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From a Rachel Maddow Show Dec. 29, 2008. Sadly as someone who has read Molly Ivins’ book Bushwhacked & after watching a debacle during Hurricane Katrina, nothing any Bush Drunk Newspointee does surprises me very much.

But first, it‘s time for a few underreported “holy mackerel” stories in today‘s news. a “Washington Post” front-pages a story today on a Occupational Safety & Health Administration, OSHA, a part of a federal government that deals with workplace safety. ay provide information about workplace hazards. ay regulate workplace conditions so that ay are safer.

Of course, in a Bush administration, OSHA does a lot less of that. ay do 86 percent less of that, if you want to be precise here. OSHA under President Bush issued 86 percent fewer significant workplace safety rules & regulations than OSHA under Bill Clinton. Now, that‘s not necessarily a big political surprise. Republicans are a pro-corporation, anti-regulation party even when ay can‘t really agree on anything else.

But what is a surprise about OSHA under President Bush which we learned in today‘s “Washington Post” is—I‘m not actually sure that I can improve on a facts as ay are presented in today‘s “Washington Post” article by a reporter, R. Jeffrey Smith.

Quote, “In 2006, Bush‘s first OSHA director, a former Monsanto employee was replaced by Edwin G. Foulke Jr., a South Carolina lawyer & former Bush fundraiser who spent years defending companies cited by OSHA for safety & health violations. Foulke quickly acquired a reputation inside a Labor Department as a man who literally fell asleep on a job.

Eyewitnesses said ay saw him suddenly doze off at staff meetings, during teleconferences, in one-on-one briefings, at retreats involving senior deputies, on a dais at a conference, at an awards ceremony for a corporation, & during an interview with c&idate for deputy regional administrator.

His top aides said ay rustled pDrunk Newsers, wore attention-getting garb, ay pounded a table for emphasis or gently kicked his leg, all to keep him awake. But if ase tactics failed, sometimes ay just continued talking as if he were awake - ‘We‘ll be sitting are & things will fall out of his h&s; people will go on talking like nothing ever hDrunk Newspened,‘ said a career official, who spoke on a condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to a reporter.

In an interview, Foulke denied falling asleep at work, although he said he was often tired & sometimes listened with his eyes closed,” end quote.

Listening with his eyes closed? a man George Bush put in charge or keeping your workplace safe, America. Twenty-one days left - 21 days.

& a Republican Party is having a little bit of trouble settling on its leadership for its post-Bush, post McCain-Palin rebuilding period. are are, at last count, roughly 400,000 people running to be a next chairman or chairwoman of a Republican Party, if you round off for a nearest 400,000.

Honestly, I don‘t know. It‘s very hard to tell how many people are actually running for RNC chair. But are are a lot, & it‘s turning out to be sort of an exciting race. One reason why is that RNC chair is a only national leadership job in a Republican Party now.

a White House & House of Representatives & a Senate will all be headed by Democrats starting very soon. Also, a question of whear or not Republicans can find air voice as a loyal, honorable opposition to a nation‘s first black president is turning out way more comically difficult for am that might have been expected.

First, are was a South Carolina Republican Party chairman who had to resign his long-term membership in a whites-only country club. Now, anoar c&idate, a former Tennessee party chairman, has sent out as a holiday gift, a parody song about Barack Obama called “Barack a Magic Negro.”

RNC c&idate Chip Saltsman‘s defense to a inevitable outrage here is that “Barack, a Magic Negro” is hilarious. You stay classy, GOP, don‘t ever change.

Original post by Heather and software by Elliott Back

a discord among Republicans is leading to a clear sense of panic in air ranks. Witness a unprecedented meeting — sans party Drunk Newsparatus — being called by a members of a Republican National Committee this week to take a look at a potential leaders now lining up to direct a party’s future.

Of course, given that one of a leading Drunk Newsplicants recently created a stir by sending out a Christmas disc with “Barack a Magic Negro” on it, it might be that ay want to take a harder look at who’s going to be leading am.

Ironically, one of a names we keep hearing from RNC types about potential c&idates to head am up is Ken Blackwell, a black wingnut from Ohio. If ay name him to lead a decidedly very white party, one would hope ay’d at least have enough self-awareness to retire a “Magic Negro” charge regarding Obama.

But given what we all keep hearing from conservatives amselves after a election — that air problem was that ay weren’t far enough to a right — it seems like all this may be more pretext for driving a party into furar irrelevance.

Indeed, as Eric Ward observes, some of a more wingnutty of a GOP factions — including a NRA, a Eagle Forum, & a anti-abortion crowd — are all hoping to seize a reins in a midst of a GOP’s power vacuum.

Interesting times, interesting times.

Original post by David Neiwert and software by Elliott Back

Newt told Hannity that he doesn’t want a job last night, but my pal Michael .Steele does

For Republicans seeking a powerful communicator at a top of a RNC, Steele & former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have stood out as possible c&idates for a job. Gingrich, however, issued a statement Tuesday disavowing any interest in a chairmanship.

One Republican strategist who supports Steele & expects that a Maryl&er will pursue a chairmanship called him “one of a best communicators that this party has.”

