as much I did. (My neck still hurts from that headbanging.)

I love that they were filming this show, so everybody can see the beauty that is Wilco.

I know I'm biased, and maybe it's because I'm a dad, but seeing Tweedy's interactions with his kids on Friday solidified my belief that Jeff Tweedy is an endearing front man, who is clearly unaffected by his immense talent.

It shows in his connection to his kids and it shows in his connection to his fans. There is genuine intimacy and genuine love and appreciation there.

Once again, thank you, Wilco. You never disappoint.

Can't wait for the DVD.

Confessions of a Wilcoholic

Dear Mullah Dobson

You are not being persecuted.

The United States is also a country whose culture is shaped by the mores and conventions of its overwhelmingly Christian majority. This culture makes it not only acceptable, but often popular and advantageous for Christians to be outspoken and public with their professions of faith. By culture and convention, Christians in America enjoy privileges and power that their coreligionists in other countries could never dream of. When or where in history was it ever easier to profess Christianity in whatever form you might choose?

And yet scarcely a day goes by, regardless of whether or not it is "Justice Sunday," in which some group of American Christians does not claim that they are facing "persecution."

They dare to use that word.

This is delusional, pathological. These people are insane. They are my brothers and sisters in Christ -- and the brothers and sisters of those Christians facing actual persecution in the world's forgotten corners -- but they are insane.

When protected, privileged and pampered American Christians claim to be facing persecution they spit on the wounds of their brothers and sisters elsewhere in the world and in history who have known firsthand what religious persecution really is. They mock not only their fellow Christians in this great cloud of witnesses, but also those of other faiths who have suffered or are, now, today, suffering genuine persecution.

Just because some judges won't let you impose your belief system on the entire country does not mean you are being persecuted. Not allowing to you subvert the rights of a husband to not have a feeding tube shoved down his wife's throat by George Bush, Bill Frist, Jeb Bush, Tom DeLay, or Randall Terry against what he believes were her wishes is not persecution. Requiring a Christian pharmacist to give birth control prescriptions or morning after pills to women who have legally obtained prescriptions isn't persecution. A judge acknowledging that a 13 year old girl is in charge of her uterus isn't persecution. Giving homosexuals the same rights as married couples for economic, legal and medical matters is not persecution. A racy stand-up bit delivered by a First Lady is not persecution either.

Unless the First Lady is a Democrat of course. Then she is a godless terrorist lesbian heathen activist judge who will do permanent damage to the fabric of our nation. And, don't forget that we would have to figure out how to tell the children.

Love,

Steve

P.S. Even George Will says you should lighten up.

Dear Mullah Dobson

Focus on the Mullahs, Pt. 2

Shame on the Super Nanny. With her non-violent techniques for discipline like boundaries, consistency, and communication, she'll never raise a proper authoritarian adult who respects the patriarchical order of our Christian society.

If they had taken Dobson's advice, however, they would right now be indulging in child abuse instead of patience, discipline and understanding. His view is that children must be taught to obey because they must observe the hierarchy of the family which means that father, then mother are always to be obeyed without question. The point is not to raise happy, healthy people, but oppressed, subservient kids who turn into rigid authoritarian adults. He is in the business of creating Nazis, not normal human beings.

I pity the many poor little children who are going to be subjected to Dobson's torture after their desperate parents saw that slick ad last night and called the FOF number. Those parents are going to learn that they are justified in being angry at their children and that violence is the proper way to express that anger, "for the good of their child."

And I pity the country that takes another step back into the dark ages when torture was considered acceptable. We are now one of the torture cultures. That's quite an achievement.

Daddy's only doing this for your own good. You must feel some physical and emotional pain when you disobey daddy. I'm doing this so you'll learn that you needn't burden yourself with thinking for yourself or questioning authority, any authority, whether it's your priest, preacher or mullah, your daddy, your husband, or your President.

You can trust them. They all know what's best for you.

Just do what you're told.

Focus on the Mullahs, Pt. 2

Values Voters

Shocking. The morally correct values voters elected a man with a foul-mouthed wife.

Republican leaders, if you'll recall, demanded an apology from the Kerry camp. Junior made the line "my opponent likes tah say that Hollywood is the heart 'n soul 'o America. but I think the heart 'n soul 'o America is right here in _______, heartland USA" one of his rapturous applause cues throughout the campaign.