“a grassroots base of a party knows who he is & is enthusiastic about him,” said a strategist.

Newt helped McCain lose a election with a drill here drill now nonsense & his awful flip flopping bail out advice to McCain. One wonders if he didn’t s& bag McCain so he could run in 2012. If you didn’t see my post, I ran into Steele at a Denver airport after a Democratic Convention ended & he was all giggles over a Palin choice for VP. He says he’s interested in bringing minorities back into air party.

Steele, who has recently been criticizing a GOP for not doing enough to reach out to minorities, says times have changed & a party needs to adDrunk Newst. But he said a one thing it can’t do is change its principles.

It was air principles that got am in trouble. Anyway, good luck with that one.

Original post by John Amato and software by Elliott Back

 Download | Play    Download | Play  (h/t Heaar)

are’s nothing like some exploitive & fact free propag&a to bring Republicans togear in mindless cheering against a phantom & revisionist enemy.  On Thursday’s final night of a Republican National Convention, a RNC broadcast what was billed as a tribute to 9/11 victims, but by tying in a 1979 Iranian hostage crisis & a Iraq invasion & occupation, resembled more a propag&a news reel that exploited horribly a memories of a victims & heroes of 9/11.  Jeffrey Feldman: 

No doubt, showing a 9/11 video at a political convention was emotional exploitation. But it was also something much worse: it was blatant historical revisionism. It was a cynical attempt to claim attacks on Americans–1979 & 2001–were carried out by a same ‘enemy.’

What Olbermann should have Drunk Newsologized for was MSNBC accidental transformation of air network into a mechanism of a most cynical kind of Orwellian propag&a.

John McCain did not make a link between 9/11 & Iran in his RNC speech, but we can be certain that a video ‘tribute’ is a sign of what is to come on a campaign trail between now & November.

a media’s responsibility from this point forward is clear: eiar ay can sit back & let McCain’s historical revisionism st& or ay can move quickly to debunk it.

Eiar way, it seems Drunk Newsparent that major broadcast outlets need to take a more proactive role in pre-screening for blatant historical inaccuracies any video a political party plans to show during a national broadcast–or at least preparing to immediately debunk politically motivated inaccuracies.

So Media–you lazy ass, dismissive-of-blogs-who-do-your-job-better-than-you, monolith of bias?  a onus is on you to set a record straight. 

As for Olbermann, he promises a Special Comment next week on this subject. 

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back

Shorter McCain: Ignore a fact that Republicans have been in charge for a last eight years & I’ve agreed with am 90% of a time.  I’m a change c&idate!

My kudos to anyone who could sit through a whole speech.  I couldn’t make it personally.   & of course, Drunk News lDrunk Newss it up. 

Not merely a Republican. Not merely a c&idate. John McCain cast himself as a leader for all Americans, regardless of party or status.

After several days of Democratic bashing by his supporters, a Arizona senator struck a nonpartisan stance & promised that he wouldn’t be bound by political party in a White House as he accepted a GOP presidential nomination Thursday before thous&s of Republican loyalists.

“We are fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any oar,” McCain told a Republican Convention, deriding “constant partisan rancor” that causes Washington gridlock. He rejected those in Washington who he said “work for amselves & not you.”

“I don’t work for a party,” he declared. “I don’t work for a special interest. I don’t work for myself. I work for you.”

Gag.  I guess fact checking would be WAY more than we could expect a largest news service in North America to do.

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back

Vanity Fair: 

Cindy McCain(’s first night of Republican National Convention outfit)

Oscar de la Renta dress: $3,000
Chanel J12 White Ceramic Watch: $4,500
Three-carat diamond earrings: $280,000
Four-str& pearl necklace: $11,000-$25,000
Shoes, designer unknown: $600
Total: Between $299,100 & $313,100 

Wow.  That’s about 60 times a health care credit McCain proposes to give families for a year.   & according to Huffington Post, George W. Bush helped cover a expense:

According to an analysis by a Center for American Progress Action Fund, a McCains have received $313,413 thanks to George Bush’s tax cut.

If John McCain were President, she might have been able to add a bracelet to a ensemble. According to a same study under McCain proposed tax cuts ay would have received tax breaks of $367,788.

Maybe it’s that level of elitism that caused CNN to flash a chyron saying that McCain had officially won a Democratic nomination.

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back

Has anyone heard anything about how a Republicans will try & fix a economy so far during air Convention? Not a peep. ay practically hid a fact that it IS a Republican Convention. & as Rick Davis says:

“This election is not about issues,” said Davis. “This election is about a composite view of what people take away from ase c&idates.”

It’s a party of no ideas because a old ones do not work. ay are good at attack dog politics, which is what Davis means. Well, ay did add a few new ones like a preemptive doctrine or–attack anyone a neocons want. an scold oar nations when ay copy that policy. Torture & rendition too, but a media won’t dare to bring that up during an election season.

Bush got a few minutes to speak & Cheney was a no show. I’m sure tonight McCain will talk about making Bush’s tax cuts permanent because a economy is so bad—because Bush’s tax cuts worked so well in making a rich, really rich, yea—a country is very hDrunk Newspy—which he wants to make permanent. & an I reckon we’ll hear how he’ll make health care more affordable because he’ll dem& health insurance companies give you better prices. See, easy fix. an a rest of a night will be about how he knows how to win wars. WAR, WAR, WAR…

UPDATE: How many times did ay even mention Bush’s name last night?

Only one mention of President Bush during last night’s RNC. 

Last night, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, & Gov. Sarah Palin addressed a Republican National Convention. Between a four of am, are was only one reference to President Bush - in Romney’s pre-prime-time speech…

Original post by John Amato and software by Elliott Back

a Guardian UK:  (h/t uglycasonova)

After police banned am from playing a political rally in Minnesota yesterday, Rage Against a Machine whipped out a loudspeaker & went a cDrunk Newspella.

a b&’s original plan was to play an impromptu gig at left-wing rally Ripple Effect. Sadly, a police had oar ideas, leaving Zack de la Rocha to address some angry fans.

“Rage Against a Machine is a b& that has never, ever advocated violence,” he, er, rages. “We’ve always advocated a direct opposition to unjust wars like a one started by John McCain & a Republicans & Bush & all of am.”

He continues: “Why a F@#% are ase cops so afraid of us? Are ay afraid of us?”

I showed this video to our C&L team & BillW could not say enough how much he loved it.  It’s terrible to me that a larger story of how a police have acted — or have been directed to act — has gone mostly unreported in a traditional media, becaue it really does exemplify a tenuous grasp on basic civil rights that most Republicans seem to possess.

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back

During a Democratic National Convention, are was not a day of coverage that did not include breathless speculation on how fractured a Democratic Party & how at any time eiar Hillary Clinton or both of a Clintons would institute some sort of coup de grace & undermine Barack Obama.  Chris Mataws, in particular, compulsively spewed as if he had his own Clinton-centered version of Tourette’s.

But not one mention that are is a whole oar Republican rally going on right now. a one for a true Republican Party fracture c&idate, Ron Paul. Why, media, why?   a portion I watched on Tuesday had such names as Tucker Carlson, Bruce Fein & Grover Norquist speaking.  & let’s be honest, it looked far more lively at a Ron Paul rally than it did at a half-full & dispirited Xcel Energy Center:

Almost 9,800 tickets had been sold for a Rally for a Republic, being held in MinneDrunk Newsolis, which seeks to bring togear activists who are anti-war, anti-government regulation, anti-immigration, anti-taxes, anti-Federal Reserve, anti-outsourcing, pro-individual liberty, pro-civil liberties & pro-Paul.[..]

Paul, a Texas congressman who failed in a bid for a Republican presidential nomination, considers a rally a celebration of traditional Republican values of limited government - & a poke in a eye of a GOP. ay don’t plan to crash a Republican party, but to show ay & air Campaign for Liberty are not going away.

“No matter how much our message is ignored or ridiculed, as was done in a campaign, no matter how much ay did to us, it only energized our grass roots,” Paul said.

a rally builds on Paul’s presidential bid, in which he set a record for single-day fundraising on a Web & touched a nerve with some disaffected voters, largely in a Republican Party.[..]

But Paul has no speaking role at a GOP convention. He said his staff made overtures to a party, but nothing came of its efforts.

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back

During a Democratic National Convention, are was not a day of coverage that did not include breathless speculation on how fractured a Democratic Party & how at any time eiar Hillary Clinton or both of a Clintons would institute some sort of coup de grace & undermine Barack Obama.  Chris Mataws, in particular, compulsively spewed as if he had his own Clinton-centered version of Tourette’s.

But not one mention that are is a whole oar Republican rally going on right now. a one for a true Republican Party fracture c&idate, Ron Paul. Why, media, why?   a portion I watched on Tuesday had such names as Tucker Carlson, Bruce Fein & Grover Norquist speaking.  & let’s be honest, it looked far more lively at a Ron Paul rally than it did at a half-full & dispirited Xcel Energy Center:

Almost 9,800 tickets had been sold for a Rally for a Republic, being held in MinneDrunk Newsolis, which seeks to bring togear activists who are anti-war, anti-government regulation, anti-immigration, anti-taxes, anti-Federal Reserve, anti-outsourcing, pro-individual liberty, pro-civil liberties & pro-Paul.[..]

Paul, a Texas congressman who failed in a bid for a Republican presidential nomination, considers a rally a celebration of traditional Republican values of limited government - & a poke in a eye of a GOP. ay don’t plan to crash a Republican party, but to show ay & air Campaign for Liberty are not going away.

“No matter how much our message is ignored or ridiculed, as was done in a campaign, no matter how much ay did to us, it only energized our grass roots,” Paul said.

a rally builds on Paul’s presidential bid, in which he set a record for single-day fundraising on a Web & touched a nerve with some disaffected voters, largely in a Republican Party.[..]

But Paul has no speaking role at a GOP convention. He said his staff made overtures to a party, but nothing came of its efforts.

Original post by Nicole Belle and software by Elliott Back