That was a different time. Now it seems that the moral Red Staters have finally decided to admit that they love a good horse cock joke as much as the next guy and that's just fine with me. I always knew they did. We're all about horse cock jokes in this country, from sea to shining sea. Nothing makes a First Lady more downhome and fun than talking about horse cocks on TV. Bring 'em on. Horse cocks for everyone.

But I'd really appreciate it if they'd can the phony sanctimony from now on and shut the fuck up about "Desperate Housewives" and dirty talk on TV. If it's ok for the First Lady of the United States to joke publicly about her husbands limp dick and jerking off farm animals then it's ok for Whoopie Goldberg and everybody else to make Bush jokes.

What will we tell the children?

IOKIYAR.

(It's o.k. if you're a Republican.)

Values Voters

Focus on the Mullahs

There goes that liberal media again, running ads by the spokesperson for the American Taliban, after rejecting ads from a church that promotes tolerance and acceptance of (gasp!) homosexuals.

This is the basis of Dobson's child rearing advice. He thinks of children as animals and he believes that animals and children should be beaten. He believes that nine month old babies should be switched on the bare legs. He believes they should be pinched hard, on the neck, so it will hurt. He believes in things that could get parents arrested in many states in the union.

Yet his program is considered to be more wholesome and less controversial than a church that allows gays to be a member.

Obviously, you can't run an ad from a church that would ACCEPT HOMOSEXUALS as members. However, you can run one courtesy of a psychopath that thinks you need to "break your child's will" like it was an animal, through the use of violence, endorsing hitting a 9 month old with a switch. Hard to believe?

Here are the quotes:

• Pain is a marvelous purifier. . . It is not necessary to beat the child into submission; a little bit of pain goes a long way for a young child. However, the spanking should be of sufficient magnitude to cause the child to cry genuinely."
  • From Dare to Discipline, pages 6 and 7

• "Some strong-willed children absolutely demand to be spanked, and their wishes should be granted. . . [T]wo or three stinging strokes on the legs or buttocks with a switch are usually sufficient to emphasize the point, 'You must obey me.'"
  • From The Strong-Willed Child, pp. 53-4.

Now who is the real threat here? Strong-willed children, churches that accept homosexuals, or child abuse promoter, Mullah Dobson.

Anyone with any common sense knows that the moment you strike a child, you are the one that has lost control. All you are teaching them is to use violence to resolve conflict and to blindly submit to power and authority.

Apparently, in ABC's world, a church that accepts 2 dudes kissing is worse than a "Christian" organization that tells you it's o.k., even necessary, to hit your kids.

Focus on the Mullahs

Republicans are Bastards

O.K., Matt, tell me something I don't know.

How else to understand the budget the House/Senate Conference Committee came up with at the end of last week? It doesn't balance the budget and, thanks to adding even more tax cuts on to what we've already had, doesn't even shrink the deficit. Nor does it even cut spending very much. But it does cut spending on Medicaid and, fulfilling Ed Kilgore's February prediction, managed to turn the excellent idea of cutting farm subsidies into the terrible idea of cutting food stamps. All disagreement aside about how much overall spending is desirable, I don't think you can find anyone who thinks on the merits that giving food and medicine to poor people rank number one -- or even close to number one -- on the list of dubious government projects that ought to be on the chopping block. So how is it that these particular programs wound up being the ones to get the ax? Well, it's not too difficult to understand. These are programs that benefit poor people who can't hire lobbyists and who, therefore, lack clout in a Washington, DC run by a Republican Party that's decided to outsource policymaking to K Street.

There are a few lessons to be learned here. One is that Republicans are bastards. Another is that this is what will happen to Social Security if it's transformed into a welfare program instead of the universal social insurance program it is today. The third is that every conservative who promises that no such thing will ever happen but who isn't exactly speaking out forthrightly against these "soak the poor" cuts (i.e., pretty much all of them) is not to be trusted.

What does Tom DeLay think about cutting Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for people who don't need them?

Shortly before the House began its vote, Mr. DeLay said, "This is the budget the American people voted for when they returned a Republican House, a Republican Senate and a Republican president to the White House last November."

Congratulations, America, right from the mouth of Bastard Number 1, who touts a budget that:

1. Doesn't balance the budget.
2. Doesn't reduce the deficit.
3. Cuts medical care and prescription drugs for the poor, while giving more tax cuts to people who do not need the money.

Americans, any buyer's remorse yet?

Any chance you might reconsider in 2006?

Republicans are Bastards